Real People, Real Business

Today, we're breaking the mold on our usual format, and taking a minute to reflect on what being a woman means, on International Women's Day. While this day is often a bit of a Hallmark holiday, I wanted to dig in to something a bit more real, vulnerable and personal. Being a woman, and being with women, is a privilege and a joy. It can also be painful, frustrating and hard. I wrote this essay a few years ago during a retreat, and it is a personal reflection on my own journey through womanhood and how that has evolved and manifested itself throughout my life. I hope you find it poignant, entertaining, and heartfelt, and helps you reflect yourself on your own relationship to women, or to being a woman. Happy International Women's Day! Support the show

Chris Troka is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Focused-Biz, an innovative marketing company that leverages AI to help businesses create better customer experiences, increase conversion rates, and reduce time spent on administrative tasks using automation. In this episode, you’ll hear how Chris identified a gap between technology and marketing and developed an AI-based solution to fill it, the collaborative approach he uses to develop his business tool, and the opportunities and considerations for using AI in your business. Chris tells us about the incredible success of his first business as a wedding DJ and falling in love with marketing, the drive behind launching a marketing agency, using AI and automation for business enhancement, and his quest to improve customer experience and administrative efficiency. Chris describes the gap he saw between marketing and technology, Focused-Biz’s Comprehensive 14-in-1 business tool, the collaborative approach he’s taken to developing and improving the tool, and how businesses can use the tool to enhance their processes. Chris gets candid about the challenges of becoming a business owner, why he says you need to “choose your hard” as an entrepreneur, how the shift in work culture and worker motivation impacts business strategy and the two channels that have been most successful in generating leads. Lastly, Chris shares why most businesses can benefit from using AI, the big opportunities he sees in AI, ethical considerations to be aware of in your marketing and communications, why he believes in collaboration over competition in business, and the work he’s doing to create industry-specific AI solutions. Skip to Topic: 3:20 - Starting an AI-based marketing agency 4:59 - Taking action and avoiding analysis paralysis 6:01 - How Focused-Biz’s 14-in-one AI business tool works 7:06 - Two ways businesses can leverage Focused-Biz’s AI tool 8:40 - Using open-source development and improving upon what’s already out there 10:58 - Creating a solution to fill the gap between technology and marketing 13:08 - The challenges of becoming a business owner 15:26 - Why you need to understand worker motivation as a business owner 19:12 - Why most businesses can benefit from AI 21:35 - The emergence of new skill sets and uses for AI technology 23:49 - Ethical considerations in marketing and communication 26:02 - Opportunities in AI and marketing to enhance your business 28:55 - Two lead generation strategies that Focused-Biz uses to attract customers 30:37 - Using a collaborative approach to development and business 32:46 - The truth about competition in business 34:50 - Creating industry-specific AI technology solutions 37:11 - The value of niching by industry Find Chris at: Website: https://focused-biz.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/focusedbiz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focused-biz Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Ali Nichols is the co-founder of Getaway, an innovative real estate financing platform that empowers real estate entrepreneurs with creative financing solutions to build portfolios without taking on restrictive capital. In this episode, you’ll hear how Ali merged her passions into founding a business, the insights she gained along the way that led her to shift business models, why she prefers working with a business partner, and what her plans are for the future to scale Getaway. Ali tells us how she combined two of her passions into entrepreneurship, the inspiration she gained from working at Uber, and the early stages of launching her business and raising capital. Ali describes how she used research and testing to develop her value proposition, the importance of honing in on the core problem you solve, and how Getaway helps its customers build real estate portfolios. Ali shares the two channels that have yielded the most growth, how Getaway uses customer research and feedback to improve its product, pivoting from offering fractional investments to assisting customers in outright property ownership, and how she realized Getaway needed to shift business models. Ali discusses the importance of building and nurturing partnerships for distribution, the difference between investment buyers and residential home buyers, and the challenges in the current real estate market. Finally, Ali talks about the symbiotic relationship she shares with her co-founder, the benefits of being in business with a partner, the importance of defining roles and responsibilities in a partnership, the unglamorous reality of entrepreneurship that isn’t talked about enough, and Getaway’s future plans for expansion. Don't miss Ali Nichols' reflections on her journey with Getaway and the hard-won wisdom she shares. Skip to Topic: 3:31 - Going from business idea to startup 4:41 - Validating your business idea through research and testing 6:43 - Identifying the core problem you solve for customers 9:01 - How Getaway helps customers build real estate portfolios 10:37 - Shifting business models based on customer feedback 12:04 - The two channels that have contributed to Getaway’s growth 14:05 - Knowing when it’s time to shift your business model 16:29 - Identifying your ideal customer 17:16 - How to use partnerships to grow your business 22:20 - Understanding the risks of real estate investing 24:40 - Forging a successful co-founder working relationship 28:21 - The unglamorous truth about being an entrepreneur 31:58 - Scaling the business to include foreign investors Find Ali at: Website: https://www.getaway.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicnichols/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Wil Reynolds is passionate about helping people and businesses grow. He’s the founder and CEO of Seer Interactive, one of the most reputable digital marketing agencies in the US, where he helps Fortune 500 companies develop SEO and digital marketing strategies. In this episode, you’ll hear how Wil launched his business after discovering his philanthropic side, how he’s grown Seer into a multimillion-dollar business, and the insights he has gained along the way. Wil discusses the client-centered approach that has helped him stand out and grow his business, why he looks at business like a sport, the point when he recognized he was becoming more of a liability than an asset as a CEO, and why he’s passionate about fostering growth and development for his team. Wil shares the important characteristics he looks for in clients, how he differentiates his company in the market, his approach to managing the financial uncertainty of being an entrepreneur, and why you should calculate the cost of business growth. Drawing from his own experiences, Wil offers his insights about growing at your own pace, comparing your journey to that of others, balancing your business and personal life, and making conscious decisions to prioritize your personal well-being. Skip to Topic: 11:38 - Using a client-centered focus to grow your business (without relying on salespeople) 14:16 - Recognizing when you’re becoming a liability to your business & what to do about it 16:43 - Creating a business that fosters growth and development for your team 18:44 - Hiring talent that is strong in areas you are not 21:55 - How to mitigate the uncertainty of entrepreneurship 26:18 - Using a data-driven, honest approach to stand out in the market 28:33 - Working with clients who are outcome and customer-focused 31:09 - Finding your market fit to differentiate yourself 33:26 - The fallacy of comparing your business to your competitors 37:17 - Why you should calculate the cost of business growth Find Wil at: Website: https://www.seerinteractive.com/ Wil’s Blog: https://wilreynolds.medium.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilreynolds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seerinteractive/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeerInteractive LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilreynolds/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

It’s our 100th episode at the Real People, Real Business Show, and we’re celebrating this milestone with a very special guest. Join my conversation with my longtime business partner, colleague, and dear friend, Jame Healy. Jame is a leading economist and entrepreneur who has spent the last 28 years helping executive leaders from Fortune 1000 firms credibly articulate, align, assure, and accelerate the realization of value from modern capabilities and emerging technology such as cloud services, artificial intelligence, robotics process automation, quantum computing, and others. In this 100th episode, you will hear how Jame went from economics to entrepreneurship, his unconventional approach to running a consulting business, creating a value-centered culture in his businesses, and how prioritizing relationships has helped him grow his business…with a little bit of humor sprinkled in. Jame shares his transition into technology consulting doing integration work, his experience leading a company through the dot-com crash, and the work that brought us together and forged a lifelong business partnership and friendship. Jame describes launching his own consulting firm, breaking away from the traditional consulting model, the importance of optimizing net value for the customer, and why every team member represents value to the customer. Jame delves into cultivating a strong organizational culture, the crucial lesson he learned about the importance of cultural fit when integrating team members, his philosophy for attracting and retaining highly skilled talent, and the importance of generously acknowledging your team’s contributions. Jame talks about the critical role of partnerships for business growth, finding fulfillment without rapid scaling, building a business based on work that’s interesting and meaningful to you, how you can leverage your expertise as an alternative to traditional scaling, and expanding your reach by building relationships. Finally, Jame leaves us with his insight on what’s real in business, the illusion of quick fixes and solutions for business success, and why it’s key to build strong relationships and connections in business. Skip to Topic: 4:25 - Living through the dot.com crash 6:44 - Acquiring an eCommerce company 11:09 - Partnering with Microsoft to become the world’s largest BizTalk practice 15:24 - The importance of cultural fit in an acquisition 25:43 - Launching a consulting business using a net value model 29:56 - Using value contribution and acknowledgment to build an expert team 33:21 - The hard lesson learned when you hire people not aligned with your culture 39:17 - Focusing on net value to the customer 44:13 - How to decide if you should scale your business 49:32 - Why building personal connections and relationships are critical for business success Find Jame at: Website: https://www.alescent.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamehealy/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Cleoniki Kesidis is a copywriter and brand storyteller who uses her love of figuring things out and communicating them simply and clearly to help businesses connect with their audiences in a meaningful way. In this episode, you’ll hear how Cleoniki launched her copywriting business by combining her passions, how she uses relationships to grow her business, the importance of knowing your audience as a business owner…and much more. Cleoniki recounts her journey into her copywriting business by combining 2 of her passions, the key action she took to go full-time as a freelance writer, how she got her first clients, and how she builds relationships to grow a stronger business. Cleoniki shares her system for making connections, how she attracts clients she wants to work with, why she doesn’t have a specialized niche, preventing burnout as a creative and business owner, and avoiding the pitfalls of perfectionism as a writer. Cleoniki discusses the foundational elements you should have in place before working with a copywriter, the importance of knowing your audience as a business owner, how to develop your business brand voice, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to push away certain audiences. Cleoniki concludes our chat by explaining how to use your business brand voice vs. your personal voice, how she uses AI in her work, and why starting a business is possible for anyone. Skip to Topic: 6:20 - Using a system to track your networking contacts 14:53 - Avoiding burnout when you’re a creative running a business 17:28 - How to combat perfectionism as a writer 21:07 - Foundational elements a business needs before hiring a copywriter 24:27 - Why it’s critical to know your audience as a business owner 26:28 - Attracting clients you want to work with 29:38 - Should your business brand voice be the same as your personal voice? 32:29 - Using a strategic approach to develop your business voice 35:02 - Using AI in copywriting 40:03 - Why starting a business is possible for anyone Find Cleoniki at: Website: https://cekcopywriting.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleonikikesidis/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

After discovering her love of numbers in a high school bookkeeping course, licensed CPA and QuickBooks Top 100 ProAdvisor Crystalynn Shelton launched her corporate career in accounting. With years of experience under her belt, she left the corporate world to start her own consulting business, where she helps businesses large and small take control of their finances. In this episode, you’ll hear how Crystalynn discovered her unexpected affinity for accounting, how she transitioned from the corporate world into her own consulting business, and how she uncovered her true superpower that has helped her scale her business. Crytalynn describes her unexpected path into accounting, becoming a CPA leading the accounting departments for large corporations, and how becoming certified in Quickbooks opened her up to a newfound passion for teaching. Crystalynn tells us how she leveraged her brand new Quickbooks certification to land a teaching job at UCLA, how she realized teaching is her superpower, and how her work with students helped her get her first business clients. Crystalynn details how she came to write an Amazon best-selling book, how she has diversified her services in order to help more people, how she uses speaking engagements to build visibility, and the hard lesson she learned from avoiding marketing her business. Finally, Crystalynn shares her advice for outsourcing the parts of your business you need help with, tips for setting your hires up for success, the value of growing your business according to what brings you joy, and the reality of work-life balance as a business owner. Skip to Topic: 4:55 - Making the leap from a corporate job to business owner 7:16 - Getting clients by partnering with organizations serving the same audience 8:44 - Building business credibility through teaching 9:54 - Writing an Amazon bestseller 12:20 - Scaling by focusing on doing one thing 16:22 - Why networking and marketing your business is critical 18:17 - Outsourcing business tasks when you need help 19:15 - Tips for hiring and working with virtual support 23:00 - Finding and hiring people who are the right fit for your business 27:52 - Determining whether an agency model is right for you 32:32 - The truth about work-life balance as a business owner Find Crystalynn at: Website: https://www.crystalynnshelton.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/crystalynnshelton/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074172338160 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalynnshelton/ Download the free gifts Crystalynn mentioned in this episode - Your First Seven Days in Quickbooks Checklist: https://www.crystalynnshelton.com/first-7-days-in-qbo-opt-in Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Moira Ni Ghallachoir is an international business mentor and speaker who helps female entrepreneurs create the impact, business income, lifestyle, and freedom they truly desire by speaking from the stage. In this episode, you will learn how to use speaking to grow your business, how to get started speaking on stage, developing a signature talk, and how to find and book stages to speak on. After moving back home to her native Ireland and launching a travel business, Moira stumbled upon a rare local speaking opportunity where she experienced the power of speaking on stage after booking a number of clients from just a 30-minute talk. Today Moira coaches other entrepreneurs to help them do the same. Moira shares how speaking can help you build rapport with your audience, how to get speaking gigs when you’re first starting out, and what you should do if you’re considering using speaking as part of your visibility strategy. Moira discusses what your intention should be when delivering a talk, the key areas that make good presentation topics, developing one key presentation, and how to craft a topic into a talk that people actually care about. Moira details how she helps her clients create a signature presentation, shifting from working with clients one-on-one to group coaching, how to leverage speaking engagements to get additional talks, and using your signature presentation with multiple audiences. Finally, Moira tells us about the pivot she made in her coaching business during the pandemic, how she blends her love of travel into her coaching work today, and why she says being an entrepreneur is messy. Skip to Topic: 9:10 - Using speaking to build an audience 10:19 - How to get started when you’re new to speaking 14:17 - Using speaking from stage as part of your visibility strategy 15:57 - What the goal of your talk should be 17:00 - Key topic areas you can speak about 20:48 - Crafting a signature presentation with a built-in offer 23:46 - Moving from one-on-one to group coaching work 24:34 - Leveraging your speaking experience to get additional engagements 26:39 - Presenting your signature presentation with multiple audiences Find Moira at: Website: https://www.moira.ie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoiraNiGhallachoir LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moira-ní-ghallachóir YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAwmBpbooTuus-qb5QWu7_w Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Sebastian Schaffer is the co-founder of dofollow.io, a premium link-building agency he started as a side gig and grew to 7 figures in just four years. In this episode, you’ll hear how Sebastian founded a successful business after initial failures, the business lessons he’s learned and incorporated into his business today, and the personal growth he’s achieved as a result of being an entrepreneur. Sebastian describes the way his early experience running two failed startups has influenced how he runs his business today, what he learned from using investor funding, how he was able to bootstrap his current business from the start, and the clarity he gained by discovering what customers really want. Sebastian discusses self-awareness as the most important process for a business owner, how owning a business has been a journey of personal growth, and why he targets clients who are in value alignment with his company. Sebastian shares how dofollow.io has been able to stand out in the SEO space, the growth approach that is working for the company, staying on top of things in the dynamic SEO industry, and the unique way he has positioned dofollow.io in the market. Finally, Sebastian talks about sustaining their company culture during rapid growth, the challenges of managing a completely remote team, the business goals he’s focused on for dofollow.io in the future, and the impact that running a business has on our personal growth. Skip to Topic: 1:30: Painful lessons from two failed startups 4:20 - Raising funding vs. bootstrapping 6:12 - Bootstrapping your business when you’re first starting out 8:55 - Finding the right problem to solve 10:12 - The importance of self-awareness for entrepreneurs 13:55 - Targeting clients aligned with your values 16:50 - Standing out in the SEO market 21:03 - Staying up-to-date in the SEO space 22:26 - Positioning your business in the market 24:07 - Sustaining your company’s culture as you grow 28:33 - Managing a distributed workforce 35:31 - Business ownership as a path to personal growth Find Sebastian at: Website: https://dofollow.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianschaeffer/?originalSubdomain=de Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Tim Kachuriak is the Founder and Chief Innovation & Optimization Officer at NextAfter, a cutting-edge fundraising research lab consultancy that helps charities, nonprofits, and NGOs grow their digital fundraising. In this episode, you’ll hear how Tim built a for-profit business serving nonprofit clients, how he knew he had found his calling in the nonprofit space, the similarities and differences between serving for-profit vs. nonprofit organizations, and how he’s grown his business to over $25 million in revenue. After starting his own marketing agency, Tim discovered the work he was meant to do - working with nonprofits. He describes how he got introduced to the non-profit space and how his obsession with optimizing fundraising led to his current business, NextAfter. Tim explains a common misconception about the nonprofit sector, how nonprofits measure success, his approach to marketing to nonprofit clients, and how he uses his work with large organizations to benefit all nonprofits. Tim gives us insight into why consolidations in the nonprofit sector are rare, how he uses retail-level funding to help his clients scale, the difference between consumer-based marketing and nonprofit marketing, and how he uses B2B and B2C marketing tactics in nonprofit fundraising. Lastly, Tims shares the two strategies he’s used to grow his business, what it means to be a disruptor in the nonprofit space, his advice for anyone thinking of starting a business serving nonprofits, what he sees as up-and-coming trends in nonprofit marketing, and what the next phase of his business is. Skip to Topic: 1:16 - Making the move from for-profit to nonprofit 7:34 - Leveraging your personal brand to create opportunities 8:58 - The massive opportunity in the nonprofit industry 9:53 - Measuring success in the nonprofit sector 11:41 - Different perceptions of nonprofit vs. for-profit businesses 13:25 - How to approach marketing when serving nonprofit clients 16:23 - Why mergers and acquisitions are rare in the nonprofit space 18:24 - Retail-level fundraising and the lifetime value of donors 19:07 - Consumer-based marketing vs. nonprofit marketing 20:45 - Using B2B and B2C marketing tactics in fundraising 24:15 - The roles media buying and content marketing have played in growing NextAfter 27:26 - Disrupting the not-for-profit space through innovation 28:47 - Future trends in nonprofit advertising 30:47 - Advice for starting a business in the nonprofit space 32:19 - The opportunity for Adtech in the nonprofit sector 35:34 - What Tim says is the reality of being a business owner 37:49 - Bringing partners into your business Find Tim at: Website: https://www.nextafter.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timkachuriak/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Are you passionate about driving positive change and disrupting the status quo? If so, this is the episode for you. Known as “America’s doctor,” Dr. Laura Purdy is a board-certified family physician and thought leader in digital healthcare who is on a mission to create the change she wants to see by disrupting the healthcare industry. In this episode, you’ll hear Dr. Purdy’s journey from military medicine to entrepreneur and the unique path she has carved out by combining her medical background and business savvy to become a serial disruptor creating positive change in healthcare. Dr. Purdy discusses the influence of growing up in an entrepreneurial family, working as a medical officer in the Army, and her work in digital medicine that fueled her passion to drive change and start her own companies. Dr. Purdy talks about how telehealth has evolved over the years, the combination of medical and business skills that make her very unique in the market, how she finds her clients, and navigating the regulatory environment of doing business in the healthcare industry. Finally, Dr. Purdy shares the role she sees for entrepreneurs in healthcare, her approach to working with bootstrapped vs. funded businesses, following her calling to drive change, the importance of a support system as an entrepreneur, and what she says the reality is of being a business owner. Skip to Topic: 2:46 - The path from military medical officer to entrepreneur 7:07 - The evolution of telehealth over the years 9:18 - How the pandemic impacted the adoption of telehealth 11:41 - Being positioned as a unicorn by combining unique skill sets 16:19 - From the grinding to get clients to running on referrals 17:36 - Crafting offers around regulatory constraints in the healthcare industry 20:33 - The role of entrepreneurs in healthcare 23:04 - Being fearless as a serial disruptor 27:38 - Approaches for working with bootstrapped businesses vs. venture-backed businesses 35:04 - The reality of being a business owner Find Dr. Purdy at: Website: https://www.drlaurapurdy.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/americasfavoritedoctor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-purdy-md/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

If you are a believer in the old adage when one door closes, another one opens, this is the conversation for you! Donna Loughlin is the founder of LMG PR, a strategic public relations firm that helps futurists and innovators move their businesses forward by bringing their unique stories to life. In this episode, you’ll hear how getting laid off from a successful corporate career during a recession opened a door of opportunity for Donna that ultimately put her on the entrepreneurial path that launched her public relations agency. Donna recounts starting her career in journalism reporting business, economics, and technology news at large media organizations, moving from news reporting to public relations, and the life-changing reality check she experienced after being laid off from her executive job during a recession. Donna describes figuring out her next move after being laid off, following the signs that guided her toward her “sliding door moment” launching her PR agency, hiring her first team members from the talent-rich pool of stay-at-home moms, and balancing her business with being a mom. Donna shares how she grew her agency and differentiated it in the market, her process for creating the “narrative story engine” for her clients, and the 3 common threads she sees among the innovators and disruptors she’s worked with. Finally, Donna reveals how her definition of growth has changed over the years, why it’s important to be selective as a business owner, and the big misconception people have about being a business owner that doesn’t match up with reality. Skip to Topic: 1:13 - Working as a news reporter for big media companies 4:30 - Making the shift from news reporter to public relations 5:44 - Getting laid off to landing $50K in new projects in 1 day 10:19 - Discovering an untapped talent resource in stay-at-home moms 12:36 - Becoming known for a niche, differentiation in the market, and global expansion 16:00 - Working with innovative clients in emerging markets 18:17 - Creating a “narrative story engine” for innovators 23:57 - 3 Common threads in the stories of innovators 30:39 - How Donna approaches growth in her agency 33:55 - Being selective about opportunities as a business owner Find Donna at: Website: https://www.lmgpr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnal2/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dlmichaels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforeithappenedshow/ Donna's podcast Before It Happened: https://beforeithappened.com Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Ann Carden is a strategic business consultant, coach, author, and serial entrepreneur who launched and sold five successful businesses. Today she uses her marketing, sales, and business strategy expertise to help others reach higher levels of success. In this episode, you will hear about Ann’s natural ability to recognize opportunities that took her from stay-at-home mom to serial entrepreneur well before the days of social media and online marketing and how she’s gone on to create her own method for successful business building that she uses to coach others who want to scale their businesses. Ann tells us how she launched her first very successful business making and selling dolls after looking for a way to make a little extra money for her family, the hard work and long hours it took to build that business to global success, selling that first business, and how she got the idea for her next business after overcoming a personal challenge. Ann reveals her natural gift for seeing opportunities, using that gift to build multiple businesses, what she says your fastest path to success in business is, and the life-changing experience she had working with a business coach that sparked her passion to become a coach herself. Ann describes how she knew it was time to exit a business, how she aligned her business to do what she most enjoys, why you shouldn’t feel guilty about making money in your business, and her A to Z model for working with her coaching clients helping them level up and scale their businesses. You’ll be inspired by Ann’s ability to identify opportunities, her commitment to pursuing them, her openness about the hard work and mistakes along the way, and her heart for helping others achieve success. Skip to Topic: 3:09 - Figuring out what the market wants 5:54 - Creating a global business out of a spare bedroom 8:52 - Selling a successful business 9:47 - Launching a new business solving a personal struggle 16:46 - Finding your fastest path to success 18:58 - Staving off lower-priced competitors 21:39 - Becoming a coach for business owners 23:32 - Recognizing when it’s time to exit a business 25:28 - Doing what brings you joy in your business 31:13 - Why entrepreneurs should not feel guilty about making money Find Ann at: Website: https://annlcarden.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncarden-business-consultant-coach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/66393905766931 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anncarden Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Ethan Song is the CEO of RareCircles, a business he launched to help creators and brands build community in the Web3 economy. He was previously the founder and CEO of Frank + Oak, the apparel brand whose mission was to make fashion more personal and sustainable for a new generation of creatives and entrepreneurs. In this episode, you’ll hear how Ethan left the security of a job to pursue entrepreneurship, launching his first company Frank + Oak, and starting a new business, RareCircles, helping creators and brands build communities in the web-3 economy. Ethan describes launching his first business Frank + Oak, how they innovated by creating a new customer experience, two ways they differentiated their brand, how they used AI to generate value-based recommendations for customers, and how he knew it was time to move on from Frank And Oak to new pursuits. Ethan shares how the idea of community was something he had thought about for a long time, the opportunity he saw for web3 to play a role in that, and ultimately launching RareCircles to help brands use community and engagement to drive business growth. Ethan tells us why RareCircles centers around Web3, creating value as a B2B2C company, why he doesn’t focus on RareCircle’s competitors, how he uses data and content to serve businesses and their end users, and the key trends we should all be thinking about when it comes to the future of community platforms. Finally, Ethan reveals why entrepreneurs need to have passion behind what they do, his thoughts for entrepreneurs thinking about what’s next, his advice for working in a space that is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, why defining success is an individual exercise, and three realities about being a business owner that you don’t hear out in the real world. Skip to Topic: 1:45 - Taking a risk by quitting a job to launch a business 3:08 - Differentiating your brand from others 4:09 - Innovating by creating a new customer experience 6:41 - Using AI to provide value-based recommendations for customers 8:07 - The role brand plays in customer buying decisions 9:39 - Launching a web3-based community and engagement platform for brands 11:36 - Using Web3 to accelerate community growth 13:51 - Why passion is important to succeed as an entrepreneur 16:53 - Leaving a successful business to start a new one 20:25 - Why Ethan doesn’t focus on RareCircle’s competitors 21:52 - How to create value as a B2B2C company 23:06 - Using data and content to serve both the business and its customers 24:54 - Key considerations and future trends to think about for community platforms 27:03 - How to succeed as an entrepreneur working in a high degree of uncertainty 34:05 - 3 things about being a business owner that you don’t hear about in the real world Find Ethan at: Website: https://www.rarecircles.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrethansong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansong/ Follow RareCircles on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rarecircles Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Lindy Nowak is the Founder of Up in a Day™ – a new-to-market website service that is devoted to helping small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent operators get their website up quickly, within budget, and with minimal effort from them. In this episode, you’ll learn about Lindy’s journey from her corporate career as a creative director in New York, working with big-name brands like L’oreal to starting a traditional marketing agency and transitioning to the productized website design agency she runs today at Up In A Day. Lindy describes the aha moment that sparked the idea for launching a productized service around website design, the purpose, and importance of having a website for your business, and why it’s better to have a professional create your business website. Lindy reveals the embarrassing mistake she made with her business website, how she used her network to build her agency team, how she developed her own training and onboarding method for her designers, and how she structured her processes and delivery to balance managing her team with providing clients with a quality service. Lindy shares how she combats scope creep and filters out clients who aren’t a good fit for her agency, the trend she sees website design moving toward in the future, and what it was like for her to jump from her corporate career to entrepreneurship. Finally, Lindy tells us how being her mother’s caretaker ignited her desire to become a business owner, how she’s building her business to support her eventual exit, and what you can do if you feel lonely as an online business owner. Skip to Topic: 1:54 - Shifting to a productized service 14:04 - Recruiting talent for your agency 19:12 - Structuring your process and deliverable to balance time, team, and quality 23:08 - Combatting scope creep and weeding out clients who are not a good fit for your business 26:58 - What Lindy says is the future of websites 29:13 - Making the jump from corporate work to entrepreneur 34:10 - Setting yourself up for success when launching a new business 35:12 - Building a business to sell it and exit 39:06 - How to combat loneliness as an online business owner Find Lindy at: Website: https://upinaday.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upinaday/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindy1/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Indus Khaitan is the founder and CEO of Quolum, an On Deck Scale company, that helps companies effectively consume software at scale. In this episode, you’ll hear how Indus went from writing code to launching his own SaaS business, how he educated himself on the business side of technology, and his successes and failures along his journey to developing and launching his SaaS solution. Indus talks about the need he saw with corporate software spend tracking that led to starting his business, the corporate and market factors that created a window of opportunity for his solution, his approach to raising capital to fund his business idea, and the hurdles he had to overcome to secure funding. Indus shares what it was like to go back to the drawing board after an unsuccessful beta launch, why it’s critical for founders to know their market inside and out, using his immediate network to grow the business, how your past experience can help you get a foot in the door, and the breakthrough moment that jump-started Quolum’s success. Lastly, Indus tells us how his marketing strategies changed as his company grew to new levels, how he uses continuous customer feedback to expand Quolum’s offerings, the two strategies he’s using to raise his next round of funding in a tough market, the missing piece in SaaS he sees as an opportunity for Quolum, and the personal cost of being an entrepreneur that no one really talks about. Skip to Topic: 1:07 - Launching a business after seeing an unmet need in corporate software spending 9:46 - Going back to the drawing board after an unsuccessful beta launch 12:21 - Using the Jobs to Be Done approach to design a successful product 15:16 - Expanding your product offering based on customer feedback 16:47 - Tapping into your network to raise funding 19:35 - Why it’s critical for founders to know their market 21:38 - How B2B marketing differs during different stages of growth 26:57 - Market timing in achieving product market fit 28:41 - Finding opportunity from a shift in corporate processes 38:38 - Making the transition from coder to entrepreneur 44:22 - The reality of being an entrepreneur that one talks about Find Indus at: Website: https://quolum.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaitan/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Inspired by her own childhood, Alyse Maslonik founded RedefinED Advisors, a development company that raises financial aid for non-public and private schools to give underprivileged children access to quality education and help them break the cycle of generational poverty. In this episode, you’ll learn about breaking generational patterns of poverty, being clear on the energy you need to foster in your business, and how to build a successful mission-driven business. Alyse describes her inspiring personal journey, the unexpected hand-up that changed her life, and how it all led to her starting a mission-driven business helping underprivileged children get access to quality education. She describes leaving her job to go all in on her business and her biggest piece of advice for when you feel like giving up. Alyse reflects on how her previous professional experience prepared her to go into business, how she took control of her story to launch her business, creating a team that’s a good fit for what you’re trying to do, why it’s critically important to protect the energy of your business, and the tremendous growth RedefinED Advisors has achieved since its inception. Finally, Alyse shares the types of schools that are an ideal fit for her company, how she has grown her business by adding additional revenue streams, the importance of healing in helping kids break the generational poverty cycle, navigating the cultural challenges that new school environments pose for underprivileged kids, and Alyse’s advice for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs based on her real experience owning a business. Alyse embodies what it means to be a heart-centered entrepreneur, and I am sure that you will find our conversation to be one of the most inspiring you’ve heard, so grab a couple of tissues and tune in. Skip To Topic: 1:24 - Altering someone’s life by offering a hand-up 4:17 - Launching a business built around a mission 4:59 - Staying the course when things look bleak 7:49 - Bringing equity to K-12 education 15:25 - The power of your story in attracting customers 18:18 - Creating multiple revenue streams by expanding client support 24:27 - Why it’s critical to protect the energy of your business 28:00 - Saying ‘no’ to clients who aren’t a good fit for your business 33:21 - Why healing is as important as financing in supporting underprivileged kids 38:04 - Alyse’s advice for business owners about what is real about running a business vs. what we see and hear Find Alyse at: Website: https://www.redefiningeducation.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redefiningeducation/ Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Projjal Ghatak is the CEO and co-founder of SaaS company, OnLoop, creating a new category, Collaborative Team Development (CTD), in a legacy market with a software product that is redefining the way organizations conduct performance management for hybrid teams. In this episode, you’ll hear how Projjal made the leap into entrepreneurship by tackling what he observed to be one of the most disliked processes in human resources, how he invented a new business category, developing and launching a software product, and some of the hardships that come with being a founder. Projjal describes how OnLoop works to improve the performance management process, common issues within traditional performance management, and how OnLoop is redefining the performance assessment process to unlock the potential of workers, increasing productivity. Projjal talks about the importance of finding the right founder-investor fit when seeking capital, understanding the venture capital business model, the personal toll raising venture capital took on his mental health and how he got through it, and 3 pieces of advice he has for other founders who need to raise funding. Projjal shares his insights on launching a software product, why he initially focused on product development over revenue, the value he saw in getting his product into the hands of users early on, how to know when you’re software product is ready for monetization, and how OnLoop utilizes user feedback to drive product integration. Finally, Projjal tells us the gut decision to focus on the mobile app that paid off, two key elements of his product that have driven OnLoop’s growth, how his business has been able to disrupt a static market, and why founders should be more open about the mental health challenges that come with launching a business and getting the necessary support. Skip to Topic: 4:34 - Redesigning the performance management process 9:06 - Mission to unlock the potential of knowledge workers and increase productivity 11:14 - How OnLoop measures work productivity 12:12 - How OnLoop redefines the performance management process 13:05 - Challenges with gauging productivity in the workplace in the era of remote work 17:42 - 2 key considerations when going from a business idea to launching a software product 19:25 - Navigating the harsh reality of raising venture capital 21:28 - 3 pieces of advice for other founders about raising business capital 26:16 - Finding the right-fit investor 28:34 - Developing a software product in conjunction with your users 29:01 - Creating a product advisory board 29:56 - How to know when you’re ready to monetize your software product 34:02 - Being a disruptor in a legacy market Find Projjal at: Website: https://www.onloop.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnLoop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stayonloop/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onloop/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLaN140q6NZdUMcvQUQezZw Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Nicole Liloia is a small business coach and strategist who helps service providers build multiple income streams and grow their businesses by working smarter, not harder, through her signature Bigger Business Bootcamp and Grow Your Income Mastermind. In this episode, my conversation with Nicole delves into her journey going from a 9-5 to freelance therapist to business coach, the shifts she had to make shifting from helping clients as a therapist to helping clients as a business coach, and how she uses that experience to help service providers grow their business into multiple income streams. Nicole starts off by telling us how she began working as a freelance therapist before moving into her own coaching business. She reveals what it was like to navigate the path from practitioner to entrepreneur, learning to communicate with clients in their language vs. therapist speak, and trying to get clear on who she served. Nicole describes the coaching work she does helping service providers develop multiple revenue streams, why creating visibility in your business is important, and how her mastermind group helps entrepreneurs feel supported and less isolated. Finally, Nicole discusses the importance of having an email list, how she uses her Facebook group to build her audience, and what she does to create balance for herself to avoid burnout. Skip to topic: 5:18 - Applying therapeutic skills to coaching 10:31 - Deciding to leave the therapy business and move into coaching 11:46 - Shifts Nicole had to make to go from being a counselor to being a coach 18:29 - Communicating what you do as a therapist in your client’s language 20:17 - Getting clear on who you serve in order to market yourself 25:28 - Getting visible in your business even when it’s hard 26:06 - The value of connecting with other business owners to feel less isolated 28:33 - How Nicole uses her email list and Facebook group to grow her audience 32:40 - The importance of slowing down in your business 34:18 - Strategies for creating balance in your business vs. doing all the things 36:08 - The misconception about passive income Find Nicole at: Website: https://nicoleliloia.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleliloia/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/liloia.nicole/ Download Nicole’s Consistent Income Generator at https://nicoleliloia.com/cig Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show

Roslyn Ranse is a travel advisor, business strategist, educator, and mentor who runs a thriving travel business specializing in large international groups and corporate clients. She passionately shares her knowledge with other travel consultants, teaching them how to run and grow a successful travel business. In this episode, you’ll hear how Roslyn took her sales and marketing background, her international travel experience, and her passion for travel, and launched her own travel advisory business. After a rewarding career with a hospitality company that took her all over the world to incredible destinations, Roslyn decided she wanted to be home more and started her own business as a travel advisor. She talks about how she had to get smart on the business side of travel through self-learning, her advice on how to choose what to learn and filter out what you don’t need, and how she differentiates herself by capitalizing on her strengths. Roslyn discusses the emergence of niched travel businesses, three ways travel advisors can niche their businesses, and the unique opportunities available today to specialize as a travel advisor to stand out in the market. Roslyn reveals the impact the pandemic had on travel advisors, the need she saw for support and mentoring for her peers, and how she created a community based on her philosophy of collaboration over competition, where she teaches other advisors how to grow their businesses. Lastly, Roslyn shares her strategies for managing multiple businesses, how to be intentional with your time, and how to know when to hire help in your business. Skip to Topic: 5:15 - Channeling her world travel experience into her own travel business 7:06 - Getting smart on business through self-learning 9:48 - Using her strengths in her work with clients 10:18 - Getting smart on the business side of travel 17:00 - The impact of the pandemic on the travel advisory business 17:44 - Promoting collaboration over competition in the travel industry 20:10 - The emergence of niched travel 21:41 - 3 ways to niche your travel advisory business 26:13 - How to choose where to focus your professional development while filtering out the rest 30:52 - How Roslyn is able to manage multiple businesses 33:31 - Managing your work time to make space for other things you enjoy 34:35 - How to know when it’s time to hire help Find Roslyn at: Website: https://www.travelagentachievers.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelagentachievers/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelagentachievers Visit Stephanie at: https://stephaniehayes.biz/ Follow me on Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Support the show