Best known as the founder of Beast Gear, Ben Leonard is the classic millennial entrepreneur. He built a business on a laptop, in a cupboard, in his spare time. The difference? Ben grew an international 7-figure business and successfully exited after 3 years which is the business holy grail. Now Ben is doing it all over again and helping others to do the same with his ecommerce consultancy and ecommerce brokerage.

We discuss:

• How to sell the business when you’re the business [02:38]
• Less about you and more about the transformation [05:30]
• The fear of productizing knowledge [07:16]
• The mistake consultants do when creating a subscription model [11:37]
• Main measures of business performance [16:31]
• Why everybody knows who the owner of Tesla is [19:09]

Learn more about Ben at https://www.ecombrokers.co.uk and LinkedIn.

Paul Sherman is a dynamic C-suite leader with finance, strategy, operations excellence, customer success, and business development experience in healthcare services and technology, commercial real estate and multi-unit restaurants.

We discuss:

• The basics of relationship-building [02:52]
• The givers, takers and exchangers [4:58]
• The fine line between helping for free and helping for money [6:23]
• Not a template of questions but a natural flow [07:45]
• What adds more meaning to being a solopreneur [12:32]
• What your grandma wants to know about your business [14:34]
• What keeps your ideal clients awake at night [17:43]
• The person that says “no” most of the time [19:20]

He has operated in PE, public and family-owned companies. Paul has a passion for developing talent, professionalize and transform highly motivated teams to exceed expectations.

Learn more about Paul at LinkedIn.

Chris Weller is an award-winning storytelling expert. He’s the co-creator and producer of the Netflix Original Documentary “Spelling the Dream,” an Ironman triathlete, and a crossword puzzle aficionado. He is currently a senior editor at Insider, overseeing coverage that explores the human side of work and business.

We discuss:

• The time when podcasts were not even a thing [05:03]
• The impression that consistence creates [08:11]
• The evolution of audio on demand [11:30]
• Why content creators don’t have to be everywhere [15:33]
• Spelling the dream with the spelling bee [18:20]
• The value of looking for intersections [20:40]

Learn more about Chris at LinkedIn.

John Neral helps mid-career professionals prepare, position, and promote who they are and what they do, so they can SHOW UP to find a job they love or love the job they have. He’s the author of the newly published book “Your Mid-Career GPS – Four Steps to Figuring Out What’s Next.” He and his spouse are the proud parents of a rescue cat named, “Amy Farrah Meowler” named after their love of the show, the Big Bang Theory.

We discuss:

• The fear of being stuck [02:44]
• What to do with your unique professional value [04:32]
• The people we hurt when we don’t make our offers [09:32]
• No place is a party [12:54]
• The role of a coach for planning a coaching career [16:18]
• The things that make the coaching fit easy [19:11]
• The most fascinating part of the career journey [22:55]

Learn more about John at https://johnneral.com, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Christy Metcalf helps women rewrite their story from former corporate yes girl to successful entrepreneur on their terms.

We discuss:

• The problem with being conditioned to our 1% salary increase [02:13]
• The key to sticking to your value [06:01]
• Why McDonald’s don’t sell tacos [10:28]
• Nobody knows who you are [12:23]
• How to deal with the fear of showing up [16:28]
• Money is all around if you’re willing to ask for it [19:05]
• Riding the bike to make yourself successful [22:31]

A reformed yes girl, people pleaser, and workaholic she made the leap from corporate employee to successful entrepreneur two decades ago, and now she helps other women do the same thing. Now she uses that same winning framework to educate and support new female entrepreneurs as they step into their new role as CEO and rewrite their story.

Learn more about Christy at www.2smartgirls.com, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Dan Bennett was born and raised in the gritty city of Flint, MI. He is the Founder of 1 Minute Media, a company that empowers individuals to tell their stories with great video through coursework and private membership. He is also a digital media freelancer who offers direct consultation for companies as well as decades of experience in video production, video editing, motion graphics, sound design, graphic design and digital content development.

We discuss:

• Back and forth between left and right side of the brain [02:24]
• The love of creativity and newfound energy [05:06]
• Take the wheel and see what happens [08:52]
• The great band-aid rip of 2020 [11:19]
• The medicine in the cheese [16:34]
• Accidents that work out pretty good [19:09]
• The members that don’t pay you anymore [20:55]

Learn more about Dan at https://imtheantipreneur.com/linkstack.

Jonathan Keyser is the founder of Keyser, one of the largest independent, occupier services commercial real estate firms in the country. Additionally, Keyser is a founding member of EXIS Global, the largest independent, commercial real estate organization in the world committed to exclusively representing corporate end users.

We discuss:

• Changing the mechanics of a whole industry [02:45]
• The universe can’t handle an imbalance [06:35]
• Why you should start using the L word in business [09:08]
• Reinvention from the inside out [12:26]
• The biggest accountability mechanism [16:26]
• Just a commercial real estate guy from Arizona having a dream [21:58]

Jonathan focuses his efforts on changing the business world through selfless service and his efforts manifest in his content and thought leadership. He was named “The Commercial Real Estate Disruptor” by USA Today, a #1 Multi-Category Best Selling Author on Amazon and the Wall Street Journal for his book, “You Don’t Have to be Ruthless to Win”. He is a frequent keynote speaker, a thought leader featured on over 150 articles, publications, and podcasts, and is recognized as one of the Top 20 Virtual Keynote Speakers in the country.

Learn more about Jonathan at www.keyser.com and https://ruthlessbook.com/.

David Crysler is the founder of the Crysler Club and host of the Everyday Business Problems Podcast. Having spent nearly 20 years working for a publicly traded corporation that grew through acquisition provided Dave with the opportunity to grow several different businesses during his career.

We discuss:

• A different way for small business owners to build a business [02:24]
• What large corporations do best [06:46]
• The four pillars of scaling [09:53]
• The common problems that trading and manufacturing businesses have [11:00]
• How to deal with the fear of laying out cash for some help [15:16]
• How to differentiate yourself in a field with a low barrier to entry [17:36]
• Shifting from working in your business to working on your business [21:33]

Entering entrepreneurship, Dave quickly realized there was a tremendous need within small businesses to have access to the tools and support that were commonplace in a large corporation. It was during this time Dave developed his operations framework that he uses to solve everyday problems and free business owners from working in their business so it can grow.

Learn more about David at https://thecrysler.club, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

As the official Zig Ziglar Small Business Lawyer and a Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainer, it’s no wonder that Scott Reib is known as “America’s Legal Coach.” For the last two decades, Scott has been helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and coaches “shatterproof” their businesses by implementing specific strategies for structure, growth, and protection. Over the last three years, Scott has been sharing these strategies with business owners and coaches, and watching them grow and succeed!

We discuss:

• The beginning of all of the subscriptions we see nowadays [02:10]
• How to [not] lose your Friday [04:14]
• The pep talk you need to give yourself before a sales call [06:10]
• The signs telling you to hire a business coach [08:44]
• Different coaches for different seasons of life [11:10]
• Helping businesses grow in a protected way [13:26]
• What business owners don’t know what they don’t know about getting an LLC [15:02]
• The issues in front of multistate entrepreneurs [18:35]
• The death of the billable hour [20:08]

Learn more about Scott at https://reiblaw.com/.

Gary Ireland helps executives in transition to maximize income and benefits when joining a company and enhance severance and asserting rights when they’re leaving. Gary has helped many clients in financial services, banking, law, media, technology and higher education, among other fields. He also works with start-ups.

We discuss:

• The best thing about employment law [01:26]
• A relationship is a two-way street [04:56]
• An [im]proper way to terminate a relationship [06:36]
• Becoming a consultant to your former employer [10:20]
• Creative solutions for maximizing profit and employee engagement [13:58]
• Everybody that’s around an employee [15:35]
• Best in something but still out of work [17:06]
• Who are the most successful individuals [19:25]
• The skills that help you prevail [21:24]

Learn more about Gary at http://irelandlaw.net.

Jeff helps organizations build better products and executives build the cultures that build better products. Through the use of concepts like Design Thinking, Lean UX and agile software development he brings a new approach to running organizations and the departments within them, most recently focusing on Human Resources and how they can be more agile as well as support agility in the organization.

We discuss:

• Giving up on a dream of becoming a famous rock musician [02:12]
• Life was good until 2008 happened [04:11]
• Adventures in becoming forever employable [07:51]
• How to take your power back in the job hunt [09:38]
• How to create a career safety net [11:50]
• Planting your flag: experience, expertise and passion [12:23]
• Opportunities to solve a problem and become a thought leader [14:24]
• What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas [20:27]

Learn more about Jeff at https://jeffgothelf.com/.

Bob Kulhan is an elite improviser, an adjunct professor at Duke Fuqua B-School, author of ‘GETTING TO YES AND’, and the Founder & CEO of Business Improv® – a 22-yr-old consultancy linking improvisation to business through behavioral sciences and ROI for blue-chip companies. BI is a world-class leader in experiential On-Site, Virtual (synchronous), Online (asynchronous), Blended (both), and Open Enrollment programs.

We discuss:

• The human on the other side of the transaction [01:59]
• A Sherpa’s level of customer devotion [04:00]
• Bridging the gap between two cultures [06:55]
• What it feels like to be thrilled at the core [10:09]
• How coaches and consultants can improve their customer experience [11:30]
• The weight of a long-term business relationship [14:08]
• The benefit of having different custom segments [15:17]
• Why it’s important to serve the customer earlier in their journey [17:43]
• Why a client gravitates towards a particular coach or consultant [19:27]

Learn more about Bob at www.BusinessImprov.com and LinkedIn.

Ten years ago, Vinay left his corporate job to learn more about how businesses can grow by uplifting the lives of their customers. He crisscrossed the world and drew insight from large corporations, far-flung markets, mountain Sherpas, and street vendors. These experiences inspired a unique approach to customer experience that he then put to the test as an entrepreneur in Cusco, Peru. Now back in New York, Vinay teaches his system through social media, coaching, and online courses through his business, GrowthWallah.

We discuss:

• The human on the other side of the transaction [01:59]
• A Sherpa’s level of customer devotion [04:00]
• Bridging the gap between two cultures [06:55]
• What it feels to be thrilled at the core [10:09]
• How coaches and consultants can improve their customer experience [11:30]
• The weight of a long-term business relationship [14:08]
• The benefit of having different custom segments [15:17]
• Why it’s important to serve the customer earlier in their journey [17:43]
• The most critical reason why a client gravitates towards a particular coach or consultant [19:27]

Learn more about Vinay at www.growthwallah.com and Instagram.

Shawn Rhodes leveraged his former life as a war correspondent to become an international expert in how the best teams continuously improve pipelines and performance.

We discuss:

• Imagine a college professor that can’t be fired [01:43]
• Starting off with a complete beginner’s mind [03:37]
• A pitch that doesn’t work well on anybody [04:40]
• The effect of doing things consistently [06:00]
• Repeatable systems with a focus on the sales system [08:18]
• Hope is not a sales strategy [09:56]
• How to begin long-term relationship cycles [11:50]
• Strategies to own the next step in the conversation [15:47]
• The idea of feast or famine to keep the pipeline full [17:55]
• The beauty of building systems [20:49]

He’s a Tampa-based TEDx speaker and his work studying teams in more than two dozen countries – some the most dangerous places on the planet – has been published in news outlets including TIME, CNN, NBC, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and INC. Shawn is also a nationally-syndicated columnist with the Business Journals and author of Bulletproof Selling: Systemizing Sales for The Battlefield of Business.

Learn more about Shawn at www.bulletproof-selling.com.

David Lakin is a retired Navy Chief, licensed PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Executive Coach, and CEO of Acacia Business Solutions.

We discuss:

• The impact of a half a lifetime of being in the Navy [01:32]
• How to figure out what your specialty is going to be [05:17]
• A good give-and-take relationship [07:58]
• The people that do not fit your cookie cutter [09:28]
• The traits person that becomes the business owner [11:55]
• Walking away when someone waves a roll of cash in front of you [14:31]
• It’s not a profit problem but a spending problem [16:11]
• Your time is your cash account [19:00]
• The appropriate way to choose and hire a coach [20:56]

He helps CEOs and their Executive Teams achieve exponential growth through Strategic Thinking and Organizational Planning, helping them grow in multiples rather than small percentage increases.

Learn more about David at https://acacia-solutions.com/,  LinkedIn and Facebook.

Nadine & Derek Nicholson help passionate, high-achieving consultants and service professionals boldly earn more while working less so that they can free up their time for what matters.

We discuss:

• How a married couple joins forces for a career transition [02:04]
• How to measure what matters most [05:57]
• How stepping into self-leadership helps you get unstuck [08:10]
• The reason why the say-do gap is plateauing your revenue [13:58]
• The very key that will have you boldly multiply your earning [21:02]

They’ve distilled their 60 years of collective business and leadership experience building their own 7-figure company, running over $10M+ corporate portfolios, and leading giant teams of people into an approach that teaches you how to confidently sell and deliver high-value offerings, while mastering your time and building your high-performance team.

Learn more about Nadine and Derek at https://ascendleadership.com/. 

David Nihill is a Bestselling author, TED featured speaker, award winning comedian and storyteller and “One of the best speaking coaches out there” according to Forbes.com.

We discuss:

• Why going on your own requires you to analyze and tell your story [02:40]
• Clues to give the right presentation to the right audience [04:44]
• Why comedians are the true masters of public speaking [07:48]
• The key difference in reactions you get in a comedy club versus in a keynote speech [09:57]
• How having the last say can save a public speaker’s life [13:02]
• If it’s embarrassing to you, it’s funny to me [16:24]
• Don’t rule out anything too small [20:43]

Learn more about David at https://davidnihill.com/. 

Tony Rose is a founding partner of Rose, Snyder & Jacobs. In addition to helping entrepreneurs and high-net-worth families with tax-minimization strategies for asset growth and protection, Tony also helps his clients more effectively grow their financial capital by enriching their human, intellectual, social and structural capitals.

We discuss:

• Quick bits of consultant wisdom [03:30]
• The power of social capital [05:10]
• The one thought that can make a difference [07:16]
• Why a great solo career starts off by being a great employee first [11:48]
• How to know if you’ve waited too long to get started [14:50]
• Most people are nice [16:46]

Tony is the author of “Five Eyes on the Fence: Protecting the Five Core Capitals of Your Business” and “Say Hello to the Elephants”. 

Through counseling and leading multidisciplinary teams of professionals, Tony has provided valuable guidance at the point where life intersects wealth.

Learn more about Tony at https://www.rsjcpa.com/ and www.gettonysbook.com.

Brief Description of Gift

A free copy of Tony’s ebook Say Hello to the Elephants

URL for Free Gift

www.gettonysbook.com

Sophia Sunwoo is a 3x entrepreneur who sold her first business at 22, growing it to 250 major retailers worldwide before her exit. Her second business fixed broken water systems in India and Cameroon, securing clean water for over 80,000 people. Sophia is currently the founder of Ascent Strategy, where she creates moneymaking brands with women entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocre. Sophia is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and was named one of the world’s 100 most inspiring women by Salt Magazine and Diageo. 

We discuss:

• From bored college kids to successfully empowered women [02:09]
• A business model based on personal values [07:08]
• How to remove the corporate veneer and step into yourself [09:17]
• The transition after you can’t hide anymore [12:47]
• LinkedIn as a mental representation of hitting all layers of vulnerability and visibility [14:40]
• How to prepare for clients outside your network [17:18]
• How to be strategic about the different upgrades of your business [19:19]

Learn more about Sophia at www.ascent-strategy.com and Instagram.

Brief Description of Gift

A free sales challenge that will help you make more sales in five days; A free business tune-up checklist 

URL for Free Gift

www.ascent-strategy.com/startgear

Laura Gale is a ghostwriter who helps entrepreneurs share their experience and legacy to grow their audience and their business. She has worked with entrepreneurs from all over the world and is a bestselling author herself.

We discuss:

• How to listen to the market place [01:23]
• How to make yourself a really obvious choice [04:16]
• When to [not] use the services of a ghostwriter [05:05]
• The two halves of the book-selling process [08:48] 
• The ideal time to spend on creating and benefiting from a book [10:45]
• Why some consultants and coaches have anxiety around hiring a ghostwriter [13:35]
• How much a first-time author should think about investing in producing a book 15:32]
• How to get a really good return on investment on your book [17:05]
• A space in your schedule and attitude for serendipity to happen [19:56]

Learn more about Laura at www.lauraiswriting.com.

Ryan Dohrn is an Emmy award winning sales and performance speaker. His sales and marketing ideas have impacted over half a BILLION dollars in revenue for his clients. 

We discuss:

• How to exit the corporate world smoothly and gracefully [02:20]
• There’s nothing better than seeing plenty of runway when taking off [05:00]
• The lone stranger at the gathering [08:50]
• The person who can download information for you [10:46]
• The difference in profitability between coaching, consulting and mentoring [12:54]
• Three areas in sales to differentiate yourself and keep you on track [15:57]
• Why business owners should stop being Walmart [19:08]
• How Covid-19 can be the biggest up [20:47]

Ryan was one of the youngest managers to every work for the Walt Disney Company. His ideas have been used by Fortune 500 companies like Boeing and John Deere. Ryan is a drummer, a lover of GOOD coffee and is a closet technology geek.

Learn more about Ryan at https://ryandohrn.com/ and LinkedIn.

Brief Description of Gift

A free 30-minute consultation

URL for Free Gift

https://ryandohrn.com/

For over 20 years, Jim Roddy has educated business and non-profit leaders (and future leaders) through books, national magazine articles, podcasts, and presentations at national conferences. 

We discuss:

• Stories of ordinary people who became extraordinary [02:34]
• The five steps of the Walk-On Method [04:39]
• The three things you can’t get a coupon for [10:34]
• How to find people who are a good fit for starting a business [13:19]
• The biggest struggle for coaches and consultants [14:20]
• How to keep people awake by being an evangelist [16:14]
• The value of things that means more than any award could mean [17:38]

Jim is one of the most popular speakers in the technology industry because of a presentation style that is “infotaining” — a combination of informational and entertaining. Jim is author of two books: “The Walk-On Method to Career & Business Success” and “Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer.” He’s been published in several business publications and websites including Entrepreneur and Nasdaq.

Learn more about Jim at www.JimRoddyCBA.com, LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Brief Description of Gift

a free chapter from The Walk-On Method to Career & Business Success

URL for Free Gift

Jim@JimRoddyCBA.com

Kimberly Weitkamp is a marketing strategist, podcaster and conversion copywriter. 

• We discuss:
• The seed for the audience conversion method [01:44]
• A travel writer’s journey to the world of copywriting [04:32]
• The best way to understand your audience’s needs [05:37]
• How to make marketing sound like an extension of working with you [06:18]
• Seven layers deep of why you do what you do [08:55]
• Communities we might think are not communities [12:50]
• The basic steps to building a community [16:10]
• The benefits of joining a community for business owners [17:29]
• The importance of having a platform that’s your own [18:55]

As creator of the Audience Conversion Method and host of the Audience Converter Podcast for Community Leaders, Kimberly helps community leaders, coaches and course creators convert their audience from strangers to loyal fans.

Kimberly works with her clients to put the right message in front of the right person at the right time (especially in emails!). She loves talking marketing, travel and all things sci-fi.

Learn more about Kimberly at https://theaudienceconverter.com. 

Brief Description of Gift

A free guide to create memorable emails “Crafting the Perfect Welcome Series” 

URL for Free Gift

https://theaudienceconverter.com/giveaway

Jaime Jay is the founder and managing director of Bottleneck Distant Assistants.  

We discuss:

• How to deal with getting asked the same questions over and over again [02:13]
• A business plan never fails on paper [05:06]
• A starting point to make a breakthrough [08:45]
• The barriers to having a culture that will help you grow [10:15]
• Reasons why you would want to have systems in place [13:22]
• An eight-month long journey with a hybrid publisher [15:55]

Jaime has been sourcing DA’s from the Philippines since 2006.  BNDA is a team of remote-based professionals dedicated to assisting ambitious leaders to identify, hire and cultivate remote-team members.

Jaime is currently writing his first book, Quit Repeating Yourself. This book celebrates the effort for building sustainable growth into your business model that explores the intersections of culture, leadership, systems, processes, workflows, recruiting and hiring.

Learn more about Jamie at https://bottleneck.online/.

Dave Lukas is a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, investor, and Founder of the Misfit Entrepreneur Podcast.  His companies have been on the Entrepreneur 365 and INC 5000 List 7 times and currently do business in over 50 countries. 

We discuss:

• No, thank you, we’re Canadian [02:17]
• How to build a Fortune 500 business [04:33]
• The way 21-year-olds can be great leaders [06:48]
• How entrepreneurs can use the DCP formula to understand where the breakdown is [08:32]
• Structure equals freedom [11:21]
• A horrible recipe for disaster [16:00]
• A beautiful, wonderful, crazy misfit world in entrepreneurship [19:22]

Dave Lukas is the author of the amazon best-seller “The Ten Year Career, The Fast Track to Retiring Young, Wealthy and Fulfilled.” Dave founded the Misfit Entrepreneur, a weekly podcast devoted to giving the audience incredibly useful and unique insight from the world’s top entrepreneurs and highest performers. Dave is also the co-founder of the GROW.THRIVE.REVIVE event and an accomplished investor in real estate and stock investing.  Through his 12 Minute Trading System, Dave has mentored, educated, and trained thousands of students worldwide on how to create income from the stock market. 

Learn more about Dave at www.MisfitEntrepreneur.com and www.12MinuteTrading.com.