Talking Business Now

Steve Wiideman, founder of Wiideman Consulting Group joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share his entrepreneurial journey discuss the latest trends in digital marketing, include voice search, SEO, SEM and inbound marketing. Prior to launching his own firm, Wiideman's career highlight was working at Disney, where his manager challenged him to rank #1 in Google for "SEO expert." Tune in to discover: Wiideman's tips for leaving the corporate world behind and taking the entrepreneurial plunge—including minimizing risks and finding talent. Steps your business needs to take to respond to the changing needs and online habits of customers. How the pandemic has impacted digital marketing. Search engine marketing tips businesses can put to work right away, including diversifying online traffic sources. How to measure the success of your SEO marketing efforts, including Google traffic. The societal and security implications of voice search and the Internet of Things.  WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSI

Manik Suri, founder of climatetech company Therma, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the ways companies of all sizes can adopt tools and processes that are better for our planet—and help create efficiencies that lead to more sustainable enterprises. Therma is a smart cold-chain technology startup that builds safety and sustainability tools such as sensors to eliminate food waste, energy inefficiency, and refrigerant emissions to protect consumers. The company's mission aligns with Suri's passion: combating climate change by protecting our food, health and planet. Therma's technologies are used around the globe by several major restaurant chains, manufacturers, and logistics operators, including McDonalds, Taco Bell, NOW Foods, 7-Eleven, and Wyndham Hotels. Tune in to find out: The business case for innovation in the food industry: How entrepreneurs can marry profitability and sustainability How policy makers, regulators and entrepreneurs can work together to achieve meaningful impact

Josh Christopherson, founder of iCUE Technology and Achieve Today, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how integrating people with cloud-based technology invites and enables employees to learn in a new way. Tune in to find out: How Christopherson's efforts to improve outreach to Achieve Today clients resulted in a technology solution that he was able to spin off into a new company. Tips for launching a new company from within an existing business. The advantages of using AI technology to keep employees engaged in education and training programs. The importance of addressing challenges in an employee's personal life into ongoing training programs. How to balance the benefits of technology with the risk of becoming overly dependent on it. WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT The role of technology in the future of education CONNECT WITH JOSH CHRISTOPHERSON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherson RESOURCES Transcript of this episode: https://interrobangsolutio

Stephan Aarstol, founder of Tower Paddle Boards and author of "The Five-hour Workday," joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his company's experience implementing a shortened workday. Tune in to find out why Aarstol decided to promote a 5-hour workday; the lessons he learned from it, including the ways in which it failed and succeeded; and why he reintroduced a shortened workday in 2020 with a "twist." Aarstol also shares his Shark Tank experience, how his company recovered from near bankruptcy and the loss of half its employees, and the value of creating "artificial constraints" in a business, WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT How to build an "anti-fragile" company MORE ABOUT STEPHAN AARSTOL A serial entrepreneur, Aarstol founded Tower Paddle Boards in 2010 and later founded the No Middleman Project, Tower Electric Bikes, and other companies, When Aarstol pitched on Shark Tank in 2011, Mark Cuban invested $150,000 in the company when it had lifetime sales of just $100,000. Since

Claudia Harvey is an avid gardener. But she was also a businesswoman who liked having her nails and hands in good shape at the office. After mentioning her frustration to a friend at a backyard Labor Day BBQ in 2007, she realized there was a marketplace need for gloves and other products that would protect women as they gardened. With that conversation, the seed for Dig It Apparel, a line of outdoor living products, was planted. After a year of research in which Harvey discovered that both the gardening industry and the nail salon industry were growing—and that the same women were customers in both industries—the company launched in spring 2009 in Canada. Initially, Dig It Apparel offered one product—a line of niche handwear. The company has since expanded its product line and its geographical reach. Harvey joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share her entrepreneurial story, which has taken her on a journey from a small town outside Toronto, Canada (where Dig It is headquartered) to global serial

Excy co-founder and CEO Michele Mehl joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share the story behind her company's 2014 launch and the lessons she's learned as she's steered it into a national brand. The Seattle-based startup develops, manufactures, and sells portable, total-body exercise bikes. Mehl's mission is to eliminate barriers to people getting enough exercise—health conditions, injuries, and lack of time and space—so people can conveniently connect exercise to the circumstances of their everyday lives. The 14-pound bikes provide cardio, strength training, and full-body physical therapy cycling. The company also offers a mobile coaching application. Excy (short for "exercise cycling") grew out of Mehl's own life circumstances, more specifically her personal fitness woes, a challenging work schedule as the owner of a PR company that helped launch brands such as Zulily and OfferUp into market leaders, and a family history of heart disease. As she thought about how to create a better, more conven

On this episode of Talking Business Now, Southern Caramel founder Sarah Smith joins host Kelly Scanlon to share the entrepreneurial journey that has taken her from the Space Coast of Florida to caramel industry entrepreneur. Employed as a project manager and scheduler in the aerospace industry, Smith enjoyed making caramels as gifts for her family and friends. After the birth of her daughter, she decided to launch a business making and wholesaling the caramels. Sales rocketed, and soon she moved from her home-based operation to a commercial kitchen. The Central Florida company's growth trajectory included expanding into local grocery markets, online sales, and eventually retailers across the country. Tune in to discover insights into: How a nearly devastating challenge involving shelf life became a selling point for the caramels. The importance of aligning your business location with your business model. One of the most important considerations when taking on a business partner. Why the company donates at

As businesses and individuals struggle with an uncertain future from the coronavirus pandemic, aviation entrepreneur Barry Alexander, founder of Hartford, Connecticut-based Aquiline Drones, has a clear vision for success. Through his latest innovative endeavor, Alexander has created a full-service drone manufacturing and cloud technology company that's poised to change the global landscape as it takes drone technology to the next level. He's also helping others learn a skill and create companies of their own. A native of St. Lucia, Alexander is a veteran aerospace professional who has more than 25 years of experience as an aviator. A licensed aircraft technician for both airplanes and helicopters operating at the highest technical levels, Alexander has more than 20,000 hours of flight time logged in global commercial aviation. He spent most of his aviation career as an airline captain, but he's also served stints as a flight instructor, chief pilot, and director of operations and transport pilot of a Boeing 7

Stacia Guzzo, founder of SmartyPits, a manufacturer of aluminum-free deodorant, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, including the practical growth strategies that allowed the company to evolve from a kitchen sink and sales at farmers markets endeavor to having a retail presence in more than a 1,000 stores nationally. Inspired to create an aluminum-free deodorant after her mother's breast cancer diagnosis, Guzzo began making the formula in her kitchen sink in 2014, used herself as the guinea pig to test its effectivness and started selling the hand-poured and labeled product at farmers markets. Before long, she attracted the attention of major retailers, including HEB, TJ Maxx, Marshall's and others, as she attended national gift shows. Tune in as Guzzo shares her journey from classroom teacher to deodorant manufacturer and her insights into achieving steady, sustainable business growth, including: How to gradually scale so product orders don't overwhelm the s

Retail pioneer Bob Fisch learned a lot about younger generations while at the helm of fashion giants like Casual Corner and rue21. Now, after exiting the industry, he's helping to transform workplaces using the Millennial Baby Boomer concept he developed and explains in his book Fisch Tales: The Making of a Millennial Baby Boomer, featured by ForbesBooks. Fisch made a name for himself in value-priced, fast-fashion retailing, rising to president at Casual Corner and later becoming CEO of rue21, a retailer of women’s casual apparel and accessories. Fisch took took rue21 from bankruptcy to a fast-track winning streak and a hot-stock IPO, Along the way, he built out a national network of 1,200 stores, and a billion-dollar-plus valuation. Bob earned the reputation as a “disrupter” in the retail industry, and he’s at it again as he works to expand what he calls the Millennial Baby Boomer brand and mindset. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Bob discusses his book and how Baby Boomers and millennials can mento

Sam Schutte, a software developer, was out of work and studying for his MBA; he and his wife were expecting a baby; and they had their house up for sale. Oh, and it was also 2008. What's the logical thing to add to that mix? Launching a new company. But Schutte saw an opportunity. He had started to question the standard approach to software development that resulted in scope creep, projects being over budget, missed deadlines and "solutions" to business problems that didn't solve anything. He was tired of hearing clients being told, "no, it's not possible." He wanted to be in the business of saying "yes" to developing innovative solutions for business challenges. Schutte started Unstoppable Software to provide clients with ready-to-go software development "factory" that brought the people, processes, tools and resources to the partnership. Listen in as Schutte joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share: His journey to becoming an entrepreneur. His approach and philosophy to serving clients and s

Elyse Dickerson, co-founder and CEO of biotech company Eosera, which develops ear care products, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss entrepreneurship, lessons learned and women in bioscience. Tune in as Dickerson shares her experiences on: Listening to the market before launching a product. Being "the only woman in the room" and how being a CEO now gives her a platform for opening doors for other aspiring women. The importance of developing a strong relationship with investors—and tips for doing that. Working with major retailers, including understanding your cash flow and when to recognize a deal you should say "no" to. Why it's important to stay true to your product niche as your company expands. Making a personal and company commitment to practice conscious capitalism. ABOUT ELYSE DICKERSON Elyse Dickerson has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Before founding Eosera, she managed portfolios with annual revenues of $1.7 billion and

Rosabeth Moss Kanter joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about her latest book "Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time" and how experienced leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs can apply their knowledge to some of the world's most pressing social, economic and environmental problems. Professor Kanter is one of the foremost names in leadership and business. The former chief editor of Harvard Business Review, Kanter has authored or co-authored 20 books. She holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation and leadership for change. She works with leaders around the world through her teaching, writing and speaking. She is also a consultant to major corporations, governments and start-up ventures. More than 10 years ago, Kanter co-founded Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, which became an international model for a new stage of higher education that works with s

Gino Wickman joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his latest book "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneurs?" and how entrepreneurs can realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live. At the age of 25, Wickman took over the family business. Seven years later, after turning the company around, he successfully sold it. An award-winning author and speaker, Wickman has delivered more than 1,800 full-day sessions for more than 130 companies. He is also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" as well as "Get a Grip," "Rocket Fuel," "How to Be a Great Boss" and "What the Heck is EOS?" Wickman now spends his time and energy helping prospective entrepreneurs get a huge leap on their entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to discover: How Wickman came to realize during his early entrepreneurial ventures that he was “born” to be an entrepreneur. Why Wickman is convinced that "nature" wins the nature vs

Laura Laiben, founder and CEO of The Culinary Center of Kansas City, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon, to discuss doing business during the coronavirus pandemic. Laura, like all of us, is trying to cope with the extraordinary challenges that each new day brings. But the particular reason I asked Laura to join me is that although the coronavirus is a challenge on a scale none of us has dealt with before, she has experienced long-term business interruption due to a fire as well as a serious health crisis. Laura is drawing on the lessons she learned in both situations to provide guidance for analyzing and dealing with our current crisis. Tune in to find out why it's important to: For the moment, at least, to let anger about the situation go and not second-guess the decisions you've made. Find your inner cowboy/cowgirl—and ride! Assess honestly where your business is—financially and in other key areas—and why you'll need to do this every day during the crisis. Communicate, communicate, communicat

Dave Farrow, the two-time Guinness World Record Holder for Greatest Memory, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to achieve better sales and marketing results by using memory techniques. Tune in to learn: How Dave developed the "Farrow Memory Method" to deal with his own dyslexia, how he used it to set two Guinness World Records for Greatest Memory, and how he teaches his clients at Farrow Communications to use it in business to improve sales and marketing results. Memory techniques you can use in your advertising to connect with potential customers and make your ads more memorable. Memory tips you can use with your sales teams to remember customer names, product details and other important information that can make or break a sale. CONNECT WITH DAVE FARROW Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farrowmemory/ https://www.facebook.com/farrowcomms/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/FarrowComms LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefarrowmemory/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Serial entrepreneur Carl Gould, the founder of 7 Stage Advisors and the 7 Stage Growth Academy, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share five key business lessons he's learned on his entrepreneurial journey. By the age of 40, Gould had built three multimillion dollar companies. He started his first—a landscaping business—while he was still in college and working at UPS. His next business was a construction company. Along the way, he's learned a lot about himself, about entrepreneurship and about business in general. In fact, he's written nine books on those topics. Gould has helped mentor the launch of more than 5,000 companies, and his methodologies are used in 35 countries. Tune in to discover what Gould has to say about these six areas that mean the difference between a company's success or failure: Do's and don'ts for setting your pricing strategy Why passion for your business isn't always necessary for success Understanding when it's time to relinquish control of some parts of your busin

Inspired by her mother Lillian and drawing on her experiences as a company founder and journalist, Jan Sokoloff Harness, has written a new book "Look Up: Your Unexpected Guide to Good." Her central message is that if we'd only take the time to "look up," we'll find good that's right in front of us. Harness embraces the broad meaning of "look up." Tune in to this episode of Talking Business Now to be reminded of often overlooked ways to "look up" in business—and life, in general—to discover the good when you do so. The time management lesson Harness learned from a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The importance of being fully present. The types of good you can discover when you really focus on listening. How looking up can help us return to the too-often lost basics of communication. Why the physical act of looking up can spark new ideas The question that prompted Harness to "look up" and start her own company 12 years ago—and that she encourages you to ask many times in your own life. Why "looking

Bill George has seen a lot of change during his many decades in the ground transportation industry—he's owned cab companies since 1984. But his journey started even earlier than that, when he grew up working in his dad's Chrysler dealership. Now, George is the one driving the change. The CEO of Kansas City Transportation Group and owner of WHC Worldwide, George joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how he's capitalized on shifting consumer expectations and introduced a disruptive new model to the on-demand transportation sector—and ridden it to success. "Our mission is to use mobility to enhance the lives of our customers, driver partners and employees," George says. Listen in to discover how he: Honed his skills working with his father—and how the father-son duo managed to maintain a strong relationship despite some "knock-down dragout fights." Applied the lessons he learned after selling two businesses—and then buying one of them back. Observed a gap in the cab business—and introduce

What do you do when you've spent your entire career in one industry, and then in an instant, it's over? Such was the case for Scott Ringlein. In 2008, he was a chief engineer for a Fortune 500 auto supplier and was responsible for global product development and launches. In addition to the U.S., he had staff in Europe, Asia and South America. But one Monday morning in June when he arrived at work, Ringlein and thousand of others were told it would be their last day. The Million Mile Flyer was jolted to Earth by the news. He did not have a chance to clean out his office or say goodbye to employees. Instead, the single father of two children, ages 13 and 8, who had two mortgages, was suddenly without a car, computer, phone or job. Ringlein joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to explain how the end of his career in the automotive industry was actually the beginning of the greatest experiences he's had, including founding five different companies. Ringlein, who was raised as a farmer and educated as an