Getting a customer to buy your product after trying for so many hours, days, or weeks is a priceless feeling. Imagine if you can do it in just minutes. Most entrepreneurs make the rookie mistake of building a business without a framework in mind. Thus, the client intake and sales process become a massive mess that creates a lot of friction and will eventually tire them out in the years to come. However, it’s not too late to unravel the chaos. Today, Anthony Coundouris, author of run_frictionless, shares with us the 4Qs that will help solve your sales problems. Make things easier for you and your client by tuning in to this show now!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) run_frictionless by Anthony Coundouris (https://amzn.to/3fI5uui) run_frictionless Website (https://runfrictionless.com/)   We’ll be talking about: Overview of today’s topic [01:18] Being occupied in creating the playbook [01:40] The path that led to writing run_frictionless [03:04] The type of companies Anthony worked with [04:42] Scale yourself out of the business rather than throw yourself out [06:05] The value of a sale that didn’t need the founder’s involvement [07:58] The 4 Quadrants as a decision-making framework [10:11] Making sure your products or services are aligned with the right customer [14:12] Understand the limitations of your product or service [17:15] Why a Q1 and Q3 fit is better [20:43] The importance of selling to those who share your belief [24:22] Sharing your Q3 with an online audience [30:53] Hire someone who shares the same beliefs [33:35] Serve your customers in the fastest way possible [36:32] What’s next for Anthony [43:35] The one thing Anthony recommends [44:35]   About Our Guest: Anthony Coundouris is the founder and author of run_frictionless, a playbook that helps entrepreneurs achieve predictable sales. He has assisted in scaling small and large businesses for a decade and has consulted with big companies worldwide. With his experience as a founder for two startups, he has seen where businesses fail short and is dedicated to guiding companies out of that direction.   You can connect with Anthony on LinkedIn.   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

One of the biggest myths in business is that you, the business owner, have to be the one to manage it day in, day out. However, by setting the wheels of systemization in motion, you’ll see how your business can run without it being too dependent on you. Today is Part 2 with Dave Jenyns as he shares about the six stages of SYSTEMology that will allow you to remove yourself from your business from time to time. Enhance your business process by tuning in to this episode!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) SYSTEMology by David Jenyns (https://www.systemology.com/book/) Business Processes Simplified Podcast (https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/)   We’ll be talking about: The six steps of the SYSTEMology process [01:00] Define stage: Mapping out the Critical Client Flow [02:20] By systemizing your process, you can remove yourself from the business [05:26] Assign stage: Identifying the key team members [08:02] Extract stage: Picking the brains of your team [09:49] Integrate stage: Getting the buy-in from the staff [16:00] People resist systemization and eventually stop [18:36] Scale stage: Systemizing the business as a whole [20:51] Optimization stage: Monitoring your metrics [24:59] The next step for Dave [27:47] The one thing Dave recommends [31:39]   About Our Guest: Dave Jenyns is the author of the upcoming book SYSTEMology and the host of the podcast Business Processes Simplified. As the Founder and CEO of systemHUB, he is keen on building systems that free small business owners from the day-to-day operations of their companies.  Having systemized himself out of this business and hired a CEO to run it, Dave was able to pursue opportunities that he would have missed out on had he needed to be present running his company. You can reach Dave through any of his social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.   Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

The sad reality faced by startups nowadays is that they’re unable to build systems in place that allow them to run smoothly. Most think of systems in terms of the ones used by big corporations, which do not fit the needs of small businesses. Thus, I invited Dave Jenyns to share how he was able to systemize himself out of his company which later allowed him to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  We have a phenomenal episode here that continues on to Part 2 next week. So stay tuned!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) SYSTEMology by David Jenyns (https://www.systemology.com/book/) Business Processes Simplified Podcast (https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/)   We’ll be talking about: The business of creating systems [02:22] A business system as the last piece to scaling [05:41] The importance of having great people [09:06] There is value in systems for the startup space [11:31] Systems create space for other opportunities [13:49] The project with Michael Gerber of The E-Myth [17:32] When more doors start to open [21:30] Where SYSTEMology comes in [22:17] About Our Guest: Dave Jenyns is the author of the upcoming book SYSTEMology and the host of the podcast Business Processes Simplified. As the Founder and CEO of systemHUB, he is keen on building systems that frees small business owners from the day-to-day operations of their companies.  Having systemized himself out of this business and hired a CEO to run it, Dave was able to pursue opportunities that he would have missed out on had he needed to be present running his company. You can reach Dave through any of his social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Do you ever wonder why no matter how great an idea you have, you struggle with making it click? A perfect dream is just that unless you can turn it into reality. But all it probably needs is the right person to work on your vision. In this week’s podcast episode, Mark C. Winters joins us in an informative episode on the execution problem faced by most startups, the integrator as key to solving that, the relationship between visionaries and integrators, and how to find the right partner for your business. If business hasn’t grown as much as you like then this episode is a must for you!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters (https://amzn.to/3jtlfbv) Entrepreneurial Leap by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/2DcJAlj) Mark C Winters Website (https://www.markcwinters.com/) Find Out If You’re A Visionary Or An Integrator (https://blastoff.rocketfuelnow.com/quiz/crystallizer-quiz.php) focus@will Website (https://www.focusatwill.com/)   We’ll be talking about: Mark’s line of work [02:28] Visionary and integrator defined [04:11] Great ideas are not powerful if you can’t execute them [07:13] An integrator doesn’t have to be a co-founder [08:21] What motivated Mark to write the book [12:14] The five rules and five tools in the ‘Rocket Fuel’ journey [13:23] Staying on the same page is essential in a business marriage [15:48] Identifying a visionary and an integrator [21:43] The essence of the seven-step connection process [23:38] Finding your integrator [25:03] The downside with an assessment score overlap [27:52] Determining if the visionary and integrator are a good fit [31:11] The next step for Rocket Fuel [34:44] One thing Mark recommends [38:08]   About Our Guest: Mark C. Winters is the co-author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller ‘Rocket Fuel.’ He is also the CEO of Rocket Fuel Ventures, a company that helps entrepreneurs achieve business success by helping visionaries partner up with integrators. You can reach Mark through any of his social media pages, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

You’ve heard from B2B founders who have successfully scaled their businesses, but have you taken a look at the fundamentals that allowed them to get to the point of scaling their business? In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a checklist you can use to make sure startup fundamentals are covered and to verify that activities have been covered. Get ready to find out how you can if your startup is ready to grow.   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)   We’ll be talking about:   What are the objectives and vision you’re driving towards? [01:44] Document your risks and restraints [02:29]  Identify customer pain points [03:12] Communicate the value drivers of your products or services [04:52] Do a competitive analysis of others in your space [06:31] Pick a single vertical to dive into [07:05] Check how big the market is [07:57] Breakdown revenue into acquisition, retention, and expansion [09:02] Understand key financial metrics [10:41] Look at the customer lifetime value [12:41] Differentiate yourself with content marketing [14:02]   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Most startups prioritize customer experience above all else. While that’s something to strive for, it isn’t easily ingrained into your employees. So how do you make sure your employees start valuing your customers more? The answer? By improving employee experience. Today’s subject matter expert, Gil Cohen talks about creating a positive employee experience that translates into a positive customer experience, how values go hand-in-hand with hiring the right people, and how to improve employee connections in a remote work setting. If you are struggling with keeping your employees engaged, then let this episode serve as your guide and tune in!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) Employee Experience Design Website (http://employeeexperience.ca/)   We’ll be talking about: His history with employee experience and how it shaped his company [02:18] Employee experience vs employee engagement [04:00]  The essence of understanding your whys and your values [07:14] Finding the right fit for your company [10:54] Two things to consider before hiring employees [15:43] How to incorporate employee experience into your organization [21:46] Redesigning the culture of a growing startup company [24:46] The result of good employee experience and engagement [27:50] How to improve employee connections in a remote-work environment [30:42] Having the right people in the right roles [34:06] The next move for Employee Experience Design [37:32] One thing that Gil recommends [38:48]   About Our Guest: Gil Cohen is the founder of Employee Experience Design, a company that helps organizations co-create experiences that have better outcomes for both people and businesses. With his several years of experience as an Employee Experience expert in an IT company in Toronto, Canada, he has then catapulted himself into success despite the pandemic. You can connect with Gil through his LinkedIn. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

The travel industry is one of those most affected by the current pandemic we’re on. We anticipate that the recession we’ve entered will likely kill many businesses in this industry. Surprisingly, there is one travel company that’s growing in the midst of all stalemate in travel. But we find that their ability to thrive is based on their use of mindset-driven marketing. Which is why we continue on the theme of buyer enablement in today’s episode. Revenue coach Kristin Zhivago is here with us as we talk about leveraging your customer’s mindset to grow your business, looking at the customer’s perspective on why they’re buying from you, why sales and marketing cannot be isolated, and much more. If you’re a B2B company interested in approaching growth this way, then this is just the right episode for you!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) Zhivago Partners Website (https://zhivagopartners.com/)   We’ll be talking about:   The journey from traditional advertising to digital marketing [01:45] We’ve been incorrectly assuming what customers want [05:55] Why you shouldn’t focus on features and benefits [11:36] Don’t forget about the post-sale journey [17:14] Reaching customers outside your network [19:40]  Marketing and sales should not be separate [26:43] Customers just want their questions answered [29:33] Her excitement over mindset marketing [33:47] One thing she recommends [35:00]   About Our Guest: Kristin Zhivago is the President at Zhivago Partners. Zhivago helps partners increase their revenue by providing digital marketing management services. Kristin’s book, “Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy”, has been named the Top 6 Marketing & Sales Books by Forbes. You can get access to her guide on mindset-driven marketing, her book, and more resources on her website. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

With 400 million users, LinkedIn has become the most useful social network for B2B marketers. It's a platform for people to connect with colleagues and learn more about their industry. LinkedIn is an excellent source of traffic that is underutilized by most. One main reason is because of the unfamiliarity with leveraging the opportunities there. In another series featuring subject matter experts, we have LinkedIn expert Anthony Blatner with us as we talk about best practices for targeting niche audiences at scale, organic vs. paid advertising, upcoming new tools, and much more. Learn more about his wonderful and important LinkedIn tips by tuning in to the show!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) Modern Media Website (https://modernmedia.io/author/admin/)   We’ll be talking about:   Working in an undervalued area as a LinkedIn focused agency [02:00] Tips for maximizing your organic reach [06:21] Improving engagement on LinkedIn posts [09:32] LinkedIn articles vs. LinkedIn posts [11:45] Best practice for linking to outside posts, videos, or sites [13:22]  Optimizing LinkedIn paid ads [14:57] Tactics for shifting through leads [21:14] Why you should specific with targeting [23:44] Leveraging your ad analytics [26:52] Advantages of LinkedIn ads over Google and Facebook [28:17] Upcoming new LinkedIn features Anthony is excited about [32:37] One thing Anthony recommends everyone to do [35:53]   About Our Guest: Anthony Blatner is the CMO at Modern Media Advertising, an agency focused on organic and paid LinkedIn advertising. As a LinkedIn advertising expert, Anthony is a great resource for early-stage entrepreneurs. You can connect with Anthony through his LinkedIn. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Sales is often focused on pushing the product or trying to understand the customer's needs. But there is one aspect that is often overlooked, emotions. Emotions let us know when someone is happy or not. Being able to read your customer’s emotions is a powerful skill that startups should learn. How do you read emotions? Today, we chat with emotions expert Dan Hill, who breaks it down for us. We talk about prospecting the customer experience, customer success, employee engagement, and so much more. Find out how to interpret emotions to benefit your business by tuning in to the show!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) “Famous Faces Decoded” by Dan Hill (https://www.sensorylogic.com/famous-faces) Sensory Logic Website (https://www.sensorylogic.com/)   We’ll be talking about: Dan’s background and what he’s working on [02:06] The value of reading emotions [04:33] Emotions are the currency of business  [06:49] Understanding the signals to the 7 core emotions [09:04] Getting started on adopting facial coding to your routine [14:26] Make customers smile to trigger engagement [17:51] The importance of building rapport [20:51] Why you want to sell to people’s wants [22:50] Facial expressions as a good indicator of the customer experience [24:24] Facial coding as a unique kind of differentiation [29:12] How to figure out more about who a person is [30:45] The role of the feedback loop with maintaining employee value [34:04] The difference between EQ and reading emotions [36:31] The need for diversity and taking in others’ perspectives [38:32] The one thing Dan highly recommends [42:31]   About Our Guest: Dan Hill is a PhD holder, author, speaker, trainer, and expert in the area of reading emotions and decoding facial expressions. Widely known, he has consulted with over 50% of the world’s top 100 companies and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Fox, CNN, and ESPN. He has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.    Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Founders often push their products by highlighting the features and functions they offer. While it’s best to create a product that solves a problem, the right way to reach and engage your customer requires a different approach altogether. You might be pushing your product or service too much that you’re creating unnecessary friction for your customer. So take a step back because there is an art to modern selling. Why do buyers buy? Today, we chat with David Priemer, a research scientist turned tech entrepreneur. We go over the importance of messaging, focusing on pain points, how to build trust, the value of having a natural conviction towards your product, and more. Get into the show now to learn the science behind sales.   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) “Sell the Way You Buy” by David Priemer (https://cerebralselling.com/book/) Cerebral Selling Website (https://cerebralselling.com/)   We’ll be talking about: The negativity surrounding selling and the culmination of his book [02:51] The differences between working in a startup and with a huge company [04:49] Why you should put your message out there like a lightning rod [07:24] People buy based on emotion [09:28] Focus on pains and problems, not features and functions [11:18] Remove unnecessary friction when getting a customer to buy [12:46] The purpose of content is to educate [15:01] What founders can do to build successful sales teams [18:56] Show expertise to build trust and confidence in you [22:11] The best practice when introducing your product [27:48] Have conviction in the value you provide [31:07] An example of a business nailing the messaging [35:15] The best way to do cold calls [36:47] What’s next for David [38:38] The one thing David highly recommends [40:23]   About Our Guest: David Priemer is the Founder and Chief Sales Scientist of Cerebral Selling, a modern sales training built through the lens of science and empathy.  David is the author of the highly recommended book “Sell The Way You Buy” which came out last April 2020. Get more of his free content on their YouTube.   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.   Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Entrepreneurs are always told that the best way to start a business is to solve a problem. Scaling the business to grow beyond the network you have is a different problem. Relying solely on the people you know won’t get you to your goals. But there is no shortage of successful businesses we can take inspiration from. Today, we have IntelligenceBank CEO, Tessa Court. We talk about how she scaled her business beyond her network, doing it profitably, how she priced her offering, adding credibility through big logos or brands, and so much more. Head on over to find out how this founder scaled her business to reach that million dollar mark!   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)   We’ll be talking about: Introduction to IntelligenceBank [02:15] Building a business from something you know [03:27] When starting a business, tap into a growing market [05:00] Founding a tech business when you’re not a technical person [07:23] Big clients build your credibility [10:35] Selling beyond their network [14:50] Work on fit at the start to get to that million dollar mark [17:17] Focus on your business milestones [19:36] Hire early the people who will push your business forward [22:38] The passion and devotion of her team [26:20] Culture and values needs to be set from the top [28:50] Valuing people more than the product [32:40] What’s next for IntelligenceBank [34:13] The importance of taking time out [35:40]   About Our Guest: Tessa Court is the CEO and Director of IntelligenceBank, a leading digital asset management and marketing and operations platform. They currently support over 400 brands and 350,000 users in over 55 countries. They help marketing departments manage the content that gets produced, approved, and distributed through the process they provide.  Tess was previously head of a global sales and marketing team when she couldn’t find a solution to her problem. She started IntelligenceBank to provide a solution to that problem.   You can connect with Tessa through her LinkedIn.   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.   Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Founders are often faced with the question of how to scale their business to reach that million-dollar mark. Are you still doing your marketing and sales correctly? Is your network working to your benefit? The right question here is what are the tactics needed to be able to build your business to achieve the high levels you want. Today, we pick the brains of a B2B subject matter expert. In this episode, we have a chat with Terminus Co-founder and Chief Evangelist, Sangram Vajre. We talk about his thoughts on why sales and marketing sucks, why customer success should be your first hire, the conversation you should have with your customer, and so much more. Whether you have stalled in your efforts or are about to start scaling, get into this episode now.   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) “3 Stages of Startup Growth and How To Breakthrough” (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)   We’ll be talking about: Which should you focus on: product-market fit or problem-solving network? [02:19] The power of a community around your product [05:04] The right route for category creation [09:38] Creating authenticity and building trust [13:25] Look at partners to leverage and start conversations [14:57] Get out of the process to be able to scale [19:11] What to consider when bringing somebody in [21:54] How you should communicate with your customers [25:31] ABM for transactional businesses [30:07] Why your marketing and sales don’t function [33:22] Set expectations when you’re hiring [37:47] The next challenge for Terminus [41:05] One thing Sangram recommends [43:19] About Our Guest: Sangram Vajre is the Co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Terminus, an account-based marketing (ABM) platform. Since starting five years ago with three co-founders, Terminus has grown to about 250 people.  The author of two books, “Account-Based Marketing For Dummies” and “BM is B2B.: Why B2B Marketing and Sales is Broken and How to Fix it”, Sangram also started a movement called #FlipMyFunnel which has grown to over 100,000 members. Sangram is the host of the #FlipMyFunnel daily podcast. Every Monday, he has a live show called Office Hours with Sangram where they talk about business ideas, marketing, ABM, and other stuff.  He has a newsletter on LinkedIn called Becoming Intentional.   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.   Connect with B2B Founder:  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Vivek Khandelwal is the co-founder and COO of high growth software company, iZooto.  In this episode, we discuss how iZooto was able to gain early momentum and validate their offering. We also discuss the key tactics and strategies as they scaled their business to over $1 million in annual re-occurring revenue in less than 4 years. (By the way, they process over a billion notifications a day.) We also talk pricing, workflows, customer success and many other topics including how to divide and conquer with 3 other co-founders. One of my favorite quotes from this episode from Vivek was, “Founders can scale a business, but it is not sustainable."

John Vuong, CEO and Founder of LocalSEOSearch, joins the program to discuss his journey to the 5% Club. John’s sales and marketing background allowed him to gain traction early, but the business really took off when he made the investment in on-boarding and customer success.  We discuss how he was able to scale without taking VC money, why his business model focused on reoccurring revenue and cash flow was a priority.   

Huckabuy CEO and founder Geoff Atkinson discusses how he was able to get his business “unstuck” after a very successful launch. He shares what he did, what worked, and most importantly, what he would have done differently. He also alludes to how Huckabuy is growing even during the pandemic. Huckabuy is a fast-growing tech startup based in Park City, Utah. They are a SaaS company that is changing how organizations grow their organic search channel through a technology-forward SEO approach. Prior to Huckabuy, Geoff was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analytics at Overstock.com where he developed expertise in SEO and managed everything from pricing algorithms to content generation. He was named Advertising Age’s “Top 40 Under 40” list

In today’s short solo episode, I discuss the “big” announcement regarding the podcast (no, it is not going away, but you will have to listen) and what is next. Thank you all for your continued support.  We do appreciate it. Until next week, cheers!

On this episode, we welcome Gregory Skeete to the program.  Gregory helps entrepreneurs and business owners to 'engineer' their best selves and systematically achieve results that are both successful and significant while maintaining their ideal work-life balance and lifestyle. Gregory’s unique background has allowed him to provide a unique and powerful perspective on how entrepreneurs can become the best versions of themselves and not only transform themselves but also their businesses. Stay tuned next week for a big announcement!

On this episode, we welcome Martin Hill to the program. Martin is the CEO, Founder and inventor of The Beebo: a free hand bottle holder designed to enhance the feeding time between you and your baby. On this episode, Martin shares his unbelievable growth journey.  It was an amazing combination of ingenuity, timing and a successful pitch on the shark tank.  Plus, Martin even announces that his company is for sale at the end of the show. Twitter: @the_beeboInstagram: the_beebo

On this episode, we welcome back Dan Pfister to the program.  Dan is the founder of StrategicWinBack.com.  He’s also the co-founder of two other businesses where he's helped generate over 50,000 customers, and has worked with brands like Fidelity Investments and people like Tony Robbins. Strategic Win-Back’s sole focus is re-engaging and re-activating lost, forgotten and disengaged clients. To learn more about the exceptional ROI that winning back past clients can generate.  Website:  https://www.brightmove.com/

On this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. David Arrington — author, speaker and the Principal and Chief Operating Officer of Arrington Coaching.  They fundamentally help executives realize their vision and create sustainable change through 3-dimensional coaching. David shares his journey as a first-time founder and the key lessons he learned.  He also shares leadership and culture best practices.  Key 1st Time Founder Lessons: “I would argue that it's all pivots….if you're not pivoting, you're probably not moving forward” “Everybody wants to make a million dollars with their business, very few people do, because most people don't have plans. They just have an aspiration” “Stop reading books about growing your business and just work on your business” I love the Colin Powell, quote, he would say that when he had 70% of the information, he would make a decision, he would move forward. This is when he was a general in Battlefield situations” When we look at culture, I like to think of it as the air of an organization because I say no one notices it until it stinks, right. You have a culture you always when you get two people together, you're creating a culture. The problem is most cultures are and they're not intentional” “I would early on bring on people who are going to help you make money. Because that's why businesses go out of business because of cash flows……cash flow covers a multitude of sins” “Good leadership is almost hidden under a co-located environment….bad leadership becomes very visible when you go remote.” David’s Contact Information Website: arringtoncoaching.com/    Twitter:  https://twitter.com/dmackarrington LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/dmackarrington Book:  https://arringtoncoaching.com/promotable-book/

On this episode, I have a conversation with Jack Chen, the CEO and Co-Founder of SWIDIA (a performance marketing partner for high-growth companies and venture-funded startup). Jack worked for 10+ years in the content and influencer space before co-founding SWIDIA. Jack and team are changing the way brands are thinking about growth marketing. They take a four-pronged approach to growth: Strategy, Media Planning, Conversion Centric Creative and Analytics. The results have been incredibly impressive. They are working with brands such as Cameo, Dude Wipes, Radish and many others. Key 1st Time Founder Lessons: - The keys to really scale a company, you need to make sure that everything you're doing is trackable, measurable and scalable. - How complimentary skills between the co-founders (Creative & Analytics) was the right combination for SWIDIA. - Don’t copy someone else’s story, create your own. - The difference between performance marketing and traditional agency marketing and how to incorporate into your growing business. - How 1st Time Founders should be thinking about performance marketing in their growth plans. - How to successfully work with operating partners to assist with growth and the key questions to ask.

On this episode, I have a conversation with Ethan Beute.  He’s the Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, an innovative and high growth software company.  Ethan is also the Host of the very popular The Customer Experience Podcast, and co-author of Rehumanize Your Business, which is a hands-on guide to adding simple videos into your communication mix in order to build trust, save time, and truly connect with people.  On this episode: The powerful psychology behind why video flat out works to grow any business. How to use video to communicate more clearly, connect with people more effectively and get higher conversions. Video messages are highly valuable and simple to do and why this is a competitive advantage Why ALL companies need a Chief Evangelist leading the charges. Bonus, that we don’t discuss in the episode, Ethan has a great post/mini-white paper on how first-time authors can write a book.  It is a can’t miss resource on his web page. Also be sure to check out BombBomb's podcast as well here.

On this episode, we welcome Govind Balu, Founder and CEO of QuXigma. Govind has over 3 decades of experience in the data and analytics space. He was the lead data scientist at companies such as Bank of America and Allstate prior to starting his own company. His mission is to make data and analytics accessible to all companies and help them prioritize on value and customer experience. We discuss not only the why but more importantly how companies of any size, but especially startups can and should be leveraging data, analytics and ultimately machine learning. #LessonsInGrowth: Data in itself, is not valuable; it is converting the data into information that allows the business to make better decisions. Two keys for startups- build a data foundation to collect and consolidate all of your data and start converting your data into information 3 key areas of positive impact- targeting the right prospects, sales conversion rates, up-sell/cross-sell and customer retention. The “barriers to entry” for startups to use data and analytics have mostly been eliminated. Using data and analytics to measure and analyze customer experience. Website: https://www.quaxigma.com/

This is the second installment of our new weekly series: Lessons in Growth. Each week, Brett will share thoughts and perspective on a single topic. This could be something top of mind, in the news or questions I receive from my customers or audience. Feel free to shoot me a note if there is a topic you want me to cover. In today’s episode, I share my perspective on the top 5 reasons startups successfully scale.  I hope you continue to enjoy the new segment.  We will still have the longer form interviews every Tuesday.    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor www.BrettTrainor.com

On this episode, we welcome Brandon Mateika, the Founder and CEO of Sales and Marketing Inc. a growth agency dedicated to taking the confusion out of sales and marketing.  This is Brandon’s second visit to the show. In episode 2, Brandon and I discussed the importance and the foundational need of product/market fit. If you haven’t listened to it yet, do yourself a favor and go back and listen.  It is still one of our most referred to episodes.   Today, Brandon and I go deep on the what, why and how of competitive analysis.  This is a must listen if your business growth is stalled or you are in the early stage of starting your business.  Brandon shares in detail how to perform your own analysis and the eye-opening results you will experience.   Key #LessonsInGrowth: Competitive analysis will drive your messaging, positioning and in many cases your offerings. Identifies the 13 key variables you need to measure against customer importance and competitive strength and how to use this as a differentiator How this 3-4 hour time investment can get your business unstuck and positioned for high growth. Website:  https://www.salesandmarketingus.com/

If you are a regular listener to the show, you know that I usually have discussions with guests. This is the first in a new weekly series where I do a deeper dive into a single topic.  This could be something top of mind, in the news or questions I get from my customers or audience. Feel free to shoot me a note if there is a topic you want me to cover. In today’s episode, I take deeper dive on the power and the potential competitive advantage that data and analytics can provide a startup. I hope you enjoy the new segment.  We will still have the longer form interviews every Tuesday.  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor www.BrettTrainor.com

On this episode, we welcome Sue Tyrrell and Kala Liebe to the program.  Sue is the founder and CEO and Kala is the Chief Experience Officer for a company called Hands Up Communications.  Hands Up is a single point of contact for language access needs. They offer offer a mixture of interpreting, translating, and captioning solutions.  Their story is an interesting one. Sue started the company, merger with a company in 2015 then took the company back and partnered with Kala to build what is now known as Hands Up Communication.  It is a cautionary tale about failed partnerships and ultimately having the right complementary management team.    Key #LessonsInGrowth: Why the keys to success are having a very solid executive team The pros and cons of strategic partnerships (and mergers) and what to look for Why dissolving the merger was a better path to growth for Hands Up How a complimentary skill set allowed Hands Up to flourish Warning signs that a potential partnership may not be right for your business

On this episode, we welcome Tim Caito. Tim is a Senior Partner at ForceManagement.  He combines more than 30 years of sales, management, professional development and business consulting experience to help selling and buying organizations, challenged by dramatic shifts in market conditions, win better deals and improve critical seller-buyer relationships.  He helps companies define and articulate their unique differentiators and value drivers.  Key #LessonsInGrowth: Messaging must come from the perspective of your customer not your company Understanding the Zero Moment of Truth for your customers Why you MUST be an expert on your customer problems How to avoid the common disconnect between sales and marketing If technology or pricing is your differentiator you are on a race to the bottom These are only scratching the surface of what we discuss.

On this episode, we welcome Pam Didner.  She is an author, speaker, podcaster, adjunct professor, marketing strategist and a Fortune 100 Marketer.  She leads a boutique-consulting firm that trains, coaches and provides strategic guidance on audience development, messaging, editorial planning, content creation, media buys and social media outreach on a global scale Key #LessonsInGrowth: Who do you hire first, sales or marketing (the answer might surprise you)? The power of word of mouth referrals How startups should think about sales enablement (and what is it). How to think about and execute account-based marketing (ABM) Why there are only TWO types of qualified leads. and buyers are buying on their own schedules, not yours!

On this episode, we welcome Ricardo Regalado, the Founder and CEO of Rozalado Commercial Cleaning Services, plus 3 other companies including his latest venture Route, an end to end software platform for service providers. Ricardo shares his personal journey from buying his uncle’s franchise commercial cleaning business where he and his wife were working 18 hours a day to a soon to be $10 million company that was featured on Inc. 500’s fastest growing companies, which is a rare feat for a cleaning services business.  Key #LessonsInGrowth: How scaling to $1 Million was different than from $2M to $4M and from $4M to $7M. How he successfully balanced family and business (he has 17 family members working in the company). How he was able to scale from 5 employees to over 300 and keep the culture. How intuition, persistence and relentlessness were the key drivers of success Plus numerous other words of wisdom for entrepreneurs

On this episode, we welcome Kelly Glover, founder of The Talent Squad.  The Talent Squad is a boutique podcast agency that book podcast tours for entrepreneurs.  Kelly started podcasting in 2007 and has an 18-year track record working in media and talent management. Kelly knows what producers want because she's been one! With a background in commercial radio, Kelly has walked her talk and hosted her own syndicated radio show, worked as a talent agent, celebrity interviewer, and has produced award-winning podcasts.   Key #LessonInGrowth: Podcast guesting, yes, it is a thing, is an unbelievable opportunity to jump start growth (if you are prepared) Why launching your own podcast is a long tail growth strategy while guesting is a shorter term strategy? Podcast guesting- it is not about you, it is about the audience Size doesn’t always matter when pitching a show- make sure you can add value to the audience How to effectively pitch to guest on a podcast- hint- the key is to make it easy for the producer/host How to repurpose your podcast guesting episode content for maximum impact   Website: http://thetalentsquad.com/

On this episode, we welcome Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey to the program.  Michael and Michael & Bonnie are the founders of Barefoot Wine, America’s #1 Wine Brand.  Their New York Times Business Bestseller, The Barefoot Spirit, is now required reading in more than 50 schools of entrepreneurship   In this episode Michael and Bonnie shares their remarkable journey from a laundry room of a rented farmhouse to the boardroom of the world’s largest wine company, E&J Gallo and how that journey paved the way for their future endeavors and the creation of a new category of audio books called Audio Theater.   Key #LessonInGrowth: The Barefoot Spirit equates to an entrepreneurial mindset (West Coast Style)- opportunistic and problem solving Not being an “expert” on insider allowed them to ask dumb questions to break out of “this is how it has always been done” mentality Consistency in the wine/product was a differentiator to the current model. Why 500 Cases of Wine/year was their top priority Leveraged outsourcing and partners to scale the business Leveraging grassroot tactics and community level brand building helped accelerate acceptance and growth.   LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/bonnieharvey/ LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/mhoulihan/ Website:  www.thebarefootspirit.com Website:  www.barefootaudiobook.com/ Click here for a free audio episode of The Barefoot Spirit.

On this episode, we welcome Phil Hollyer to the program.  Phil is the Co-Founder, former CEO and now Executive Chairman for Bounteous.  Bounteous creates big-picture digital solutions provider that helps drive growth for their clients.  In this episode Phil shares the Bounteous journey from a 2-person startup to a high growth company that has been featured in Inc.’s fastest growing companies.  Bounteous now has over 300 employees and is closing in on the $100 million in annual revenue.  We go deep on how Dominos became one of their first customers how their partnership launched both companies to the next level, especially in the digital revolution in the early 2000’s. Questions we answer: How Phil and Bounteous were pioneers in creating a virtual organization How working with a couple of large, enterprise customers, Ceridian and Domino’s proved to be the right strategy How Bounteous was at the center of the digital revolution with Dominos Why they chose a Horizontal vs. a Vertical focus on growth- broad vs. niche Why Human Resources was a critical focus early on The power and constraint of unicorn employees

On this episode, we welcome Christine Perakis to the program.  Christine, AKA the Storm Warrior, is a serial entrepreneur, business coach and author.  Christine’s first entrepreneurial venture was a fragrance company. Since then, she has started, grown and expanded 9 others as well as advised 100s of clients on five continents. Her remarkable journey includes surviving two record-breaking category 5 hurricanes, including the first one that left her buried alive for nearly 24 hours and forced her to survive without electricity, running water and telecoms for a couple of months on an isolated adopted-island nation.  The leadership and resilience lessons that she learned have been incorporated into her next book, The Resilient Leader, which is being released in 2020. In this episode Christine offers strategies that anyone can use to weather the inevitable storms of life and business and come through thriving.

On this episode, we welcome Victoria Tretis to the program.  Victoria is a former executive assistant that became a virtual assistance before starting her current company- VA Matchmaker. VA Matchmaker helps take the confusion and complexity of using virtual assistants.  She matches entrepreneurs with the skill set they need.   In this episode Victoria breaks down the What, the Why, and the How of using remote resources to drive efficiency and value in your growing organization.  She also provide tips on what not to do. LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/victoriatretis Website:  https://www.victoriatretis.co.uk/

On this episode, we welcome Matt Morse to the program.  Matt is the Founder and CEO of Precision Today. They are a Chicago based plumbing services company that started over 25 years ago.   In this episode Matt lays out a blueprint for scalable growth.  He shares what worked and what didn’t work during his growth journey.   Even though this is more of a traditional main street type of business Matt really is a modern visionary on how to grow a company in the digital era.  His company enjoys a 4.9/5.0 Google review rating with over 1380 reviews! Key take-a-ways: Top priority is creating an employee centric culture Always have a plan! Why buying out his co-founder was the right strategic move Expansion for expansion sake is not always the right move Hiring folks that aligned values to company vision Transitioning from the day-to-day operations allowed the company to thrive Plus many additional lessons Email:  [email protected] Website: https://www.precisiontoday.com/  

On this episode, we welcome Jo Johnson to the program.  Jo is known in Australia and Worldwide as the Content Coach.  She turns Experts into Thought Leaders - one story at a time.   She raises the visibility of entrepreneurs and small business owners through using the art of storytelling.  Aligning your Brand values with effective storytelling is a powerful combination that can energize your customers to take action. In our really informative conversation, Jo breaks down what, why, and how to incorporate storytelling into all aspects of your business. 

On this episode, we welcome Gregory Skeete to the program.  Gregory helps entrepreneurs and business owners to 'engineer' their best selves and systematically achieve results that are both successful and significant while maintaining their ideal work-life balance and lifestyle. Gregory’s unique background has allowed him to provide a unique and powerful perspective on how entrepreneurs can become the best versions of themselves and not only transform themselves but also their businesses.  This was a really interesting discussion.   Questions we answer: Why you need to build your business “with the end in mind” Why process and documentation are fundamental to scalable growth Why benevolence is important for the entrepreneurial journey Why inspiration is better than motivation   LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/gsskeete Website:  https://www.gregoryskeete.com/ The Exact Instruction Challenge (PB&J Instructions)

If you are a regular listener to the podcast, you know I usually have discussions with guests. In this episode, we're going to be doing something a little bit different. Today, I'm not interviewing anyone, and I'm actually going to host and guest on my own show. I review the 3 stages of startup growth, the common thresholds where founders get stuck, and how to prioritize focus for each stage of growth. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor www.BrettTrainor.com

On this episode, we welcome Kenneth Kinney to the program.  Kenneth is the host of “A Shark’s Perspective,” a nationally recognized podcast featuring the "who’s who" of experts and thought leaders in marketing, and he's the VP of Marketing and Digital Strategy at Ai Media Group, a leader in performance marketing. Kenneth is a highly accomplished and creative marketer, growth executive, consultant, and speaker. He is passionate about lead generation, leveraging data in omni-channel strategies, driving growth, digital marketing, advanced TV, and helping make marketers better. Here's what we cover in today's episode: Why you need to invest in marketing early How smaller companies can compete with bigger brands Why you need to have a marketing strategy Don’t create content to just create content Why data is critical

On this episode, we welcome Bill Bice to the program. Bill is the CEO and Founder of Boomtime. Boomtime built the world's first marketing-as-a-service platform: fuse.  Bill is a serial entrepreneur, he is passionate about helping small businesses grow. Bill started his first company at age 18, growing ProLaw Software into the largest law firm automation system for small and mid-size law firms. Bill's goal at Boomtime is to enable smaller businesses to more effectively compete with their larger competitors.

On this episode, we welcome Bob Furniss to the program. Bob is the Godfather of Customer Experience. He spent his entire 30+ year career helping companies of all sizes better connect with their customers. Bob was awarded the ICMI Lifetime Achievement Award and has also been recognized as a Top 50 Contact Center Thought Leader. He is also an author and a keynote speaker. You can reach Bob at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter: @bobfurniss.

On this episode, we welcome Martin Hill to the program.  Martin is the CEO, Founder and inventor of The Beebo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CK4izXDxLA   The voice you heard a moment ago is that of Martin Hill.  Martin is the CEO, Founder and the inventor of the The Beebo.  The Beebo is a free hand bottle holder designed to enhance the feeding time between you and your baby.  On this episode, Martin shares his unbelievable growth journey. It was an amazing combination of ingenuity, timing and a successful pitch on the shark tank.  Plus, Martin even announces that his company is for sale at the end of the show.   Questions we answer: How he was able to get an investment from Shark Tank investors Lori Griener and Ashton Kutcher How he scaled a fast-growing company with only a couple of employees Why Martin doubled down on understanding the flaws with his design How he was 1 of 100 that were selected out of 50,000 to appear on Shark Tank How he leveraged outsource partners to scale his business Why he decided to sell the company    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/martin-hill-33b88ba9 Website:  https://www.thebeebo.com/ Twitter: @the_beebo Instagram:  the_beebo    

On this episode, we welcome Nicole Wood to the program. Nicole is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ama La Vida. Ama La Vida is an innovative leadership and career coaching company. They believe that there doesn't need to be a tradeoff between success and happiness and that with the right tools, coaching and accountability, everyone can find meaning and purpose in their work.  

On this episode, we welcome Vivek Khandelwal to the program.  Vivek is a co-founder and COO of iZooto. iZooto is the World's First Owned Audience Marketing Platform that helps media publishers and retailers to own, build and engage their audience using web push notifications. Over 15,000 marketers push over 18B notifications every month to engage their audience and drive repeat traffic. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/khandelwalvivek Website:  https://www.izooto.com/ Twitter:  vivekk

On this episode, we welcome James Carbary to the program.  James is the Founder and CEO of Sweet Fish Media. Sweet Fish Media produces podcasts for B2B companies.   Their service allows you to partner with your ideal clients to create industry specific content through an interview-based podcast. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamescarbary Website:  SweetFishMedia.com  Twitter:  jamescarbary Book Referenced:  https://www.tablegroup.com/organizational-health

On this episode, we welcome Lindsay Kelley to the program.  Lindsay is the Vice President of Content and Digital at Telit.   Lindsay is an inbound and marketing expert that has is using conversational marketing to help drive large increases in qualified, new business leads to her organization’s sales teams.  Lindsay has over 20 years of experience in marketing, both from the start-up world and large enterprise organizations.   She has been at the forefront of marketing innovation, whether it was the early days of marketing automation on the current revolution of chat bots and conversational marketing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaykelley/ Twitter:  lvkelley Website:  https://www.telit.com/

On this episode, we welcome Ovi Negrean to the program.  Ovi is the Co-Founder of Chief Executive Bee of SocialBee.io   SocialBee.io offers which offers social media management tools, training and teams. LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/socialbee.io/about/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovidiunegrean Twitter:  https://twitter.com/OviNegrean Website:  http://socialbee.io/