"If you’re running an online business, you need to get your hands dirty and your mind more open." Laura Roeder When your market is small businesses, there will always be customers for you if you’re solving a problem. It’s not a winner take all scenario. These are wise words from today’s guest, Laura Roeder. Laura taught herself how to build websites in junior high, then in her early 20’s, she noticed that entrepreneurs wasted a lot of time doing tasks that can be handled by good software. She went on…

"To say that there’s no money in the arts is quite crass. There’s a lot of artists who aren't starving like Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, and Paul McCartney." B. Jeffrey Madoff Michelangelo was once asked, “How did you ever carve the statue of David?” He replied, “I chipped away everything that didn’t look like David.” My guest on today’s show, B. Jeffrey Madoff has a lot of inspirational advice to offer about how you can approach your life and your work—whatever that may be—with creativity. Jeff is the founder of Madoff…

"Entrepreneurship is the toolset of change. Entrepreneurs design the future." Jeff Hoffman When Leonard Nimoy edges William Shatner out as the new guy to be the voice of the company… It was one of my favorite spots for the incredibly successful travel site, Priceline, which my guest Jeff Hoffman helped build from the ground up. When the unknown startup managed to land Shatner, it started out as a coup for them, but after the wild success of Priceline, it turned out to be a huge coup for Shatner and it…

"The fastest way to impact a million people is to have the right mentors in your life and be the right mentor to others." Kevin Harrington & Mark Timm In business and life, too often relationships are transactional, but mentorship is a two-way street — a relationship between humans — and not a transaction, and that’s what makes is such a unique offering.  My guests today, Kevin Harrington and Mark Timm have unlocked that power in their new book, Mentor to Millions, Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond.Kevin…

"You want to be the one investing in your clients first. You don't want to wait for them to invest in you." Jay Abraham Funnel vision, which is the polar opposite of what most people possess—tunnel vision—is the thing that distinguishes incremental growth from exponential, geometric growth. At its core, it is really about expanding your peripheral vision. It’s a way of grabbing ideas that are out there in the universe. Of course, not every idea you have will come to fruition or even should, but the openness of imagining…

"When the audience is nodding in agreement, they are on the journey with you." Pat Quinn Before you step onto a stage to speak, you need to have clarity on two big questions: who your target audience is and what specific problem you solve for them. Once you answer these questions, it’s surprisingly easy to put together a great talk (or webinar, podcast, and so on). It’s when you’re vague and loose with these answers that your talk might meander and not reach anyone. Pat Quinn didn’t get his start…

"What businesses should do is work on the products and the services, not the hype that goes around them." Seth Godin This interview, which was originally featured on my Marketing Speak podcast is so incraedibly relevant in these turbulent times of 2020. My wise and wonderful guest, Seth Godin, has been such an influential force in my business, and in so many others.  Seth knows a thing or two about weathering the ups and downs of making a business succeed—he is an expert in prioritizing long-term survival over short-term profitability.…

"We can demystify business and make it approachable, where we actually make a difference and change lives." Steve Baker You’re probably familiar with the saying, a rising tide lifts all boats, which was part of a very moving speech by President Kennedy.  My guest today, Steve Baker, is someone who has made a career out of ingraining this concept to people in business. Steve is vice president of The Great Game of Business, Inc., and co-author, with Rich Armstrong, of Get In The Game: How To Create Rapid Financial Results…

"The saying, 'if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself' unfortunately constrains the business. It's absolutely not the best business lesson to learn." David Finkel If you have the idea in your mind that success in business automatically comes at great personal sacrifice, you haven’t gotten into the Maui mindset yet!  My guest today, David Finkel is the founder and CEO of Maui Mastermind, one of the world's premier business coaching companies helping businesses in the $1-50 million range build their companies and get their lives…

"Nearly always, your biggest disappointments become your biggest blessings." Brian Smith Doing a show that involves the retail industry and recording in the middle of coronavirus, we have to examine the obvious issue: just how this pandemic is affecting commerce – big business and small business alike, is still playing out. My guest today, Brian Smith may not be a household name, but his product is. All I have to say is – Ugg! Brian created the Ugg brand by-(not to make a bad pun)-bootstrapping it all the way.  In…