Scratch Entrepreneur

Standing on the edge of a new venture as a budding entrepreneur is equally exhilarating and bone chilling.  To truly do this you have to strap into the harness of friends and family that believe in you, lean out over the abyss that is no longer having a salary or benefits, and jump.  Think about the moment you did that.  What job did you leave?  Have long did it take before you felt confident that you’d be able to pay the next mortgage payment?  Those first years are hard and tons of people fail. But our guest today didn’t.  Not the first time or the second.  Johnathan Grzybowski, owner of Penji Graphic Design, is on the show today to share his story, his insights into attracting your first 200 customers, and how the get the best work out of your designers.  We’re glad you joined us. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: What sparked Johnathan to start his own business (8:00) What is Penji? (11:45) Building a base of clients (13:00) Going from un-scaleable to scaleable (18:30) Finding the ideal c

Today's episode starts a new series of one air coaching session between business owners and executive coach David Quick.  We start with ourselves, Jeremy & McKenzie Goodrich owners of Shine Insurance.  Our crossroads is How Do We Strategically Scale?   The Crossroads episodes of Scratch Entrepreneur are all about solving a specific point of growth for our guest.  David and Jeremy ask thoughtful questions for the first half of the show.  Their goal is to get at the heart of the factors that affect this point of growth.  The second half of the show is all about solutions.  David will offer three next steps and the outcomes that he sees from taking them. We’re glad you joined us! Don’t’ forget to listen to the after show recorded just for our Patreon community: JOIN HERE   This episode’s big question: How to scale your business? Episode topics include: Introduction to the Crossroads format and David Quick (00:45) Shine Insurance, who are they and what to they do? (4:00) Mindset for hitting expectations (7:

Simone & Malcolm Collins are venture capitalists, marketing gurus, entrepreneurs, and authors.  They're on a personal and professional journey towards the perfect iteration of themselves.  We talk about that, their opinion about where most start up pitches go wrong, and why they feel Latin America is poised for big wins. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: How Malcolm proposed (1:50) Build a business in developing countries (7:45) Presenting your business to investors (9:30) What’s a pragmatist? (14:00) The idealogical tree (22:30) How do you want people to see you? (24:00) Where will Simone and Malcolm be in 5 years? (26:45) Mentioned in the episode: Collins Family Ventures Travelmax The Pragmatist’s Guide to Life   Special thanks to Simone and Malcolm for taking the time to share the Pragmatist Guide to Life story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of thing

Every entrepreneur who’s every read a business book has heard you need to exude confidence, never give up, work hard, use this magical system that some dude with a shabby website invented and will happily share with you for $1997.  Everyone wants to tell you how it works.  But what they’re usually telling you is simply how it worked for them.  Owning a business isn’t magic.  It’s collecting the right ideas, setting the right system, your system, and putting yourself in as many right places at right times as you can.  You don’t actually need to be anything but the best version of yourself. Today’s guest is doing that. Her way and on her terms.  She’s succeeding at something that many people have found to be one of the smartest ways to make money in the world.  Investing in real estate.  No, real estate isn’t perfect.  No investment strategy is.  But a smart investor with a careful strategy can make good money on what is arguable one of the safer places to put your money. Whitney Nicely built her portfolio from

Have you ever bought a house? I remember the first time I did. It was a really beat up old bungalow with great old bones. I fell in love immediately even though I probably shouldn’t have. The one thing I didn’t do, that I really should have, is hire a realtor. They probably would have noted that the basement was leaky and flooded every time it rained, or that the bathroom was actually just an old back porch with a shower plopped in it, or that we were paying way too much for the work we were going to have to do. I didn’t hire a realtor because, well, I wasn’t very smart about it. Our guest today would have been the perfect guy to help. He is a realtor who's helped people just like me buy houses, sell houses, flip houses, and even rent houses. In the world of real estate, he’s done it all. Along the way he’s been growing a community of raving fans. Like most realtors, he started by joining a realty group. You’ve probably heard the names FC Tucker, Berkshire Hathaway, RE Max, and on and on. These are engines t

There are a lot of terms that could define entrepreneurship: Risky, busy, confusing, overwhelming, fun, inspiring, and on and on. Starting and growing your own business is one of the most challenging adventures a person can go on. But there’s another word used a lot to describe owning a business and that’s lonely. So many entrepreneurs describe moments of isolation. Maybe it’s physical isolation, especially early on but more often, the isolation is mental. The buck stops with you. And that means every idea, every decision ultimately falls on your lap. Your left to ponder not only the future but also the past. Maybe there’s an entrepreneur out there who’s got it all figured out but most of us, we’re obsessed about decisions, paths, and outcomes. Each tiny moment swirls inside our head. What’s right, what’s wrong, where should the money go and where did the money go. At first we’re constantly sharing every thought and idea with friends and family. But one subtle cue after another teach us to stop talking about

Our guest today is a hero in the Bloomington, Indiana community of artists.  Armored with her hand crafted leather notebooks, she started by venturing out and attempting to make a living as an artist.  As so many heroes do, she experienced perils, hardship, and moments of doubt.  Then she realized that she should band together a collaborative community of artists.  Ultimately, she started a brick and mortar store bringing together all of their work into one location.  Talia Halliday owner of Gather Shoppe, a retail art store in downtown Bloomington Indiana, is a purveyor of art and crafts.  She’s a leader who has rallied every artist together in a epic battle of art versus evil.  And she set down her sword to take a quick moment and tell her story on this episode of Scratch. Special thanks to Talia Halliday for taking the time to share the Gather story with us Mentioned in the episode: Conduit Press   Gather Shoppe  Bloomington Handmade Market  Bloomington Creatives Collective   Kin Folk Magazine   Luna Musi

If you own a business, it reflects you, whether you mean for it to or not. Every system, every product, every experience, has you embedded in it.  Any business owner that isn’t comfortable with that should run for the hills.  The “owning a business is like having a child” metaphor may be over used but there is, of course, some truth to it.  The things we build reflect us. But building a healthy profitable business evolves quickly beyond the parenting metaphor.  The thing about parenting is we’re mostly doing it ourselves.  Our tragic missteps and long sought after successes are mostly hidden and only become exposed years later as our kids grow up. The parenting analogy works as a foundation but it isn’t the house. Every business owner quickly moves from the parent figure and takes on a role closer to an architect designing the framework by which success will be built.  But the architect hands over the design and is done, that’s it.  So maybe that’s wrong.  It’s more like the Orchestra conductor, masterfully m

There are some jobs it seems like no one would ever want. Who wants to pump a septic tank, why on earth would you ever work in a restaurant dish tank, who in the world would ever deal with dead people?  Us humans are infatuated with rationalizing our place in the world by comparing it with those who have it worse. But the concept of “those who have it worse” may just be an invention, a tool to help us look in the mirror and make sense of it all.  Yes, of course there are people who truly have it worse than you and there are people who have it better than you too.  But the scale is based on your concept of how worse and better are defined.  The person you think has it worse may actually be a lot happier than you think.  And the person who has it better, I mean really, what does that even mean?  Are we talking money, happiness, looks, spirituality? Our guest today may be someone you think has it worse than you.  Maybe you’ll feel she has it better.  But I hope, after hearing her story, you’ll decide the whole p

Today’s guests are world renowned in the field of Graphic Design. They’ve worked for some of the biggest design agencies, advised some of the best companies, studied under legends in their field, spoken in front of huge audiences, and built a following of other graphic designers.  They themselves have now become a powerhouse couple in their field.  Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio, owners of the graphic design firm Under Consideration, share their story. We’re glad you joined us. Here's an overview: What makes good graphic design? (3:15) It depends on the business, the ideal client, and ultimately what someone is trying to say.  There’s no magically answer and, at the same time, there is a magic to the result.  A good graphic designer can use the tools they have to create that visual story and connect the ideal client with the brand.  It’s a collaboration How did their childhood affect who they became? (10:15) Bryony grew up in a family of artists and achitects so she was surrounded by creative folks and

There are jobs you simply do, that’s what most of us have, and there are creative passions that turn out to make you a few bucks, which very few are lucky enough to succeed at.  One way to gauge the difference is the perception of children.  If, as a child you heard of an occupation and immediately felt you would rather eat raw spinach with no ranch dressing while sitting in the adult church service for 10 hours, this is likely a job you do.  If, as a child, you fantasized about doing that job.  You dreamed about the details, imagined yourself in that daily routine, and presented it emphatically as the answer to the age old question “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, it’s likely a creative passion that might make you a few bucks. Occasionally, we meet someone who has succeeded at being what they dream of growing up to be.  Our guest today, is one of those people.  Not only has Paul Shoulberg spend time with some of Hollywood's greatest stars, he’s had the pleasure of watching them act out his words,

There are some businesses that are integral in the fabric and story of a community. Think about the town you live in.  If someone asks, "What are some things I HAVE to do when I visit?" you immediately think of them.  Maybe the dive bar in that back alley, an ice cream shop that has handmade old-fashioned vanilla but you have to specifically ask for it, a barber shop that only does high fades, a music venue where every good band played before they got famous.  "But where should I eat when I go there?" A good restaurant or two or five aren’t just threads in the fabric of a town, they’re a whole cross section.  Until your town has the perfect place to eat, it’s just plain not a town yet. Our guest today is the owner of one such eatery.  Anyone who knows anything about Bloomington, Indiana is going to insist that you eat at his place at least once while you’re here.  In the 1970’s, you would stumble into the Uptown Café after a long night listening to music at the Bluebird.  You’d order gumbo or jambalaya to soa

Many of our favorite businesses were built out of someone loving something and then figuring out how to make it better. Yvon Chouinard created Patagonia because he loved rock climbing, hiking, and being outdoors.  Everything else stemmed from that. Ben & Jerry loved ice cream, Jake Carpenter of Burton snowboards just wanted to find the perfect ride.  There are lots of reasons for someone to start a business but loving something and then working to make it better is one of the most fulfilling.  If you own a business, why did you start yours?  What do your love and how are you making it better?  The answers can drive you and frame the direction you go in the future. Our guest today loves music.  Specifically, early 90’s grunge and all of the many steps in it’s evolution into modern Indie Rock.  The way he found to make it better was to start a small record label.  To find artists he loved and help spread their music to as many people as possible.  Ben Swanson built Secretly Canadian based on a search for th

Us humans, we have all these labels for people, right.Us humans, we have all these labels for people, right.Some are mean like calling someone a nerd or a moron.  Some are self-applied like goth or grunge.  Some clearly state a specific spiritual philosophy like Christian or Pagan. Some are about ancestry, others skin color, still others define the generation you were born.  We use these words as a way to categorize traits or behaviors and all of it is a way for our brains to create boundaries.  Wars are fought, rallies are held, weddings are arranged, all in the name of these boxes we create.  When it comes to business, the words that create our box, our brand are important too.  We can incite love or hate, connection or ambiguity just by our choice of label, the words and actions that define us.Our guest today is in the business of creating these connections through stories that building better brands.  Labels that describe him would be extrovert, connector,  describer, storyteller.  Dmitri Vietze has been

Our guest today builds houses. Really beautiful houses Hardwood floors with deep velvety purple finishes, huge windows full of afternoon sun.  Each home is unique and, like any good builder, his finished pieces have a stunning signature to them.  Loren Wood and his team of builders drop their heart and soul into every new build.  They pour foundations, frame walls, run electrical, pop about a trillion nails into all of it, and finally when it’s all done, they take some pretty pictures, open the doors for the home's new owner, and move on to the next one. We’re glad you joined us! Here are some highlights: What childhood memories led Loren to start a construction biz? (2:50) Loren remembers being amazed as a kid by the fact that his uncle built his own house.  It seemed to Loren at the time like his uncle Rick hit every nail in by himself without any help.  He always thought that was awesome and wanted to do it himself. What’s a story that stucks out as an example of what Loren builds for people? (4:10) For Lo

Our guest today has perhaps one of the smartest solutions to a specific problem that's plagued beekeepers for centuries. Her and the Beecorp team are taking on some of the key issues around a dying community of animals that we actually really need. Ellie Symes shares her story, how BeeCorp is solving key issues for beekeepers, and what she's learned from being a CEO. We're glad you joined us.   Early Memories of Entrepreneurship While Ellie never really saw herself as growing up to be an entrepreneur, she did start a couple of businesses as a kid.  Her favorite was a dog walking  business when she was just six years old.  Not very many people wanted to let a six year old take their dogs but it was Ellie’s solution to not being allowed to have a dog herself. What is BeeCorp? BeeCorp builds analytic software for beekeepers.  Their first product can tell when a queen bee dies.  The queen is the most important member of a hive because she has all of the babies and builds the community.  When the queen dies the ot

Have you ever dreamed of going viral, schmoozing with the stars, swimming in piles of virtual likes and shares, retweets and smiley faces? I mean who doesn’t want fan mail, right?  Our guest today is fortunate enough to have experienced all of that but here’s the thing, he wasn’t really dreaming of it.  In fact, as it turns out, most people who go viral weren’t.  Generally they are living life like the rest of us, chasing passions, making ends meet, and then one day this one part of their world blows up.  Today Mike Bridavsky, owner of Russian Recording studio and dad to world famous cat Lil Bub shares his story.   We’re glad you joined us!    Here's an overview:   Early Memories of Entrepreneurship Mike always attracted to creating businesses.  Even as a young kid in his parents’ community of Russian immigrants he would sell berries to his neighbors.  By the time he became a teenager he fell in love with recording music.  Immediately he started recording bands.   The Two Sides of Owning a Business For Mike t

Do you love the town you live in or do you long to move somewhere else?  Have you ever thought about why you feel whatever way you do?  I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.   I’ve lived in Bloomington Indiana for most of the last 25 years and the more people I meet, the more stories build the thread of this town in my mind, the deeper connection I have with this place.  I’ve always seen Bloomington as an oasis.  The college town in beautiful southern Indiana.  People of all colors, shapes, and creeds, living in the conservative Midwest.   As a teenager in the big flat city of Indianapolis, all I wanted was to get out of the Midwest, wanted to go back to San Diego, surf, get a tan.  Instead, after a failed round of the local college, my parents talked me into the college town 50 miles away in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana.  I sort of begrudgingly gave in.   But it didn’t take long to fall in love with Bloomington then and like any good relationship, it’s gotten better with time.   One thing I lo

Have you ever had a good idea?  One that was so obvious, so helpful, so ingenious that you couldn’t believe it didn’t already exist?  You searched the web and couldn’t find anytime about it, you researched the patent list and it just wasn’t there. You sat in a darkroom late at night thinking “what is my next step?”.  Well, if you idea has anything to do with technology, your first call might be to today’s guest Mike Kelly at DeveloperTown.  Along with taking tech ideas from infancy to lauch, Mike and the DeveloperTown gang help large corporations turntheir tech ideas into reality.  All of this happens in a huge warehouse with hundreds of tiny houses inside.  As always, let’s start from the beginning:   Here’s an overview: How it all Started Mike went grew up in a family that owned small retail businesses.  He worked from the age of 9 in stock rooms.  He got a healthy work ethic and sense of how money works from that.  In college, Mike started a software consulting company and stuck with it for 10 more years

So you’ve got a million dollars that your looking to invest right?  It’s just sitting around in your side table or stuffed into the cushions on your couch but you know it should be invested somewhere so it can grow into two or three million.  You could invest in the stock market or real estate but that sounds so boring.  You want to invest in ideas, great ideas, and help them grow into a multi-billion dollar company like Amazon or Google.  If that’s your scenario, our guest today is the right guy to call.  Serial entrepreneur Mike Trotsky has started tech businesses, sold them, and connected hundreds of investors with opportunities to fund great tech ideas.  In our conversation, he breaks down the western frontier of investing into terms we can all understand.   Here’s an overview: How it all Started Mike went to college at Indiana University to be an audio engineer.  He and some friends started building online donation systems for political campaigns.  That business, called Worldview, grew and they became