In The Trenches

Darren Stehle is the founder of EatMoveBe.com, a website devoted to living a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating. He lives in Toronto, Canada, and has spent his entire adult life cooking healthy meals. He could have been a successful chef, but the stressful lifestyle wasn't worth it to him. So he started his own business and grew his own platform from scratch on his own term. What Darren Stehle and I talk about in today's broadcast: How Darren positioned himself and his business in the food/health industry Why Darren moved from a static to a dynamic website How Darren approached his niche to multiply his efforts Darren’s process of reaching people with his message The greatest struggle Darren had building his platform from scratch Where you can find Darren Stehle online: eatmovebe.com @darrenstehle If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

Today's guest is Simon Granner, the President of Clarity Financial, a life insurance company, and the founder and host of The Simon Granner Podcast, a business and self-development podcast for entrepreneurs (or anyone hustling to do great work).  What we talk about in today's episode: How Simon got his start in entrepreneurship Why Simon started podcasting (we definitely share this in common) How Simon has evolved his podcast into something much bigger What it takes to create a "Minimal Viable Strategy" for any type of business or creative project (skip this and you're toast) How a podcast can be a VERY powerful marketing tool for your sales funnel And much, much more... Where you can connect with Simon Granner: SimonGranner.com @SimonGranner If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

Today's guest is Rachel Glueck, founded of El Amor Del Diablo, a Mexico-based mezcal company. Originally from the United States, Rachel met her now-husband and business partner in Mexico in 2012. Rachel originally began experimenting with importing textiles to Baja, California,  that they wanted to sell in the market in Baja California. That's when she was invited to help sell mezcal. After seeing how well it sold, they decided to do start their company. What you'll learn in today's broadcast: Having never worked in an import / export business, Rachel shares her experience getting started How Rachel approached their import business from a sales perspective How Rachel found investors and handled the importation of mezcal into the United States (hint: it's not a very simple process) The biggest struggles Rachel has dealt with thus far in her startup journey How Rachel grew their following locally, organically and via a crowdfunding campaign. Where you can find Rachel and El Amor Del Diablo online: amord

Doug Geiger is the founder of CanYouHandlebar.com and senior project manager at Saddleback Leather Co. In today's interview, we not only talk about both of these companies, but we also look specifically at how Doug has leveraged giveaways to grow his business rapidly. Just a few of the topics we cover: Doug's background as senior project manager at Saddleback Leather Co. How Doug uses true stories to grow his brands The fastest ways to market a company (as well as the LEAST effective ways, and what to avoid) How Doug launched CanYouHandlebar.com from scratch The thought process behind niche products like mustache creams and leather satchels The long road to retail And much, much more... Where you can find Doug Geiger online: CanYouHandlebar.com @CanYouHandleBar If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

Rachel Gilliam is the founder of PunchPresence.com and the marketing director for Launch DFW, a company that supports tech entrepreneurship throughout northern Texas. I brought Rachel on the show specifically because of her uncanny ability to connect with people and lead communities (a skillset that is undervalued, in my opinion). Here are just a few of the topics we touch on in today's interview: How Rachel got her start in marketing and how she started her own business from scratch How Rachel and other entrepreneurs handle the loneliness of solopreneurship The most effective ways to network no matter what business you're in Rachel's incredible ability to connect with people (even though she's a self-admitted introvert) What Launch DFW is and where it's going Where you can find Rachel Gilliam online: PunchPresence.com LaunchDFW.com @racheltgilliam If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

David Nihill is the founder of FunnyBizz.co, an entrepreneur who has been featured in Inc., Forbes, and Fast Company among others, and author of Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better and Funnier Public Speaker. Prior to writing Do You Talk Funny?, David had been deathly afraid of public speaking. His solution? Spend one year as a standup comic - a sort of "jump in the deep end of the pool to learn to swim" approach. What grew out of this experience was not only great advice on how to overcome the fear of speaking but how to actually master the art. What David and I talk about in today's broadcast: David's background leading up to comedy Why David chose standup comedy to overcome his fear of public speaking (versus, say, Toastmasters) What inspired David to apply comedy to business How David developed his initial idea into an ecourse on Udemy (and his process for turning that course into a bestselling book) The launch of his bestselling book, Do You Talk Funny? And much more... Where you

Navid Moazzez is a lifestyle entrepreneur, personal branding strategist, blogger, podcaster, and online marketer. He helps entrepreneurs build their authority and powerful personal brands online. His goal is to help people make a bigger impact by building powerful brands. In high school, Navid spent a year in the US, earning a high school diploma in both the US and in Sweden. He was accepted into one of the best law schools in Sweden, but didn’t really know if that’s what he really wanted to do. After a few years, he asked himself what he was doing and started to read personal development books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People. Eventually, this inspired him to branch off on his own and start his own business. Here are some topics we talk about: Why Navid chose to use his own name for his blog Navid's intention behind starting a branding company How Navid monetizes his blog The most effective technique Navid has used to grow his blog from scratch to thousands of subscribers in one year And

Ryan Levesque is well known for creating online lead, sales, and flow models, most notably his survey sales funnel. In the past few years, he has managed to generate over 2.8 million leads and 175,000 customers in 19 different markets. In today's broadcast, we talk about: Ryan’s background of how he got to working with sales funnels The first month after quitting his job Ryan’s first success and failure When he first started working as a consultant What results Ryan brings to the table How he scaled from working solo to growing a team Where You Can Find Ryan Levesque: www.ryanlevesque.net If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

Charlie Gilkey is the founder of Productive Flourishing, a company that helps professionals, leaders, and executives take action on the things that really matter through planning, productivity, and team development. Charlie founded Productive Flourishing out of his own frustration with the conventional approach to productivity. Instead of complaining, Charlie took focused action to create a better solution, and now has a flourishing business of his own as a result. In his own words: Our livelihood depends upon the way we harness our creativity to make change happen in the world. Charlie is also the author of The Small Business Lifecycle, a powerful, fluff-free book on growing your business from scratch. In today's broadcast, we talk about: Charlie's background in the military (and how that influenced his perspective on productivity and business in general) The Small Business Lifecycle and why every entrepreneur should understand the stages of business development How Charlie built Productive Flourishing f

In today's broadcast of In The Trenches, I sit down with Liam Veitch, founder of Freelancelift.com and author of Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer – the Evolution of a One Million Dollar Web Designer. What you'll learn: how to get paid what you're worth as a freelancer or consultant how to improve your freelancing practice how Liam made $1 million in 3 years from freelancing (and the techniques and strategies he used to do it) At the end of this episode, you’ll have learned the importance of framing your work, positioning your business, the important of performance, and the best business practices for a freelancer. THE SECRETS OF A MILLION DOLLAR WEB DESIGNER Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer[/caption] Liam Veitch grew his freelance web design business into a 1 million dollar business about three years ago, in 2011. Liam started his freelance web design business while working a full time job after failing in a previous freelance business. In 2009, he shut down his first freelance business and joined a multi

From Podcast to Movement Today’s episode of In The Trenches features Timothy Lawson of Veteran’s Empire and the founder of 1, 2 Many: Veteran Suicide - which is a podcast series telling the stories of veteran suicide. Tim’s story of starting work with Veteran’s Empire is an encouraging tale that shows us success is a matter of breaking out of the mold, taking bold action, and ultimately doing the work. Lawson, a prior service Marine, is completing his Broadcast Journalism degree at American University, while working with Veteran’s Empire and 1, 2 Many Veteran Suicide. In today's episode, you’ll learn about: The impact starting a podcast has had on Tim's life How Tim crowdfunded his podcast (and why it matters) The work of Veteran’s Empire and 1,2 Many to help vets reintegrate back into civilian life You'll also hear Tim speaks passionately about the work of 1, 2 Many Veteran Suicide and hopes the message he is spreading will put an end to veteran suicide. If it resonates with you, please share this podca

How to Promote Yourself to the Top How would you feel if I asked  you to talk about how great you are? My guess is, if you're like the majority of people in the world, you wouldn't feel very comfortable. According to Dan Schawbel, author of Promote Yourself and Me 2.0, this attitude of feeling ashamed to talk about your success, or ashamed to show people the value you add, will not benefit you in the 21st century. In fact - it's ONLY those who are willing to tell or show people everything they're capable of - who are willing to self-promote - that will succeed over time. Why? Because otherwise you'll be ignored. And if you're being ignored, someone else will take your spot, your promotion, your pay raise, etc. This is the reality of the modern world and it's something we need to get used to. That's why I wanted to talk to Dan today, an authority on the subject of selling your personal value. Dan is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. He is also the New York Times

Morning Brew in Kailua I first spotted Abstract Magazine in the wild when I was ordering a coffee from Morning Brew in Kailua Hawaii. Next to the counter was a small stand with a bunch of bright, hot pink magazines. The style was so bold I picked one up to browse through it. I was so impressed with the magazine, from the artwork, to the physical design (it felt great in my hands), to the content of the magazine, that I had to buy one for myself. I asked the barista "how much?" "Nothing - it's free." I was floored. So I did the only logical thing I could think of: I hunted down the managing editor, Richard Melendez, to figure out how they did it. What Richard Melendez and I Talk About: The origin of Abstract Magazine How Abstract relies on up and coming artists and writers to create this amazing publication (and believe it or not: they are all volunteers! How they were able to spread the magazine so rapidly throughout Hawaii Why they decided to produce a physical print of the magazine when digital can b

From Passion Project to Business There are two words that define the theme of Life & Thyme: culinary storytelling. Antonio Diaz is the founder of Life & Thyme, a digital publication and production studio devoted to bringing a community together around food. Antonio and his team bring culinary fanatics the stories behind the food and restaurants they enjoy. In the past two years, Life & Thyme has grown - and evolved - rapidly. What started as a local project, featuring LA restaurants and chefs, eventually turned into a global movement, featuring the artists behind food from all over the world. In today's broadcast, I talk with Antonio Diaz about what it's like starting with a passion-based project, how he was able to launch a magazine out of a collection of Instagram photos, and how it all evolved into a full on film production studio. What Antonio Diaz and I Talk About: Antonio’s background in digital publishing and the birth of Life and Thyme Why you should start simple and worry about the cor

Rebuilding America with Chad Grills Chad Grills is a veteran, entrepreneur and the author of the currently-being-crowdfunded-book: Veterans: Don’t Reintegrate, Rebuild America. Chad and I happen to have a very similar background, and like myself, he is currently occupying his time with a cornucopia of projects. (bonus points for using the word cornucopia in a sentence) In today's broadcast, we touch on some seemingly random topics (but I promise - they make sense in context), including: Chad's military background, his new book, Antifragility, Post Traumatic Growth, and how to hit the ground running as a military veteran transitioning into the civilian world. By the way, Chad has less than two days left to fund his new book. I already have my copy preordered. You can support Chad and get your copy here. What Chad Grills and I Talk About: Chad's transition out of the military and into the civilian world Antifragility and how it applies to creating a better life All about the Regret Minimization Framework

How to Validate a Minimum Viable Product with Cheryl Woodhouse If you've been following me for a while, you know I write about product development (starting, finishing, and shipping products and services) a lot. Part of the process for successfully shipping a product or service to market is making sure it will work BEFORE you spend months or years building it. This is what we mean when we say: minimal viable product. The minimal viable product or MVP is the most basic, version 1.0 product you can build that can then be sold to early adopters to see if your idea is good or bad. Yes, it's that simple. No, it's not easy. In today's interview, I sit down with marketer and author of Start Something: A Step by Step Guide to A Successful Business, Cheryl Woodhouse to talk product development, how to validate your ideas cheaply and quickly, and how she's helped dozens of clients create something their audience loves (without breaking the bank). Listen, take notes, then leave a review on iTunes letting Cheryl and I kn

Winning the Battle for Attention with Ryan Hanley How often do you find yourself competing for attention online? If you're a writer, artist, entrepreneur, or blogger, chances are a lot. It comes with the territory. There are millions of websites and our audiences' time and attention are limited. So the question is: how do you distinguish yourself from the crowd and earn that well deserved attention for your high quality content? Enter: Ryan Hanley. Ryan is the creator of ContentWarfare.com, the host of the Content Warfare Google Hangout / Live Podcast, and the founder of Hanley Media Labs. Ryan is THE leading authority on winning the war for attention online by building your brand the right way (and a person whose advice I implicitly trust - something I say about very few people). The best part: Ryan isn't keeping his genius to himself. Instead, he's  taking all the knowledge and experience he's gained over the years from building brands online and putting it into a book he's launching through a new book crow

The Business of Giving No contracts. No selling. No price. That's how today's guest, Adrian Hoppel, a Philadelphia-based web designer, does "business." Instead, he simply gives his work away - as a gift - and expects nothing in return. Yet instead of being taken advantage of, Adrian's business has flourished. Last year, he worked on 25 projects and ended up getting paid more per project than he would have had he used fixed pricing. And less than half way through this year, Adrian's already more than tripled his total projects from last year (in fact, he's had to hire multiple employees...and get this: they ALL work in the gift economy). And the requests for his gift-based work continue to flow in. In today's broadcast, we talk all about the Gift Economy, Pay What You Want pricing, how to build and manage a team in the gift economy, and even touch on Adrian's military background and how it's helped him in his new efforts. Seriously, this is one of the most fun interviews I've done and Adrian's story is incredi

Courage and Writing A lot of people have books in them... But how many take the time to actually write them? Enter: Dave Ursillo - a multi-published author and entrepreneur who helps creative self-starters live their leadership through artistry. Dave’s written 8 books, is the leader of the Literati Writers – a small, private community of writers, and has done numerous speaking engagements around the country on the topics of communication and leadership. In today's broadcast, Dave and I sat down to discuss a topic near and dear to my heart: COURAGE in writing Dave shares his journey from working in politics to writing books and coaching writers full time.  While his story is interesting in and of itself, Dave also walks us through actionable steps to developing courage in writing and entrepreneurship. Weather you are interested in writing, or you want actionable steps to develop courage and self-belief in your own artistry and business, today's broadcast is for you. Oh, and if you enjoyed today's broadcast,

How to Start a Major Festival from SCRATCH Have you ever wanted to start your own conference, festival, or event? You know, like TomCon, or the Morkes Festival? Me too.  That's why I brought Stephen Ananicz onto In The Trenches today. Stephen is the cofounder of the The Key West Film Festival, and has a background in acting and film production (if you check out his name on IMDB you’ll see him credited in movies like Pirates of the Caribean and Salt, among other blockbusters). And while his background in film is interesting in and of itself, I really wanted Stephen on In The Trenches today to talk about how he created the Key West Film Festival from scratch. Creating any sort of festival or conference is a massive undertaking and I really wanted to dig into the details on how exactly Stephen went from idea to finished product on a project with such scale. As a quick background on the festival:  The Key West Film Festival was founded in 2012 as a nonprofit independent film festival supporting the South Florida