Onward Nation With Stephen Woessner | Interviews With Todays Top Business Owners | Careers

Randy Long grew up in a family of 6 kids. His dad was a pastor and his mom took care of the kids. His father pastored small churches and so Randy’s family had very little. That encouraged all of the family to work from early ages to buy what they needed, help out the household, and give back to the Lord. Randy worked for many self-employed people and this gave him a great respect for business owners and made him also want to become self-employed. So Randy went into business to provide services to business owners and their families. Randy has also practiced law but his primary focus today is running a business consulting company called Long Business Advisors, where Randy and his team coach business owners, provide BraveHeart Planning, and manage the sale of businesses for those who do not desire to transition their company to the next generation. Secret – timesaving technique Randy makes a list of the top three or four things he needs to do each day -- prioritize and do these things first. ONWARD! Daily habit

Rick Enrico is the CEO and Founder of SlideGenius Inc., a presentation design agency with over 500 clients around the world. He is also a marketing and technology serial entrepreneur, having founded companies like Twenty6 Red, Jubaloo, RamAir International, SlideSuite, ShopStir, HF USA, and Juice Media. Secret – timesaving technique Rick optimizes his time by having his assistant handle the scheduling of his phone calls -- utilize what Rick calls "telephone efficiency." ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Stop during the day and focus on your breathing -- Rick does this in five minute segments during the day as well during morning meditation. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Rick was heavily leveraged with his own personal capital in his company when the market collapsed -- and Rick tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be successful "Learn to pause -- business owners say 'yes' too often." Most influ

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media. Good Morning Onward Nation...I’m Stephen Woessner. In today’s solocast I am going to take you on an even deeper dive of the 8 Money Draining Mistakes than we have ever taken before. In previous solocasts I have singled out a mistake or two -- and gone pretty deep with the recipe on how to fix the mistake -- but today I am going to address all 8 mistakes. On the Predictive ROI side of our business I see it all the time: Businesses that miss opportunities and waste money online. Over the past 20 years of conducting academic research and working with clients in the private sector, we have collected tens of thousands of data points that show there are 8 areas where most companies misunderstand online consumer behavior. These money draining

With a dream to become the next Bill Gates, Kevin Kruse started his first company when he was just 22 years old. Despite big dreams, his company failed after just one year. But after discovering the power of leadership and extreme productivity, he went on to start, build, and sell several multimillion dollar companies that have won both an "Inc 500" award for fast growth and a "Best Place to Work" award. He is a New York Times bestselling author and his new book is “15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management” based on interviews with over 200 self-made billionaires, millionaires, and successful entrepreneurs. Secret – timesaving technique Kevin time-blocks his day with 50-90 minute Jam Sessions of uninterrupted time -- don't fall prey to to-do lists. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Prepare your body and mind every morning -- Kevin wakes up, drinks a lot of water, gets 30 grams of protein by the time he's been up 30 minutes, gets 20 minutes of exercise, thinks of three things he's

After a successful career in mutual fund operations as the Assistant Vice President of Corporate Quality, Jodi Flynn set off on a new adventure and founded Luma Coaching. Her specialty is partnering with business leaders who experience self-doubt and overwhelm in order to overcome stress, get organized, and start creating the business and the lifestyle they dreamed of having. Her podcast, Women Taking the Lead, inspires women from humble beginnings to overcome self-doubt and lead with confidence, integrity, and a sense of humor. The podcast hit #1 in 3 categories of iTunes New and Noteworthy: Business, Careers, and Society and Culture. Secret – timesaving technique Jodi carefully curates a list of project and tasks that are time-locked by day -- spend time making sure the right items get done on the right days. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Start your day from a calm place and get in a state of gratitude -- Jodi meditates and journals each morning. Could have ruined your business – but now –

Mark Hanson is a lifelong entrepreneur and pioneer in the outdoor lighting industry. As president and founder of TouchStone Accent Lighting, Mark develops, manufactures, and markets their proprietary line of outdoor lighting products and the iDzyn iPad app. Secret – timesaving technique Mark uses several task tablets -- keep your task lists organized by when things need to be done. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Review your previous day's to-do list -- Mark understands that you have to keep yourself accountable. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Mark spent all of his capital on a product that didn't sell – and Mark tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be successful "Understand technology." Most influential lesson learned from a mentor "Plan -- follow the plan -- and be willing to adjust as you go."   Final Round – “Breaking Down the Recipe for Success” What systems would you go back and put into

Bill Hoagland is the founder of company called Squid Ink. He started the business 25-years ago in his garage with just 2-½ gallons of ink he developed. Fast forward two and half decades and Squid Ink does business in 61 countries, operates six manufacturing facilities, employs 130 people, and has distribution points in 87 countries around the world. Secret – timesaving technique Bill makes an "AB" list every morning -- prioritize your day, every day. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Figure out problems before they arise – Bill talks to as many people in his company on a daily basis as he can. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Bill went into debt and then the recession hit – and Bill tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be successful "You need to understand strategic thinking." Most influential lesson learned from a mentor "Hone your listening skills – listen to what people are telling you."   Fina

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media. Good Morning Onward Nation...I’m Stephen Woessner. Before we jump into today’s topic...I just want to say thank you for all the feedback...the emails...the text messages...the Facebook posts...the tweets...and the comments on LinkedIn. I am so grateful for you being here and being part of the every growing community that is Onward Nation. Please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation...good or bad...I always want your feedback. My direct email address is stephen@onwardnation.com -- and yes -- that is my actual Inbox. No fancy filters or filing system and I read and reply to every single email. So please let me know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you. Now, during today’s solocast, I want to fo

Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV, and business radio host of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on CBS on-demand radio network, Play.It. He is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of “C-Suite Network”, home of the world’s most powerful network of C-Suite leaders. Hayzlett is also the author of three bestselling business books, “The Mirror Test,” “Running the Gauntlet,” and “Think Big, Act Bigger.” Secret – timesaving technique Jeffrey uses an app called To-Do -- makes lists every day. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Focus on the most important thing – Jeffrey on "killing squirrels," a valuable metaphor he learned from the Pixar movie Up. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Jeffrey had an employee murder three other employees – and Jeffrey tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to b

Dr. Tony Alessandra helps companies turn prospects into promoters. His focus is on how to create instant rapport with prospects, employees & vendors; how to convert prospects and customers into business apostles who will preach the gospel about your company and products; and how to out-market, out-sell and out-service the competition. Tony is CEO of Assessments 24x7, a company that offers a variety of online assessments, including the widely used DISC profile, the Hartman HVP, Motivators assessment, and several 360º effectiveness assessments. He is also a prolific author of 30 books translated into over 50 foreign language editions and is featured in over 100 audio/video programs and films. Secret – timesaving technique Tony goes through the progression of the "four D's" -- drop, designate, delegate, do -- use these four steps to save yourself time. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Focus on what is most important – Tony puts on his blinders and works on one task to completion. Could have ru

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media. Good Morning Onward Nation...I’m Stephen Woessner. Thank you for taking the time to be here with me for today’s solocast -- especially today -- the day before Thanksgiving. It’s a special time of year for all of us to consciously consider all we have to be grateful for in our lives. And no matter the season your business is in -- whether it’s growing -- whether it’s slowing -- or maybe you’re in the fight of your life as you consider whether your business is worth saving -- I want you to know -- all of your fellow business owners who make up Onward Nation have all been there before. We have all experienced those moments when we cried as we held our head in our hands...sobbed at the same bad decisions we made for more than the first time

Wendy Keller is an award-winning former journalist, a respected literary agent, an author, speaker and acclaimed book marketing consultant. She got her first job as a newspaper reporter as a 16 year old college freshman. Since then, Wendy worked for PR Newswire; the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain; as managing editor of Dateline magazine. She founded what is now Keller Media, Inc. in 1989. She has sold an astonishing 1,200 rights deals worldwide, including 16 New York Times best sellers and 9 international best sellers. Secret – timesaving technique Wendy is obsessively focused on lists – and she also blocks out all distractions. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Focus every morning on detachment, service, and love – Wendy starts every day with meditation. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Wendy was dealt the worst personal tragedy imaginable – and Wendy tells the whole story here. Most critical skill you think business owners need to master to be succes

Dr. Pamela Dennis has helped some of the world’s top leaders successfully build their organizations from global Fortune 100 companies such as GE, Merck, JPMorgan, and GM to emerging companies and closely held partnerships in private and public sectors for the last 30-years. She successfully founded and ran a consulting firm for over 20 years, which was consistently recognized as one of the 100 fastest companies in Colorado and in the top 25 women-owned business for size and revenue. This experience also provided her with all of the invaluable insights necessary to publish the book “Exit Signs: The Expressway to Selling Your Business with Pride and Profit.” She speaks to international and national organizations on leadership and change, with the emphasis on leading transitions. Pamela is also affiliated with the Women’s Council of the Leeds School of Business, which supports developing women in leadership at the University of Colorado. Secret – timesaving technique Pamela thinks in terms of bifocals – you need

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.     Good Morning Onward Nation...I’m Stephen Woessner. Thank you for taking the time to be here with me for today’s solocast. It is an honor to have you here -- thank you for tuning in -- your time is sacred and I am delighted you have chosen Onward Nation and this episode to be what you listen to, study, and take with you on your morning run, or maybe Onward Nation has become part of your daily commute, or in some other way has become part of your morning routine. However our daily podcast fits into your daily routine -- I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today’s top business owners. During today’s solocast, yo

Adam Carroll is quickly being recognized as one of the top financial educators in the country with his core message being "You are the architect of your own life and that starts with your behavior around finances.” Having presented at over 500 colleges and universities nationwide, hundreds of leadership symposiums, and countless local and regional organizations, Adam’s message of “Building A Bigger Life, Not a Bigger Lifestyle” has been heard by over 200,000 people. Adam successfully crowd-funded a documentary on student loan debt, raising nearly $70,000 in 45-days. The film, “Broke Busted & Disgusted” will soon be released and is already garnering critical acclaim following Adam’s recent TEDx talk at UW-Milwaukee. The mission of the film is to start a national debate about changing the way we fund college and not crippling 20 somethings with mountains of debt. To stop the problem before it starts, Adam's book, Winning The Money Game, and curriculum, are being used in high schools and colleges as a financ

Joe Calloway helps business leaders, entrepreneurs, and owners improve performance and grow their businesses. He helps organizations focus on what is truly important, inspires new thinking about challenges and opportunities, and motivates people to immediate action. Joe has been a business author, consultant and speaker for 30 years and his client list reads like an international Who’s Who in business, ranging from companies like Coca Cola and IBM to Cadillac and American Express. Joe is the author of “Be the Best at What Matters Most” and five other ground-breaking business books including “Becoming A Category of One” and his newest book “Magnetic: The Art of Attracting Business”. Secret – timesaving technique Joe is very intentional about staying focused – you can't just give focus lip service. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Get up early – Joe gets up no later than 5 AM every day. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Joe's consulting business evapora

Randy Pennington is an award-winning author and respected authority on how leaders deliver positive results in a world of accelerating change. He's author of three books, "Make Change Work," "Results Rule!", and "On My Honor, I Will." Randy has earned 17 outstanding teacher awards as an adjunct instructor in the Cox Business Leadership Center at Southern Methodist University. His clients range from the Fortune 10 to companies as small as 25 employees, and he's worked with government agencies and elected officials at the local, state, and national level. Randy's life has taken him from a locker room attendant at a public swimming pool to the Board rooms of corporate America to stages throughout the world. Secret – timesaving technique Randy keeps a running list of what needs to be done – writing these all down helps him focus. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Exercise your mind and your body – Randy reads and exercises every single day. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable l

Mitch Stephen is a nationally known real estate entrepreneur, trainer, and consultant who has purchased over 1,300 houses in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. He is also the author of two books, “Failing Forward to Financial Freedom” and “200+ Ways to Find Bargain Properties.” Mitch is a high school graduate who never stopped learning from books, seminars, and webinars, a graduate of "La Calle U" (which means “The Street" in Spanish), and a fine example of what “on-the-job-training” can produce in a person. Mitch now teaches others how to become financially independent and invest for more than just the typical lump-sum check. Secret – timesaving technique Mitch lightens his load by delegating to others – you have to finish the job, even if it's not you doing the finishing. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Work on your networking – Mitch takes long lunches every day with people he wants to network with. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Mitch sat on

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.     Good Morning Onward Nation. This is Stephen Woessner. I am grateful you decided to be here this morning — to be here right now –– to share your most precious resource with me and Onward Nation –– your resource of time. We all have the same 86,400 seconds in a day and I consider it a sacred exchange of time and value — so I am delighted you and I can have this time together today. Let’s start off by considering some difficult questions — and then as I always try to do — I’ll leave you with some action steps that you can apply into your business to move onward to that next level. How do we become great? How do we achieve greatness in all we do? How do we realize our full potential — your dream for success? Les Brown said, “I don’t bel

Aaron Walker is a businessman and life coach. Aaron helps business owners reach their full potential and discover their identity, how to live a successful and significant life, and how grit and determination pay off. He has inspired many through his leadership, mentorship, and consistent pursuit of excellence. He enjoys helping others and believes experience is a great teacher. 35 years of entrepreneurship and marriage have given Aaron a wealth of experience. Aaron continues to reach new heights and broaden his perspective of the terrain by examining his experiences and growing from them. Secret – timesaving technique Aaron focuses blocks of time – productive multitasking is a myth. ONWARD! Daily habit that contributes to success Start every day early – Aaron wakes up between 4 and 5 AM and spends his first hour to an hour and a half in prayer. Could have ruined your business – but now – an invaluable learning experience Aaron made a decision that almost cost him his family – and Aaron tells the whole story h