Business RadioX ®

Lloyed Lobo With Boast.AI & From Grassroots to Greatness

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High Velocity Radio
High Velocity Radio
Lloyed Lobo With Boast.AI & From Grassroots to Greatness
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From-Grassroots-to-Greatness-banner

Lloyed Lobo, an entrepreneur, podcast host and community builder, experienced the Gulf War as a young refugee in Kuwait, witnessing the strength of community in evacuating the population to safety.

As the co-founder of fintech platform Boast.Al, he leveraged the Community-Led Growth model to bootstrap the company to eight-figure revenue and secure over $100m in funding, while also co-founding Traction, a community empowering over 100k innovators through connections, content, and capital.

He is also the author of ‘From Grassroots To Greatness: 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth’ (foreword by Jason Lemkin), which covers tactical advice from community-led businesses both big and small, such as Apple, Harley Davidson, Nike, Crossfit, HubSpot, and many more to help readers attract passionate and devoted fans of their own.

The book topped Amazon’s new release charts in various categories, including Startups and Business Technology, within mere hours of its pre-sale launch. He has been covered in Fox Business, Techcrunch, SF Business Journals, Forbes, and several other publications. He has also been a speaker at more than 100 conferences and podcasts including SaaStr, Entrepreneurs on Fire, Marketing School, Mixergy, TearSheet, MarTech Podcast, and Success Story.

Specifically, this book will teach you how to:

Get ready to turbocharge your business with insights and tactics that will reshape how you approach growth.

Grab it for just $0.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFR8F7PH?ref_=ast_author_dp

Connect with Lloyed on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • Top Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth
  • Top Lessons from Bootstrapping to $10 Million

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of High Velocity Radio. And this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Lloyed Lobo with Boestami and the new book From Grassroots to Greatness. Welcome, Lloyd.

Lloyed Lobo: Thank you for having me. Super excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: I am excited to learn what you’re up to. But before we get too far into things, tell us about Boast.AI. How are you serving folks?

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely so Boast.AI helps innovators with funding to develop new products or improve existing products and materials globally. Hundreds of billions of dollars are given in government funding, but it’s a cumbersome, broken application process prone to frustrating audits and receiving the money takes a long time. So Boast automates and streamlines that process. So more innovators have money to fund their research and development.

Lee Kantor: Now, part of why we’re here is to talk about this community led growth model that you’ve developed, I guess, over the years.

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely.

Lee Kantor: Now, what was kind of the impetus to for you to lean into the community as as a way to grow rather than maybe more traditional ways? Maybe community is the traditional way, I guess when you put it under a magnifying glass.

Lloyed Lobo: Yeah, definitely. So part of it, a little bit of my DNA going backwards. So I grew up in Kuwait, in the Middle East, and my parents are from India, grew up in the slums of Mumbai. So my fondest childhood memories were spent every summer in in the slum of Mumbai, where watching TV was communal. Even going to the bathroom was communal. Fast forward a few years. The Gulf War hits Kuwait, and I experienced the largest grassroots evacuation movements. Security had lapsed. There were no cell phones, there was no Internet. And the community came together to coordinate building after building one after the other, coordinate with governments and evacuate the people to safety. Fast forward a few years, finished engineering, started working at startups, decided to start boci with my co-founder who I went to engineering school with. And when we started it and started picking up the phone and calling people to buy our service, nobody would talk to us. Manufacturing oil and gas construction. We started hitting up every single company we could find and nobody would talk to us. I mean, sounds scammy, right? Two guys hitting you up that you haven’t heard of saying, Give me your data and we’ll get you money from the government for your R&D. And so we were forced to lean into the power of community. And and that’s how it started. Necessity is the mother of all inventions. And to get customers, we had to build that community and long term. Now fast forward ten years. That community helped us not only bootstrap to 10 million in revenue with no outside funding, with no marketing team, but also ended up helping us raise more than 100 million in funding when we eventually did between debt and equity. It also made us very rich in the sense our investors who bought half the company came from that community. And I’m everything I am because of the power of community.

Lee Kantor: So now how are you defining community or is this kind of a human to human interaction at the heart of this, or is it something that can be scalable?

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely. It starts with human to human interaction at the heart of it, and then it scales, right? So today our community, which we call traction, has over 120,000 subscribers. We do meetups in different cities. We do a big annual conference, we got podcasts, we got YouTube and everything in between. So it’s human to human interaction. So the reason why I actually wrote this book was when I left the day to day of my company, I transitioned to the board and, you know, all my life I had no money. And for the first time I came in a million. But I found myself depressed and hit rock bottom. And eventually what got me through was the community again. I joined a fitness and health community and and I sailed on the other side. And then I looked back and reflected. And I realized every time in life when I had no money, I was happy. And when I came into money and I felt I lost my community, I ended up depressed. So I started looking back at all our community events that we hosted. We had some of the biggest speakers like Uber CEO come to our events.

Lloyed Lobo: Twilio ET Cetera and started looking at all the iconic brands that have endured over time, right? Like the Harley Davidsons, the apples. And I found this very common theme. Every obscure idea that eventually became a global phenomenon from Christianity to CrossFit had four specific stages, and community was rooted in all of them. And so, you know, you when people listen to you or you have something to say and people listen to you or buy your product or service, you have an audience. When you bring that audience together to interact with one another, it becomes a community. And when that community comes together to create an impact towards a greater purpose that far that’s far beyond your product or your profits, it becomes a movement. And when that movement has undying faith in its purpose through sustained rituals, over time it becomes a cult or a religion. So I started seeing this theme over and over again, and because I was asking the same questions through my research process. I was able to distill them down into 13 rules to build iconic brands with community led growth.

Lee Kantor: Now, it sounds kind of aspirational in a way that, you know, sure, everybody would love to be able to create the next Harley Davidson or Apple or CrossFit. Is it something that that every entrepreneur or brand has has a path towards if they kind of do work the program, or is it something that certain things are just more are better fits for this type of methodology?

Lloyed Lobo: I think everyone has the opportunity and that’s why I weaved in my story as well. We’re two obscure guys who built like a big company by leveraging the power of community would be more relatable, going from 0 to 10 million in revenue and beyond, raising over 100 million over time versus just talking about an apple or a Harley Davidson that’s so aspirational. Now, we of course, boast I didn’t build a movement or didn’t create a cult like brand. We stopped at community, but the journey is far ahead. But you look at another company, Atlassian, which has a movement going in the last year, their community members came together to organize 5000 events without any help from the Atlassian leadership. And that just shows, right, this brand took 20 years to get there, but it’s now worth 40 billion. So I wanted to lay in different stories so it’s more relatable to people. But ultimately it starts with an audience. It starts with understanding your niche. What are their pains, what are their goals, what are their aspirations, understanding their circle of influence, and then start starting to serve them with content around a white space that they resonate with. Then once you start building that audience, it’s about bringing them together. I talk about the science of senses and how do you orchestrate experiences that engage all the senses.

Lloyed Lobo: When people come together, they form bonds with each other and from there it’s about then how do you bring them to create impact to a greater purpose? And finally, we talk about rituals. How do you build sustainable rituals that over time you can become a CrossFit or a Harley-Davidson? Now all these steps anyone can follow. I’ve helped, like so many companies, build communities. I’ve seen so many companies build communities. Ultimately, you know, yesterday’s innovation always becomes tomorrow’s commodity, right? We don’t say.com company anymore. We don’t say social company or mobile company anymore. There’s all the rage of I. Another thing, what I wanted to convey was, hey, I built an AI company that’s successful, but I leveraged the power of community. There’s a lot of talk around ChatGPT, but OpenAI wouldn’t exist without the community. Openai was getting all its data from the community. We were members of the OpenAI community since 2019. If we weren’t feeding them with training data and helping them build the product, there would be no OpenAI or ChatGPT. So that’s what I wanted to convey, is, hey, yesterday’s innovation always becomes tomorrow’s commodity. But if you build this community, it ends up being your long term sustainable moat because they give you product feedback, they’re there to support you. They become your customers and your advocates.

Lee Kantor: So let’s kind of help our listeners with some practical things that maybe they can implement today if they are so inclined to build a community. And do you mind doing some kind of consulting on the air? Is that.

Lloyed Lobo: Okay? Definitely.

Lee Kantor: Okay.

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely. How much time do I have?

Lee Kantor: As long as you need. So I’m going to use myself and my business as this test case. I own a company called Business RadioX where this show is a part of that network. Our mission is to create communities in small communities, micro kind of hyper local business talk, podcast, slash Internet radio businesses in communities around the country. And our our mission is to be the place where the stories of business are told, where we support and celebrate business in a hyper local manner, and our studios become kind of mini networking places where people go to congregate to help tell those stories and they meet and they support each other. The way that it works is that our businesses are entrepreneurs. They are paying a license fee to us to use our branding and our kind of methodology, but that’s their own business. They keep all the money. So that’s my mission, is to put thousands of Business RadioX studios around the country to be the voice of business in those local communities. What should I do today to grow the community so that I can attain that goal?

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely. I mean, you have a great start. You already have a big community. How many people are engaged through this currently?

Lee Kantor: So we have about, let’s say, about a dozen active entrepreneurs in local markets doing what I just described in their local market.

Lloyed Lobo: Awesome. And through that, I’m assuming they’re engaging thousands of people already, right?

Lee Kantor: So in each market, it’s their own kind of community that they’re building, using the Business RadioX studio as kind of the hub and the the reason for being there as that connector, as that person serving each of those communities.

Lloyed Lobo: Awesome. I’ll take it all the way to the back. Right. I think I think what you have already is a great framework. But let’s say you have listeners who want to even start and they have nothing, right? So the first thing I think, I think what you shared is perfect. I have a mission. You know, great communities are built on great purposes, on great mission. So start with your purpose, your why, like, what is the big aspiration? And that’s not your product or your service, but rather what is the impact you want to create? Because the thing is, if you have no purpose beyond your profits, it’s very hard to create a long term, sustainable community because you’re always going to be looking for profits and money and it will be hard to sustain. Building a community, especially engaging volunteers is a labor of love. It’s a marathon of the heart and mind. So find something that you’re passionate about, that you care about giving. You have this DNA of giving, give first mentality. Start with that purpose, Distill it to your vision, which is your someday what the world will look like as a function of your being. Then your mission like how do you do it? And then your values. What are the core values that people show up with? The next thing is figure out the kind of community you want to build. There’s three kinds of communities you want to build. So I would say your community is a community of practice where you bring people together to learn about being better entrepreneurs. Is that more or less right? Well, we’re selling a product.

Lee Kantor: We’re not. We’re a place where businesses small to mid-sized businesses primarily, but all businesses in a local community can tell their story. It’s a place where they can be heard and they can share what makes them special. Definitely. So that’s the heart of it.

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely. So that’s a community of practice, right, where people come together to learn from one another, to tell their stories. That’s a community of practice. Now, the second kind, you may have listeners who have products and that’s turning your customers into evangelists. How do you build a community of product where people come and learn about the product? And the last one is a community of play where people just come together, hang out to have a good time, like a Nike or a or maybe a Harley Davidson. Now the key thing here is if you don’t have a product which has customers or product market fit, meaning customers don’t come repeatedly to use it, then I wouldn’t create a community of product because people will feel like they’re sold to. So create a community of practice like you guys have. Then it’s about finding that underserved niche and identifying their pains. Figure out like where they eat, breathe, dream, sleep, figure out their aspirations and goals so you can come up with the right content to help them go from A to Z. If you’re building this community of practice, like what are the things I need to learn? What are the gaps I have? And now once you have this ideal customer profile nailed like like you guys have and you understand all their pain points, then it’s about. Building their circle of influence. For example, who do they fund? Meaning what other tools and services they pay for. That could be your potential partners to promote and bring the audience. Who do they follow? Meaning who are the influencers they follow that you can bring as guest speakers so they can learn from? And then what do they frequent? What events, magazines, blogs, other things they read, what platforms they present on so you can distribute the content. Now the next step from there is starting with creating this audience through content. Now you’re already doing this content. Do you do any other forms of content beyond the blog and the events, or rather beyond the podcast and the and the events?

Lee Kantor: So we take every episode that we do is always obviously shared through all the traditional podcast platforms all over the planet, you know, every one. And then also it is machine transcribed. So the content is also in digital text form. So we have it in audio and we have digital text. And that digital text is just on our website, definitely.

Lloyed Lobo: So this is this is a great example where you turn, take one form of content, right? And turn it into multiple forms. And if somebody who doesn’t even have this, once you understand your audience, you can write down a hundred burning questions your niche audience has. So you have a repository of ideas and you think about like, Hey, if I had to write the ultimate guide to like my ideal customer profile, achieving their aspiration, what would be the chapters subchapters and key topics then like you’re doing, you can start by just interviewing experts on Zoom for best practices. Then you post the long form video to YouTube, you post the audio to podcasts. You can turn the highlights into YouTube shorts, insta reels, TikTok and highlights the text highlights for LinkedIn posts, Facebook posts and tweets. You can even take that and turn it into a weekly newsletter. There are newsletter platforms like Substack right now are absolutely blowing up because Substack starts recommending and other newsletter creators, they start recommending as well, and your audience just starts growing. And you could even take that content now and turn it into an eBook. You can turn it into a certification program like HubSpot did with their inbound marketing certificate, which in the early days drove them a lot of growth and community. Now that you have this audience that’s building, how do you bring your audience together? So what I found in a lot of companies, what they do, and especially specifically for us, our email subscriber base is now 120,000.

Lloyed Lobo: Before the pandemic, we were entirely offline. We were doing a lot of meetups, a meetup a week in some cases, big conferences, retreats. And during the pandemic everything was shut. So what we did was we opened up all our Zoom recordings, we moved everything to Zoom, and we opened up all our recordings to make it interactive. So now, like we’re doing this conversation 1 to 1, when you activate your audience to join, then they’re also chiming in and asking questions, interacting with one another. And we started doing them from once a week to twice a week. And over two years we saw our audience go from like 30, 35,000 subscribers to over 120,000 subscribers. The next thing I’m a fan of is in-person meetups, and this works really well. It doesn’t have to be a big production event like the traction we do, or a 10,000 person conference like Saster or a big Harley Davidson festival, just doing meetups in different cities. What I find that’s beneficial is consistency and cadence. When we started doing the meetups, we were doing ten person meetups. When we first first started, we would invite ten people talk about a specific topic that people would not get education on elsewhere and bring them together.

Lloyed Lobo: And every time we’d host that meetup, more and more and more people would show up. One day we had 200 people show up at the co-working space and the co-working space were like, Listen guys, this is not a pizza meetup anymore. This is a full blown conference. And that evolved then into a 500 person conference and a multi thousand person conference. Anytime you engage more than two senses, you start to build stronger connections. And that is what drives community stronger bonds, right? So we’re now sound and sight or rather, we’re not even sight, we’re just sound. But when you’re in person, your taste, touch, smell. And once you start integrating that more regularly, even small meetups, you’ve got so many groups in different cities. Can you do a regular mastermind over food and drinks? Just 1010 people and that you will find grow when you done over cadence and then you tie it all together with like your newsletter with a WhatsApp chat group. And so something, a cadence, a good cadence would be like you have daily social posts, let’s say shorts, LinkedIn tweets, you have a weekly podcast like you already do. Then you do monthly pin ups or meet ups Every other week. You get into a quarterly retreat and you do an annual conference and all the communication flow is through a newsletter.

Lee Kantor: Wow, that’s great advice. Thank you so much for sharing that. Is there. One of our challenges is identifying people who believe what we believe in. Markets were not. Not in yet. So we’ve been able to grow kind of organically from people who have been part of our community in that they’ve been to a studio, had an experience, really enjoyed it once to contribute that way. But how do we find the person in a market that is doesn’t know who we are at all? How do we kind of get begin conversations with people who aren’t familiar with what we do right now?

Lloyed Lobo: Definitely. So when we started, nobody knew us, okay? And so we were in a small, obscure market. And now, of course, we’re in different cities, 7 or 8 different cities. But when we started in this small, obscure market, what we did was we started talking to our ideal customer profile. We built the list because we knew exactly who they were. And so we found the matching of what? Who are these people in these communities? And we started talking to them. And one of the best ways is you either email them or call them. Another great way is you just host an event and, you know, you have this framework of who do they fund, who do they follow, who do they frequent? So maybe partner with somebody else they’re familiar with. So you get their social proof, their brand rub, invite a speaker or two that they follow that are experienced in that community so that social proof will reel them in. So a great example was we started doing these meetups, right, and we started inviting influencers who are known to them to talk about their business. And as a result, we got the social proof of the influencer in that community. And that brand rub helped us build not only visibility but credibility with that audience. Another thing what we did, which really worked is hit up the local newspaper and ask them to give us a column.

Lloyed Lobo: Now, initially they didn’t give us a column, so we wrote for a second tier publication and drove so much traffic to it, then followed up with the newspaper and the newspaper saw the traffic and said, okay, we’ll give you a column and we call that column Startup of the Week. Basically, we’re weekly covering each business. Being in that newspaper gave us instant credibility and it gave the companies we were covering a lot of social proof and they started sharing. Now that created this boomerang effect because more and more people wanted to be in that column and so they would apply and our database started growing, and then whoever would apply, we would also invite them to the meetups. And that started to build social proof. So I think in the early days when nobody knows you, it’s about finding people that have more social proof in that community. We call them out a lot of people, but if you have a network, leverage that network to bring them as guests to partner with them and you get their brand rub. And over time now when two obscure guys host an event and a CEO of Twilio, which is $20 billion company, shows up, that gives me the social proof of that that influencer.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need right now? How can we help you?

Lloyed Lobo: Hey, I’m just pushing the book. I want to spread the message of community and building sustainable businesses. It’s on from grassroots to greatness. Dot com. The digital is for $0.99. I could have made it free, but if it’s free, I have to spread it. If it’s $0.99 more, people will buy it. The reviews will spread it and put all the templates step by step templates on a notion workbook which will be available on from grassroots to greatness. Dot com forward slash bonus.

Lee Kantor: Well, congratulations on all the success you’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Lloyed Lobo: Thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate the.

Lee Kantor: Interview. All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.

Mickie Kennedy With eReleases

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High Velocity Radio
Mickie Kennedy With eReleases
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Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases 24 years ago to help small businesses, authors, and startups increase their visibility and credibility through tier-1 press release distribution.

Mickie created eReleases to give small businesses access to the media and to a national newswire – all with a personal touch.

eReleases has grown since then and even works with big names now, but the spirit of Mickie’s original intent has not changed.

eReleases delivers personal service and exceptional value to every customer, with every press release, at every price point.

Mickie lives in Baltimore County with his family and two feuding cats.

Connect with Mickie on LinkedIn and follow eReleases on Facebook and Twitter.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • What a press release is and how they work
  • Tips for writing a winning press release
  • Why so many press releases fail
  • How a company can use media coverage to improve conversions and get more sales

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of High Velocity Radio. And this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Mickie Kennedy with rereleases releases. Welcome, Mickey.

Mickie Kennedy: Hi, thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn more about what you’re up to. I think what you do is so important and a lot of entrepreneurs really have to get this part of their business right if they want to grow. So tell us about your releases, how you serving folks.

Mickie Kennedy: Right? So E Releases is a press release distribution platform. We work with PR Newswire, which is the oldest and largest newswire of press releases. But if anyone has worked with them before or knows of their pricing, they’re closer to $1,300 for like a 600 word press release. And through E releases, it’s about two thirds less for a national distribution. And it’s because we serve small businesses, they don’t do outreach to small businesses, and we sort of act as a co-op representing buyers. And we do between, you know, 10 to 14,000 press releases a year.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you mind just kind of educating the listener about why they should consider having press releases as part of their marketing mix?

Mickie Kennedy: Sure. So the biggest value with PR is the ability of leverage. If you have a message that is extremely newsworthy or craft a message that is newsworthy, you could potentially get, you know, 4 or 5 articles written about you is what we see as a good result. We had seen I have a case study on the website E releases.com where during the pandemic we did a press release for the dining bond initiative, which was set up for a very short time just to help restaurants that were closed down during the pandemic. And we stopped counting at 150 articles. All the big players, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post picked it up, as well as like food trade publications and many, many small newspapers across the country. And it also got international pick up as well. And it generated in excess of $10 Million in revenue. And they had paid for the release because we did it as a courtesy to help out the initiative. It would have been like $400. So, you know, I challenge any marketer to, you know, put $400 in and get $10 million plus out. You just can’t do it. But with PR, there is that ability with leverage. Now that’s an extreme example, but you know, it’s a valid example and shows that by basically putting small little efforts into a PR campaign over time you can get some real considerable benefit, including new customers as well as when you get these articles written about you, you can take those and put those in front of your leads as well as your existing customers, and it helps your leads who may not have converted to move over to your side of the fence and potentially do business with you. And for existing customers, we don’t take into account that every year there are some who are going to be shopping to make sure that they’re with the right company. And if they see, you know, this article about you, which serves as sort of like an implied endorsement, it goes a long ways for them to say, hey, I’m pretty comfortable with who I have. I don’t need to shop this year.

Lee Kantor: Now, for a lot of business people, maybe they take their work for granted and they don’t kind of look at what they’re doing as newsworthy. Is this something that you really have to be creative to come up with something that’s, quote unquote, newsworthy? Or is it something that any business, you know, with kind of an understanding of what the media is looking for can figure out on a regular rhythm? Okay, this is newsworthy. And we do something newsworthy every, you know, 4 to 6 months or every two months or I don’t know what the appropriate rhythm for press releases are. You can maybe educated about that, but I would think a lot of folks don’t consider what their work is doing is newsworthy.

Mickie Kennedy: Right. So I think that anytime you have a major milestone in your company, that potentially could be a press release. And you know, for small businesses, I recommend you try to do a press release once a quarter. You do have to sort of be strategic. I think that, for example, I’ve helped clients who’ve just tried PR and it never worked for them. And what I suggested was that they do a survey or study within their industry, and that sounds really daunting, but it really isn’t. You know, it’s about 15 minutes and survey monkey creating, you know, four pages with four questions on each page, a total of 16 questions you want to make sure you’re asking, you know, timely questions, things that are relevant today. And if you were to ask in six months, the answers would be probably different. They could be trends that are going on in your industry. Like, you know, is your you know, are you spending less or more in your marketing budget over the next couple of quarters? Are you having difficulty with hiring or are you planning layoffs or are you seeing resistance to people not wanting to come back into the office and work? All of these things could be really interesting questions to ask. Anything that you would perhaps talk to a colleague at a trade show or conference would. Be potentially a really interesting question you could ask. And also looking at what’s going on and if you put a little bit of effort there and ask the right questions, you’re going to come up with a survey that gives you some really interesting results. You’re going to take maybe 2 to 4 of those questions and talk about them in the press release highlighting what the big Aha moments were, what were the surprises? And you’re going to provide a little bit of analysis with a quote by you as to why you felt the numbers skewed a particular way.

Mickie Kennedy: And then by doing that, you position yourself as an expert. And generally when these go out, we see between four and as many as 14 articles that get written from a single press release. And, you know, that’s the way in which you can sort of create the news. And it really is one of the things that most anyone can do, you know, do get a little pushback, saying, you know, we don’t have enough people in our industry to send the survey to. But if you think about it, there’s lots of independent and small trade associations in every industry. And unlike the large trade associations, they don’t get a lot of media love. So if you approach them and say, Hey, could you send this to your members, I’ll mention you in a press release I’ll be issuing over the wire. Many of them will do it because they see it as a win win, you know, and the goal is to get them to send it to their members. Often they’ll do that by email or through social media. Sometimes you can get them to do both, and sometimes they push back themselves and ask, could we co-brand the survey so that the trade association and you are both aligned as the authors of the survey. I don’t see a downside to that and it’s really a great way to get some recognition within your industry, expose yourself to other businesses that could potentially be allies or potential synergies as well. So there’s lots of different ways in which you can benefit from that, as well as getting the actual articles written about you.

Lee Kantor: Now, is that something that works best for a company that has a national audience, or is it something that could work for the local hardware store?

Mickie Kennedy: It could work for anyone. I did one for a local auto repair shop in Pennsylvania. Their their goal was to get links from auto industry trade publications. And I felt like a survey would be a really great way to do that. Despite them being a local company. You know, they got national trade pickup. They also got local newspaper picked it up as well. But we weren’t certain that that would happen. And, you know, this went to the question that was basically the whole press release was what’s the strangest thing customer left in their car while being repaired? And we sent that through a trade association to other independent auto repair centers across the US. I think a couple hundred people filled out the survey. I think we highlighted about in the press release, I think we highlighted 20 of the strangest things people left in their cars and we had a page where we listed, I think about 80 of them in total, and it went really well. The auto trade publications picked it up. I mean, it’s kind of a human interest element, you know, What was the strangest thing? People left in their car while being repaired and, you know, people really responded to that. You know, there was a boa constrictor. There was grandma left in an urn that had to be retrieved after hours for memorial. Just lots of little quirky things. There was no statistical relevance to the survey because everybody’s response, which was written into a field, was unique. But it really did do extremely well and shows that a local company can also get a lot of national mileage out of it, as well as some local media attention as well.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there a line that can be drawn to something like that that can that that person who put that out can trace to I got a new client.

Mickie Kennedy: Right. So it’s very difficult to measure local media. It was picked up in their local newspaper. A lot of their existing customers told them that they saw the story. You know, they said they’ve been busy. But, you know, other than that, it’s really hard to say. Their biggest factor was they were looking to they had a new domain name. Their old domain name was attached to their yellow page ad somehow, and that went dark. And so they lost their ranking locally and they had been trying to rank and they just weren’t ranking with the new domain name. And so they were told by SEO person that getting industry links of authority would go a long way. And it did. Within three months of the press release going out, they started ranking number one and number two in their area for auto repair. And so that’s definitely going to give them a huge advantage going forward.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re working with folks that haven’t done this before, what is kind of how do you manage their expectations? Like what is a reasonable expectation or maybe share like you’ve shared what a best case scenario is, millions of dollars of business coverage all over the planet? Like that’s. You know that’s the lottery ticket win that everybody dreams of. But what is maybe more realistic and what’s a worst case scenario?

Mickie Kennedy: Right. So if you’re doing more strategic types of press releases, like the survey, I’ve never seen the survey get less than four articles. That being said, the majority of press releases generate no earned media or articles written about them, and that’s because of the types of releases that most people do. We see a lot of hiring press releases and we’re not talking about a new president or CEO or some industry veteran of 40 some years that’s been plucked and moved to the board. We’re talking about a new associate HR person. And I do tell people that, you know, I wouldn’t spend money to send a press release like that over the wire, send it to your local newspaper and maybe one trade publication where they have a little on the move section because they they rarely generate any results. Other types of releases that I see are product launch press releases where it’s just here’s our product. Here’s a list of features and here’s the buy button. And that is not a compelling story for a journalist, journalist or story builders. And so the things I push back on those releases when they ask for advice is, Hey, I’m sure you had people use this beta tested it. What were their results? Get a quote by one of them and all of a sudden you incorporate.

Mickie Kennedy: Here’s the problem that this company faced. They used the product. This is what it solved. These were their results. Here’s an amazing quote by them. And now you have the product features listed and you know, a page where there’s more technical specs for the for the product. And that gives a lot more elements of the story arc to journalists are like liking to build into an article. And I think that a lot of people come to press releases thinking of what’s in it for me. We want to sell more products, so we’re going to write an approach, the press release from that standpoint. And what they have to do is write the press release from the standpoint of we recognize journalists or gatekeepers. They’re deciding what to share with their audience. What can I do to make it irresistible or more compelling to these journalists and make them want to share it with their audience? And I think that that can sort of help you build out a press release in a way that’s going to stand a much higher chance of media pickup. I do tell people that if you’re open to PR, you know, give it a proper PR campaign of maybe 6 to 8 press releases. You know, maybe it’s once every other month, maybe it’s once a quarter. But, you know, learn from the ones that don’t work, try to incorporate more strategic strategies.

Mickie Kennedy: You know, one of those things might be if there’s an industry trend, do not join the trend. They call that newsjacking. It used to work ten, 15 years ago. It doesn’t anymore because everyone does it. They join the conversation. They don’t add anything of substance to it. They just sort of echo what everyone else is saying. But if you’re the contrarian viewpoint and you’re going against what everybody else in the industry is saying, you have the likelihood of getting picked up in every article that gets published about that subject because you’re the only person who’s raised his hand or her hand and said, Hey, not so fast. Here’s a contrarian or, you know, viewpoint on the subject. And journalists do like to be fair and balanced, to have both sides, but many times they don’t because there’s no one willing to do that. And I do I do caution that you want to make sure you take a position that doesn’t alienate you with your customer base. But there are lots of issues out there where there are, you know, potentially some negative side effects. I mean, it seems like electric cars being pushed. You could be the person who says, hey, maybe we shouldn’t be embracing electric cars so fast because of, you know, the mining of the minerals to make the batteries.

Mickie Kennedy: It’s not environmentally sound or the labor involved is problematic. And plus, we don’t know what we’re going to do with these cars at the end of their life as far as the batteries and other elements. And also, you know, there’s there’s a safety thing with, you know, these cars catching on fire and accidents. So maybe we should sit back and wait a little while and make sure we’re making the best decision going forward. You know, that approach seems really rational, but it is contrarian. And I think that that’s one way to strategically stand out. There are lots of other little elements to to know. But, you know, journalists love data. So anytime you can incorporate statistics and data, it doesn’t have to be your data. You don’t always have to do a survey or study. But if you take data that’s out there publicly available and put it together, it can really, you know, boost your messaging. So even in the product launch, if you talk about the problem that people in your industry are facing and you have numbers attached. To it in certain percentages. That’s going to give you more of a hook for the journalist to dig into and be able to incorporate into an article.

Lee Kantor: Now, is this something that a, you know, a business person who may be an expert in their niche should tackle on their own, or should they get some expert advice when it comes to writing the press release, you know, choosing the right places to distribute it? And if so, is that something that EA releases helps them with, or are they kind of on their own? And that’s just the place for distribution?

Mickie Kennedy: Right. So EA Releases is all about helping people. We work with a lot of people who’ve never done before, so we walk them through the path. I do say that press releases are pretty simplistic. If you look on our website, we have a lot of press release samples and templates. You know, I do say go ahead and try to draft one yourself, maybe even use AI to help you a little bit If you feel that writing is not your forte. I wouldn’t let the the AI give you the idea for the press release, but it can certainly help put together the copy, especially if you go paragraph by paragraph knowing what you want and each paragraph can can really sort of make tighten up your language. But that being said, you can always send us your release. We have chat, email and phone availability, all of the people that answer and correspond with customers or editors. And we’ll look at your press release and give you our advice usually in two business days at no cost, whether you’re working with us or not. And I do think that it is one of the things that a lot of people feel maybe just not comfortable with it. So we do offer writing services as well. But I do think that most people could could put together a pretty good press release. It’s just, you know, making sure that you’re using the building blocks of being strategic. And to that point, I do have a free masterclass on strategic types of press releases. It’s less than an hour video. It’s great for people who are new to PR Can really give you a good audit of the type of press releases you should be doing, and it’s available at EA releases.com/plan plan and it’s completely free, less than an hour long video masterclass and it’s a great place to get started.

Lee Kantor: And what’s the most rewarding part of your job? Is it when those kind of home run exposure opportunities happen for your clients? Like, is that what gets you the most excited every day?

Mickie Kennedy: Kind of. It’s also the quirky types of customers that we deal with. I mean, we’ve we’ve dealt with some really interesting companies over the years, one that makes rubber duckies, like with celebrities and people from history and things like that. And they got put on The Tonight Show and think Good Morning America. And, you know, it’s always fun because there’s so many people doing new novel things, things that you would never think you could put a business around. And it is really exciting. The people that appear on Shark Tank, about a third of them do press releases through us. The producers recommend that they do a press release before their episode airs and mention us by name. So it’s always fun to see those people that have used us who are out there, you know, pitching on Shark Tank. They generally do pretty well. You know, I think it helps considerably that they’re on a national TV show. But I also think that startups in general do pretty well with PR because they really know what their story is. You know, a lot of times they have a unique selling proposition and a story that goes along with how the company was founded.

Mickie Kennedy: It may be inspirational. Could you share obstacles or vulnerabilities? But I think that a lot of people love the personal story arc, and it’s a place in which you can really share your story as a small business. And the media sort of really likes that. And, you know, one of the things I do caution people is most people that approach PR feel like it’s just they’re too small to matter, that they’re just a small business. But what you have to realize is journalists really like being seen as curators and they like to put the spotlight on companies and businesses that their audience don’t know. And, you know, everybody knows Microsoft and Google. And so they they really don’t love doing those stories. They love doing the stories about, hey, I’ve discovered this strange little quirky business that’s doing something a little bit different and unique. And so from a lot of standpoints, being small is an advantage and especially an advantage when it comes to PR.

Lee Kantor: Well, if somebody wants to learn more one more time, the website.

Mickie Kennedy: It’s E releases.com and the masterclass is at E releases.com/plan plan.

Lee Kantor: Well, Mickey, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Mickie Kennedy: Oh, you’re very welcome.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.

Dr. Lori A. Manns With Quality Media Consultant Group LLC

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Lori-Manis-Quality-Media-Consultants
Atlanta Business Radio
Dr. Lori A. Manns With Quality Media Consultant Group LLC
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Dr. Lori A. Manns is an award-winning, trailblazing entrepreneur and has been the owner of a successful business consulting firm for the past 14 years.

As a sought-after speaker, media personality, and business coach, Lori is considered an expert content creator and thought leader in the marketing and sales industries. Her work has been featured on Forbes.com and other national platforms.

Across her social media channels and private network, she has amassed an audience of over 40K people. Lori’s goal is to help purpose-driven, female entrepreneurs grow their incomes and reach their first or next six or seven figures.

Learn more about how she helps entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow their businesses by visiting www.qualitymediaconsultants.com.

Connect with Lori on LinkedIn and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • How entrepreneurs can prepare to work with sponsors
  • What sponsors want from their small biz partners
  • Advantages of working with sponsors
  • The event Lori hosts and teaches about sponsorship

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio, and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Onpay. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Atlanta Business Radio, we have Dr. Laurie Mannes and she is with Quality Media Consultant Group. Welcome.

Dr Lori Manns: Hi, Lee. How are you?

Lee Kantor: I am doing well. I am so excited to get caught up with what’s going on. But for the folks who don’t know, tell us a little bit about Quality Media consultant Group, how you serving folks?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, Quality Media Consultant Group is a business consultancy firm specializing in advertising, marketing and media solutions to help entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. And we also focus on sales and sales systems to help entrepreneurs increase their income impact and influence. And I’m excited to be here today.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited because we’re going to be talking about this event. You’re involved with the sponsorship Sales Secrets Live 2023 event in September. Tell us a little bit about how sponsorship connects to this.

Dr Lori Manns: Well, you know, one of the revenue streams that I’ve utilized in my business and also the nonprofit that I founded is sponsorship. And not only is sponsorship a marketing strategy, but it’s also, like I said, a revenue stream that can help you grow your income and cash flow. And so one of the things that really gave me a clue that I needed to talk about sponsorship and selling more was when I started to do video marketing and I put up a YouTube channel and my most watched video is one where I talked about sponsorship. And so for that reason I started to promote sponsorship and show entrepreneurs and small business owners how they could get sponsors and grow their businesses.

Lee Kantor: So this is kind of a mental shift for a lot of business people. They don’t think that what they’re doing is kind of something that somebody would sponsor. How did first of all, how did you get some once you have the idea, okay, people will sponsor my business, how did you test that and start to get some clues that that is something that is viable?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, I knew it was viable because of my background in radio sales and marketing. I spent my corporate career selling radio advertising and worked with Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies and sold them sponsorships for the radio group that I worked for back then. And when I became an entrepreneur in 2009, I knew that sponsors want to work with small business owners and entrepreneurs because they have different initiatives and different pockets of money and various departments where their suppliers are micro business owners and small business owners and of course, entrepreneurs. And so I just tested it out by simply. Pitching some of the corporations that I wanted to work with. And when I was able to get those partnerships locked in, that’s when I knew it would be viable for me. And I began, you know, making efforts to add that into my business model. And it worked.

Lee Kantor: Now, is it something you think that like, I have an accounting firm or I have a hardware store, is that are those businesses kind of sponsor worthy?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, there’s something I like to call sponsor assets, and it just depends on what you’re asking a company or organization or corporation to sponsor. So if we were talking about a hardware store, right, just to get a company, if it’s a locally owned hardware store and they have manufacturers and suppliers that they buy product from, could they potentially get sponsors? Yes. But here’s the thing. There would need to be some type of incentive and activation for the sponsor. So whether it’s a online campaign that the hardware store would be doing or an event that the hardware store would be doing, they would have to create something that is sponsor able and then also show the sponsor their assets. Meaning, you know, for example, you know how many people come into the store. What’s the cumulative of excuse me, the cumulative amount of people in terms of foot traffic that comes into that store every single week? And then also when you add up that hardware stores online following, do they have social media? Do they have an email list? Do they have an SMS text messaging list? Do they have access to their customers in the terms of being able to communicate with them to get messages across? And so those are some of the things that a sponsor would be interested in. And absolutely, they could create projects, programs, launches, events, etcetera, that would be sponsor able.

Lee Kantor: So let’s kind of get in the weeds of this and say, Now you’ve opened my mind. I’m an entrepreneur and I never thought of this before. This is something I’m going to pursue. Obviously, I’m going to go to your event to learn all the the details of it. But at a kind of a, you know, 40,000 foot level. Let’s talk about what happens if I’m, you know, going to pursue this as an initiative. Do I first come up with things I want to sponsor? Do I first go to sponsors? Like, is it a chicken and the egg thing? Do I create things and hope to find sponsors that want to sponsor that or do I go to potential sponsors and ask them what they would like more of?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, that’s a great question. And the answer is both. You could do both. And one of the things that is very important for a sponsor is anyone coming to them to ask for funding is that you have credibility and you have a good reputation and a good brand reputation in the market, meaning brand equity, that you have people in the marketplace that love your brand, buy from your brand, shop with you and support you already. So they’re not looking to build your business. They’re looking for you to have a business built. However, if you are already in business and you have proof of concept, you have a great business model and things are moving along and you decide that you want to launch a particular program that you want to have sponsored. Absolutely. You could go to a sponsor and say, this is an inaugural project or this is an inaugural event, and if we were to work with you, this is what we could accomplish if you were to come on board. And, you know, here’s our plan to get this event up and going to so that it’s successful in its first year and beyond. And so you have to have things kind of laid out, well thought out and worked through so that you can actually show the sponsor. What is your vision? How do you anticipate the logistics of this new program or project or launch going? And as long as you have a solid proposal and marketing plan, then that sponsorship proposal should answer all of their questions and they would give it consideration if it fit within their model in terms of what they are interested in.

Lee Kantor: Now, what is kind of an expectation for a sponsor like how do they measure success? Is it something like, Oh, okay, we’ll go back to the hardware store every every week, you know, 2000 people come into the hardware store and they’re all going to see your brand. Like, is that enough of a win for them or is it something that they want to have something that’s more kind of tied to revenue or sales or something like that?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, great question because return on investment could vary for each sponsor, right? It could actually be that one sponsor may want a return on investment. That’s monetary. Another sponsor could want a return on investment that would equal. Increased engagement online for their social media following. Another sponsor may want brand equity that you might be able to show them the the number of impressions that you got on a particular campaign on. Your email campaign or your social media campaign or whatever the case may be. It just varies. There’s no one size fits all in terms of providing return on investment for a sponsor. It’s going to depend upon what the goals of the program are, and it’s also going to depend upon what is the sponsor looking for and what are they trying to achieve. And so if they have an initiative to reach more people who are, you know, hardware store shoppers as our example, then absolutely The number of people that you’re able to put them in front of is great. Now, when we think about, you know, corporations that are Fortune 100 or Fortune 500, they’re already multi billion dollar companies and they don’t necessarily need, you know, increased revenue from you, the micro business owner, the small business owner.

Dr Lori Manns: What they are looking for is more or less brand loyalty. They’re looking for you to help them get more brand loyalty from the customers that they can reach through you so that they can expand that brand loyalty in their target audience. And so. Every major corporation wants loyal customers. They want people who shop and buy their products and services consistently all the time. And so they’re large enough where they can handle their own increase in revenue. Right. And they have larger marketing and advertising budgets than you do. So it’s not necessarily always about the return on investment when it comes to money. It’s about other things that you can utilize that would be very important to them in terms of helping them to reach more people and convert some of their people who are prospects into paying customers and get that loyalty to where they want it to be so that they can have increased market share.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned that you worked early on with and you have a non profit yourself, some of which they’re paying for as a sponsor is kind of that halo effect of saying, look, I’m working with these this group and so I’m a good person. You know, I’m a good corporate citizen by doing this as well. Right. Isn’t that part of the value they’re getting? That’s part of the value exchange.

Dr Lori Manns: Absolutely. So when you speak about that halo effect, sponsors give you that halo effect. Because if you are a small fry, then you need that credibility that comes with saying, Oh, I also worked with Coca-Cola, for example, or I also worked with Apple or Nike or any major brand that’s out there. And once you’re able to, you know, list those companies and organizations that you’ve worked with and partnership that have sponsored your business, it’s definitely a halo effect because people recognize that those major corporations would not be doing business with someone who was not credible and who had not proven their worthiness as a partner.

Lee Kantor: Now, how do you price some of this stuff? Like how would a small business even go about trying to put a number on what the value of a sponsorship is to somebody that is a big billion dollar or multi billion dollar company? And are they even going to do a deal for that amount of money? Is that too small that they don’t even have the wherewithal to even cut a check for that amount of money?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, you know, many corporations nowadays, they have. The budgets, for example, with nonprofits and they have a philanthropy arm to their corporation, right? They have a foundation division and they have a process by which they give away donations. They have a process by which they give away grants. They have a process by which they give away or they partner with organizations to sponsor something. And so they give money from $1,000 all the way up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it just depends upon what their process is. So part of pricing your package or whatever it is that you’re trying to pitch to them is just being smart about what to ask for. And that’s part of what I go over at my upcoming event, Sponsorship Sales Secrets Live.

Lee Kantor: So that you’re going to help kind of educate them on how to put a dollar amount on the different types of activations that might occur.

Dr Lori Manns: Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So then if you go to this, that because that’s a critical element of this, right? Knowing how to price things that aren’t, you know, ridiculous, but also not leaving money on the table as well. I mean, there you don’t want to think too small in this regard, but you don’t want to be greedy.

Dr Lori Manns: Right. You definitely don’t want to make the mistake of not asking for enough money. But then you don’t want to make the mistake of asking for too much money. It’s kind of like, you know, if. You’ve ever watched this show Shark Tank? When entrepreneurs come to the Shark Tank and they evaluate their their company way over than what it more than what it’s worth. Well, a shark is going to immediately tell that prospective entrepreneur trying to get funding hey, you’ve over evaluated what your company is worth and a sponsor can do the same thing. Looking at your sponsorship proposal can can easily say, okay, well, you’ve over evaluated what this package is worth and based on what we’ve done in the past, we only will do this, this and this. So you must actually have a really solid strategy for how to price. And for me, it has come with experience. Having done this for 30 years, I am very familiar with how to price certain aspects of the proposal so that it falls in line with what I know they would be looking for and what I know other competitors would likely price in the range of. And so it just depends on what they’re looking for, what they’re willing to fund and what type of deliverables you’re going to offer them in terms of whether or not it’s going to be valuable to them.

Lee Kantor: Now, let’s talk about the event. It’s a two day event, a virtual event. What’s going to go on? Like what’s the kind of the roadmap of the two days?

Dr Lori Manns: Well, for sponsorship sales secrets live, it is happening September 22nd and 23rd. And it’s a two day agenda where on the first day I cover sales mastery. And so that’s important because a lot of entrepreneurs and micro business owners and nonprofit leaders, podcasters and consultants and what have you, they have a. Blockage when it comes to sales. A lot of people don’t want to admit that if you’re in business, you’re actually a sales person. And so I feel like it’s very important to master the sales aspect of securing sponsorships first and just let people know, Hey, look, you are selling this is a sales transaction. And so we are going to cover sales mastery and we’re going to break it down from, you know, the steps to overcome fear and sell with confidence. The thing you have to avoid in order to mitigate that sleazy sales feeling that some people have when they ask for the money. How to outsell your competition, how to sell your products and services online and offline, soulfully and masterfully. How to convert prospects into paying customers sales, funnel management, how to generate leads and you know, so that you attract the right people, how to always be closing and understand what closing strategies to use and when, and then also proven techniques to increase your profitability.

Dr Lori Manns: That’s the first day. And then the second day we’re going to get into sponsorship selling and I’m going to show you proven ways to get sponsors to work with you and how to attract them, because that’s one of the things that I have mastered in in doing is making my brand and my company so attractive that sponsors actually reach out to me. So how to identify decision makers and what to say when you get them on the phone or in person, how to craft that sponsorship pitch and craft an irresistible sponsorship letter and proposal. How to build packages that sell and of course, how to avoid mistakes. Then I’ll talk to you guys about sponsorship trends, what media you might need to include to be attractive to a sponsor. We’re going to talk more about closing techniques and then how to get long term contracts and renewals with sponsors over and over again, because that’s the actual best thing ever, is to have long term relationships and partnerships with sponsors where they work with you year after year.

Lee Kantor: Now, is it something that you’re going to be talking kind of in a general way, or is it or will I be able to ask questions about my specific situation?

Dr Lori Manns: Oh yeah, I’m going to have hot seats and I’m going to actually allow the attendees to do a sponsorship pitch. We have prizes for that. So every year we have entrepreneurs who enter our sponsorship sales pitch contest and we have prizes from honey Baked ham and also Fresh Market and Office Depot to give away. And it’s going to be amazing because I’m going to allow those attendees to ask questions and just put them in hot seats and make over their pitches so that they walk away with at least that much. And then they’ll also have the ability to get special offer on the sponsorship training that I teach following this course. So it’s going to be amazing for anyone who’s interested in growing your income impact and influence and adding a revenue stream that’s proven. And sponsorship is a multi-billion dollar industry in North America, which is of course the USA. And Canada is the highest spending of any area in the world. That means sponsors spend more in North America and Canada than any other area in the world in terms of sponsorship globally. So it’s definitely a viable revenue stream and market for entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, speakers, coaches, consultants, all of that to consider when looking at their revenue model for having a profitable business. Well, if somebody.

Lee Kantor: Wants to learn more about this event or your coaching or your the different trainings you do, what is the website? What are the coordinates to learn more?

Dr Lori Manns: Yes. So the company I have is Quality media consultant group, and you can find us at quality Media consultants.com and for sponsorship Sales Secrets Live Again, which is a virtual event happening September 22nd and 23rd, 2023. It’s going to be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There will be a one hour break each day from 12 to 1. So we’ll have four, four hours each day of great content. And you can go to W-w-w dot sponsorship sales secrets.com that’s sponsorship sales secrets.com to register and get more information.

Lee Kantor: Well congratulations on all the success and thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Dr Lori Manns: Thank you. Lee it’s always great to talk to you. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Atlanta Business Radio.

About Our Sponsor

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Ken Holsclaw With Phase 3 Marketing and Communications

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Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Ken Holsclaw With Phase 3 Marketing and Communications
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As co-founder and president, Ken Holsclaw holds the reigns of the Phase 3 vision of offering clients complete marketing solutions, including the execution of those ideas all in one company – ideation to execution.

Beginning with seven employees in Atlanta in 2001, he continues to oversee all aspects of the company’s growth and service offerings, including twelve successful agency and print business acquisitions, growing Phase 3 to its current size of over 200 employees with locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Nashville, and the New York Metropolitan Area.

A master of business continuity, he has navigated both his business and its clients through three economic crises during the twenty-one years of operation of Phase 3. Most recently, he ideated and developed strategies and deliverables to provide clients with much needed products and services during the pandemic, pivoting from the core products traditionally offered by Phase 3.

Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management from West Virginia University. A lifelong athlete, he plays squash and golf as often as his schedule permits. He resides in Atlanta with his wife and is a father of four.

Connect with Ken on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • About Phase 3 Marketing & Communications
  • How Ken got started in his entrepreneurial career
  • Why Ken decided to incorporate agency services
  • What to look for in a marketing and communications partner
  • Advice for those interested in joining the marketing and communications industries
  • Ken’s greatest lesson learned since founding Phase 3
  • Ken’s greatest milestone achieved since founding Phase 3

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio, and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Onpay. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Atlanta Business Radio, we have Ken Holsclaw with Phase three Marketing and Communications. Welcome, Ken.

Ken Holsclaw: Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: Lee. I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Phase three. How are you serving folks?

Ken Holsclaw: Well, we’re in the marketing services space where we typically work with larger corporations and providing them a one stop shop from creating their marketing idea all the way through executing their marketing idea. So if you look at our value proposition, it’s ideation to execution just simply means that we can come up with a marketing idea and then whatever best channel to execute it, we can execute that idea. All all under one roof.

Lee Kantor: Now, how are you defining large?

Ken Holsclaw: Well, it’s not a it’s not a B to C, it’s not a B to small B, it’s just be to bigger B, So I would define it as our customers are typically from lower middle market all the way up to Fortune 50.

Lee Kantor: And then what’s your backstory? How did you get involved in this industry?

Ken Holsclaw: I came on board with the digital printer in the 90s and that got me into the industry and then I saw how the industry could be consolidated and bringing other parts of the marketing services industry together under one roof. So adding creative, adding marketing services, adding branded merchandise and adding the technology to it, which is the ordering platform, which then also got us into warehousing and distribution, which is, you know, we call it marketing logistics.

Lee Kantor: So, so now when you’re working in this at that stage of client growth where they’re the largest of the large, how do they go with one marketing solution or do they have several that you’re one amongst many in an organization?

Ken Holsclaw: Well, that’s the value proposition. They with the larger corporations, they won’t ever pare it down to one. But one of their problems are is that they’re managing a vendor farm. You know, a large corporation could be managing 30, 40, 50, 60 vendors in the marketing space. So instead of focusing on the the needs of what they need to do from a marketing standpoint, they’re literally managing a vendor farm. So when you look at Phase Three’s all inclusive value proposition, it allows the customer to pare down the number of vendors that they use. I’m not saying that they’re going to take it from 50 down to one, but maybe they can. They can significantly reduce it by using the one stop shop model and by reducing it. You know, they’re not that doesn’t mean that they’re paying for the convenience. It’s actually by going with more of a one stop shop model. It is they can they can accomplish their goals. It’s faster to market. It’s less expensive and in and you’re not you’re not managing multiple vendors. So that’s kind of the value prop.

Lee Kantor: Now in your in your name is phase three marketing communications. Is that different than advertising? Are they still having advertising agencies or how are you delineating between them?

Ken Holsclaw: No, we you know, an ad agency is, I think, kind of a yesteryear term. And so, no, we provide full marketing strategy. We provide full Web and interactive services, We provide heavy creative, we provide social media execution, and then we provide printing and distribution services.

Lee Kantor: And what about public relations? Is that another yesteryear term?

Ken Holsclaw: Uh, PR A little bit, yeah. But we do offer what people would consider public relations. It’s really it’s corporate communications. You know, it’s it’s communications, you know, and that comes with a lot of different formats. But, but absolutely PR would be would would would be a part of that. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Now, what is the kind of the pain that these folks are having where phase three is the solution? What are some of the maybe maybe they had some agency creep in there, like you were saying, and then they have dozens, if not multi dozens of different variety of agencies working and they’ve kind of lost track. Like what are some of the pain that that’s obvious to them that, hey, maybe we should consolidate some of this, maybe we should partner with somebody that can handle several of these kind of niches rather than just spread out so thin.

Ken Holsclaw: Speed market. Um, using one vendor rather than multiple vendors. You will be able to get your marketing idea executed faster to market. So speed to market is one cost. It’s actually less expensive as one. Three it frees up your marketing departments time. Like I said earlier, you know, if you’re marketing, folks are spending all their time managing a massive vendor farm, then they are then they are not able to manage on, they are not able to spend their time on, let’s say, market position, research, marketing, research. So because they’re managing so many vendors, um, it also is more efficient. The more vendors you have, you know, the more cooks you have in the kitchen, the more chances of screwing stuff up. And so having one cook in the kitchen, you only got one person to hold accountable and there’s less chance that things can go wrong.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you seeing a trend that these larger companies are having leaner marketing staffs and are relying on agencies more?

Ken Holsclaw: Um, no, not necessarily. Not? No. I think they’re still outsourcing to the same degree that they were. Um, I just think that they, they do see the need to pare down the number of vendors, marketing vendor relationships that they have. You know, the American consumer wants a one stop shop and that’s no different in, in, in American business. They want a one stop shop and that’s what we represent. And so I, I think they’re outsourcing just as much. But I do think that they want to consolidate vendors.

Lee Kantor: So in order for you to be the one stop shop, how do you kind of alleviate the problem that they are having by having kind of best in class and all these different areas in order to execute to the level that they need in response?

Ken Holsclaw: Yeah, that’s a good question. There’s two things you got to have. Number one, you got to have size, right? You got to have some critical mass because if you’re sitting there talking to a big company and you’re saying, Hey, put all of your marketing eggs in my basket, the first thing that they say is, well, your your basket better be pretty big and it better be pretty stable. Right? So so you’ve got to have critical mass. The second thing is, is that you’ve got to have the talent. I mean, if you’re going to offer, you know, these different services, you’ve got to be good at each one of them. And so you’ve got to you’ve got to have you got to have talent and expertise. Um, you know, in, in all the different services that you’re offering.

Lee Kantor: But don’t you have to be better than good in each of them?

Ken Holsclaw: Yeah. Yeah. You got to be good. I mean, you can’t, you know, I don’t. You know, they’re not going to. They’re not going to settle for, you know, a bad service just because it’s a one stop shop. No, you got to be. You got to deliver. You got to perform for sure.

Lee Kantor: So then how do you ensure your kind of best in class in each of the areas that your clients need?

Ken Holsclaw: You hold people accountable and you hire the right and you hire a lot of talent.

Lee Kantor: So how are you able to attract that level of talent in all the different areas that full service marketing agency would need?

Ken Holsclaw: We’ve made acquisitions. We’ve made acquisitions. So part of the strategy is acquiring the talent. And that’s that’s worked well. And then once you get, you know, once you once you’re capable of producing the work, that also you can hire the talent. Once they see that you’re capable, then then you’re able to organically hire it. So that’s kind of how we’ve gone about it.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re looking at the marketing landscape, I guess you’re hiring in the United States or all over the world, like how would you like how does somebody how does somebody catch your eye? What are they doing to catch your eye to say, hey, that might be a good acquisition for us or a good partner for us?

Ken Holsclaw: From an acquired company. How did they catch our eye?

Lee Kantor: Right. Because you’re trying to be best in class in all these different areas, obviously. And in order to do that, you said that acquisitions was the path you’ve taken to do that. So how does somebody catch your eye.

Ken Holsclaw: The you know, as you you know, as you get a reputation like we have over the years for acquiring companies then then companies that decide to to to come up for sale reach out to you. And so the longer that we you know, we’ve made 11 acquisitions over the last ten years. And as as the word has gotten out there of of of what we look for and who we’re acquiring, people actually start knocking on your door, which is good. And then, you know, you take a look at how they’ve done and what their expertise is and is it a fit for to bring them into the fold.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned that your background was started in printing, right? Correct. So how do you how does kind of a young person that’s going on a career that may not point directly to marketing, but they might be good at marketing? How would you advise them on, you know, getting into the world of marketing?

Ken Holsclaw: Well, people need to understand that that marketing services encompasses a lot of different things. Okay, If you are a graphic designer, okay, you’re in the marketing business because what you’re designing, right is used for marketing. Okay? If you are in the public relations business, that’s a part of marketing. If you are a pressman and you are operating a printing press, you’re actually in the marketing industry. And so, you know, so a lot of people don’t understand that. You know, you talk to a lot of folks out there that that work at a print shop and they think that they you know, they think that they work in printing. Yes, they do. And yes, they work for a manufacturer. But it’s marketing. I mean, that’s what printing the vast well, not all printing is marketing, but the vast majority of printing is for marketing purposes, you know. And so so it first of all, it’s an understanding. It’s getting these young people to understand what all marketing encompasses. And in giving them a little bit more of a holistic view of, of what the industry is.

Lee Kantor: How would you advise the person a lot of young people, you know, really lean into social media and influencer marketing and want to be influencers and want to be YouTubers and all that. How would you advise them to kind of reframe what they’re doing and maybe take the leap and go into the marketing or communication industry?

Ken Holsclaw: Um, you’re right in that a lot of young people are interested in being in the world of social media, which is marketing.

Lee Kantor: Or the brand. I mean, in essence, they’re saying I am the brand. And so they’re trying to market themselves as a brand. To me, that’s not a big step away from helping other people.

Ken Holsclaw: Correct? Correct. So if you know, I think at that point it comes down to entrepreneurial ism. If someone wants to market themselves and build their own brand through social media and social influencing, I think that’s more entrepreneurial have at it. And as long as they they’re aware of the risks that come along with that. But those who don’t want to build their own brand, but they want to go into the marketing service of of social of of executing social media for the company that they work for or executing social media for marketing services companies like phase three for other for their clients. I think that’s great and I think it’s a great I think it’s a it’s a great profession. And I will also say that, you know, the, the the being an executor for for social media, I think is a young person’s game, you know, because it’s it’s hip, it’s trendy. So when I see the young the young 20 somethings, early 30 somethings that are doing the social media executing, I think that they have advantage over the the old folks like myself when it comes to that particular discipline within the marketing industry.

Lee Kantor: So if if someone’s listening that is that young person that is maybe tried and maybe is frustrated with the speed that they’re growing their own brand or they’re in this space and they’re doing it for other people, how would you advise them to, again, get on your radar or get into the the world of marketing and communication to get a job in that way? How would you position what they’re doing in a way that’s attractive to somebody like you?

Ken Holsclaw: Uh, work hard. Um, be responsible. You know, there’s a little bit of this whole I need to be, you know, for clickbait. I need to be shocking. I need to say controversial stuff. Um, you know, I think that that is a little bit of a fad that will not have staying power. Um, and so my, my advice would be if you want to build your own brand, build it in a way that adds value to others, like maybe through education or inspiration or what have you. If you are if you are wanting to execute for social media execution for other companies, just whatever it is, work hard. Um, you know, practice, you know, your basics, your basic fundamentals and and stay classy. You know, you don’t need to be controversial. You don’t need to be extreme. I just, you know, so that would be my thoughts.

Lee Kantor: So more elegance and less.

Ken Holsclaw: Absolutely. Absolutely. Less shouting. We have to remember that social media is only in its infancy infancy. So, you know, is it is it is it 15 years old? That’s not a long time. And so the world is an audience is still getting used to how social media is used, consumed, produced. And this whole keyboard warrior where the nastiness and the ugliness and the vitriol that we’re seeing on social media, I think will subside and go away because people just won’t have an appetite for it. And so, um, I, you know. Yes, stay classy, stay elegant, be nice, be kind, work hard. And, you know, that that comes through that that carries the day.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned a lot of acquisitions in a short period of time. How do you kind of build a corporate culture to integrate all those different kind of corporate cultures that you’re bringing into the fold?

Ken Holsclaw: Um. It’s not the easiest thing in the world, but when you’re acquiring a company, the first thing you need to do is reassure the employees because they’re going through change. And remember, the employees didn’t ask for the change. Just because an owner wants or the owners of a company want to sell. It’s not like that. The employees even knew about it. So it’s a change that is brought on to them that they didn’t necessarily ask for. So they’re nervous about it. You know, human beings are just resistant to change to begin with. So you have to provide some reassurances. You have to communicate openly and honestly. You have to be consistent, do what you say you’re going to do. And then you know, you know, then you just start out, you know, you lay out your culture, which ours is. You know, we work hard, but we have fun and we build and, you know, and we build together and we have a good time doing it. And so, as you as you express that to the new folks coming on board and you do it in a way that is open and honest and reassuring, you know, it helps. But but the whole process is not easy, I’ll say that.

Lee Kantor: So what is kind of the maybe I don’t want to say the the greatest milestone, but kind of the thing that’s the most rewarding for you in the since founding phase three. What is kind of that that moment for you that you were like, man, I’m really making an impact.

Ken Holsclaw: Uh, one is bringing together people from all walks of life and. You know, creating an environment where they feel comfortable to just display their talents. Um, and then as they display their talents over time, watching them get promoted, watching them grow and develop, they take on more responsibility. They learn. They put more money in their pocket because, you know, they’re growing their income. And then seeing some, you know, 20 something year old, you know, put the loyalty and work into phase three and then phase three develops them and promotes them. And then next thing you know, they’re buying a house and they’re they’re just advancing and succeeding in life. It’s probably been the most rewarding thing.

Lee Kantor: And you’ve grown phase three, not just here in Atlanta, but around the country as well. Right?

Ken Holsclaw: Headquartered in Atlanta. We’ve got operations in Charlotte, Nashville, Dallas, Texas, and then right outside of New York City in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey.

Lee Kantor: And was that in order to serve your clients better or is that to get more kind of boots on the ground to grow in those markets.

Ken Holsclaw: Or serving clients, serving clients, you know, getting, you know, developing a national footprint in a strategic way. You know, so it’s all it’s all part of that.

Lee Kantor: Are your is your staff in the office or are they remote now?

Ken Holsclaw: They’re in the office.

Lee Kantor: So that was important to you to have people actually come into a location?

Ken Holsclaw: Yes. From a from a collaboration standpoint and from a speed of business standpoint, you got to have it. You got to have it. I mean, we we do have a one day a week remote work policy for those who qualify. And I think the employees enjoy that. But but in general, we’ve got to be in the office and and on the print side, you know, you got to be in the office all the time. I mean, you can’t take the big printing press home with you, so you got to be there to produce it.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Ken Holsclaw: Oh, gosh. Uh, we, um. You know, we just need. We’re looking for talent. We’re always looking for talent. So any any folks out there that have have that work hard and have a passion for marketing services, it’s a we’re a great place.

Lee Kantor: And if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team. What’s a website?

Ken Holsclaw: Um W-w-w-what Phase three mc.com.

Lee Kantor: And that’s HRC the number three mc.com.

Ken Holsclaw: Correct.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff, Ken. Thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work. We appreciate you.

Ken Holsclaw: We thanks a lot for having me. I appreciate your time.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see y’all next time on Atlanta Business Radio.

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Niketa Misco With Atlanta Turnkey Locators

by

Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Niketa Misco With Atlanta Turnkey Locators
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Niketa Misco, CEO and Broker of Atlanta Turnkey Locators.

Currently a senior student at GSU, she’s a Real Estate Broker for her firm. She’s also a part of the Main Street Seed Fund at GSU in Atlanta and the 12% Accelerator program.

Connect with Niketa on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • How her business will help the Community
  • Changes he have made in his business since being in GSU Main Street program
  • Initiatives he’s taking in his business to make a big impact
  • Customer pain points

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. And this is my very favorite. This is the GSU radio segment where we spotlight all of the great work that’s happening through the GSU center. And today we have Niketa Misco with Atlanta Turnkey Locators, and she is part of the Main Street Entrepreneurship Seed Fund program. Welcome.

Niketa Misco: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Atlanta Turnkey Locators. How are you serving folks?

Niketa Misco: Okay, so Atlanta Turnkey Locators is an agency that helps with employee retention by helping companies relocate their team members to Georgia.

Lee Kantor: So what is your background and what was the genesis of the idea?

Niketa Misco: Okay, so I have my real estate license. I’ve had it since 2015, and I’ve usually in the past have helped like individuals relocate or move here to Georgia. But I did notice a discrepancy when like they were moving for work and things like that, like the heart problems they had, the things that were going on in their life that they felt like they needed that support. And so I started pivoting my company to help the companies to help relocate their team members here to the beautiful state of Georgia.

Lee Kantor: So have you started doing this? Like, at what stage of the business are you in?

Niketa Misco: The beginning stage. So I’m still pulling my discovery, understanding what each party wants. So like, for example, as I was discussing with some of the team members who were relocating some of their issues was kind of that upfront ness about what the relocation package will look like. So instead of saying, Oh, you get this bonus, instead be like, okay, well it’s a reimbursement or something like that. So just like that, clear communication with them. And then from the company perspective, it was more so that they wanted to be able to track what process their team member was in, in the process of moving. So it’s just definitely I’ve been at the beginning stage of discovering that to really understand my audience and really understand what their needs are.

Lee Kantor: Now, are a lot of people or companies moving to Atlanta? Does that happen a lot?

Niketa Misco: A lot of people actually move to Atlanta per year. Like Atlanta alone received about 64,000 people a year. So it’s really understanding what those needs are and to keep them here because a great deal of those people then leave. So, for example, if you know, they come to Atlanta, they expecting like that support system and things like that. But then when they get here, they don’t have that support, they end up leaving. So then Georgia ends up losing out on really great talent that they could have had if they had that support.

Lee Kantor: Now, what is the have you figured out the primary reason people are moving to Atlanta?

Niketa Misco: A lot of times, like if they’re moving from up north, it’s usually it’s because like it’s a little bit more affordable or they feel like they would get more bang for their buck. So being able by being able to save money on like rents or housing or buying a house, they can then do more things with their family. So go out and have fun. And definitely here in Atlanta and many of the other cities within surrounding Atlanta, there’s a lot of things to do. So being able to have that ability because now you’ve saved that money, it’s like a very strong point for them.

Lee Kantor: Now when you’re dealing with an individual who is looking for a job or looking for more opportunity, that’s a different strategy than going after a business that’s looking to relocate a business with existing employees, right?

Niketa Misco: Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So how do you approach that differently? Like, how do you find a company that’s even considering moving to Atlanta?

Niketa Misco: Yeah. So first it started with my research first and my process of my research. I kind of had the hypothesis that, of course, companies that have more than 5000 people, that they would be the biggest bracket for being able to move in people because they have so many people. But it actually was small to middle sized companies that were moving their people more frequently and needed more of that support. So it’s definitely started with just a better understanding of research and then better understanding what was the current status quo. So what were they currently doing? And then in my research I found that a lot of times the company might have like a third party to like help the person move so literally, you know, pack up their house, move to Georgia. But there was no real support before that after that. So being able to really understand what would it look like moving here to Georgia? So some of the things that we would do that we do is say, for example, they cannot make it all the way out here to look for a place. We help them. We navigate by, you know, pulling up an iPad and showing them like going to the properties, showing them what they look like, asking them questions about what they’re looking for so that we can really tailor the. Property to them. And so by having that, they have that additional support. We also building out a process to where they’re able to connect with other new people within the company. So say the company is moving five people, they’re able to actually communicate and talk with each other. So at least they have that one person of contact when they get to the job and they don’t feel so alone when they get there. And so by building out different ways that the employee or the team member feels supported, it helps the company build that loyalty with that employee or that team member.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re talking to the people in the business, do they even have kind of the lay of the land of what Atlanta is? Because Atlanta is big. You know, like moving to Atlanta isn’t kind of a simple, oh, I’m just going to move to Main Street. Like there’s lots of neighborhoods and areas that might be appropriate for them. Do you help them in that regard as well?

Niketa Misco: Absolutely. Because a lot of people, a lot of my clients and other people, it’s just the truth. When you first move in, you’re not trying to immediately sign into a year lease, two year lease, like you don’t know where you want to live, you don’t know what you want. And it can look different for different people. Like, you know, a family might want to move to the number one school district, so they might be like, okay, well, I want to move to Buford, but they don’t know that until they get here. Well, another family might be like, Oh, no, I want to be next to the aquarium and a zoo and like all the like, attractions. So everybody has their different areas. And it’s not till they’re here that they better understand, okay, this is where I want to move. So, like, helping them navigate that journey before they get here, when they’re here and after they understand what they want. Because you’re absolutely right. There’s over 242 neighborhoods in Atlanta alone. Like that’s a lot to navigate. And that’s not even talking about the other cities that then goes around Georgia. So it’s definitely that support and help that they need to navigate moving here.

Lee Kantor: Right. Because I would think that some people, they’re like, oh, I’ve heard of Atlanta and they, you know, maybe seen a football game on TV or something. They think that that’s Atlanta. But there are so many, like you said, hundreds of neighborhoods. And from a business standpoint, you know, they’re they where they locate it could impact their future employees, like who’s near them. And, you know, if you’re looking for like, you know, tech people, it might be good to be near Georgia Tech. Right. You know, but if you’re looking for a different type of an employee, it might be better to be in a suburb somewhere.

Niketa Misco: Exactly. And then different people have different preferences. So, you know, someone wants might want to be close to the most amazing restaurants that Atlanta has to offer where somebody else just want peace and quiet and don’t want no traffic. So it definitely looks different. And so when we build out our profile, we we create like a link tree. And as they answer questions, it navigates them through the process of what they’re looking for. And some questions might pop up that they didn’t even think of, you know, um, and simple things like if they want to even come out here to Georgia to come look at the property because unfortunately some Atlanta properties, you know, they look beautiful on pictures. And then you go they I’ve had a couple clients who have signed a lease and then they get there and it’s like, oh, this didn’t look nothing like the pictures. So having that person there, that’s being like, okay, well, this is what this property actually looked like. This is what they have to offer that person. Don’t feel shocked, you know, when they get here. And that is so important.

Lee Kantor: Now, what got you interested in real estate? What what compelled you to get your real estate license a while ago now I guess.

Niketa Misco: Yeah. Um, I got originally got my real estate license because I was going through some family personal things and I needed something to where I would be able to support my family but like have that flexibility. And then so I had got my real estate license and just never looked back since I really enjoy it.

Lee Kantor: Were you able to start selling like, I guess you were a residential when you started?

Niketa Misco: Yes. Well, I didn’t start out with homes, always knew that I wanted to do leasing. Leasing is just my area. I know some people will be like leasing. Why? But I absolutely love leasing because I feel like people feel like, okay, well, I can experience a neighborhood before I move there and it’s like us helping them navigate that journey. So, you know, if you want to move to Duluth, Georgia, right, But you don’t know what Duluth is like, you just thinking, Oh, well, I drove past and it was nice. Well, you get to lease a space there and we get to help you navigate that. And then if you want to, then go and buy a house as like a lease, you are familiar with the area and you don’t have those regrets that you would if like you just chose a neighborhood based off, um, just price, for example.

Lee Kantor: So your specialty is leasing houses.

Niketa Misco: Leasing the combination of it. So I lease houses are lease condos, penthouses, townhomes, apartments. So it’s all of it.

Lee Kantor: And then how did you decide that that was the path? Like, did you try selling houses first or you got into leasing and you’re like, Well, this is perfect for me.

Niketa Misco: I think so. I did do houses for a little bit, but it just didn’t feel the same as leasing. So with houses it was a lot more, um, kind of that waiting game. And I get it because you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a house, so, you know, of course you might want to take nine months to look for a house and decide make that decision and things like that. And I just needed to move a little quicker than that. So that’s what kind of lead me more to leasing than houses. And I think like it’s nice, like I like the part of like, you know, having open houses and getting to know the neighbors and part of that aspect of it. But the rest of it, I just wasn’t the best match with, um, and leasing just really spoke to me more.

Lee Kantor: Now. How did, how has working with the Main Street program helped or has it helped?

Niketa Misco: They are amazing. The program has been absolutely amazing. It’s really helped me understand and like understand a process. You know, when we’re new businesses, it’s kind of like, okay, I understand that the basics, you know, I just kind of Google, okay, when I start a business, you know, they like give you a list of 10 to 20 things to do. But it’s just so much that goes in between those that list of things like even from doing discovery, understanding what the target audience is like. So for example, you know, you go to YouTube and they’re like, Oh, well, you just got to find your target audience. And it’s like, Thank you very much, but can you show me, you know, how to find my target audience? You know how to dive deeper into it. So Main Street has been really amazing at helping me through this process.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you feel like your business is in more kind of building a stronger foundation?

Niketa Misco: Absolutely, because before I was like, I was more so doing my research on relocation, like, okay, so what are they currently doing with relocation and things like that? And I couldn’t find as much research, but as I continued to go through the program and. Also was in the 12% accelerator program with Liz J. Simpson. She’s incredible. So the combination of the two really helped me understand, okay, you want to focus on people with specializations, so you want to focus on people who are coming here for us with specialized skills that these companies need. And so it’s been a journey to, like, really understand and break down those pieces and understand the in-betweens of the 20 tasks or more that I have to do.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Niketa Misco: Huh. That’s a great question. Um, I would say.

Speaker4: Do you.

Lee Kantor: Need help? Are you building a team? Do you need more people to get involved? Do you need more companies that want to have a conversation with you so you can learn what their needs are? Do you need money? Do you need funding?

Niketa Misco: Yeah, I would definitely say I still want to be able to talk to companies, um, small to middle sized companies that do relocate or is looking to relocate their team members. Because when I define it, when I am working on my brand voice and my brand personality, I really wanted to speak. You know, like if you if you love a brand, right, it’s because you feel like they get you. You feel like what they’re offering, it matches you. And that’s what I’m looking to do to like talk to companies so that when I am front and center in front of them, it’s like, Oh, this company understands my needs, this company understands what I’m looking for. And even the process that they have matches the needs of my team, members of what we need.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to connect with you and learn more, where should they go?

Niketa Misco: Okay. Um, I can be found on LinkedIn, so my LinkedIn is just Nikita Misko. So it’s Nikita. Last name Misko Misko. And that is the best way to reach me.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, congratulations on all the momentum. It’s exciting.

Niketa Misco: Thank you so much. I’m so excited as well. And thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: Sure. You’re doing important work. We appreciate you. Thank you. All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you all next time on GSU radio.

About Our Sponsor

OnPay’sOnPay-Dots payroll services and HR software give you more time to focus on what’s most important. Rated “Excellent” by PC Magazine, we make it easy to pay employees fast, we automate all payroll taxes, and we even keep all your HR and benefits organized and compliant.

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Tatyana Langford With Yanie Eyewear

by

Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Tatyana Langford With Yanie Eyewear
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Yanie Eyewear is a trailblazing eyeglass company on a mission to transform the lives of individuals with severe dry eye disease. Founded by Tatyana Langford, a visionary entrepreneur who personally battled the challenges of severe dry eye for years, Yanie Eyewear was born out of her unwavering determination to find a solution that could provide constant protection from wind and offer all-day treatment and relief from the distressing symptoms.

Yanie Eyewear stands apart from conventional eyeglass companies due to its unwavering commitment to innovation and tailored solutions. The frames are carefully engineered to shield the eyes from harsh winds and environmental irritants, providing a constant barrier of protection. The lenses incorporate cutting-edge technology to deliver all-day treatment, ensuring optimal moisture retention and relief from dry eye symptoms.

Beyond its focus on functionality, Yanie Eyewear is deeply rooted in a culture of fashion. The company understands that dry eye disease can take a toll not only on physical well-being but also on emotional and mental health. As such, Yanie Eyewear endeavors to provide a range of eyeglass frames and styles as a source of empowerment and renewed confidence to those who wear their eyeglasses. Yanie Eyewear continues to push the boundaries of innovation, seeking new ways to improve and expand its product line to cater to various dry eye needs.

Follow Yanie Eyewear on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • Inspiration to start Yanie Eyewear
  • Unique features and technologies incorporated into eyeglasses that make them particularly effective for managing this condition
  • Can Yanie Eyewear be worn by people that don’t have severe dry eye disease
  • Their long-term goals and aspirations for Yanie Eyewear
  • Are there plans to expand into new industries and international markets

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. This is part of our GSU radio series where we spotlight some of the great work that’s being done there at the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute. On today’s show, we have one of the people involved with the Main Street Entrepreneurship Seed Fund. It is Tatyana Langford with Yanni Eyewear. Welcome.

Tatyana Langford: Hi, Lee. Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. For the people who don’t know, can you share a little bit about Yanni eyewear? How you serving folks?

Tatyana Langford: Sure. Well, Yanni Eyewear. It’s basically a eyeglass company and we specialize in creating cool and innovative styles for people with severe dry eye disease or chronic eye dryness.

Lee Kantor: So what was the inspiration for the company? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Tatyana Langford: Well, I myself was diagnosed with severe dry eye disease back in 2020, and I just had a really hard time adjusting to everyday life with it because I had a hard time finding products that would provide me with long lasting relief and protect my eyes from harmful things that was agitating them. So since I couldn’t find anything, I just started experimenting and I realized that I created some at home remedies that was really working for myself. So I thought I should help others as well in my community.

Lee Kantor: Now, at the beginning, when you had this idea solve this problem for myself, did you so you started experimenting with different solutions in and around the glasses or the eye drops? Like in what areas were you trying to find a solution?

Tatyana Langford: Pretty much anything and everything. Like my entire way of life, I was just like experimenting on random things that would work on my eyes and eyeglasses was like one of the last things I experimented on. Honestly, I was pretty much at first experimenting on like my diet, the way I washed my face, my routines and things like that.

Lee Kantor: So then when you came up with some products, did you test them on other people that had it as well? Or this was you were using yourself as kind of the guinea pig for this?

Tatyana Langford: Yeah. So far I’ve been using myself as a guinea pig, but I have been talking to other people in the dry community and telling them about the features on the eye glasses, and they sound like it would really help them as well, and they’re eager for it.

Lee Kantor: So now is this something that through the Main Street fund that you’re going to be able to invest in doing that research and testing on other people?

Tatyana Langford: Definitely. I’m really glad about the main fund because it’s going to at first I’ve been bootstrapping, so now I’m going to get some much needed funding so I can actually start getting some products out there and be able to have other people try it on as well.

Lee Kantor: Right? Because that’s one of the things because this is I guess I would think it’s considered as a medical device.

Tatyana Langford: Yes. Medtech.

Lee Kantor: Right. So then you have to there’s a lot of rules. Like you can’t just, you know, set up a booth somewhere and start asking people to try things, right?

Tatyana Langford: No, we can’t. That’s really been a barrier. We’ve been figuring out how we can test it out without just using the same pair of glasses over and over again.

Lee Kantor: So now how many people have this severe dry eye disease? Is it something that’s more common than maybe people realize?

Tatyana Langford: Yes. At first when I was going to my doctors, they were telling me that I have this rare disease. That’s how they say it, like it’s a rare disease. And then they say it’s called severe dry eye disease. So in my head, I’m thinking it’s like a very small amount of people. And then when I started doing research, there is millions of people in America alone, roughly around 35 million people currently have severe dry eye disease and other related eye illnesses. And in the statistics are increasing by the day because technology is constantly harming our eyes.

Lee Kantor: Oh, that’s probably something that people don’t realize because they’re on their phone and they’re watching a screen so close to their face. It’s probably doing damage over time, right?

Tatyana Langford: It definitely is. In the past, it was really middle aged people or older elderly that was being diagnosed with severe dry eye disease. And now today, we’re seeing an increase in people that are 30 and younger being diagnosed with it because of technology.

Lee Kantor: Wow. So what has been kind of the funnest part for you to come up with this idea that’s obviously helpful to yourself, but also now you’re going to be able to come up with solutions that could impact lots of people.

Tatyana Langford: Well, the funnest part for me, honestly, has been the experimenting. I’ve always loved like I’m a little bit of a science nerd, so I really like experimenting with things and I love seeing a positive solution or result when I experiment. And also I just really enjoy receiving that relief because having dry eye is pretty painful to the eye. So when I do find experiment with something and realize something works and I get to have some relief, that’s a really good feeling.

Lee Kantor: So now on some of the things you’ve experimented with, you’ve really gained a lot of relief for yourself.

Tatyana Langford: Yes.

Lee Kantor: So noticeable relief.

Tatyana Langford: Yes, noticeable relief.

Lee Kantor: So when that happened, were you like, wow, this is I mean, you must have been so happy.

Tatyana Langford: Honestly? Yes. Um, yeah, It’s really a, um, a good feeling when you do find a positive result. And usually I kind of go to my dry community and always let them know, like, Hey, guys, I just found something else. It’s like an at home remedy. It doesn’t cost anything. And to try it out.

Lee Kantor: Now, what inspired you to even find out about the Main Street Fund? Like, how did you get how how did you get in the loop of that?

Tatyana Langford: Um, well, me. I go to Georgia State University and I my major is entrepreneurship. So last semester for spring, I was taking an amazing professor. I think her name is Professor Baila. Baila. And she was telling us about the make fund. And I was telling her about my company, Yani Eyewear. And she was like, It sounds amazing. Like, you definitely need to, um. Apply for this for this program. And I was thinking about applying because I was already in a previous program, but every time she saw me, she was like, Apply for this, apply for this, apply for this. So I was like, okay, I’m going to apply for this and I’m so glad I did.

Lee Kantor: Now, was it difficult to kind of go through where you have something in your head and then you have solutions that, you know, work for yourself at least and then try to explain that and pitch that to other people? Was that a hard thing to do or was that just, you know, you were good at kind of the salesmanship of that?

Tatyana Langford: Um, yes, it’s honestly, it was a little difficult at first because, again, a lot of people don’t really know about this medical illness, so I kind of have to walk through it and tell people what it is at first and how it affects people. And then I bring it around into how my product will help for it. So now I’ve got the hang of it. But yeah, at first it was a bit difficult.

Lee Kantor: So now you, you got because um, pitching your, your product or service or business is different than having a product and service business, right? Like it’s a little different skill. So are you comfortable, do you have a team? Are you in the process of building a team of people or is it just you?

Tatyana Langford: Right now it is just me right now. And yes, I am seeking other people, other co-founders.

Lee Kantor: So because. Because. Right. You need things like a website. You need to do the research. There’s a whole lot of elements to this because these kind of medtech businesses, there’s a lot of moving parts, you know, compared to somebody who has like a t shirt business.

Tatyana Langford: Yeah.

Tatyana Langford: Well, I do have a website. Um, but yes, we are seeking other to deep diver into the researching.

Lee Kantor: So now what has kind of been the biggest kind of takeaway from going through the Main Street program? What, what have you gained kind of the most aha moment where you’re like, okay, now I know I got to do this, I got to get this right or this thing may not work.

Tatyana Langford: Um. I’ve had a lot of aha moments at the Mercy Fund. They’ve helped me a lot. Honestly, before I was doing pretty good, but they helped me realize that I was. I was making a lot of common errors that, um, a lot of first time entrepreneurs make. Like, I didn’t have the paperwork that I really needed and they helped me get that situated. I’ve been bootstrapping and they’ve helped me a lot with funding, so now I can like focus on really expanding and improving my business. Um, they’ve also provided me with a lot of mentors. I myself have three mentors thanks to the program, so I get to ask each of them a question and get different forms of feedback on it, which has really helped significantly. Um, yeah. And then also we have weekly workshops as well, and most of them are like about different topics like marketing or customer discovery. I really enjoyed the customer discovery workshops because it helped me like hone in on the questions that I should be asking to get the best results. So I think that one was my biggest aha moment because I was already doing a lot of customer discovery in my community. But the instructor for that particular workshop let me know like, these are great questions, but you can improve them by asking this instead and doing this and watching their body language as well.

Lee Kantor: Now what what is kind of some of the big milestones and achievements you’ve reached so far?

Tatyana Langford: Um, I would say one of the biggest achievements I’ve reached so far was my website. I really wanted a place that people could visit, whether they was in the community or not, and just learn more about my product and my company and what we’re about. So now that I have that, I’m really happy about that. Also, just being accepted into this program. It was a really high competitive program, honestly. So being inside of it just helps me realize that yes, I do have a really good company. Other people also see the potential in it as well. Um, and also my prototype. I am getting a prototype currently made and it should be ready by demo day, so I’m really happy about that as well.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Tatyana Langford: Um, just spread more awareness about, um, severe dry eye disease. I think because technology is definitely not going anywhere, it’s just going to increase in our everyday lives that people should be aware that these screens are definitely harm your eyes and that you should protect them. So spreading the word about severe dry eye disease and about how Yani eyewear is. We specialize and we are we really want to protect honestly your eyes. So just spreading the word about Yanni eyewear and what we stand for.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more about Yanni eyewear, where do they go?

Tatyana Langford: They can go to our website or they can go to our LinkedIn account.

Lee Kantor: And what’s the website? What’s the URL? Yani eyewear.com and that’s why a n i.

Tatyana Langford: Yes, that’s how.

Lee Kantor: Right. That’s how you spell Yanni.

Tatyana Langford: Yes, y a n i e e y e w e a r.com.

Lee Kantor: Well, Tatiana, congratulations on all the success thus far. It’s exciting times for you and your company, and it seems like there’s a lot of potential ahead of you. Thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Tatyana Langford: Thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This Lee Kantor. We’ll see y’all next time on GSU radio.

About Our Sponsor

OnPay’sOnPay-Dots payroll services and HR software give you more time to focus on what’s most important. Rated “Excellent” by PC Magazine, we make it easy to pay employees fast, we automate all payroll taxes, and we even keep all your HR and benefits organized and compliant.

Our award-winning customer service includes an accuracy guarantee, deep integrations with popular accounting software, and we’ll even enter all your employee information for you — whether you have five employees or 500. Take a closer look to see all the ways we can save you time and money in the back office.

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Aleisha DuChateau With Utility Objects

by

Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Aleisha DuChateau With Utility Objects
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Aleisha DuChateau is a talented ceramic artist based in Atlanta, Georgia, who has been creating ceramic homewares under the brand name Utility Objects since 2018. Her distinctive style combines organic textures and glazes with a contemporary, handmade aesthetic.

Each piece she creates is rooted in showcasing the true essence of the raw clay she works with, often characterized by its speckled appearance. She draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including Japanese wabi-sabi, Scandinavian pottery, and even speckled bird eggs.

Utility Objects gained significant recognition in 2019 during a pottery fundraiser for Color of Change, an organization dedicated to combating racial injustice in America during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Since then, Utility Objects has successfully sold its work to high-end boutiques, galleries, design firms, and large brands like West Elm and Food52. The brand has also received notable press coverage, with features in publications such as Dwell Magazine, The New Yorker, Architectural Digest, Ceramic Review Magazine, and Southern Living.

Connect with Aleisha on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • How Aleisha got started
  • The most challenging piece she’s made
  • How she stays motivated and inspired in her work
  • What are her “go-to” resources for growing as a professional
  • Advice for people looking to stay relevant and successful in their careers in the long term

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:24] Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio, and this is one of my favorite series we do. It’s the GSU radio show where we spotlight all the good work that’s being done over there. And today we are going to be talking to somebody who’s participating in the Main Street Entrepreneurship Seed Fund. Aleisha DuChateau with Utility Objects. Welcome.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:00:48] Hi. Thank you for having me. Lee It’s an honor to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:51] Well, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about utility objects. How are you serving folks?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:00:57] Yeah. So utility Objects is a production design studio. It is based here in Atlanta, Georgia, where I specialize in crafting unique pottery home goods within the retail and wholesale markets.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:12] So are you the artist or are you the manufacturer or are you both?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:01:17] Yeah, I’m both. So I’m the founder. I’m also producing all of the work, designing and shipping them out. So juggling many different things.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:26] Now is the work you’re doing like for company would tell you, Hey, you know, we want a plate series or bowls and then you produce them for them on a regular basis. Or is it.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:01:38] Yeah, So so yes. So through my several wholesale markets, I deal with small businesses, especially around here in Atlanta. They submit a different orders that they curate themselves by viewing my catalog. Once they put that order in, I just go ahead and get to work and produce all of the work for them.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:00] So how did you get started? What was the genesis of the idea?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:02:04] Yeah, so in 2020 I was juggling several different jobs and I noticed that I was physically hard on my body and I was a bit unhappy at that time. And I was I just decided to just turn my hobby into a full time business. And I’ve been doing it ever since.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:26] So what got you started with pottery?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:02:30] So here at Georgia State, I took an extracurricular class, which was pottery, and it was really difficult at first, but I really enjoyed it. I loved working with my hands and I just kept on doing it. I got the pottery bug, so it was it was really fun and I just kept doing it ever since.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:53] So what was the first thing that you made?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:02:55] The first thing I made was a very heavy, clunky mug. It was mugs were very, very difficult for me to make in the beginning. And so I just kept making them constantly. And it’s it’s changed over time, over the years.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:12] So what’s your favorite thing to make?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:03:14] My favorite thing to make are my dimple cups. They’re very small cups that have a little indentation on them. It makes it very comfortable for the user to use. And it’s one of the ways. It’s one of the ways that I show my artistic expression.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:36] Now, when you’re designing something, are you designing it first for you and then you hope somebody else or the public likes it? Or is it something that somebody can come to you and say, I want something and then you just make it?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:03:49] Uh, it’s a little bit of both, honestly. I sort of have these ideas when I sit down and sketch things, and then I share it with people on my website, and I also offer customizable pottery. So if someone is looking for something very specific that they love, I’m so open to creating something for them. So something that’s more unique and tailored to something that they are interested in.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:22] Now, when did you start kind of realizing, Hey, I’m good at this and that I can make a living doing this?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:04:32] So it was around the same time I started the business. I realized that, Hey, this is something that makes me really, really happy. And during that time in 2020, I was doing several little artist markets and people were just really, really loving my work. And it just made me feel that I can share my work on a larger scale and I can turn it into a business and share it further.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:02] And then how has getting involved with Main Street helped?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:05:06] Getting involved with Main Street has helped a lot. Just being able to have access to resources where I can learn about finances, like my business finances, be able to engage with other small business people has been very helpful. Again, I have no I had no prior knowledge of how to run a business. And so just being able to have that community and being surrounded by people that can help me with my goals that I’m setting for myself has been really helpful.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] Now, has it been challenging? Sometimes maybe they ask you questions that are hard and you’re like, Wow, I didn’t think of that. You know? Did you start at any point, like questioning, Wow, am I can I do this?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:05:55] Yes. I’ve had had challenging moments like that, but it’s something that makes me stronger because I can tackle it. It makes me excited about this business. It’s just learning different things all the time and just being able to again, like reach out to people within the Main Street program for help is has been really helpful.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:25] So having being part of a community you think is really helpful in your case?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:06:31] Yes. Yes. It’s been a huge help.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:34] Now, is it hard to like switch hats from being the artist to the business owner, kind of doing the nuts and bolts of fulfilling and customer service and selling and all that stuff as opposed to, you know, being the creator where you’re just being playful and curious and things like that.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:06:57] It is a bit hard at times, but I think it’s an environment that I thrive in. I love multitasking and so naturally I just really enjoy going from designing and creating things on my pottery wheel to doing all the back end logistical stuff. It’s been really fun and I enjoy that. It’s definitely an area that I can grow in as well. And in the future, as my business grows, I can then delegate different tasks and work to other people, hopefully.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:36] Have you started building a team?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:07:38] No, not yet. It’s just me right now. I’m hoping within the next year that I can begin building a team.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:47] Now, how did you start getting kind of your first clients?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:07:53] So I got my first client, which was West Elm. It was during 2020.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:00] Well, that’s a that’s a big brand. Like. Yes, Yes.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:08:03] It’s a really big brand. During the time I was just making pottery on my porch in my apartment, and so I was just producing like eight pots per week, just like trying to make things for them. So they reached out to me and told me. But had they.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:23] Had they even know who you were, that you even exist?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:08:27] Yeah. So I was working with a fundraiser at the time. It was the color of change in response to the George Floyd incident. And I guess they might have seen me in an article during that time, and they reached out to me and said, Hey, we really like your work. And we would. Like to take you on as a partner. And it was a really exciting opportunity for me and also very scary because again, I was just making things in my apartment at the time, so it really gave me the opportunity to take the leap to get my own studio and make more work.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:11] And the confidence right to have somebody Like I thought when I asked, I thought you were like, Oh, it was my neighbor or my relative, You know, this is like a big brand that’s coming to you that that does this every day and sees something in you that, I mean, you must have been over the moon.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:09:27] Yes, I was really over the moon and scared, just feeling all kinds of things. And I still partner with them today. So it’s been a very, very good partnership and I’ve been growing, so it’s nice.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:40] Now, is that a situation where when you’re working with a brand like that and they say, Oh yeah, we’ll partner with you, and they put your stuff out there that like you could get a lot of orders, like that could overwhelm you, that, you know, how do you kind of manage the demand when you’re in a platform that has that much activity?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:10:04] Yes. So I managed the demand by just being able to set goals and be as organized as possible. If I’m dealing with five different orders at a time from that are large orders, I really have to be very strategic about how I’m going to tackle each order. Instead of doing one at a time, I could sort of, you know, make multiples at a time to be as efficient as possible. It’s definitely an area where I’m looking to grow. So if I get a team, I could, you know, sort of they can help me a bit with all of the demand that I’m getting currently.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:51] Now, the way you deliver the the finished product is, is it’s handmade, right? This isn’t mass produced, correct?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:10:59] Yes. No, it’s handmade right now. So it’s just me sitting at my pottery wheel hand making each item through each stage from glazing to firing everything in the kiln. And then I go to packaging everything by hand, just me.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:19] Now, part of that is by necessity, but part of it is you have an attraction to the the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, right? Where imperfections are part of the kind of the product, right? That it’s. Yes. Being imperfect and not exactly the same is kind of the point of working with you, right?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:11:42] Yes. Yes. I think it also tells a story as well, and it makes the product more unique. And I get to have my own artistic touch. So it’s really nice to have in people’s homes.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:57] Yeah, I’m a big fan of that. Can you share with our listeners, you know, the the thinking behind Wabi-sabi?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:12:05] Yeah. So the thinking behind Wabi-sabi is basically making an making art that sort of isn’t super perfect. It’s more imperfect and that can kind of tell a story. And there’s an artistic expression that’s left behind, and that’s sort of the concept of law based.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:29] Sabi Yeah, I think that a lot of people aren’t familiar with that. And and when you learn about it and you see how it, you know, the thinking behind it, it kind of gives you as a human some grace, right? Like to embrace your own imperfections. And you don’t have to polish everything up to be perfect, You know, just the way you are is kind of good enough.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:12:54] Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:57] So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:13:02] Um, I need more of just more hands, really. Just more people to get into my studio to help me make products, handmade products. And, you know, I can turn things out faster and get it into people’s homes.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:21] And for those who want to see some of your work or learn more about what you’re up to, is there a website?

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:13:28] Yeah. So they can visit utility dash dash objects.com to visit my online store. I’m also available through my wholesale partners West Elm Online and I’m also on Instagram at Utility Objects.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:46] Well, congratulations on all the success and the momentum you’ve got going. It’s an amazing story. I mean, to be discovered at the kind of beginnings of your career by a brand like that is just really a fantastic, amazing gift that was given to you. And it’s just amazing to hear the story.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:14:08] Thank you so much. I’m definitely really grateful for it.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:12] Well, you’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Aleisha DuChateau: [00:14:14] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:16] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GSU indie radio.

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Moira Vetter with Modo Modo Agency

by

Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Moira Vetter with Modo Modo Agency
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Moira Vetter is Founder & CEO of Modo Modo Agency, a strategic B2B marketing and branding agency serving Fortune 500 and hypergrowth mid-market companies.

She benefits from her 35 years of working client-side and agency-side across industries and organizations, driving brand leadership and market growth for leading global corporations.

Once a college dropout, she finished her degree when she was almost 40 and continues to push boundaries and expectations within both the business and marketing communities.

Outside the agency walls, she serves on the executive advisory boards of AMA Atlanta, KSU’s Coles College of Business, 48in48, and Campbell-Stone Retirement Community. She authored AdVenture: An Outsider’s Inside View of Getting an Entrepreneur to Market and contributed over 200 Forbes articles on how entrepreneurs raise capital and manage money.

She recently received the 2023 AMA Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the 2022 NAWBO Woman Business Owner of the Year.

Connect with Moira on LinkedIn and follow Modo Modo Agency on Facebook.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • All things B2B marketing
  • Winning Inc. 5000 for the fourth time
  • Moira’s experience in marketing.& advertising
  • Moira’s first book – currently writing a second.
  • The agency’s growth after the pandemic

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:24] Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Onpay. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Atlanta Business Radio, we have Moira Vetter with Moto Moto Agency. Welcome.

Moira Vetter: [00:00:42] Thanks so much. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] And I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Moto Moto. How are you serving folks?

Moira Vetter: [00:00:49] Yeah, so Moto Moto is a full service B2B integrated agency. And so B2B really is business to business means we’re serving really complex, large global organizations and we’ve got a whole lot of them here in Atlanta.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:05] So what’s your background? How’d you get involved in B2B marketing?

Moira Vetter: [00:01:08] Yeah, so I have been in B2B marketing actually longer than I have the agency side of the world. I’ve been in the B2B marketing arena for many, many years. I started in sales, and so that was really a very interesting kind of foundation for becoming a marketing and, you know, agency person, because I knew what marketing needed to do for my business.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:37] So once you did that, then you went out on your own to develop an agency to help other folks.

Moira Vetter: [00:01:43] I worked in several agencies. You know, again, Atlanta is a real stronghold of business to business, you know, kind of global brands. And so I worked at other agencies, so I was in leadership positions. I came up in the account service function. And then after running a couple other agencies, I decided I have to do this for myself. So launched Moto Moto about 16 years ago.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:08] And then what were your first clients pains that you were able to solve?

Moira Vetter: [00:02:13] You know, it was really interesting. We started the company just before the economic crash in 2008. And so, you know, the first few years of the company were very much all the disruption that happens when, you know, economies are really rocky. So there were a lot of companies that changed hands. So we worked with a lot of private equity companies that were buying up middle market companies, and a lot of companies were reinventing themselves, maybe diversifying into other markets to try to figure out where the strong markets were in a tough economy. And honestly, that served us really well in the long haul because, you know, whatever the challenge is, companies, particularly large leading companies, are always looking to pivot. So when you think about what happened during the pandemic and even right now, the economy is kind of interesting. Again, you know, we really kind of we began at a time when we were, you know, reinventing ourselves alongside our clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:14] So when they’re going through some sort of transition, you’re a good partner for them to help them rethink that and to maybe change the strategy a little or help them kind of implement a new strategy.

Moira Vetter: [00:03:25] Exactly. And, you know, companies are always in a transition. It’s just when the stakes are really high and there’s a lot of, you know, global change, you know, not just like soft change management, like, well, we’re going to have to do things a little differently. But, you know, when the world is changing and whole industries are evolving, you know, companies need good partners who can be really smart, you know, nimble, flexible, have a lot of, you know, references in their history to draw from in terms of, well, you know, we’ve worked with companies that went through something, you know, maybe not exactly this, but, you know, similar pressures or changes. And so I think, you know, our clients really turn to us. It’s it is a partnership. You know, it is not simply a business relationship. It’s absolutely a partnership.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:17] Now, are there niches that you serve or do you you know, B2B is broad, so are there certain kind of industries that you specialize in or is it pretty much industry agnostic?

Moira Vetter: [00:04:26] Well, I mean, it could be industry agnostic, but there absolutely are some, you know, sort of pockets of strength. I think technology, again, a lot of this has to do with where we are, right? Atlanta is a huge market for technology, particularly payments and financial services. You know, we just really have a lot of depth in that area. And then also health care. Health care is such a it’s like an octopus, right? It’s a constantly changing thing. The ecosystem changes. There’s a lot of consolidation in the market with companies buying and selling. So that turns out to be, you know, a very interesting market. And then manufacturing, you know, complex goods and services, you know, in a, you know, maybe a vertically integrated supply chain. Right. Something that has. Million touch points. Those are all things that are difficult to wrap your head around, sometimes really hard to market if you don’t have the business background. And that’s where our strengths are.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:36] Now, when you got into this, how did you visualize building out a team and and going and, you know, being 16 years in now? How has the kind of where you’re at today, is it matching your vision of when you started?

Moira Vetter: [00:05:51] Yeah, I think it’s you know, I have always been a lifelong learner, which is, you know, you’re kind of looking at how people have done things and what things seem to work. And then you’re also looking forward and, you know, kind of sniffing to see what what feels like it might work in the future. And, you know, we’ve always been there. We’ve we’ve looked at what other agencies do. We’ve looked at what management consulting firms do, because in many ways, we’re a consultancy. You know, in addition to being an agency. So I think large professional services firms, we’ve drawn a page out of that. And then, you know, some of it is really building alongside your clients. We talk a lot about co-creation and, you know, you can only learn so much from the past. You know, you can only look back and know what has worked for these companies and these environments. But if you actually look at your customers and go figure out what’s happening to them and find out the best ways you can compliment them and, you know, really fill the role to, you know, to plug the holes that they have.

Moira Vetter: [00:07:03] You know, that is the best way to kind of, you know, evolve your model. We also had a relationship with Gartner and their industry analysts that traditionally were technology analysts, but they also made an acquisition several years ago of the company that did Challenger marketing. And so they also cover the marketing ecosystem. And really looking at what Gartner analysts are seeing in the the marketing space, you know, given the evolution of marketing technologies, right, all the the marketing automation systems and all the ad platforms and everything that’s happening with technology and marketing, it’s created an opportunity for some of these analysts to not not really speculate, but, you know, research and talk to people. And they were already talking to large companies, you know, in terms of what solutions they were seeking and how they were solving problems. And so we also had a relationship with Gartner. So we were really, you know, in real time looking at what innovators are doing, not just, you know, historically looking at what did Madison Avenue companies do or how did other agencies scale.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:19] Now, you mentioned consulting as part of your service. How do you kind of differentiate consulting from agency work?

Moira Vetter: [00:08:30] You know, I don’t know that we differentiate it. I think I think the way we approach any way we help a client is very consultative in nature. So we’re not productized, we’re not selling sets of, you know, some companies you go to and they say, well, we have these three things that we do and you can buy this, that or the other. And we always start with what are your challenges, right? What is happening in your business, in your marketplace, to your customers, and where do you fit and what is difficult for you to do from a sales and marketing standpoint or what jobs you know, is your brand not currently doing for you that would raise your credibility? And then we talk about, okay, so if that’s the challenge, how do you solve for those things? And then you know what what services do you need to kind of help that? So, you know, I don’t think we find out if people want a consultant or want an agency. I think increasingly they expect that you can do whatever they’re going to need. So I think of it more as a style of approaching clients, the consultative side of the world.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:48] So you’re working kind of shoulder to shoulder with them to help them solve a problem of which your specialty is marketing and advertising.

Moira Vetter: [00:09:58] Yes, Yeah. And it goes broader than just the marketing and advertising from the standpoint of corporate communications and really complicated global companies. You know, it can include employee communication. So internal comms, you know, anytime you have a complex organization with complicated things, there are a lot of people that need to be on the same. Hedge to effectively do what you do, right, to deliver the goods, to support the things. And so, you know, I feel like that’s really what we’re trying to do is is help. Help our clients understand the best solutions, the best brand solutions, the best communications applications to bring and align all those stakeholders. Obviously, again, it’s a strange economy at the moment and so people are very focused on demand gen and you know, how do we increase leads or how do we get more quality leads in the door? But you know, we, we round the corner of the economy and, you know, even if you just go back nine months ago, people weren’t saying, how do I sell more things? They were all saying, how are we going to find new team members to be this company that we’re trying to be now? And so we did a lot of recruitment, marketing, and we did employer branding. So, you know, from our perspective, it’s just a different side of the brand story.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:32] So when you’re approaching whatever the challenge is, your methodology is kind of similar, that it starts by just asking questions about, you know, what is the outcome they desire, and then kind of drilling deep within that amongst, you know, around their culture and their kind of uniqueness.

Moira Vetter: [00:11:50] Yes. But I also think that a huge part of our responsibility is not just asking what they want to accomplish, but challenging whether it’s possible to accomplish what they want to accomplish. And part of that is done by talking to the audiences themselves, right? Talking to those stakeholders. You know, I think you could just show up to somebody and say, Hey, what do you want to be known for? Okay, so we’re going to go tell the world that you’re that over and over and over and louder and louder until they believe it. And we we are more like the people that show up and say, what do you want to be known for? And they’ll say X and we’ll say, Well, you know, there’s already three companies that are known for that. Is it possible for us to talk to your customers? Okay, we’ll talk to whatever lost customer key customer, different subsets and come back and say, it’s funny, you wanted to be known for X, but but they all think of you as y and y. Seems like it’s even higher value. What if we framed your positioning this way? You know? So that’s kind of the way we approach it. And I think it’s critical to know what companies want to be known for and how they want to lead. But, you know, you have to do that in service to a market. And so we we frequently talk about we put market before marketing because we don’t want to know all the marketing activity you want to do first. We want to understand what markets you’re trying to lead in and you know how you’re positioned to be the best, you know, there. And then we can talk about the activity that will help reinforce that or, you know, expand your your reach.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:37] So when you’re kind of having these I mean, that seems to me a difficult conversation that not every marketer would want to have. You know, kind of just saying, well, you tell me you’re great at ABC, but, you know, I talk to your clients and they think you’re better at D.F.. Is that like, how do you manage that expectation? I mean, that’s a not everybody’s going to be like, Well, that’s nice, but we want to be ABC and we’re paying you. Like, how do you kind of manage their expectations?

Moira Vetter: [00:14:10] Yeah, if we do our job right, we are working with people that want somebody that’s challenging them. So, you know, there are a lot of people that, look, we’ve done our research, we know who we are, we know what we want to be, and we need somebody to help us get the word out, you know, and that’s one kind of people. And the good news is when that’s what you want to do, you don’t have to spend as much money on research. You don’t have to spend as much money on expertise because you’ve done a lot of that work and you really are looking for an execution partner. We are a thought partner with our clients and so the people that hire us are higher up the food chain, right? These are C-suite people usually or very high level VP’s who know what they know and know what they don’t know. And they’re looking for somebody that they can trust to come in and really help them find find out what they don’t know, you know, so that they can make bigger, you know, incremental impacts with the with the marketing effort.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:15] And that’s great. That’s great advice for every business owner to really be clear on who is your best fit client so you can serve them to the. Best of your ability. So by you positioning yourself that way, you can eliminate a lot of potential clients that just don’t fit that mold.

Moira Vetter: [00:15:34] Exactly. And and you know, the nice thing is, you know, we have a lot of partners. We’ve done what we’ve done. You know, we’ve got a great network and we know tons of people. So if we you know, and it’s very common that we talk to somebody and they say, look, we’re really just looking for these, you know, great designers or, you know, we have this great in-house team and we have an insights team and we’ve got great design. We just need good content. You know, if what they need is really singular, we know a whole bunch of people that are really great at the one singular thing. And we can we can make referrals because we also the last thing you want is to have somebody say, That’s nice, we don’t do that. Sorry. You know, we’re really interested in understanding the kinds of partnerships people need and the kinds of things that they’re trying to accomplish. And then whether it’s us or not, we want to put them in the hands of the best people to solve those kinds of challenges.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:32] Now, you mentioned some of the niches that are kind of sweet spot areas for you. Are those all like super large enterprise level organizations or can they be startups or funded startups? Like is there kind of a size component?

Moira Vetter: [00:16:46] Yeah.

Moira Vetter: [00:16:46] Yeah. We we do not do startups, so we have two sizes. So let’s call them the big boys, right? So billion dollar plus could be publicly traded or privately held, either one or Challenger. And so I mentioned Gartner before and it works the same in the Forrester network as well. There’s they’re constantly indexing the global leading companies, the people that are nipping at their heels which in Gartner world is is challengers. Right. The people that are mid market and really growing aggressively let’s say the the Inc 5000 right. Or the Inc 500 companies. And those are the areas that we focus on because especially where B2B is concerned, if you are a small, mature company that is, let’s say $20 Million or less, you probably don’t have any marketing budget. You may not even have a marketing department, you probably have not worked with an agency. You may be very focused on, you know, a sales model, right? Sales driven, you know, or a channel marketing, you know, where you work through ISOs or value added resellers and marketing may not even be on your radar. But once you get up into that 100 million, $200 million arena all the way up to the billion dollar plus, then your organization’s maturity has gotten to the place where you have a marketing function, you know, usually these days anyway. And this really did happen a lot in the pandemic. All of a sudden B2B CMO’s got their day right and people understand there needs to be more investment.

Moira Vetter: [00:18:42] You have to be able to be digital. You can’t solely rely on, you know, man to man selling. You have to have that kind of marketing sophistication. And also I think the evolution of account based marketing and a lot of the technologies that support that kind of key account selling, you know, in in our arena, there was a study that the Association of National Advertisers did with LinkedIn, and they have determined that in a business to business, an average business to business sale, there are approximately 17 decision makers that are a part of that. And I’m trying to get the right number. But it’s it’s you know, we used to always say 9 to 12 months, but I think it’s like 11 to 18 months to sell a really complex B2B offering, high ticket item sale. And so, you know, you you can’t just run any run one of anything and do the job. You have to be invested in marketing and invested in knowing what customers need to sort of move that large committee through a consideration cycle. And so that’s those those larger companies, you know, 2 million, 200 million and up. Those are the companies that we’re really working with because then we’re not there trying to defend why they should be doing marketing. They already know that we’re trying to really collaborate with them on the best ways to test marketing and the best ways to reach those audiences. To to make their goals happen.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:25] Now, do you have any advice for maybe business owners who are approaching the level that you can work with them, but they’re not there yet? What are some of the things they should be doing in order to get to that last level, the next level, in order to be appropriate for you as a appropriate client for you?

Moira Vetter: [00:20:45] Yeah. Um, I think, you know, and there’s a lot of talk about, um, you know, certain professions where everybody thinks there’s an expert and, you know, the real expert in whether marketing what, what kind of marketing works for your company is your customer, not some internal committee. So I think the kinds of companies that instead of spending six months asking everybody, do you like this one, do you like how do you like how this headline reads? You know, do you think we should go with this concept or that concept? The people that make that really personal and ask everybody for a long time need to stop doing that and quickly say, you know what, It’s either A or B, and we’re going to test it and we’re going to let the buying audience tell us. And that is something that you really see in those smaller companies. There’s still this very here’s what Bob wants it to say. Instead of let’s see what customers respond to or let’s see what customers that are repeat purchasers respond to or let’s see what the highest margin customers respond to most. And let’s, you know, do more of that. I think any of those things where you more quickly put something in the market and you test it so that the market can tell you that’s that’s really where you see that rapid growth start to take place.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:12] So getting real data instead of just all your smart folks in a room with a whiteboard.

Moira Vetter: [00:22:18] Yep, yep.

Moira Vetter: [00:22:19] You just have to stop That mean all those smart people should be talking to whether you have an inside agency, you know, with a lot of people have an internal marketing department and they’ve built what they call their own internal agency or an external agency. Let all those smart people at the whiteboard talk in advance of a concept being presented and then narrow it down to the two strongest contenders and then launch it in a test instead of, you know, sitting on it for nine months.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:53] So talking to your customers is an important component of your the way you go to market.

Moira Vetter: [00:22:58] Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:23:00] And do you think Go ahead. Do you think that people are just afraid to do that? They’re afraid of what they’re going to hear? Is that why they’re hesitant or are they just never thought of that?

Moira Vetter: [00:23:09] I think, yeah, there’s a lot of things, you know, sometimes in large organizations, you know, existing customers who certainly in B2B are your best customers, salespeople and account managers can be very proprietary. And I understand that, right? You don’t want you don’t want to get any surprises, right? You think everything’s going great, and then they tell others that, you know, something, something should be different. But particularly in B2B, again, you’re not dealing with unlimited audiences. You’ve got usually finite audiences that hopefully have some infinite areas of need and you know where you can come up with recurring revenue and you owe it to yourself to be talking to them. And the best companies that I know, the senior executives are going and talking to those customer. And there’s a culture of, you know, visiting right along, even as an example, you know, in the consumer marketplace, you always see, you know, people in the malls, right, talking to doing man and woman on the street interviews. And you know what what you see a lot in the B2B world is you will have companies that have a customer advisory council. And so you might have, you know, your top 20 clients and you do you put together sort of an informal board with that customer advisory group and you bring them together, You maybe bring in an outside speaker so they get some value add and they’re learning. And then also you often our clients will be, you know, sharing product roadmaps with them and saying, Hey, we’re thinking of going here. What does that sound like to you? Would you change that? Or which of these things are most compelling to you? The companies that want to be and are the leading companies are not afraid to have that conversation. And, you know, we like courageous people. And sometimes working with somebody who can have an outside in perspective or have some of that data makes it easier to be courageous because you’re not guessing.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:22] So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Moira Vetter: [00:25:27] Uh, what could we have more of?

Lee Kantor: [00:25:30] What do you need more of?

Moira Vetter: [00:25:32] Yeah, I think. I think we need more people that are willing to do that. Ab testing I’m talking about. So as an example, for many years people have been putting in place account based marketing software or trying to better connect their their marketing automation systems between their sales and their marketing groups. And they talk a lot about testing and they do a lot of research. And at the moment of truth, it seems to me that often what happens is we have two really great ideas that we would like to test, and somebody just decides we’re going to go with the one we all like the best. Instead of testing. I still feel like there’s not enough testing happening. There’s a there’s a lot of talking about testing, but there’s not enough testing. In my early career, before I even worked in the agency world, I was a sales person first and then I did direct response newsletters. And you want to talk about old school? It was number ten envelopes. And you know, you were testing the headline on the outside of an envelope and you would be blown away at, you know, everyone would say, there’s nothing creative here.

Moira Vetter: [00:26:58] You’ve got you know, one of them has a buck slip, one doesn’t or they’re all in number ten envelopes, but one has this headline, one has the other. But the beauty of it was you really were controlling your variables. You always just had one thing that was different, whether it was a headline or an insert or the offer you were testing. And so you got so much valuable data on not only what people want, but what they will respond to or respond to quickly. You know, what will make them be repeat customers. And I do feel like that there needs to be a lot more of that, especially in a world that we’ve just gone through the last three years where nothing is the same as it used to be, you know? So there’s a lot less reliable, there are less reliable models to turn to because so many things have changed. And the way you quickly find out what works best when you’re in a state of constant change is to test.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:00] Yeah. And it’s so much easier to test things nowadays than it was back then.

Moira Vetter: [00:28:05] It really is.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:06] And it’s funny that you mentioned that because it’s so much easier and yet it seems like we’re doing it less or we’re not thinking that’s important. Whereas back in the day, especially in that world of direct response, they were testing all kinds of crazy things that people would think would be, you know, irrelevant. But they were wanting to know, you know, like you said, from the font to the color to the, you know. Exactly. So it’s and now it’s so easy to just test everything and and people are hesitant. I attribute a lot of it to the fear of they’re kind of afraid of what. Might bubble up out of this.

Moira Vetter: [00:28:44] Exactly. Well, you know, and I recently I had somebody say something to me and it was a prospect. It’s not a customer. It was a prospect we talked to. And I haven’t heard this one in a long time, but I remember we used to have one of my agencies. We had we would work with the sales teams and you’d have the person that would say, Well, we can’t offer that because if we do, we’re going to end up getting ten times the inbound call volume and we won’t be able to keep up with the demand, right? It was I remember there was a whole period of time where everything was, if it works, we just won’t be able to keep up with the demand. And I’m not saying it’s not, you know, a wonderful problem to have, but I don’t think it’s the it’s not usually the the key use case. I don’t think people should stop. I think they should be delighted to find out that. Okay, we broke the phone system because we had so much demand. Right. We have a phone system.

Lee Kantor: [00:29:47] Right. Let’s solve that problem. That’s a better problem to solve.

Moira Vetter: [00:29:50] Exactly.

Moira Vetter: [00:29:52] Or broke the Internet, Right. We had so many people hit the site, we broke our server and we had to upgrade to a better, you know, environment or any of any of those things. I think those are better than trying to control demand.

Lee Kantor: [00:30:07] So now you’ve written a book and you’re writing a second. Can you talk about the importance of having a book or the process that you went through in your first book?

Moira Vetter: [00:30:16] Yeah. I’m going to say, first of all, the importance of having a book. Ricky Steele, who’s sort of an Atlanta legend, likes to call a book his $8 business card. And, you know, it’s it’s kind of in many regards, it is a way to prove you’re credible in something. For me, I think doing the first book and for anybody a first book is do I have enough information in me that’s useful? You know, can I can I go through this process? And once I got through that part and went, Oh, I can write a book, it can be good, it can have good information, I can support it. Once I did that, I was like, Wow, why didn’t I write it about this? Or now, you know, some new dynamic we were seeing. And so, you know, I’m writing something more holistically about the brands that we serve. My first book was more about the entrepreneurial process and going from the very beginning of a business through scale, you know, either to going public or selling or divesting, you know, maybe to private equity. And that’s whole middle ground when you’re scaling up and you’re getting investors. Because I have worked my whole career with a lot of companies going through that pursuit. But what I thought about after the fact was, so people think I’m a startup person because it was about starting and scaling.

Moira Vetter: [00:31:53] And I think, you know, really where we work more is not on that start startup side of the business. It’s in that scale maturity and sophistication, how to how to stay out of air quotes, maturity, how to move into constantly being an innovator, you know, and you know, the 100 year startup, not a startup. And so, you know, I think that, you know, one thing I will say, I also write and I am a writer, you know, I was a contributor to Forbes and wrote over 200 pieces for Forbes. And the one thing that gets me and it’s just not for me and I’m sure it’s for a lot of people, but there’s there’s a huge group of people that are like, get a ghostwriter, man. You know, you get somebody else to get these ideas out of your head. And for a lot of people, it’s about sharing what they know and they can’t write, but they want their knowledge in a book, right? And so that is a wholly different exercise than for me writing a book, which was I want to put the words down that represent what I know and I want to write it in an engaging way that I think will entertain people and educate people and intrigue people. And so for me, writing a book was literally about writing it, not getting the content on the page.

Lee Kantor: [00:33:26] Right. So that’s much more personal and it’s much more difficult.

Moira Vetter: [00:33:32] Yeah.

Moira Vetter: [00:33:32] And make no mistake, it is in service to the audience, but it’s a different exercise. Writing for an audience, you know, then just satisfying them with information.

Lee Kantor: [00:33:48] Well, if somebody wants to connect with you or somebody on your team and learn more about Moto Moto or the books, what is the coordinates?

Moira Vetter: [00:33:56] Yes, the coordinates would be. So we are. Moto, Moto, Agency.com. And of course, we’re on LinkedIn and Twitter and I. Linkedin is where I live. So that’s that’s the best thing now for the agency folks. We’re also on Instagram and that’s very fun and entertaining. But if you’re a C-level business executive, hit me up on LinkedIn.

Lee Kantor: [00:34:21] Good stuff. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Moira Vetter: [00:34:26] Thank you so much. It was great talking to you today.

Lee Kantor: [00:34:28] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you next time on Atlanta Business Radio.

About Our Sponsor

OnPay’sOnPay-Dots payroll services and HR software give you more time to focus on what’s most important. Rated “Excellent” by PC Magazine, we make it easy to pay employees fast, we automate all payroll taxes, and we even keep all your HR and benefits organized and compliant.

Our award-winning customer service includes an accuracy guarantee, deep integrations with popular accounting software, and we’ll even enter all your employee information for you — whether you have five employees or 500. Take a closer look to see all the ways we can save you time and money in the back office.

Follow OnPay on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

Justin Bartley With Visionary Muzik Academy

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Atlanta Business Radio
Atlanta Business Radio
Justin Bartley With Visionary Muzik Academy
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Justin Bartley, Founder of  Visionary Muzik Academy

They are a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) enriched music program serving youth of all ages.

In their program, they utilize music as a tool to empower all scholars with the skills, values and cultural understanding to successfully navigate high school and beyond by striving to increase student engagement and commitment.

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

  • How VMA started
  • What separates VMA from other music programs
  • Success stories

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio. Brought to you by on pay. Atlanta’s New standard in payroll. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:25] Lee Kantor here another episode of Atlanta Business Radio, and this is a very special one. This is part of the GSU radio series where we spotlight some of the great work that’s being done at GSU. And this is particularly important because this is part of the Main Street Entrepreneurship Seed Fund. This is a group of entrepreneurs that are trying to make it with the help of the Main Street Entrepreneurship Fund and GSU. And we have one of the participants, Justin Bartley, and he is with Visionary Muzik Academy. Welcome, Justin.

Justin Bartley: [00:00:58] Hey, Lee, Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Visionary Music Academy. How are you serving folks?

Justin Bartley: [00:01:06] All right. Well, I’m the founder of Visionary Music Academy school program for music production and songwriting. But we focus on the students who are in our program just a tad bit more than the music I’ve been teaching for about 14 years now. And then just listening to the feedback from my students and over that time, teaching this program has kind of just born out of what the children had to say. You know, music has been taught the same way traditionally for so long. I just believe it’s time to shake it up. My kids believe that it was time to shake it up. And here we are, Visionary Music Academy.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:43] So can you talk about the genesis of the idea? When did you kind of say, you know what, I have some ideas about a curriculum that might be a different or better way to do this. How did that come about? Can you talk about kind of the beginnings?

Justin Bartley: [00:01:56] Yes, well, absolutely. The very beginnings. My first year in education, I was a kindergarten teacher and I was blessed to be given the opportunity to slide in as the music teacher. However, the school didn’t have much of a budget for traditional, you know, classroom instruments, soundproof walls, and a lot of the intricate things that take place in music classrooms that, you know, we don’t always think about. So I had to get creative in order to have an effective class. And one thing I knew I was going to have every day, we might not have instruments, but I knew I was going to have students every day. So we started learning and working with body percussion, learning how to make sounds and create sounds with the things around us literally having no instruments. My wife brought a little voice recorder halfway through my first year and I started recording the things that were happening in class, and I said, Well, you know, this is actually kind of special. This is not in any music curriculum, in any music theory class I might have studied. This is something being created right now in the moment, and it’s worth capturing. It’s worth being a part of a music class. And I believe it was worth including in music education. So just from the recordings of early voices, early ideas from the kids each year of teaching, the program kind of just evolved into what it is.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:16] Now and then when did you start realizing, Hey, you know what? This is something that can be its own business. This doesn’t have to just be one class in it, you know, throughout the day or throughout the week at a school. This is something that valuable enough to the community that could stand alone and people will come and participate.

Justin Bartley: [00:03:36] You know. Well, to be honest, um. I’ve always felt like it could be, but I wasn’t sure what the avenues were to make that a reality. And Main Street really opened the doors for me to see that there is way, you know, there are ways to make opportunities for the class to still be as valuable as it would be in the school, but just taking it to other places. So our main street really helped me see the capabilities and also just, um, you know, having a family of my own. I love teaching all day, but I would love to be able to be, you know, just in control of more of my time and still doing what I love. And I’ve been learning that week by week, workshop by workshop. Chile’s has been a blessing.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:17] So how has Main Street helped you kind of discover the possibilities? What are some of the the things that they were asking you about and maybe guiding you towards?

Justin Bartley: [00:04:31] So I think Thank you. That’s actually a really good question. Just for me personally, Um, I think I’ve been focused on what happens in the classroom for so long. Um, I haven’t done the best job of taking what I know is valuable out into the outside world, outside of the classroom and the stories that the children are telling the music that they’re creating. Um, it’s so important that now my main street has helped me to kind of light a new fire into finding ways to share that music with the world, to share those stories with the world. And that’s kind of the drive, you know, it’s kind of pushing me to to explore a new identity, like a new intersection in my educational practice and in just in my life. Brightness. So, um, I think does that answer the question?

Lee Kantor: [00:05:23] Sure. Now, for the people who aren’t familiar, can you explain what is what makes a visionary music academy special and different? What how is it different than maybe some of the other programs that are more, you know, kind of been doing the same thing? That’s been done before?

Justin Bartley: [00:05:43] Oh, man. I think the what makes it special, what makes every single group special is the the purpose is not just to create music. A lot of other music programs are, you know, elite in precision and practice and and just habits. I’m a trained, you know, trained trombonist myself. And there are certain things that I do find valuable that I learn from traditional music education. But there’s also just a component of self that I feel like has been missing in music. I believe music is connective. So everything that we do in Visionary Music Academy starts with connecting, connecting as a group, connecting with our communities, making connections with music. Um, you know, we live in a world that’s moving so fast, focusing on, okay, we’re going to find this new trade, learn it, master it, and then we share it. Well, now that’s a beautiful part of it. That happens in that in that practice, when you really learning the instrument or you growing and you stretching yourself. And I believe sometimes we can rush through it. So I focus on the kid. We focus on just holistic development first and finding out who you know each child is and that person is who’s going to start creating music. They find out you know who they are, what they gravitate to, how they want to connect with music, and then they engage as opposed to just picking an instrument and having that. So I like to take my time and getting to know every, every, every scholar who participates in visionary music academy and helping them set their goals and achieve those goals.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:17] So can you share can you can you share with the listener maybe what an early class looks like for them if they were to participate? What what can they expect to happen?

Justin Bartley: [00:07:30] So in early in the early stages of visionary music, we are trying to deconstruct some of the things that we might be carrying with us every day that are the result of anything any preexisting idea that is not coming from our genuine self, from our authentic selves. For example, if you go into a music studio and somebody gives you the headphones and points you to a microphone, you might think, Hey, I have to sound a certain way. I have to mimic a certain artist, my favorite singer, I have to be you know, I have to meet some level of quality before what I put out into the world is acceptable. So the first few weeks, the first few classes we work on breaking those those misunderstandings and misconceptions down and understanding that the most important thing that we’re going to create together is a representation of ourselves, a representation of who’s behind that microphone, who’s got the pencil in their hand. It’s not me writing the songs. Every song that we’ve ever created and posted has been 100% written by the kids. So that’s the that’s the the angle we take. It’s uncomfortable at first. So a lot of the first few classes are just getting to know yourself. Um, getting to understand that the reality that every kid brings to a classroom or to every arena they’re in is valid, their reality is valid. So that’s the, that’s the first few classes before we even really touch any musical apparatus or any, any controllers or music production gear. We just break down misconceptions and start being ready to unlearn the things that have been staring us in the wrong direction and receive whatever else is out there for us to grow in.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:12] Yeah, that brings up an important point. A while ago I interviewed a woman that shared this about artists. She said that when a child is in like kindergarten or pre K or first grade, they think everybody’s an artist. Everybody believes they’re an artist. But when they get around fifth grade, only a handful of people still think of themselves as artists that they’ve, you know, somebody has criticized them or somebody has give them wrong information and they’ve kind of squashed that ability to be an artist. And only the handful of people that could really draw well consider themselves artists at that stage. And it’s really sad that in my mind, everybody is an artist and, you know, the people who aren’t choosing a path or at least a hobby in the arts is they’re doing it because of their own kind of baggage they’re carrying. It has nothing to do with the reality that’s within them.

Justin Bartley: [00:10:12] Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that’s a very important piece. Like you said, we live in a world man where we’re judged on the out of the ten thing or the nine things we might do right out of ten. You know, we get judged on the one thing that we can be better at, and that’s an idea that we got. You know, kids don’t deserve to walk around, you know, bearing the weight of failure or or feeling like their best isn’t enough. We got to take time and rebuild those values in our culture, in our society, man. So that’s really a huge component of what Visionary Music Academy is.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:44] Now, is there an age group that you specialize in, or is there a range of ages that are the most appropriate for VMA?

Justin Bartley: [00:10:51] So right now, I’m targeting middle school to high school students, just as I’ve spent the majority of my career teaching kindergarten through eighth grade. And I’ve seen the fruits of the program. Right now, I’m teaching middle school fifth through eighth grade. And these are students that have been with me since they’ve been in kindergarten. So I’m able to track their stories from, you know, being five years old to 13 years old. And now I’ve got students who have graduated college and, you know, pursuing careers now. So I eventually hope to have a program in place for all ages, five years old, all the way through life, 25 years old, man, there’s no age. You know what I mean? That encouragement is too much. There’s no age too, that there shouldn’t be an age cap on on, you know, when a young mind or a young person stops receiving encouragement or stops feeling free to explore their dreams and their passions. So as long as the doors of Visionary Music Academy are open, the prayer is that we will be able to serve all ages, all young people.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:56] Is there a story you can share that maybe somebody that’s gone through the program and has been able to get to a new level?

Justin Bartley: [00:12:03] Yes, I have a few. One, the first one that comes to mind, there’s a young lady who was in my class my first year teaching at my current school ten years ago. She was a seventh grader in my class, wanted to be the first person in her family to finish school. She was writing songs, writing poems, rapping about wanting to become a pediatric nurse. Um. May 20th, 23, She graduated from Georgia Southern, the campus down in Savannah with her degree in nursing. A few weeks ago she texted me, Hey, just let you know. I got my I got my nursing license. I’m a registered nurse getting ready to be a, you know, working at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. So that story to me, she literally has changed the trajectory of her entire family just by doing what she set out to do. She started writing about it, started rapping about it, and she started doing it from seventh grade all the way through life. And now she’s well on the road to be, you know, a success, a legend in her community, a legend in her family. And that’s the story I share with my current students. Every new group. She’s still here. She pops in. She comes and helps kids, you know, with their verses. So the idea her story is still being written. So the most beautiful thing about the program is we keep you know, we keep the doors open for for all young people to keep coming back and keep creating more stories and inspiring new stories. So.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:30] Well, congratulations on that. The impact is real and it must be very rewarding for you to see that happen. Something you dreamed of in your head to come to reality and impact not only an individual, but, like you said, their family and the community around them. And it goes beyond the music, right? This is the her success. The music maybe is a soundtrack to it, but it doesn’t have to be the career path for it.

Justin Bartley: [00:13:56] Precisely. Precisely. That is it. It’s about the music. Again, like you said, it’s one of the byproducts. But the idea is taking a community, specifically young voices who are usually marginalized and often brushed to the side. And my job is to help them maximize their voice, to help them, you know, become valuable assets in their community, wherever that is, wherever life takes them. I want them to feel comfortable and passionate about what they believe in, being able to voice what they believe in anywhere they go. So that’s absolutely it, man. It’s we’re truly trying to build a family, man. We make it a real family experience.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:32] So what do you need more of? How can we help?

Justin Bartley: [00:14:36] Um, right now. I need more. I’m going to need a team Right now. It’s just me. Um, and now that I’ve seen the program work and I feel like I’ve acquired just enough experience to hopefully inspire more people to come on board and implement the same values that we’ve built and visionary music in more places. It’s it’s bigger, like you said, it’s bigger than music. Um, these are things that the school doesn’t necessarily have time to slow down and hone in on. We’re focusing on the social, emotional learning and support of, of every child that we encounter. And our schools definitely have programs and, you know, fail safes in place to try to do as much as possible. We can never do enough, you know what I mean? We live, like I say, these times. It’s a different day and age now, man. And every every medium, everything that we can do to help these kids, I think is necessary.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:31] So if somebody wants to learn more, connect with you or learn more about VMA, what is the coordinates for that? Is it do you have a website? Is there any social media place for people to kind of plug in or just connect with you on LinkedIn? What’s the best way?

Justin Bartley: [00:15:47] Absolutely. To connect with me on LinkedIn. Justin Bartley On LinkedIn, our Instagram page is at Visionary Music Music, and we spell it differently because we do it differently. Um, so that’s where we are right now. The website is currently under construction, but also you can find the music on SoundCloud, just Google Us Visionary Music Academy. We are on SoundCloud, we’re on Apple Music, Spotify. Hey Alexa, play visionary music. Siri play visionary music. We’ll pop up. So yeah, man, we have songs, um, with no promotion, no marketing, no real marketing scheme. We have about 120,000 plays so far, you know, from just about every country that has Internet. So, you know, the messages are getting told, the stories are being heard, the kids are being represented. I’m just ready to take it to the next level.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:38] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today, Justin. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Justin Bartley: [00:16:44] Hey, that means a lot coming from you, man. Thank you, Lee. I appreciate.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:47] It. All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GSU ENI radio.

About Our Sponsor

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