Linda and Frank Ginac are the founders of TalentGuard, a leading provider of AI-powered workforce intelligence solutions. Linda is the CEO and Frank is the CAIO and CTO, but that’s not all.  Linda and Frank have been married for over 30 years. Now THAT’s a partnership! TalentGuard works with companies that generally have over 1,000 employees with the goal of helping their employees have a better career experience.  TalentGuard’s accomplishments and accolades are literally too numerous to mention and their software is in over 90 languages. Linda and Frank have taken teamwork to a new level and openly discuss their journey together. They were a married couple and seasoned executives for other companies before getting into career coaching and then developing software based primarily on Linda’s journey during which she continually found a need and filled it with a vision, ultimately becoming TalentGuard. They talk at length about many aspects of the relationship: Strategies for separating work from home life Evaluating whether you, as a couple, can afford to start the business together vs. only one of you starting it initially and the other earning income elsewhere The importance of preparing mentally for the likelihood of the venture taking longer and being more complex than originally thought Balancing the positives of sharing the entrepreneurial journey with someone vs. the negatives of never being able to truly separated from the business … and much more This is a conversation you rarely get to listen in on. Don’t miss it.   Contact Site: https://www.talentguard.com   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Dr. Christian Dean holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Government and for 27 years was a tenured full professor at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA.  He is currently the owner of The Magic Flute, the county’s premier music store, a place he used to work when he was in college and purchased 30 years later before retiring from teaching. If you ever wanted to know all the elements that go into a successful, local small business enterprise, Dr. Dean is the person you’ve been waiting to hear. His store not only sells musical instruments and sheet music but also rents instruments, repairs instruments, and coordinates music lessons involving over 25 local teachers. He talks at length about many important aspects like: The importance of understanding basic accounting and budgeting as well as revenue cycles The relationship between profit and cash flow The value of making hiring a year-round endeavor and making the investment in training staff properly Using marketing and community outreach to attract new customers   You are guaranteed to come away from this episode with information you can use!   Contact Site: https://themagicflute.com/ Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Janine Avila is an experienced Business Coach and Motivational Speaker. With expertise in both corporate executive roles and home-based business management, she specializes in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs excel in their businesses. You can count on Janine to bring a lot of energy and practical insights that you can put to use tomorrow.  For this podcast episode, Janine brought with her a 10-step checklist of areas you need to spend some energy when growing your business including: The importance of having a plan, and what that plan might include Techniques for conducting your own market research Establishing systems to make your time more efficient Networking techniques she uses to “get the word out”   Contact Site: https://www.janineavila.com Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Amy Donaldson is a Professional Sales and Leadership Coach for Southwestern Consulting and author of the best-selling book, Get Off the Cash Flow Roller Coaster! Starting her real estate career at the time of the 2007-2008 financial meltdown, she talks about the many challenges she overcame, eventually becoming one of the top agents in the Portland area. As a result of her success, she was increasingly invited to help train others in sales and found herself enjoying sales and leadership training more than real estate. As example of the sales process, Amy went into detail about the sales approach she used to obtain home listings, one that is applicable to any industry. Amy discusses: The danger of clinging to the illusion of security that most jobs represent Why “Betting on yourself is always going to be a winning bet” The importance of treating self-employment like a job with performance goals The value of “knowing your numbers” – how many “no’s” it will take to get a “yes,” and how much those will be worth Why “closing the sale” is less important than opening more conversations   Contact Site: https://southwesternconsulting.com/trainers/amy-donaldson/   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com

Professor Phil DesRosiers is the owner of Marin Dojo, holding the rank of 8th degree Black Belt Professor. As an accomplished martial artist, Phil has taken his passion and turned it into an extremely successful local business. After working an 18-year career as a lithographer, Phil came to the realization that he was still at the mercy of an employer. He then started his journey of self-employment as a mortgage broker until the 2008 financial meltdown. It was during that time that he formulated his plan to launch Marin Dojo. On this episode, Phil stressed, “If you’re going to be self-employed, you have to have a passion for what you do.”  In addition, Phil touches upon: Why you need advisors – all successful people LISTEN The impact of competitor research and how he evaluated scheduling and pricing during his pre-launch research The importance of not undervaluing what you do   Contact Site: https://marindojo.com Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com

Ms. Patty is the owner of Ms. Patty Productions, a full-service event production company in the San Francisco Bay Area. She produces events for corporate functions, fundraisers, weddings, and all shapes and sizes of private parties. She describes how she got started, some of the biggest challenges she dealt with along the way, and what continues to drive her success. The production company actually was not her first business. Having been a pre-school teacher, she created her own major at San Francisco State University, got licensed, and opened her own pre-school.  Ms. Patty shares the ups and downs of that journey and how it informed her next endeavor. On this episode, Patty talks about how, as an event producer, one plans and oversees the entire event, hires the staff, coordinates the entertainment, and acts as the liaison to the venue.  She goes into detail about: The first event she ever put on and what it meant to her The behind-the-scenes factors that have to be organized to make an event successful The importance of interpersonal communication   Contact Site: https://mspattyproductions.com/   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Joann Barnes is a certified English language instructor who teaches English as a second language to Spanish speaking children in Spain, helping them to get their official bi-lingual certificates. After traveling in Europe and falling in love with Spain, and meeting her future husband there, Joann opened a language school, The English Club, in Bormujos, Spain near Sevilla, starting with 75 students and growing steadily over the last 15 years. She has written 8 language books to support her curriculum. Even though there are a lot of English academies there, she incorporated a relatively new method to work with kids, further differentiating her’s as the only academy with a maximum of 6 students per class. She loves the slower pace in Spain, resisting the temptation to scale up the business in favor of quality over quantity. On this episode, Joann shares how she: Taught an ESL program in the States before moving to Spain Went beyond the typical language curriculum and incorporated life skills in her teaching Addressed her biggest challenge that came with the organization of the business, taking her 3-4 years to get comfortable in the business Fostered ongoing referrals to maintain growth of the business Parlayed her business knowledge into starting a new business in the insurance industry in the States Contact Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com

Ginny Kuhel is a Human Resources Consultant who specializes in working with Small Businesses usually with less than 20 employees. She focuses on Labor Law Compliance along with Employee and Safety Handbooks. We covered some of the HR concerns facing small businesses when they’re trying to get off the ground, being proactive with your research in order to know ahead of time what state laws are going to affect you. And the importance of documenting everything. Then the conversation turned to Ginny’s personal business journey. Ginny had a full career as a Human Resources Director until she was unexpectedly laid off. On this episode, Ginny shares how she went about: -Getting the emotions out Networking - Contacting connections, joining networking groups, letting them know what you’re up to Taking classes to prepare to go into business for yourself Working part-time to take the pressure off Building up your name/brand Seeking out others who already have their own business and ask how they did it. She also highlighted the importance of knowing your market, who you want to work with AND who you don’t want to work with. Contact Site: kuhelbreez.com Email: [email protected] Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com. Small Business Development Centers https://americassbdc.org/ Do a Google search for: “{enter your state} Labor Laws {enter the current year}”

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60's/early 70s, Frank Wallace-Ailsworth was introduced to genre films, both classic and not so classic, through the legendary TV horror show Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins.  Over the years, Frank’s love for, and knowledge of, horror and sci-fi movies would become much more than a passing interest. While working full time for a Bay Area coffee company, Frank studied voice acting and improvisation, eventually creating the character of Lord Blood-Rah.    On September 12th, 2009 Lord Blood-Rah took the stage at the Chouinard Winery to host the original Roger Corman camp horror film The Little Shop of Horrors, and Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre was born. In 2010 Lord Blood-Rah became the official host of the annual Drunken Zombie International Horror Film Festival in Peoria, Illinois. In 2013, Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre made the leap to television and the web.  Now, each week as he presents the best, worst and wildest horror and sci-fi films ever made! Listen in as Frank describes his incredible journey and makes us all realize the possibilities of what can happen. Contact Site:  https://www.lordbloodrah.com   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.  

Michael Mills is a Certified Professional Business Coach and long-time Operations Professional. He holds an MBA in Finance and Management from Babson College. Michael enjoyed a long corporate career working in finance and operations for both publicly and privately held companies, including starting and growing a company to $32M in 4 years. At the age of 62, the last company he was working for reorganized. And he was out. After a brief unsuccessful search for another job, Michael decided to use his extensive experience to go into business for himself, becoming a business coach.  But his background in finance and operations didn’t prepare him for the new task of marketing himself. Needless to say, he successfully figured it out and joined us to share the insights he learned which you can apply to your endeavor.  Topics discussed include: What do Business Coaches do and how can they help small businesses with planning and accountability The importance of being “certified” in your chosen profession Challenges of sales & marketing for the solo entrepreneur The power of networking  Contact Site:  http://www.businesscoachesandassociates.com Email: [email protected]   Book mentioned:  Start with Why by Simon Sinek Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.    

Wendy Ludwig is a Small Business Advisor, Personal Financial Coach, CPA, retired Corporate Tax Professional. She brings a wealth of information and personal experience as an advisor to this conversation and shares some valuable resources that are available to all of us. Business plans are easier than ever, and she advises putting one together to lend some structure to your new venture.  It’s also an excellent way to address the many aspects of your business including: Start-up expenses Sources of funding Projecting revenue & expenses Permitting and Licensing Timing of cash flow Defining your customers   Contact Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.   Small Business Development Centers https://americassbdc.org/   Business planning software: https://www.Liveplan.com https://www.sba.gov

During his 20+ year tenure as CEO of a $40 million alternative lending company, Edward Brown placed a random, introductory call to a nationally known financial advisor. True to the adage “One thing leads to another,” that call ultimately put Edward on the path to hosting not one, but two radio shows:  The Best of Investing with Mark Hanf and Sports Econ 101, a national sports and business show. In addition to hosting his radio shows, Edward currently assists Pacific Private Money in Marin County with capital raising and investor presentations. Edward talked about the process for getting a radio show started for yourself and how fun it can be. Anyone can do it. A radio show is a fantastic way to add credibility and differentiate yourself from the competition. In addition, he gave us a peak into the world of private lending, primarily as it relates to the real estate industry. Check out The Best of Investing on KTRB 860AM The Answer San Francisco Sports Econ 101 is a national Sports and Business radio show on Sports Byline USA which airs on many stations around the country including Sirius XM, iHeart Radio, Tune In Radio, iTunes. Contact [email protected] Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Dr. Carolyn Marie Rachaner is a Dietician, Traditional Naturopath, and a Clinical Nutritionist as well as a business consultant, health coach, and writer currently living in Denton, TX. She joined the podcast to discuss the importance of keeping the mind and body well nourished, offering a number of strategies you can easily implement right away. When you are putting in the energy and extra hours that a business endeavor requires, it’s critical that you level up your nutrition and your energy to create a positive outlook. With that in mind, Dr. Carolyn encouraged us to focus on the quality of our food, not the calorie count and covered a wide range of topics including: How to monitor the feedback your body is giving you related to your meals What kind of replacement snacks are best when you’re sitting at your desk Strategies for maintaining energy throughout the day The best macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) to incorporate What kind of coffee is the best for you Contact Site: https://drcarolynmarie.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthrestorationdrcarolyn Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

George Thompson is a human resources consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Having worked most recently for companies like United Parcel Service (UPS) and the non-profit Institute on Aging, George helps businesses with employee & labor relations, crisis & risk management, and reorganizing and changing organizational culture around performance management. Over the years, George has developed some “rules of engagement” when it comes to having those difficult conversations with employees that sometimes we wish we could avoid. In order to resolve situations in a positive way, he suggests we: Have those conversations in person or over Zoom at the very least Don’t exaggerate the problems; focus on the behavior Listen Show empathy Be clear about what you’re asking for In addition, he reminds us that while our employees mean a lot to us, we may mean even more to them, and the conversations we have together are very important. Contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgethompsonemployeerelatons/ Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.  

Wendy Wilder helps people promote their businesses. That’s the short answer.  She is a digital strategist, founder of Future Bright website design, the creator of the BASE3 Model for Digital Strategy, a professor at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA, holds a Master of Science Degree in Technology Management, and so much more. Over her years of helping people design business websites, she realized there was something missing when it came to executing successful marketing campaigns. In response to this need, she architected the BASE3 Model™, which is a method for merging the customer’s journey, algorithms, and the business’s outreach. On this episode, Wendy gives us ideas for the questions you should be asking at each level of your prospective client’s decision-making process. In addition, she talks about: Partnering with other businesses Taking advantage of networking events The necessity of narrowing down your prospect list The importance of what happens after the sale Wendy reminds us that in order to get the most out of social media, new businesses must focus on the interests of their ideal client, thinking about what they need, not what you want to sell them. Contact Site: www.Base3Model.com   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Dr. Herb Kessner is an Organizational Psychologist and Career Counselor with over 25 years of professional experience in Management Consulting and specializes in Leadership & Career Development, Organizational Growth, Change Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Executive Coaching and Career Testing and Assessment for a global list of clients. He works with individuals to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth and professional goals they are committed to accomplishing. Herb talked about his work with people approaching the transition from corporate life to self-employment. He reflected on his own career, starting in engineering, moving into sales, returning to school and becoming an Organizational Psychologist. Topics discussed include:  The process you can use to help formulate a path forward when you don’t want to be doing what you’ve been doing any more. - Using the “Features – Advantage – Benefit” method to make learning sales easier for you. How to deal with the various “departments” in your business that you don’t feel you’re as good at. Contact Site: www.AuthenticChangeGroup.com Email: [email protected] Book mentioned: What Color is My Parachute by Richard N. Bolles Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website, Visit: www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Joey Chandler helps people and companies clarify their core values. This is truly a fundamental step when it comes to getting clear about your business and building your personal brand. On this episode, Joey shares how he: Recovered from burnout without meditation, journaling, yoga, or any of the standard methods simply by utilizing this brand new method. Turned the experience of suffering a broken leg into a positive learning experience in the moment. Helps people reframe uncomfortable moments into moments that get you excited and fired up! In order to identify your core values, Joey teaches us to start with these (3) questions: When you interact with people, how do you want them to feel? How would you describe that feeling in the language of a young person? What are (3) ways that you help yourself and other people to experience that?   Joey’s book: The New School Core Values https://www.joeychandler.net/newschool This is essential stuff whether you are just starting out in business, or if you’re already established, or even if you have nothing to do with business at all. Contact Site: www.joeychandler.net Email: [email protected]   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Beth Crittenden is a financial guide, helping individuals and profitable business owners alike to get clear with their finances. She helps people with budgeting, bookkeeping, and managing the inherently unpredictability of small business income. Beth is an expert at goal-setting and accountability, teaching practical financial principles, and finding creative approaches to financial problems. We covered a lot of ground in this interview, from planning for tax liabilities that can cripple a young business to the more esoteric challenges of creating a mindset of willingness and tuning into intuition to generate a purpose-driven life. Beth talks about how she supports business owners in having a living as well as the process of creating a vibrant business plan with healthy goals and accountability. Contact LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethcrittenden/ Book mentioned: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.   Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website, visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com.

Kara Reagan is a digital marketer and the founder of Gold Light Digital Marketing. Specializing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Digital PR, she works with people and businesses to increase their online visibility. Kara talked about her journey from working in corporate while studying digital marketing as well as the actual mechanics of how she built her marketing business from scratch. Topics discussed include How a new business can take advantage of SEO to rank on search engines in order to get in front of prospective customers WHEN they are looking for your type of product or service. Putting the “Visibility > Credibility > Profitability” formula into practice. How to determine what keywords should be placed in your copy. - What is Digital PR and how can syndication work for you. Contact Site: https://goldlightdigitalmarketing.co/ Email: [email protected] Also mentioned during the show: To get your Free Guide, The 7 Essential Ingredients of Every Successful Website Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com