Business Leaders Podcast

  We often hear the saying, “Your business is just as good as the people in it,” yet many businesses still fail at finding the right kind of people in their team. As a result, they lag behind in efficiency and productivity. Kevin Stoffel and Brent Hultman from Strong People Systems give an overview of the issues that business owners are currently facing when it comes to their employees. They offer some great advice, insights, and tools that help solve problems in turnover and employee engagement. Highlighting the importance of identifying the true human potential of an individual, they bring forth the need for more objectivity into the hiring process. This does not only help the company go forward towards success but it is also a service to individual employees to truly load up on who they are truly meant to be. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Kevin Stoffel And Brent Hultman From Strong People Systems We have two guests on the podcast, Kevin Stoffel and Brent Hultman of http://str

  According to Seth Godin, marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make but about the stories you tell. One such powerful way of telling that story is through photos and images. Professional photographer Shelly Au talks about imagery and visual work, having a business focused on creating high-quality headshots and visual branding. Shelly helps companies communicate their story to the world in an artistic and creative way. He says it’s more than capturing your subject sitting down, taking the photo, getting up, and then leaving. Visual branding is more of how you get people to portray who they are to help businesses succeed and take the next step. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast here: Visual Branding: Telling Your Story Through Imagery with Shelly Au We’re incredibly fortunate, we have Shelly Au. He’s from https://www.shellyau.com/ (Shelly Au) Photography. We’re going to be talking about imagery and visual work with him and why it’s important. S

  At some point, business owners are responsible for the people that they’ve engaged because their livelihoods are dependent on their ability to run and to lead that business. Kevin Kays, president of The Alternative Board Denver North, helps business owners increase revenue, improve profitability, and lead their companies more effectively. Kevin shares what he does at The Alternative Board and how they help business owners run their businesses more effectively. He also touches on transitions, working with a business coach, behavioral assessments, critical success factors, and more. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: How To Increase Revenue, Improve Profitability And Run Your Business More Effectively with Kevin Kays We have Kevin Kays. He’s the President of https://www.thealternativeboard.com/denver-north (The Alternative Board Denver North). Kevin, thank you so much for taking the time on this episode. Thanks for having me. Kevin, tell us a bit about your business and who

More than having such caring and nurturing hands, women nowadays have also demonstrated their power and strength on the business and corporate side. Jo Lynne Whiting, the Board Chair of the Women’s Leadership Foundation, believes that having more women on board is critical to the success of companies. She talks about how women can become a great leader to spearhead company success and create better economic development. Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: Women On Board with Jo Lynne Whiting We’re incredibly fortunate because I have Jo Lynne Whiting. She is the Board Chair of the https://womensleadershipfoundation.org/ (Women’s Leadership Foundation). I had the pleasure of meeting her at an event where women were talking about being on boards. Jo Lynne, thanks for taking your time. Tell us a little bit about the foundation and what your mission is. https://womensleadershipfoundation.org/board-bound-program/ (Boardbound) by Women’s Leadership Foundation, we are working

  Data theft has run amok, and the internet is fraught with vulnerabilities.  Anytime you are on the internet, you’re putting yourself – and your important digital files and folders – at risk to potential attack. Users should pay close attention to suspicious email, and check frequently to prevent hackers from gaining access to home or business networks. Malware, spyware and keylogging attacks are real, and can cause significant damage. In fact, research firms tell us that a successful attack can likely cause a small business to close its doors within 6 to 9 months of the attack. Robert Fleming, founder and president of BlackSquare Technologies, talks about securing your digital information from potential harm through hardware encryption tools. He also shares one of their key tools called Enigma, which delivers secure, simple, real-time USB hardware encryption and decryption to protect data, no matter where that data is stored. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Protecting Your Data A

  Intellectual property is the most valuable asset of a company that is why it should always be protected. Otherwise, employees come in and learn all your systems and processes, and then they leave. The next thing you realize, there’s a competitor down the road that is being run by that former employee. However, many companies don’t do a good job of securing their intellectual property because they don’t understand that. Art Nutter, the founder, chairman, and CEO of PatentBooks and a company called TAEUS, delves deep into the subject of intellectual property, bringing to light the significance of patents. He also shares how PatentBooks and TAEUS were created and what they are all about. — Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: How To Protect Your Intellectual Property with Art Nutter We have Art Nutter. He’s the Founder, Chairman and CEO of https://patentbooksinc.com/ (PatentBooks) and a company called https://taeus.com/ (TAEUS). People will go, “PatentBooks, I

With everyone either selling or buying, you would think it’s a simple process for them to meet and finish the job. However, many business owners and buyers alike still have a hard time looking for the right business or buyers for them. Rob Amerine, certified business intermediary of The FBB Group, Ltd, talks about selling a business and helping buyers see what they want and need. He shares some nuggets about how to have good businesses that are ready to sell as well as the things you need to have a higher sales price. Rob walks through the process and discusses  the small business development council (SBDC), the market, some expectations and misconceptions, and more as he advises businesses to build to sell. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Rob Amerine: What You Need To Know About Selling A Business We’re very fortunate to have https://www.linkedin.com/in/robamerine (Rob Amerine). He is a Certified Business Intermediary with the https://www.fbb.com/ (FBB Group) in Colorado Springs. If you

  Managing director of IBG, Dan Roth, went from being a business owner to advising business owners himself. Taking all of those experiences he has gained through the years, he is now one of those rare people who can give you genuine advice about the entire processes and struggles in starting, maintaining, growing and selling a business. He lets us in into some of the methods and approaches he uses in advising business owners while also sharing some pointers on how to deal with buyers and selling. He also discusses topics such as  acquisitions and risk management, and shares some personal  regrets. And he provides great nuggets of wisdom that’ll help you move your business forward. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: The Art of Advising Businesses with Dan Roth Today, we’re incredibly fortunate to visit with https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjroth/ (Dan Roth). He is a Managing Director at https://ibgbusiness.com/ (IBG), a merger, acquisition and advisory firm. This is his second app

    Most of the people in our society are experiencing some physical symptoms that reflect the negative effects of their lifestyle. Instead of using natural stressors to calm the body and illicit self-healing in the body, we’re taking medications. Wyatt Ewing, founder of The Ice Barrel, wanted to look at natural and effective ways to improve health and escape from this epidemic of overstressed, overworked, overstimulated, and medicated people. Thus, The Ice Barrel was born. It is a custom US-made oak barrel designed for taking ice baths. Wyatt is joined by sales director Chris O’Connor and marketing director Joby Stanford to talk about the health benefits of The Ice Barrel. — Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: The Ice Barrel with Founder Wyatt Ewing Radical improvements in your immune system, mood, focus, energy and overall health. Key leaders in all industries including Tony Robbins, Paul Chek, Laird Hamilton and Tim Ferriss are utilizing the benefits of the i

  When you look around and you think of lawyers and law firms, you think of the big ones. Truth be told, the majority of the law firms in Colorado and beyond are small law firms. Most of the time, they’re solo practitioners. Meranda Vieyra of Denver Legal Marketing says her goal is to make market space for solo practitioners and small law firms. Meranda’s goal is to have more people start choosing to spend the money that they allocate for legal services by supporting small law firms, keeping their lights on, keeping the Colorado economy booming, and supporting this level of small business in that industry. Meranda explains why the service she provides is unique and why the business community has taken notice. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Meranda Vieyra on Servicing Solo Practitioners And Small Law Firms With Legal Marketing I’m the owner of Denver Legal Marketing. I work with solo practitioners and small law firms in Colorado and beyond. My ultimate goal is to make

  It is incredibly important to get the right counsel involved in your transactions at the right time so that you don’t end up in a dispute later on. Jessen Gregory, attorney with Ruddy Gregory, PLLC talks about preventative medicine in terms of business transactions. Jessen says the majority of their transactions are mergers and acquisition transactions where someone is trying to sell or purchase a business or an asset within that business or get financing thereof. RG is a member of an international alliance of business attorneys that they can reach out to if a client has a transaction going on in any other country across the world. Jessen talks about what they do in their firm and shares some useful information about pothole avoidance, de-risking your business, transitioning your business, and everything else you need to know in between transactions. —  Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: Mergers, Acquisitions, And Other Business Transactions with Jessen Gregory   Bet

  There will come a time for business owners to start to entertain the idea of ownership transition. In one way or another, they will have to transfer their businesses to the hands of other owners, carrying over not only the business itself but the employees as well. Shina Culberson, chartered financial analyst of Quist Valuation, talks about the processes of valuation and how businesses can drive value. She covers the importance of creating a culture of innovation among employees starting with the customer mind rate. Sharing as well how they lower the barriers of entry to valuation, Shina provides some actionable and deliverable information to business owners as she shares her business journey. — Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: How Businesses Can Drive Value During Ownership Transition with Shina Culberson We are so fortunate, we’re in the world headquarters of https://www.quistvaluation.com/ (Quist Valuation )with the President, Shina Culberson. Shina, thank you so much

Everybody can be successful if they want to be. With patience, persistence, and perspiration, you can accomplish anything. Successful networker and Chief Connection Officer of Firestorm in Denver, Colorado Phil Pelto helps people grow their business through relationships, strategic partnerships, and referrals. Firestorm is a business to business networking organization. They organize events and meetings for business people to meet, build relationships, and share referrals. He says no matter who their target market is, the goal is to help people grow their business. Phil shares a lot of what they’re doing and who they are serving from different industries. — Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: How Strategic Relationships Can Help You Grow Your Business with Phil Pelto We have Phil Pelto. He’s the Founder and Chief Connection Officer of https://www.myfirestorm.com/ (Firestorm) in Denver, Colorado. Phil, thanks so much for being on the podcast. Thanks for having me. Phil and I have a his

  Judaism has changed a lot over the last few decades. Jewish families look a lot different than they have in the past. Interfaith families are growing and many people find it hard to fit into the traditional synagogue model. Cindy Abramson and Amy Becker saw an opportunity in this to create a community that is founded on support, acceptance, and love. They call this non-profit organization as JTown. With congregations being spread out, they offer a place where people can easily get together and inspire one another. They share what it means to be in a community and how they foster relationships and help those in need. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Cindy Abramson and Amy Becker: Creating A Community For Interfaith Families With JTown We are incredibly fortunate. We have with us, Cindy Abramson and Amy Becker, Cofounders and Codirectors of https://jtownco.org/ (JTown). Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit with us.  Thank you for having us. Tell me a little bit about

Small businesses who are looking to grow, but feel like they are stuck need to consider bringing equity into the business. This allows them to consider if they should work with a partner or partners and under what conditions and structure. Ann Bennett, Founder and CEO of KBA Associates has been helping small businesses move into a state where they can grow the company for five years then sell it or grow it so that their children can take over. Ann explains that a company cannot run without people, so strong employee management is vital for growth. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: How Equity in Small Businesses Help Growth with Ann Bennett As our guest, we have https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncbennett/ (Ann Bennett). She’s the Founder and CEO of http://kbaassociates.com/ (KBA Associates). Ann, tell us about your business and who you serve. Before we get too far into that, let’s dig into your journey to this point and your background. Thank you, Bob. I appreciate the opportunity to dis

  Imagine if you were to receive 500 loan applications one day and they just they showed up at your doorstep. That may be one, two, three boxes of paper, depending on all the supporting documentation that goes with that. You can imagine what this looks like. A loan package, on average, is around 600 pages. That’s what Charlie Weidman aims to solve with his company, Buddha Logic, an enterprise content management (ECM) solutions provider that helps companies streamline digital document capture and management. Folks get intimidated by the word robot or automated process and there’s some level of concern about them replacing people, but Charlie says it’s an education and an awareness that helps you eliminate unnecessary work when you start automating more. — Watch the episode here:   Listen to the podcast: Buddha Logic: Simplifying Life with Charlie Weidman We have Charlie Weidman as our guest. He’s the CTO and President of http://buddhalogic.com/ (Buddha Logic). We’re

Many times, your experiences motivate you. For Nancy Trangmar and Meghan Marsden, Co-Founders of Veil Intimates, the big point was when they were trying to buy a beautiful, supportive bra but couldn’t find any that fit well. One discussion after another and one search after another for high-end but comfortable intimate apparel led them to create Veil Intimates. Veil Intimates is an apparel technology company where they’ve designed and patented technology that will revolutionize the women’s apparel industry. The heart of their product is the process and the design. Their approach is to change the marketplace, and they ultimately hope to work with existing brands not only in the traditional foundation arena, but also active wear to change the support structure for women. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: Veil Intimates with Co-Founders Nancy Trangmar and Meghan Marsden Thank you for having us. This is an inaugural where I have two guests at one time. You guys are going to be fascinated by what thes

  At some point in time, NFL players realize the game of football is going to leave them behind. However, they could still be in a position where they’re financially stable, they’re of sound mind and body, and they’ve got opportunities after football. Craig Domann, CEO of 360 Sports, says these can all be provided for. Craig’s company represents NFL players when they come out of college. They’re basically career counselors and negotiators, and help players through their journey through the NFL. Craig talks about the many hats they have to wear in assisting clients with all aspects of their NFL career and shares the process it takes for an NFL prospect to be in the league. — Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: 360 Sports: Through NFL And Beyond with Craig Domann We’re with the CEO of https://360sportsrep.com/ (360Sports), Craig Domann. Craig, thank you for taking time out. I appreciate it, Bob. Tell me a little bit about what you do in 360Sports and who you serve

  It’s true what they say that it’s lonely at the top. Former CEO Todd Ordal says he gets where CEOs are coming from because he’s worn their moccasins and felt their pain. Todd’s new company, Applied Strategy, was developed over years and years of screwing up and making mistakes. He now works with CEOs and helps them lead better, profit more, and sleep soundly at night with coaching strategies that work and has more organizational effectiveness. Todd talks about the problems he came across and the growing pains of setting and building up an organization. — Watch the episode here: Listen to the podcast: Applied Strategy: Helping CEOs Lead Better with Todd Ordal In this episode, we have http://toddordal.com/ (Todd Ordal) who is the CEO of http://appliedstrategy.info/ (Applied Strategy). He is the author of https://www.amazon.com/Never-Kick-Cow-Chip-Hot/dp/1630477206/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529988622&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3ATodd+Ordal&dpID=51AoBfM5mcL&preST=_SY2

  There are about 75% of closely held family business owners in the country. Yet, 85% of those have not completed the transition and succession plan. As a result, 25% of businesses close while others have to sell, cutting their family ties and emotional investment with it. Lisa Niederman, managing director of Speed2Results, talks about the importance of planning for your destination and preparing your business for succession. Sharing her own story and background in psychology as well, she discusses the state of owner readiness and the common problems with business owners. She also covers the processes of transition—from selling to buying—and the need for value drivers. Watch the episode: Listen to the podcast: The State Of Seller Readiness In Family Owned Businesses with Lisa Niederman We’re incredibly fortunate. We have Lisa Niederman. She is the Managing Director of http://speed2results.com/ (Speed2Results). Lisa, thank you so much for allowing us to come into your home. Bob, what a pleasur