Robert Rose is the Founder and self-proclaimed Chief Troublemaker at The Content Advisory. For more than 10 years, Robert has worked with more than 500 companies including 15 of the Fortune 100 companies. He has provided strategic marketing advice and counsel for global brands such as Facebook, Salesforce, NASA, CVS Health, McCormick Spices, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is also the author of three best-selling books including Killing Marketing, which he wrote with his colleague, Joe Pulizzi. Robert co-hosts a podcast with Joe called This Old Marketing, which has run for the last eight years.  Robert Rose, the Founder and Chief Troublemaker at The Content Advisory, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, where he talks about creating and managing content. Robert also shares his tips for coming up with new ideas, talks about the importance of SEO strategies, and explains how his business was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned.

Andrew Warner is the Founder of Mixergy, where he interviews entrepreneurs and founders to help teach others how to build successful companies. He is one of the early leaders in podcasting with over a decade in recording interviews. Andrew mined the transcripts from his numerous interviews and used them to create a new book called Stop Asking Questions: How to Lead High-Impact Interviews and Learn Anything from Anyone. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Andrew Warner, the Founder of Mixergy, to discuss Andrew's new book and his strategies for asking questions during an interview. They also talk about staying motivated to do interviews, the emergence of popular podcasters, and Andrew's advice on asking guests hard questions. Stay tuned.

Gordon C. James is the Founder and Owner of Gordon C. James Public Relations, a full-service public relations agency with offices in Phoenix, Arizona and Washington, DC. Gordon became friends with President George H.W. Bush dating back to the late 1970s and spent 20 years in a variety of different business and political positions.  After the 1988 presidential election, Gordon joined President Bush's staff at the White House serving as his Lead Advance Representative and as Director of Invitations and Ticketing for the 51st Presidential Inaugural Committee. In 1990, he established Gordon C. James Public Relations as a full-service media relations, event management, and governmental affairs agency. He was also involved in President George W. Bush's elections and inaugurations in 2000 and 2004. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Gordon C. James, the Founder and Owner of Gordon C. James Public Relations, about his experience meeting and working as an Advance for President George H.W. Bush. Gordon explains what an Advance does, talks about moving to work in Baghdad, and explains why he started his own public relations agency. Stay tuned.

Verne Harnish is the Founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), which has over 16,000 members worldwide. He is also the Founder of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 200 partners on six continents. Verne is the author of multiple books, the latest being Scaling Up Compensation: 5 Design Principles for Turning Your Largest Expense into a Strategic Advantage. He also wrote the best-sellers Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, The Greatest Business Decisions of All Times, and Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0).  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, Verne Harnish, Founder of Scaling Up, gets interviewed by Co-hosts John Corcoran, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Elise Holtzman, Adi Klevit, and Joshua Chin about structuring and scaling compensation plans. Verne shares his tips for creating compensation plans for managerial roles, creating plans for risk-taking businesses, and how to incorporate gamification in compensation plans. Stay tuned.

David C. Baker is the Principal of ReCourses, Inc. He is an author, speaker, and advisor to entrepreneurial creatives worldwide. He has written five books, three of which focus on the central elements of the business of expertise: positioning, financial management, and leadership.  David has worked with more than 900 firms, and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, USA Today, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, MarketingProfs, Businessweek, and CBS. His most recent book is The Business of Expertise: How Entrepreneurial Experts Convert Insight to Impact + Wealth. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and also enjoys photography, teaching motorcycle racing, flying airplanes and helicopters, and custom woodworking. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by David C. Baker, the Principal of ReCourses, Inc., to discuss how companies pivoted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. David talks about the lessons he learned from concentrating on working with a few clients, shares his tips for success, and explains how new media and technology have been impacting businesses. Stay tuned.

Evan Nierman is the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, an international crisis management and public relations firm based out of Washington, DC. Evan and his team have provided counsel to a wide group of different celebrities, political leaders, corporate and private clients, and CEOs to help them navigate all kinds of sticky situations. He is also the Author of the best-selling book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Evan Nierman, the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, about how he helps clients turn negative news into positive news through crisis PR. Evan also shares his experience helping Presidential candidates prepare for Presidential debates, explains how he helped the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum handle negative news, and talks about changes in the media landscape. Stay tuned.

Carolyn Lowe founded ROI Swift in 2015. She helps consumer brands get expert help on Amazon, including paid ads for Facebook and Instagram, paid search and email marketing, and all other related fields that are relevant for businesses selling on Amazon. She did this after finding that many small businesses were being taken advantage of by agencies that charge a lot and don't give great results.  Carolyn worked in a variety of consumer marketing leadership positions at Dell, ran global marketing advance for NPD Research Company, and consulted for many brands, including DirecTV, Callaway Golf, and many others. She is also the Author of the new book Business Growth Do's and Absolute Don'ts: Applied Wisdom from My Work with Dell, Costco, Amazon, and Multiple Start-ups.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Carolyn Lowe, the Founder of ROI Swift, about her experience managing a division at Dell and the challenges she faced while there. Carolyn also talks about selling on Amazon in 2014, hiring and firing strategies, and how she helps small businesses scale. Stay tuned.

Jeff Goldscher is the Principal and Outsourced Chief Marketing Officer at JK Squared. He has been an advertising and marketing professional since 1993, working on behalf of global brands like Comcast, Microsoft, Choice Hotels, Target, and the National Football League. He started and built three different businesses including an advertising agency and a sports marketing agency, both named multiple times to the Inc. 5000 list.  Jeff was a state finalist for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and since 2014 has been helping other business owners do the same by supplying fractional CMO services through JK Squared. He currently works with clients from different industries including home improvement, financial services, real estate, and hospitality.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Jeff Goldscher, the Principal and Outsourced Chief Marketing Officer at JK Squared, to talk about sports and coming up with creative marketing strategies. They also talk about the benefits of hiring a fractional CMO, Jeff's background in sports journalism, and the benefits of building a diversified business. Stay tuned.

Scott Empringham is the Owner and CEO of Empringham Media Group. For more than 21 years, his passion has been helping Fortune 50 companies to break through the clutter using digital marketing and social media to drive results in areas that matter most — customer retention and acquisition. Scott’s mission is to share his digital marketing and social media expertise to drive new business, retain current customers, and conquest the competition. Scott is also a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Orange County. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Scott Empringham, the Owner and CEO of Empringham Media Group, about how he scaled his digital agency to over $10 million, lost it all, and his journey to recovery. Scott also explains how his EO forum members, family, and friends helped him rebound and shares the lessons he learned from the experiences. Stay tuned.

Stu Wolff is a seasoned entrepreneur, business coach, Certified EOS Implementer, and Detroit Chair of TIGER 21. He started a company providing sales and marketing assistance in the food services industry back in 1997, changed ownership, and then rebranded as The Wolff Group which he built up to 40 employees managing sales of $140 million.  Stu then started working with Gino Wickman, the Founder of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), and with the help of a great leadership team, grew his company to over 160 employees across 10 states managing over one billion dollars in sales. They made 10 strategic acquisitions and increased their footprint before selling the business in April 2013. Stu is now a business coach and professional EOS implementer. He also runs a peer group through TIGER 21. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran sits down with Stu Wolff, Certified EOS Implementer and Detroit Chair of TIGER 21. Stu shares the steps he took to build up his business to the billion-dollar range, how he broke off a poor partnership, and how he drives acquisitions that match his core values. Plus, Stu discusses the ways in which peer groups are transforming the way we think about business. Stay tuned!

Nick Leighton is an agency owner, founder, and serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience working across the globe in North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. He owns and operates a coaching and peer advisory board agency, an international marketing agency, and a project management company.  Nick is the Author of the book, Exactly Where You Want To Be: A Business Owner's Guide To Passion, Profit and Happiness. He also does professional speaking and executive coaching for business owners and facilitates various peer advisory boards. Fun fact: Nick met his wife at an event at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Nick Leighton, the Owner and CEO of The Alternative Board, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he talks about running an agency and coaching fellow agency owners to build more profitable businesses. Nick also shares an experience getting hijacked in Pakistan, talks about champagne moments, and explains how humanitarian activities have impacted his agency. Stay tuned.

Kent Gregoire is the Founder and CEO of Symphony Advantage. He is a serial entrepreneur who launched his first manufacturing company at the age of 14. Since then, he has founded and led more than a dozen organizations throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Kent has also provided advisory training and coaching services to executive-level management under the Symphony Advantage Brand. He is an angel investor in purpose-driven companies as well as a sought-after speaker in the US and beyond.  Part of what makes Kent unique is his 'why,’ which is a focus and passion for the widespread adoption of conscious capitalism. He is one of the first certified Conscious Capitalism Consultants in the world. Fun fact: Kent is a part-time farmer in Vermont and a van life enthusiast. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Kent Gregoire, the Founder and CEO of Symphony Advantage, about conscious capitalism and building a conscious business. Kent talks about managing a company from the bottom up, the lessons he learned as a serial entrepreneur, and the current movement towards conscious capitalism. Stay tuned.

Paul Bellows is the Founder and President of Yellow Pencil, a Canadian digital agency focused on the public sector and digital service transformation. He is a 25 year veteran of digital service industries and currently provides consulting and advisory services to leaders at different levels of government in Canada and in the US. Paul is also the host of The 311 Podcast where he features innovators in the digital space as well as in government.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Paul Bellows, the Founder and President of Yellow Pencil, about his work in helping governments digitize their services. Paul explains how he started his agency in the 90s, how losing a key client affected his business, and his process for helping clients adopt new technology.

Eden Gillott, aka the Dumpster Fire Fixer, is a crisis communications expert and the President of Gillott Communications. She has more than a decade of expertise in crisis and reputation management. She resolves issues both inside and outside the media’s glare — from celebrity scandals and corporate fraud to criminal and civil litigation. Educated at Harvard, NYU, Sejong University, and other institutions, she’s worked in Manhattan, Seoul, and Los Angeles. Eden is a Forbes contributor and has appeared in many publications including The New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Associated Press, among others. She is Co-author of three best-selling books: A Business Owner’s Guide to Crisis PR, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR (Second Edition), and A Board Member’s Guide to Crisis PR. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Eden Gillott, a crisis management expert, about how she helps celebrities and business owners handle scandals and crises. Eden also explains how she picks reporters to work with, shares her strategies for handling information already known by the public, and explains how to prevent future crises. Stay tuned.

Steve Parks is the CEO of Convivio where he helps agency leaders to work on their business as confidently as they work in it through writing, speaking, and training. He has experience leading creative and digital agencies for 16 years. Steve is also an Editor at Agency Radar, a briefing service for agency leaders that helps them think and plan more strategically. Steve was a Journalist for the BBC in London for 10 years. He has been named one of the most inspiring agency leaders in the UK by a Bench Press survey of over 2,000 of his peers. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Steve Parks, the CEO of Convivio, to talk about radical transparency and helping business owners build better agencies. Steve also talks about changing careers from journalist to agency owner, doing sales for big projects, and how he prepared his agency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned.

Nancy Lyons is the President and CEO of Clockwork, an interactive design and technology consultancy. She is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and passionate advocate for LGBTQ families. She is the author of Work Like a Boss: A Kick-in-the-Pants Guide to Finding (and Using) Your Power at Work, and lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and son.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Nancy Lyons, the President and CEO of Clockwork, about how she has been building her company during challenging times. Nancy explains how the death of George Floyd impacted business in Minneapolis and in her company, explains how she evaluates clients to work with, and talks about her book. Stay tuned.

Paul Farrell is a longtime entrepreneur, founder, mentor, angel investor, and executive. Most recently, he was the Founder and CEO of Nehemiah Security, which he sold in September 2020. Paul has shepherded a startup from product launch to over a million in annual recurring revenue in less than two years, led a corporate acquisition that yielded a sale five years later at 10X the purchase price, and participated in the explosive growth of a global leader in business communications that yielded an 11X return on investment in just over a year.  After successfully selling Nehemiah Security to ThreatConnect, Paul is now leading Pater Holdings. His goal is to invest in companies and help them flourish. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Paul Farrell, an entrepreneur and angel investor, to discuss what Paul learned from scaling and selling software firms. They also talk about hiring strategies, preparing for a successful sale, and the dot-com burst of 2003. Stay tuned.

Frank Cowell is a speaker, best-selling author, and the CEO of Digitopia, a revenue operations firm based in the San Diego, California area. With 20 years of digital marketing experience, Frank works regularly with CEOs, Chief Marketing Officers, and Vice Presidents of Sales and Marketing who are looking to create amazing brand experiences while accelerating growth. Frank is also the Host of The Digital Utopia Podcast and Author of Building Your Digital Utopia, which details a concept he pioneered to help brands create digital experiences that systematically accelerate growth. Prior to founding his first agency, he worked in sales and marketing with Tandy, AT&T, and other technology companies. He is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and regularly volunteers his talents to the San Diego AMA, while mentoring young people in the areas of strategy, sales, and marketing. Frank Cowell, the CEO of Digitopia, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he explains how he pivoted his agency from a project-based business model to a recurring services model. Frank also talks about the mistakes he made during that transition, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned. He also shares his tips for maintaining a low client churn rate. Stay tuned.

Wendy Lieber is the Co-founder of ContentBacon, an inbound marketing company that helps build brands that people know, like, trust, and buy from. She has a passion for helping customers figure out and communicate their “why” that resonates with target audiences. Wendy also talks to entrepreneurial communities frequently about the power of storytelling. She is a Board Member of the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization (EO) and previously served as President of Athena Marketing. She holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Marketing from Florida State University - College of Business. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Wendy Lieber, the Co-founder of ContentBacon, about shifting a business’ operations from a boutique agency model to a subscription model. Wendy talks about building her inbound marketing company, the challenges she often faces with changing technology, and the strategies she uses to find and retain good employees. Stay tuned.

Brent Beshore is the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a firm that invests with no intention of selling in family-held companies. With a current capital base in excess of $300 million, the firm's current portfolio includes companies in aerospace, niche construction, manufacturing and distribution, consumer products, recruitment, and niche professional services. Brent is also the author of The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers. He lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife and three daughters.  Brent Beshore, the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where they talk about investing in small family-owned businesses. Brent explains what he looks for when investing in such companies, his strategies for overcoming post-acquisition challenges, and how his company's three-decade lock period works. Stay tuned.

Chris Westfall is a business coach, keynote speaker, consultant, and author who helped launch over 60 businesses, raising over $100 million in capital investment. Entrepreneurs, executives, and future leaders turn to Chris for guidance on peak performance, team building, business development, branding, and more. Chris is the Champion of the US National Elevator Pitch, a competition challenging students to make a convincing and engaging “Elevator Pitch” to an Angel Investor. He is recognized as a Top 10 Business Coach and regularly works with Fortune 500 Companies and high-impact leaders, as well as top-tier universities, to deliver insights into powerful leadership communication strategies. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den in Canada, and Shark Tank Australia.   In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by business coach, author, speaker, and consultant Chris Westfall to talk about his journey from being a professional stunt man to becoming a renowned business coach. Chris also shares his experience in the Elevator Pitch competition, how his coaching helped many clients, and his tips for making an impact authentically.

Jason Rosenbaum is a Partner and COO at Crowd Favorite, a digital transformation company that provides software development solutions to established and startup brands. Founded in 2007, Crowd Favorite was an original WordPress agency focused primarily on enterprise clients. Over a decade later, they have evolved into a multi-discipline, digital consulting firm specializing in enterprise-grade digital strategy and elite open source development. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jason Rosenbaum, a Partner and COO at Crowd Favorite, about building a digital agency and the lessons learned from doing M&A rollups. Jason also talks about his acting background, building a cannabis business, and how Crowd Favorite has changed over the years. Stay tuned.

Kelly Campbell is an Agency Growth Consultant and Conscious Leadership Coach helping creative and technology leaders transform their lives and grow their agencies. She is the Co-founder of Consciousness Leaders, a global collective of experts helping organizations create positive, lasting change.  Kelly is also the host of the podcast, THRIVE: Your Agency Resource, and is currently authoring her first book on redefining leadership as a healing journey. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Kelly Campbell, the Co-founder of Consciousness Leaders, about how she started her businesses and her journey to becoming a consciousness coach. Kelly shares her reasons for selling her business, the lessons she learned about entrepreneurship and building an agency, and explains how she uses her experience to help fellow entrepreneurs build better businesses. Stay tuned.

Brett Harned formed the Bureau of Digital and founded the Digital PM Summit, which was the first annual digital project managers conference. He is also a Digital Project Management Consultant at Digital PM Consulting, LLC, where he works with teams to build processes and communication tactics that work for their projects, people, and clients. Brett has worked with major clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Zappos, MTV, Alaska Air, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to name a few. Brett’s previous roles include Director of Education at TeamGantt, Vice President of Project Management at Happy Cog, and Senior PM at Razorfish. Today, he speaks at events all over the world, writes for popular websites and publications, and can be heard on his podcast, Sprints & Milestones. He is the author of Project Management for Humans, which was published in July 2017. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Brett Harned, the Founder of the Digital PM Summit, to talk about project management. Brett discusses the origin of the Bureau of Digital, building the community, the best practices of putting together events, and tools in the digital project management space today. He also shares how he got a community of leaders together, some of the people who helped make his projects possible, and how you can be a good community citizen.

Karl Sakas is an Agency Consultant and Executive Coach at his firm, Sakas & Company, where he helps digital agency owners take control of their business so they can conquer growing pains and increase profits. Referred to as the “agency therapist” by his clients, Karl has helped hundreds of agency owners worldwide find a passion for their work again. Karl started doing business more than 20 years ago as a high school student, where he helped nonprofits and small businesses in the DC area build websites. Karl is a fourth-generation business owner, which motivated him to turn his skills into an agency. He’s also the author of several books, with his most notable work being Made to Lead.  Outside of his work at Sakas & Company, Karl volunteers as a Past President of AMA Triangle and as a bartender on a 1930s railroad car. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Karl Sakas, an Agency Consultant and Executive Coach at Sakas & Company, to discuss how to successfully run an agency. Karl explains project management and account management and how to approach each in an agency setting. He also talks about the pod agency model, client concentration problem, and the two possible ways to manage business risks when diversifying.

Diana Chapman is a Founding Partner of the Conscious Leadership Group and the co-author of the best-selling book The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. She has worked with over 1,000 different organization leaders and many of their teams to grow in self-awareness and eliminate drama in the workplace. She facilitates leadership forums around the bay area for founders, VCs, and CEOs, including YPO forums and YPO chapters worldwide.  Diana also co-leads a training school for coaches who want to learn how to facilitate her coaching models. She has been a speaker in a number of different places including Mindful Leadership Summit, Wisdom 2.0, Stanford Graduate School, Haas School of Business, and YPO. Diana Chapman, a Founding Partner of the Conscious Leadership Group, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to talk about helping organizations and their teams eliminate drama in the workplace. Diana also explains why she formed the Conscious Leadership Group and how she has been working with clients during the pandemic. Stay tuned.

Jon Bast is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of OptiAuto and T3 Marketing. OptiAuto is a website provider for car dealerships while T3 Marketing is a performance marketing agency that focuses on helping dealers optimize car demand. They follow Google Design guidelines to develop the most optimal websites in order to ensure great user experiences.  Prior to that, Jon was a Senior Manager of Marketing and Traffic Acquisition at Autotrader US and Director of National Partnerships at Force Marketing. He also worked as an Internet Marketing Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Naples and was a Search Engine Marketing Strategist and Account Manager at Haystak Digital Marketing. He is an active member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jon Bast, the Co-founder and Managing Partner of OptiAuto and T3 Marketing, about Jon’s experience building a car dealership marketing agency. They discuss the value of being part of business communities, how marketing for car dealerships has evolved over the years, and why Jon didn't want to work in the corporate world. Stay tuned.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has been involved in podcasting for 11 years and was a senior producer for one of the early business podcasts; he assisted in putting all of their systems in place and helped them add volume, feature, and edify various business leaders. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews. Dr. Weisz also founded a nutritional supplement business and continues to run his own chiropractic and massage facility, Chiropractical Solutions & Massage. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, his Co-founder at Rise25, to discuss the five types of thought leadership content to create for a podcast. They explain what a thought leadership episode is, talk about the benefits of these types of content, and explain how they create these episodes for their own podcasts. Stay tuned.

Paul Orfalea is the Founder of the Kinko's retail chain, which was founded in Isla Vista, California in 1970. The Kinko's concept was sparked in 1969 when Paul, then a student at the University of Southern California (USC), noticed his fellow students lining up at a copy machine in a library, so he saw an opportunity there. He borrowed $5,000 from a local bank and rented a 100-square foot space next to a hamburger stand near UC Santa Barbara. This tiny Kinko's with a single copier became a huge global brand with 1,000 stores internationally and $2 billion in annual sales. Much of the success can be traced back directly to Paul's unique business philosophy, which was based on his free-thinking creative style.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Paul Orfalea, the Founder of Kinko's, about how he started and scaled the Kinko's retail chain brand from one location to over 1,000 before selling it. Paul shares the lessons he learned in his entrepreneurial journey, talks about his theory of management, and explains how he transitioned to academic and philanthropic endeavors. Stay tuned.

Tommy Tardie is the Owner and Operator of The Flatiron Room and Fine and Rare restaurants in New York City. He opened The Flatiron Room in September 2012 with the goal of creating a restaurant with great food and world-class whiskey all under one roof. He followed that up with the opening of Fine and Rare restaurants in January 2017, which comes with live jazz and rare spirits.  Tommy has received a number of awards and accolades including “Best Whiskey Bars in America” by Travel and Leisure Magazine, “World's Best Bars” by get lost Magazine, “Manhattan Hotspot” by OpenTable, and most recently, “Best Bar in America” by Whisky Magazine. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Tommy Tardie, the Owner and Operator of The Flatiron Room and Fine and Rare restaurants, about pivoting a fine dining restaurant during a pandemic. They discuss the art of fine dining, the various challenges faced by restaurant owners since the pandemic struck, organizing virtual whiskey testing Zoom calls, and what the future looks like for the industry. Stay tuned.

DJ Rezac is the Owner of Time42 Coaching and KB Building Services which provides commercial janitorial services along with carpet cleaning and hard floor maintenance in the Omaha, Nebraska area. Through Time42 Coaching, he provides programs to help business leaders, families, dads, and athletic groups with motivation and tools to grow their businesses and to excel in life. DJ has been a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for over 20 years, is married to Lisa Rezac, and together they live and raise five kids in Omaha, Nebraska.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews DJ Rezac, the Owner of Time42 Coaching and KB Building Services, to talk about how guiding leaders can positively impact a business and create a fulfilling family life. DJ also talks about the benefits of being a networking organization member, how losing a big client can adversely affect a business, and how you can measure your success as a parent or spouse. Stay tuned.

Ben Cash is the Founding Partner and CEO of Reason One, a full-service digital agency. Before going remote, they had offices in Toronto, Charleston, and Dublin. With over 20 years of experience in the web services industry, Ben brings a depth of knowledge and experience to the digital space that helps clients achieve measurable results. Over the years, he has developed a key set of proven strategies and methodologies that fuel Reason One's success and have taken him across the country as a guest lecturer and consultant. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Ben Cash, the Founding Partner and CEO of Reason One, about his journey from being a musician to starting and running a thriving digital agency. They also talk about working with mission-driven companies, how Ben's business was impacted by the 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, and his reasons for merging with another company in 2019. Stay tuned.

Jeremy Webb is the Founder and CEO of Organizational Engineering, a company that helps other businesses increase their team’s productivity, engagement, and profitability by teaching them how to self-organize around their company’s goals and purpose. Jeremy is a cancer survivor, international coach, speaker, YouTuber, and pilot. He also volunteers with cancer-related camps and charity events. Jeremy started his career at the fastest-growing company in the US.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jeremy Webb, the Founder and CEO of Organizational Engineering, about how he helps companies develop more productive teams. Jeremy also shares his experience surviving a plane crash, getting diagnosed with cancer, and being a part of the nation’s fastest-growing company.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has been involved in podcasting for 11 years and was a senior producer for one of the early business podcasts; he assisted in putting all of their systems in place and helped them add volume, feature, and edify various business leaders. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews. Dr. Weisz also founded a nutritional supplement business and continues to run his own chiropractic and massage facility, Chiropractical Solutions & Massage. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, his Co-founder at Rise25, to discuss the 10 main reasons why most podcasts fail. They talk about featuring the wrong guests, having a complex podcast process, focusing on the wrong metrics, and more.

Russell Benaroya is a Co-founder and Partner at Stride, an outsource bookkeeping, accounting, and strategic financial services company supporting professional service firms nationwide.  He is a seasoned entrepreneur, podcaster, and author of the book, One Life to Lead: Business Success Through Better Life Design. Russell began his career in corporate finance on Wall Street after graduating with dual degrees in accounting and economics. He has spent the last 20 years investing in private equity and as a healthcare entrepreneur, he built and exited two startup businesses. He is a former Techstars graduate and a longtime member of EO Seattle (Entrepreneurs’ Organization). He received his MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and BA in Economics and Accounting from UC Santa Barbara. Russell Benaroya, a Co-founder and Partner at Stride, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he talks about achieving business success through better life design. Russell also shares his entrepreneurial background, the challenges he faced building his businesses, his new book, and how he helps entrepreneurs stay in their genius zones.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has been involved in podcasting for 11 years and was a senior producer for one of the early business podcasts; he assisted in putting all of their systems in place and helped them add volume, feature, and edify various business leaders. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews. Dr. Weisz also founded a nutritional supplement business and continues to run his own chiropractic and massage facility, Chiropractical Solutions & Massage. Dr. Jeremy Weisz, the Co-founder of Rise25, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to discuss how to name a podcast and get better ROI from it. They talk about types of phrases to avoid when naming a podcast, what to know about using specific names, when to name a podcast after a business, and the benefits of brainstorming names with others.

Jay Haynes is the Founder and CEO of thrv, an enterprise product management software company focused on helping teams with jobs-to-be-done innovation methods. He is an award-winning entrepreneur and executive with 30 years of software and investing experience. His customers include Microsoft, Dropbox, Twitter, eBay, Target, American Express, and Oracle. Prior to thrv, Jay worked as an Investment Associate at private equity firm GTCR, Product Manager at Microsoft, and CEO of Strategyn, which is a product strategy and innovation consulting firm. He graduated from Brown University and received his MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Jay Haynes, the Founder and CEO of thrv, to talk about how the jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework helps businesses provide better services to their customers. They discuss the value of focusing on meeting customers' needs, the importance of being innovative, and how having a group of peer mentors can be very impactful to entrepreneurs.

Jennifer Rotner is the Founder and CEO of Elite Creative, which consists of Elite Editing and Elite Authors. They provide writing, editing, publishing, and content marketing solutions. From her real-world experience as a professional editor, Jennifer recognized the need for a better way to ensure that editing and proofreading services were customized to each of her customers. Therefore, she developed an exclusive matching system to pair every project and customer with the right proofreader or editor — which is why Elite Editing boasts of a loyal roster of satisfied customers and an unrivaled pool of editors and proofreaders who hail from the business, academic, and journalism realms. Prior to founding Elite Editing, Jennifer helped form the editorial division at NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing organization, where she ran the copy department as Copy Chief. Before that, she gained years of experience in the field as features editor for Focus - New York Magazine and as an editor for the marketing department at the American Museum of Natural History. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jennifer Rotner, the Founder and CEO of Elite Creative, about her process of systematizing and scaling creative businesses to over seven figures. Jennifer talks about the mistakes she made and the lessons she learned when building her first businesses, explains how she structures her companies, and shares her tips for working with big clients.

Shirin Oreizy is the Founder and CEO of Next Step, an award-winning behavioral marketing agency with offices in San Francisco and Boston. Next Step leverages the latest research in behavioral science (the study of how humans make decisions) to design better outcomes for businesses in their marketing and growth initiatives.  Shirin has a degree in Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and holds accreditations from Duke University and UC Berkeley on behavioral science and positive psychology. Her work applying behavioral science in marketing is regularly featured in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and The Huffington Post. She has also been on the board of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and a guest lecturer at Stanford University.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Shirin Oreizy, the Founder and CEO of Next Step, to discuss how you can use behavioral science to supercharge your business’ marketing. Shirin explains what behavioral science means, talks about the role it plays in building a company's culture, and explains how she pivoted her business from a digital design agency to start focusing on behavioral science.

Michael Arrieta is the Founder and CEO of Garden City, a purpose-driven buyout holding company that buys, grows, and forever-holds service companies across the Southeast. Once acquired, Garden City seeks to grow them through culture, technology, and sales. Michael was an early employee at DocuSign where he served as Global Vice President, General Manager, and Chief of Staff to the CEO. DocuSign has now achieved a $50B market cap with 5,000 employees.  In 2016, Michael founded MAV Ventures, a venture capital group that has invested in over 50 companies and multiple funds. He also co-founded New Story, a nonprofit that has built over 2,000 homes in developing countries and is recognized for creating the world’s first-ever 3D home printer. He was recognized by Forbes as “30 Under 30” in 2016 for his social entrepreneurship work. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and now lives in Atlanta with his wife and children. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Michael Arrieta, the Founder and CEO of Garden City, to talk about investing in service and technology-based businesses. Michael discusses his career background working at Cutco, Wyse Technology, Dell, and DocuSign — including the lessons learned from Michael Dell. He also shares his hiring strategies and explains how he evaluates the best companies to invest in.

Anna David is the Founder and CEO of Launch Pad Publishing, a company that helps people share their stories and increase their credibility through book publishing. She is a New York Times best-selling author of eight books and has been a featured speaker at three different TEDx events.  Anna has been published in The New York Times, Time, and The LA Times among many others. She has appeared repeatedly on The Today Show, The Talk, The CBS Morning Show, and dozens of other programs and has been written about in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Martha Stewart Living. Anna is also the host of the Launch Your Book podcast. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Anna David, an author and the Founder and CEO of Launch Pad Publishing, to talk about the journey to become a New York Times best-selling author. Anna discusses the challenges she faced building her writing career and publishing company, as well as her experience battling addiction. Plus, Anna shares how Launch Pad Publishing can help you produce your book and grow your business from there!

Kait LeDonne is the Founder of Brandwise Media, a personal brand agency that builds executive and authors’ unique brands using content marketing strategies through social media. She is the author of the book, The Attraction Magnet: The 7 Insider Secrets The World's Biggest Brands Use to Attract Customers Who Can't Wait to Buy From Them. Kait has been featured regularly in national and international publications as a commentator on celebrity and corporate brands.  Kait developed The Influence Academy, one of the first online courses centered around LinkedIn, to teach executives how to position themselves as thought leaders in their respective spaces. To date, over 100 executives have completed the program. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, Kait LeDonne, the Founder of Brandwise Media, gets interviewed by John Corcoran about the business strategies she used to expand and 4x her agency in only 18 months. Kait also shares her recruitment strategies, explains how she builds her company's culture, and talks about the KPIs she uses to evaluate the performance of her business. Stay tuned.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has been involved in podcasting for 11 years and was a senior producer for one of the early business podcasts; he assisted in putting all of their systems in place and helped them add volume, feature, and edify various business leaders. Since 2011, Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider. Through those video interviews, he features top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more. Dr. Weisz also founded a nutritional supplement business and continues to run his chiropractic and massage facility, Chiropractical Solutions & Massage. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, host of the Inspired Insider podcast, joins John Corcoran, his Co-founder at Rise25 Media, to share their best strategies for increasing exposure by appearing on other podcasts. They also talk about sending personalized outreach messages, the benefits of having your own podcast, and their advice on being a good podcast guest. Stay tuned.

Craig Cummings is a Co-founder and investor at Santa Barbara Angel Alliance. He has founded or co-founded several technology-driven startup companies that executed multi-billion dollar IPO's (known as "unicorns") and one that was acquired for $650 million.  Craig has served as a Trustee for both the UC Santa Barbara Foundation and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He previously served on the advisory boards of the Eco-Entrepreneurship Program at the Bren School and the Technology Management Program, both at UC Santa Barbara. He is a member of Tech Coast Angels and is the past Chairman of the Central Coast chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum. Craig holds nuclear engineering degrees from UC Santa Barbara and MIT. Craig Cummings, a Co-founder and investor at Santa Barbara Angel Alliance, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, where they talk about Craig's experience working at SAIC under Bob Beyster's leadership and what he learned from the experience. They also talk about investing in startups, the benefits of an angel alliance, and what led to the collapse of SpectraFluidics. Stay tuned.

Katty Douraghy is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and the President of Artisan Creative, a staffing and recruiting agency focused on digital, creative, and marketing talent and based in Los Angeles. She is a forum and retreat facilitator at Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), where she works closely with entrepreneurs to help them become better versions of themselves.  Katty recently published her memoir, The Butterfly Years: A Journey Through Grief Toward Hope, detailing her personal journey through grief. She is on a mission to demystify grief and create a space where people can talk about loss, grief, and death without feeling judged or rushed. Katty was raised in San Francisco, London, and Tehran.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Katty Douraghy, the President of Artisan Creative, about how her experience with loss and grief inspired her to write The Butterfly Years. She also talks about the lessons she learned in the process, how she now helps others going through loss and grief, and how she has grown Artisan Creative.

Todd Anthony is an award-winning verbal branding expert and the Executive Creative Director of Pinwheel Content. With more than 20 years of experience, he has worked at some amazing global creative agencies like Ogilvy, Young & Rubicam, J. Walter Thompson, as well as held creative leadership stints at big media companies such as CBS, Yahoo, and CNET.  In 2014, Todd created Pinwheel, a creative agency focused on brand storytelling and content marketing. He has worked with some incredible clients including Johnson & Johnson, Fitbit, Experian, Nokia, and Amazon. He has also helped launch and nurture young startup brands.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Todd Anthony, the Executive Creative Director of Pinwheel Content, about his journey to the Czech Republic and back to the US, and how he built a top creative agency. Todd explains how he got started in copywriting and shares his experience working at companies including Ogilvy and Yahoo.

Bill Prater is the Founder of Business Mastery. He has raised over $1.3 billion for private businesses of all kinds. He was the Founder of Weatherly Private Capital, an investment banking firm that raised money for companies to finance new businesses, aggressive expansions, management buyouts, and M&A. Bill grew the firm to over 125 people with offices in New York, Seattle, and Washington, and later sold it. Today, he's a trainer, coach, mentor, and author of two books, Business Mastery: Dominate Your Market and Dynamic Growth. Bill Prater, the Founder of Business Mastery, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where they talk about Bill's entrepreneurial background and how he ended up founding an investment bank. They also talk about some of the clients Bill has worked with and the challenges he faced growing his business.

Tucker Max is a Co-founder of Scribe Media, the premier professional publishing company in America. He has written four New York Times best-sellers (three that hit #1), which have sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. He is credited with being the originator of the literary genre, “fratire,” and is the fourth writer (along with Malcolm Gladwell, Brené Brown, and Michael Lewis) to have three books on the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list at one time.  Tucker was nominated for Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential” list in 2009. He received his BA from the University of Chicago in 1998 and his JD from Duke Law School in 2001. He currently lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Veronica, and three children. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Tucker Max, Co-founder of Scribe Media, about the story behind the founding of Scribe Media and how he became a published author. Tucker explains how he started writing, talks about his legal background, and shares how he helps people write and publish their own books.