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Decision Vision Episode 55: Should I Change My Customer Profile? – An Interview with Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

March 12, 2020 by John Ray

Mike Blake and Andy Goldstrom

Decision Vision Episode 55: Should I Change My Customer Profile? – An Interview with Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

Why is developing a customer profile so important? How should I develop a customer profile? Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors, answers these questions and much more when he joins host Mike Blake on this edition of “Decision Vision,” presented by Brady Ware & Company.

Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

Andy Goldstrom

As Managing Partner at Midcourse Advisors, Andy Goldstrom and his team grow companies profitably and do it fast. Andy is an expert with B2B companies and is a sought-after business partner and speaker.

Early in his career, Andy started and built a division of a real estate brokerage company that generated 30%+ margins and grew from 1 to over 500 employees. After that, he took over an existing national recycling company and grew the top line from $70M to $100M and profit from $10M to $17M in 3 years. Both businesses were both designated as Inc. 500 companies, the fastest growing privately help companies nationwide, and subsequently sold to Fortune 500 companies at high multiples. Most recently, he served as Global Director at a major investment bank, where he grew service capabilities over in 70 countries while saving $12M annually.

In each case, Andy led sales teams that competed efficiently and effectively to win an extraordinary amount of business. In addition, he reduced cycle times and increased the frequency of incoming sustainable business, creating incremental value that was monetized when the companies were sold.

He started Midcourse Advisors as a way to give back to the B2B services community and now offers his knowledge and experience to organizations looking for ways to grow and improve.

For more information, go to the Midcourse Advisors website.

Michael Blake, Brady Ware & Company

Mike Blake, Host of “Decision Vision”

Michael Blake is Host of the “Decision Vision” podcast series and a Director of Brady Ware & Company. Mike specializes in the valuation of intellectual property-driven firms, such as software firms, aerospace firms and professional services firms, most frequently in the capacity as a transaction advisor, helping clients obtain great outcomes from complex transaction opportunities. He is also a specialist in the appraisal of intellectual properties as stand-alone assets, such as software, trade secrets, and patents.

Mike has been a full-time business appraiser for 13 years with public accounting firms, boutique business appraisal firms, and an owner of his own firm. Prior to that, he spent 8 years in venture capital and investment banking, including transactions in the U.S., Israel, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Brady Ware & Company

Brady Ware & Company is a regional full-service accounting and advisory firm which helps businesses and entrepreneurs make visions a reality. Brady Ware services clients nationally from its offices in Alpharetta, GA; Columbus and Dayton, OH; and Richmond, IN. The firm is growth minded, committed to the regions in which they operate, and most importantly, they make significant investments in their people and service offerings to meet the changing financial needs of those they are privileged to serve. The firm is dedicated to providing results that make a difference for its clients.

Decision Vision Podcast Series

“Decision Vision” is a podcast covering topics and issues facing small business owners and connecting them with solutions from leading experts. This series is presented by Brady Ware & Company. If you are a decision maker for a small business, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at decisionvision@bradyware.com and make sure to listen to every Thursday to the “Decision Vision” podcast. Past episodes of “Decision Vision” can be found here. “Decision Vision” is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Visit Brady Ware & Company on social media:

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Show Transcript

Intro: [00:00:01] Welcome to Decision Vision, a podcast series focusing on critical business decisions brought to you by Brady Ware & Company. Brady Ware is a regional, full-service accounting and advisory firm that helps businesses and entrepreneurs make visions a reality.

Mike Blake: [00:00:20] Welcome to Decision Vision, a podcast giving you, the listener, clear vision to make great decisions. In each episode, we discuss the process of decision making on a different topic from the business owners’ or executives’ perspective. We aren’t necessarily telling you what to do, but we can put you in a position to make an informed decision on your own and understand when you might need help along the way.

Mike Blake: [00:00:39] My name is Mike Blake and I’m your host for today’s program. I’m a Director at Brady Ware & Company, a full-service accounting firm based in Dayton, Ohio, with offices in Dayton; Columbus, Ohio; Richmond, Indiana; and Alpharetta, Georgia, which is where we are recording today. Brady Ware is sponsoring this podcast? If you like this podcast, please subscribe on your favorite podcast aggregator and please consider leaving a review of the podcast as well.

Mike Blake: [00:01:04] So, today, we’re going to talk about whether you should change your customer profile. And I’m excited about this topic. I mentioned this topic for a number of reasons. Number one, as it happens, it’s very timely. I just came back from a strategy meeting at our global headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, where the valuation practice of Brady Ware got together and we decided, in effect, our strategy for the next five years.

Mike Blake: [00:01:36] And in the nine hours that we had that meeting, about eight of them talked about defining what our customer profile is going to be going forward. And I think that’s so critical because unless you figure out what your customer profile as all the other things that you want to talk about in terms of marketing and staffing, investment, and other strategy, none of those are going to be right unless you understand what your customer profile is going to be.

Mike Blake: [00:02:06] It’s that central, it’s that foundational to your business strategy. And therefore, you know, we decided that if that’s all we accomplish in that particular day, then that was going to be a win for us. And I’m not leading up to a big announcement or anything like that. But, you know, we will probably, in about four to six weeks, as we flesh out the strategy. But the strategy part is not time well-spent unless you’ve identified that customer.

Mike Blake: [00:02:39] The other neat part about going out to Dayton was I discovered something that I did not know because I do not pay attention to college basketball that much, now that Georgetown has somehow managed to be irrelevant in college basketball. But the Dayton Flyers, I don’t know if I ever realized it, Dayton Flyers are ranked number six or seven in the country. I have no idea. So, anyway, good for Dayton out there. And by the way, what a cool name, the Flyers.

Mike Blake: [00:03:04] Of course, with the Flyers because that’s where the Wright brothers originated, even though they did their flight in North Carolina. So, a shout out to the Dayton Flyers. We’ll be rooting for them when the tournament shows up. But, you know, the customer profile is so foundational. And, you know, when companies—every company, I don’t think there’s a company in the world that is satisfied with selling. Every company believes that it can sell better than it’s currently doing.

Mike Blake: [00:03:31] I think most companies look at revenue and sales and says, you know, look, when I wake up in the morning, that’s one of the things that I worry about. It’s one of things that I worry about going to bed the night before, too, is sales. And if you don’t have that customer profile right, everything else just doesn’t matter. And that requires, quite frankly, deep thought and requires some understanding of what that customer is going to be because you’re literally going to build everything around that.

Mike Blake: [00:04:01] And in spite of having a big powwow about this, I’m not the expert on that. But instead, we’ve brought in somebody who is an expert on this. And that’s my friend, Andy Goldstrom, who is managing partner of Midcourse Advisors. Midcourse Advisors are business strategists and growth experts for small and medium-sized service businesses. They help leaders focus on the right pursuits and execute effectively using proprietary tools and methodologies that enable them to scale their businesses and grow rapidly.

Mike Blake: [00:04:29] As managing partner of Midcourse Advisors, Andy and his team grow companies profitably and do it fast. Andy’s an expert with business-to-business companies and is a sought-after business partner and speaker. Early in his career, Andy started and built a division of a real estate brokerage company that generated over 30% margins and grew to over 500 employees from one. After that, he took over an existing national recycling company, grew the top line from $70 million to $100 million in revenue and profit from $10 to $17 million in three years.

Mike Blake: [00:05:02] Both businesses were designated as Inc. 500 companies, the fastest growing privately-held companies nationwide and subsequently sold to Fortune 500 companies at high multiples. Most recently, he served as global director at a major investment bank, where he grew service capabilities in over 70 countries while saving $12 million, annually. He started Midcourse Advisors as a way to give back to the business community and now offers his knowledge and experience to organizations looking for ways to grow and improve. Andy, thanks for coming on the program.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:05:33] Thanks so much for having me. And good to see you after we met several years back and have been in touch.

Mike Blake: [00:05:39] Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:05:39] I appreciate being on your show.

Mike Blake: [00:05:42] So, before we get started, have you just published a book or is a book about to come out?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:05:48] I have a book coming out. I’m just working on the right promotion.

Mike Blake: [00:05:53] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:05:53] I got all the content in place, but it’s got all the basics about how to grow your business lessons from an Inc. 500 person, an executive. And it has some things about customer profile in it that can be used, tools and methodologies and anecdotes and case studies and all the rest.

Mike Blake: [00:06:14] And when do you think that book will come out?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:16] Probably in the next 60 days.

Mike Blake: [00:06:18] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:18] And when we reference my website, you can see a link for it.

Mike Blake: [00:06:22] And do you know what is the title of the book? Do we know that yet?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:25] We’re trying to finalize that.

Mike Blake: [00:06:28] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:29] Yeah. Right now, it’s called the Ten Deadly Sins of Growing Your Business.

Mike Blake: [00:06:35] Oh, nice.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:36] Yeah. So, I’ve got 10 themes. The only thing I’m trying to struggle with and I’m getting feedback from experts is that if you Google that, you get a lot of other junk.

Mike Blake: [00:06:47] Okay. I guess that makes sense.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:49] Right? So, I just want it to be poignant and on point. Title is an important thing.

Mike Blake: [00:06:54] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:54] So-

Mike Blake: [00:06:55] Well, good luck with that.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:06:56] Thanks.

Mike Blake: [00:06:56] And make sure we know about when the book is launched, so we can publicize it.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:07:00] I will. Absolutely.

Mike Blake: [00:07:03] So, you mentioned in your book, in fact, you deliberately discuss or separately discuss customer profiles. So, let’s get the vocabulary right. What is a customer profile? Is it the same thing as what people call a customer avatar?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:07:16] Sure. The first thing I just want to do is step back. When you talk about customer profile and when you had your meetings in Dayton, you had gotten to a specific point, knowing that you were serving the customer in certain markets and you knew you were doing accounting work and valuation work and other work. So, there’s a bigger picture than just the customer profile to successfully grow a business, but the customer profile is foundational.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:07:40] So, you need to know your industry and your target market and your customer segment before you even get to your customer profile. But when you get to that point, it’s really a representation of your ideal customer and it’s defined. It’s something that allows you to target, given that you have limited resources. And the thing that happens is most companies don’t do a really good job and it inhibits them from reaching their goals, which is a credit to you and your company in terms of how much time you’re spending on the, trying to get right.

Mike Blake: [00:08:16] Well, you know, we hope we got it right. Now, we got to execute.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:08:19] Yeah.

Mike Blake: [00:08:19] So, it all looks great on the whiteboard. We’ll see how it turns out in practice, but-

Andy Goldstrom: [00:08:23] And you mentioned the avatar.

Mike Blake: [00:08:25] Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:08:26] So, an Avatar is kind of a physical representation of it. I teach at Georgia State in addition to doing my consulting and we call it a persona. And it’s a physical representation with a name to it, so you can kind of feel it and look at it. So, for instance, as an example, just if someone’s a really avid tennis player and you know that they’re going to buy premium products because they love tennis so much and they want to differentiate their game and have every advantage possible, that avatar might be Peter, the professional tennis player or something like that. So, you actually can have a physical look as an avatar in terms of what that target customer could be or what that customer profile would look like. And then, obviously, there are a lot of different characteristics associated with that person.

Mike Blake: [00:09:17] It’s interesting. I never thought of it from a physical manifestation perspective, but that makes sense. And I know you specialize in service businesses. Do you go through that process with service businesses, too? Can you do that with professional services in terms of building a customer avatar like that?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:09:33] Absolutely. So, I’ll give you an example. I worked with a company that was a generalist type of company and they weren’t growing as fast as they want. They happened to be in the real estate services space, which is one of the things I focus on. I work with companies outside of that, but I’m focused on my customer profile. And they had expertise and background and hung out in technology areas, like where you sometimes spend your time, Michael.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:10:05] And so, we said you have to create an avatar or a customer profile based upon what that technology company leader looks like and what he looks for and what he cares about. And so, we developed a profile on that and it was Tom, the technologist. And literally, it was an opportunity to understand how they need flexibility in what they’re doing, how they care about vision, how they want to be able to grow their business quickly and how they care about all the technological aspects in the wiz bank things. And so, that kind of profile and being able to address their needs specifically knowing what they’re like compared to a corporate executive is very important.

Mike Blake: [00:10:55] So, you obviously agree, we think a customer profile is important or critical, but can a business theoretically be successful without one? Is that what we would think of as a mass market? For example, does Procter and Gamble have a customer avatar for Tide? Do they make Tide? I think they do.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:11:17] I think that’s right.

Mike Blake: [00:11:18] So, for some of us, that’s truly mass market. You know, do they have a customer profile, do you think or do they just make a product they think is really good, position it and distribute it in a certain way and sort of off they go? What do you think that looks like?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:11:33] No, they definitely have an avatar and it might be broader. But when they first started making Tide, it wasn’t as mass market or broad as it is. So, when you get a certain appeal, you can expand it. The example I use is McDonald’s. McDonald’s actually has brand ambassadors to focus on specific customer profiles for their specific type of food that they sell. So, they actually have somebody who just focuses on salads, you know, and people who just focus on burgers and literally, the customer segment that would be more in line with that.

Mike Blake: [00:12:15] You know, that’s interesting. I’d like to drill down on that for a second because I would not have guessed that, but I guess that perhaps makes sense because when McDonald’s—I find McDonald’s fascinating. I worked there as a kid. I used to think the way they produce things is just so cool.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:12:30] The whole story about, you know, the mass customization and the way that-

Mike Blake: [00:12:35] Yeah, it really is fascinating. But anyway, when they first introduced salads, that did not go well for them initially, right? Because it’s very confusing to the market, right? Because I think they didn’t have a customer avatar for that. And it sounds like what you think they discovered is maybe they have multiple customer profiles.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:12:58] They do. But they started from a foundational element and a base. And if you’re a new company, you really can’t afford to spread yourself too thin.

Mike Blake: [00:13:06] Right.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:13:06] And if you’re an existing company that’s starting something new, it’s just as important.

Mike Blake: [00:13:12] So, what are the pieces or components of a customer profile?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:13:18] Sure. There are several pieces. The key thing, what’s really important is it needs to be data-driven. So, it’s not something where you talk to your friend or you see something on TV or you just have something in your gut that tells you this is what my customer could look like. You really have to do the research to understand it, to inform your decisions. And, you know, Michael, when you post on LinkedIn, you have all these data charts and data, and I think you do it because it’s interesting, but you also do it because it can inform—you know, it’s sparks curiosity, but also informs how people make decisions.

Mike Blake: [00:14:01] And it also is indicative of my ideal customer profile.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:14:04] That’s right.

Mike Blake: [00:14:05] Right? If you like to guess, you’ll need to pay me to guess.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:14:09] Right.

Mike Blake: [00:14:09] It’s like when, you know, I tell my son, “Go tell your mother something”, right? And then, he just screams at the bottom of the staircase, like I could have done that. I wanted to go up the stairs and do that. The same thing, you don’t need to pay me to guess, right? But I’m trying to build a brand that suggests that we’re data-driven.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:14:27] That’s right.

Mike Blake: [00:14:27] I’m glad you picked up on that. I might be doing something right.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:14:30] Right. Absolutely. So, let me answer your question. Common elements are demographics. So, if it’s a B2C, it tends to be income, gender, marital status, things like that. For B2B, it’s the size of the opportunity, the industry and the location. You have to focus on customer needs. And it’s interesting. Customer needs are both perceived in latent needs. And it’s really interesting. A latent need is so important in terms of getting somebody to buy. And a perceived need is something that a customer knows, a latent need, they might not know or might not be out in front, but it’s something that drives their purchasing behavior.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:15:11] And the example I’d like to give best is just a phone, like the iPhone, you know, the perceived need is it’s a communication tool, right? It’s a way I can look up things on the internet, call my friends, text whatever. But it’s actually a security blanket for people. That’s their latent need. They feel a sense of connection and they need it. And when they don’t have it, it’s a problem. So, when people buy, you have to understand both the perceived and the latent needs when you’re looking at your customer profile.

Mike Blake: [00:15:43] Steve Jobs is so good at that, by the way. I mean, he was the Mozart of understanding that latent need, wasn’t he?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:15:50] He created a market, which is hard to do. He created several markets.

Mike Blake: [00:15:54] More than once.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:15:54] Yes, he created several markets. And so, yeah, he was the master at that for sure. Other elements are attitude. So, it’s the values and beliefs of the customer profile or the customer. Behaviors, which are use cases, meaning how they will consume the product or service and then, their purchase preferences, like what information? Do they need to understand what they’re buying? What channels are they going to find in order to be able to purchase it via online or store or in-office or somewhere else and how frequently they may purchase. So, if you understand all of those things in a data-driven way, you can actually put on a whiteboard, you know, with the customer in the center, all the different elements that influence their buying behavior and understand what your customer looks like.

Mike Blake: [00:16:48] Now, when you say data, that can scare some people. And it doesn’t even have that much to do about understanding how to do basic math, but data can also be very expensive, right? Some of the things you’re talking about on the surface sound like you’ve got to hire a marketing research firm to do surveys and focus groups and all those things can be very expensive. Is that true? Do you have to go that way or are there ways you can get data that is at least sufficient, where you’re not making multi-thousand-dollar investments in specialized studies?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:17:26] Sure. It depends on the scale and the size of the product or service that’s being implemented. There are a lot of resources that are available that don’t cost any money that are just on the net. PricewaterhouseCoopers has information. You look for companies that have traded and see what the profile of that competition looks like. There’s a lot of opportunity to find things on the net. At Georgia State where I teach, they’ve got a myriad of resources. You can find it through the SBA. There are a lot of different ways to do it.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:18:03] There certainly are paid resources where you can hire, you know, a professional firm that collects that information and does that all day and night and is an expert in that. And if you have the resources to do it, that might not be a bad thing. But ultimately, the data is not just looking up facts and figures. It’s actually engaging with prospective customers to get feedback on what their beliefs are and why they would buy something and what their feedback is. And there’s a term called ethnography. You ever heard of that term?

Mike Blake: [00:18:39] I have.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:18:40] There you go. Well, ethnography is direct observation and interviewing of potential customers, suppliers and partners, right? And if you are trying to get data or feedback from potential customers and you’re doing it on the phone or you’re doing it via email, you’re not going to get—the quality of the feedback you’re getting and the context of the feedback you’re getting isn’t going to be as good.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:19:09] And I can assure you that whether it is Procter and Gamble or McDonald’s or, you know, some of the other small to medium companies that I typically consult with or the students in my class, they get in front of their ideal client to be able to actually understand that feedback. And they draw on some other sources of information in order to understand the income brackets and things of that nature in order to do it. And they typically say you need 10 to 12 quality interviews or discovery sessions in order to develop a pattern or have enough of a sense. And certainly, you know, some companies go well beyond that.

Mike Blake: [00:19:55] Interesting. So, what you’re talking about resonates with a couple of things. One, Atlanta has an interesting technology market. You know, we’re not Silicon Valley, but we’re very deep in a few areas, right? And the venture market, in my view, has improved tremendously over the last 10 years or so. But one of the practices that is very much involved here, I think, more so than other places is something called customer discovery, where investors want entrepreneurs to have gone out and talked to lots of potential customers. In fact, in the Georgia Tech and Emory entrepreneurship programs, you cannot graduate without having actually gone out and talked to potential customers, even for a hypothetical venture. They make you develop that skill.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:20:49] I do that with my students, too.

Mike Blake: [00:20:50] You do, too.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:20:51] Absolutely.

Mike Blake: [00:20:51] Okay. And what a valuable skill and valuable asset that is. And it’s interesting that that intersects with a recent experience of mine. In preparation for the strategy meeting that I described, I read twice Michael Porter’s book on competitive strategy. And Appendix B, I think, of that book is entirely dedicated to the practice of interviewing customers and developing customer profiles, which I did not expect. I didn’t think it would be that granular.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:21:24] It is. And the way you ask the questions is really important. As an example, you want them to be open ended and not be yes or no answers.

Mike Blake: [00:21:34] And I think it might have actually been the most useful part of the book I read. I’m so glad because normally, I’m so happy I got to the end of a book that I skipped the appendices. For whatever reason, I didn’t this time. And I’m really glad because that is so chock-full—because conducting a customer interview is not walk into an office and just start asking questions.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:21:58] Appendices are where you get most of your charts, right, Michael?

Mike Blake: [00:22:02] They are.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:22:03] There you go.

Mike Blake: [00:22:03] They are, yeah. Especially in academic papers, for sure. So, what are some signs that maybe you have a customer profile that’s not working?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:22:21] The signs that it’s not working is you’re not getting traction.

Mike Blake: [00:22:25] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:22:25] Right? So, if you have initial traction with innovative customers who can validate, you can solve their problem, then you know you probably have the right customer profile. And a lot of people don’t because they’re not data-driven or they’re too broad in their customer profile that they’re focused on. And so, you know, results speak. And there’s actually something called the law of diffusion of innovation. Long, interesting, impressive set of words that I believe in, but I haven’t put together, that kind of tells you where your tipping point is relating to having that kind of traction. And it’s why people accept new ideas.

Mike Blake: [00:23:09] I love that. So, like calculus in it.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:23:12] It does. It does.

Mike Blake: [00:23:12] When you work it through. So, you’re talking dirty to me now. But I think where I want to get to is I think executives and entrepreneurs sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that they’re failing to get traction not because they have the wrong customer profile, but because they are not executing approaching that customer profile well or correctly or maybe they don’t have enough resources, right?

Mike Blake: [00:23:42] So, theoretically, maybe you do have exactly the right customer profile, but the thought process goes, “You know, we know who our customer is, but we just don’t have the right salespeople. The salespeople aren’t doing their job. Marketing is not doing their job. We don’t have enough money to get in front of those customers”, et cetera. You’ve heard all these things before, right? And this is a hard question, but that’s what we’re about on this podcast. The hard question is how do you know if your failure to gain traction is in fact the result of poor execution versus having the poor, the incorrect foundational customer profile?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:24:21] You’re right. It is an excellent and complex question. And it could be something else, right? Your sales team might not be executing well. Even though you have the right customer profile or avatar, you might not be executing once you get the sale, which impacts your reputation and ability to sell. So, there are a lot of different aspects to it. And all you have to do is be able to measure with certain KPIs about each stage of that process to get the appropriate feedback.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:24:59] And certainly, if you’re not getting any inbound interest, if you’re not getting good feedback on what your product or service could be, if there’s not a problem that you’re solving, you’re not going to pass go. You’re not even going to get started. And then, there’s the question that you have to measure, is, okay, a sales cycle is a multi-stage process, right? You have to have marketing and good salespeople and a good value proposition and good references. And they all have to work together. But if you don’t have the right target, none of it matters.

Mike Blake: [00:25:30] And the main part of it goes back to what we just talked about a few minutes ago, which is maybe you just ask the question, “Why did I think I had the right customer profile? Did I do the work that you just talked about in terms of actually going out and talking to 10, 15 customers? And did I do so in kind of a rigorous way?” You revisit how you got to the customer profile.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:25:55] The first Inc. 500 company I was with, I joined in 1995 and we grew really quickly in a period of time and became an Inc. 500 company in 2001. And we didn’t have all these tools, a business model, canvasses and customer profiles and avatars and things like that. We just had good common sense to be able to see a need in the marketplace that we could solve, there were changes going on in the marketplace. Getting some customers who were lead innovative end users who were willing to give us feedback and also pay us for the service even though it wasn’t fully fleshed out yet.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:26:46] And so, in essence, we were doing those things in a less structured way. And it provided validation along the way. Now, there are amazing tools and methodologies that are used in corporations by consultants who understand this stuff. It’s taught in schools. And if you use it right and do the right due diligence, you’re reducing your risk. And being an entrepreneur or being somebody who’s an intrapreneur in a bigger company, who’s trying to target a new business, what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to peel the onion back and reduce the risk in each stage.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:27:26] And so, if your customer profile is right and you were talking about discovery that investors in Atlanta are looking for, if you’ve done that discovery correctly, you’re reducing the risk and you go on to the next stage in terms of—and if you’re looking for investment along the way, like beyond friends and family to angels and series A and series B, you have to have reached certain milestones in terms of revenue, customers, discovery that you’ve done in order to get to those platforms.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:27:58] And then, the best companies are ones that actually start with a narrow solution to a problem via a product or service and then, they build on it modularly. So, an example is like Salesforce. Salesforce started out with like a free type of app or free system, where you could manage certain aspects of your CRM, but then, they have higher level premium services that you can choose based upon the number of users or the sophistication that you want. But it’s built on the same chassis, just like an Infiniti is, you know, built on a Nissan chassis.

Mike Blake: [00:28:42] Now, let’s move up from the startup into maybe a more mature company. At some point, presumably somehow, whether they do it analytically or reluctant with, they had a customer profile match and a successful identification, can a customer profile change? Is it possible that, you know, once a company reaches a more mature stage, they see sales growth drop off or maybe even retrench? Is it something that executives need to look out for, as maybe your customer profile can change over time?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:29:18] It can almost change overnight. So, you really have to stay with the times. And the reason things change overnight is innovation, communication channels, time and social systems have all been compressed. And the communication channels have been compressed because of the internet. The social systems have been compressed because of social media. And time has been compressed because of technology. So, what happens is trends change and preferences change and you need to keep up with that. Some of the big trends are relating to demographics, millennials and baby boomers on both sides of the spectrum in terms of their needs and in the size of that demographic.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:30:08] Technology and regulation are all changing. So, an example of a trend that, you know, could change very quickly or has changed is people weren’t as concerned about their health. You know, they cared about their health, but they weren’t as concerned. And, you know, there’s a big push and it’s not so new anymore. But all of a sudden, things change when people really cared about organic and pure products and, you know, there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans. And I think, you know, Amazon purchased Whole Foods for a variety of reasons, including distribution. But one of the reasons was to reach that audience, which is growing.

Mike Blake: [00:30:49] You know, one of those areas where I’m seeing it, we’re recording on Valentine’s Day today, although this will be published probably closer to St. Patrick’s Day.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:30:57] Happy Valentine’s.

Mike Blake: [00:30:58] Happy Valentine’s Day and happy St. Patrick’s Day coming up and whatever else is coming up. But you know, one of the things I sort of had to do in order to purchase for my wife is she’s big into the fair-trade chocolate now, which is harder to get, right? Organic chocolates, not hard to get now. But then, you got to make sure that it’s fair trade, which is an up and coming trend.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:31:23] Sure.

Mike Blake: [00:31:24] I’m not sure that’s overnight, but these customer profile things, I think, change the way a lot of things do. The change is very subtle for a long period of time. And then, it seems to sort of change overnight. Organic food was definitely like that. You know, this meat alternative, Beyond Meat and so forth, I think, looks like that. And fair trade may be the next thing which will delight me because I spent more time looking for fair trade chocolate than I think the whole of my Christmas shopping this year. So, it can’t happen fast enough.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:31:56] Did you find it?

Mike Blake: [00:31:57] I did eventually. Yes.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:31:58] Okay.

Mike Blake: [00:31:58] I did. And in a nick of time because my wife is actually on—she and my children left on vacation today. So, I had to come through it last night and I did. It was a buzzer beater.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:32:08] Good for you.

Mike Blake: [00:32:11] We touched on this a little bit, but I want to come back to it because I think it’s important to hit. Companies can evolve into multiple customer profiles, too, right? It may not be that your customer profile is wrong, but you may need to add to it, correct?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:32:26] You do, but there’s a method that you need to evolve in order to do that.

Mike Blake: [00:32:33] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:32:34] And again, whether you’re in a startup or whether you’re an established firm, you don’t just all of a sudden cater to try to cater to everybody. And so, what you usually try and do and what we teach and what I work on with my clients is getting a beachhead strategy. So, it’s what’s a use case for a particular customer that you can focus on in that first year? Use the law of the diffusion of innovation, where you can actually get some market share and prove up and get some cash in the door.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:33:10] And then, you can grow from there to other use cases to other types of customers with other different profiles. And that could work. In the chocolate case, for instance, there are some people who eat chocolate because it’s a snack. There are some people who eat it because it’s healthy for them. They have these, you know, health bars now Clif Bars and other things. And some people want to give it as a gift, right? And then, there are different customer types along those lines depending upon their age bracket.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:33:42] So, you can’t be everything to everybody out of the gate, but if you focus on one of those uses and one of those age brackets to get started, to get traction, then you can leverage and go from there. And that’s the best way to do it. There’s a client I have in town that is a technology company that does app development and they do training. So, they’ll train people how to be app developers or to have the newest, latest and greatest to do it. And they also develop apps. They were trying to go out to both customers and the message got mixed and diluted.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:34:24] And so, they didn’t know, their customer base didn’t know what they really were and this company itself didn’t know where to really put its resources into because they thought that the growth area was the one that was the low-margin business, which isn’t necessarily a good play. But they thought that that was where they wanted to put their emphasis and they really had to pick and choose one. And when they did, which was, “We’re an app developer”, their business took off.

Mike Blake: [00:34:55] Now, when a customer profile changes, it can be an existential threat to the company if it comes as a surprise to you and you don’t act upon it, right? I mean, you know, Microsoft was putting a lot of trouble because, you know, Steve Ballmer just blew it on mobile. And it caused them a lot of problems, I would argue Major League Baseball has some issues because their customer profile is primarily White and older. And that’s not the way the demographics of the country are currently going. That’s something they’ve got to figure out. Is customer profile so important that if it changes on you, do you agree that it actually could be a company killer?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:35:43] No doubt.

Mike Blake: [00:35:44] And if so, once you make that discovery, let’s say you’re kind of late to the game, say, “Crap. My customers just flat out changed. They don’t want a beef anymore. They want to eat something that’s not beef”, right? But all I do is I raise cattle, right? How do you go about kind of a crash course, if you will, to basically kind of save the company if you’re late to the game and you make that realization or by that point, is it already too late?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:36:20] The answer is it depends.

Mike Blake: [00:36:22] Okay. Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:36:22] Right?

Mike Blake: [00:36:22] I figured.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:36:22] So, you’re talking about baseball. I’m a big baseball fan. Grew up as a stats guy and loved baseball. And you saw what happened here in Atlanta. Atlanta saw that the demographics were changing and they actually moved their stadium to where the demographics were more applicable to them.

Mike Blake: [00:36:39] Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:36:39] Now, not everybody can pick up and change like that. That was an expensive proposition for them, but it seems to have paid off. But for other businesses, you want to be in the growth area, not the mature area of a business. And so, if you’re trying to make a pivot, you can certainly make that pivot, but you don’t want to change your business. You want to find customers that are a better fit for what you have. And so, if it’s a new business, hopefully, you can do it right the first time and adjust along the way.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:37:16] But if it’s an existing business, find new customers that are a better or closer fit. And the reason, primarily, is you’ve got all this investment and knowledge in your existing business, don’t try to be something that you’re not just because you’re trying to chase something, because you’re not going to have the knowledge or the relationships or the understanding to be able to actually solve that problem. So, find a problem based upon where you are and what you have and you can make subtle adjustments to it, but don’t try to be something that you’re not all of a sudden.

Mike Blake: [00:37:48] So, interesting. What I take away from that is one, option for a company that finds that their customer profile has shifted and maybe their business can’t necessarily shift with it as easily. Let’s take the beef example. All right. Maybe that means you get out of mass-market beef, but then, you switch to a niche market of organic or Kobe steaks or something that is lower volume, but higher margin, something like that as, you know, a ham-handed example.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:38:20] Sure. You know, if you’re Burger King, which came out with, I guess, the Impossible Burger first and was the one that kind of made the name, their distribution channels and the way that they serve their customer didn’t change. So, they had a lot of things in place. All they had to do was get the raw product to be able to serve it. Most other customers don’t, you know, have a bigger change than that.

Mike Blake: [00:38:46] I’m going to be really interested to see how Burger King does with that, because I actually like an Impossible Burger, but I’m not sure what the use case is because if you bother to look at the nutritional information, it’s for the most part unhealthy for you in a different way than conventional beef.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:39:06] It’s still just caloric, is it?

Mike Blake: [00:39:08] It is just as caloric. It is a lot less cholesterol, but it is massively higher in sodium, right? So, it’s a different kind of-

Andy Goldstrom: [00:39:17] So, we talked about latent needs.

Mike Blake: [00:39:19] Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:39:22] People who care about animals and don’t want—you know, some people are vegetarians because it’s for their health, but some of it don’t want animals to be killed.

Mike Blake: [00:39:31] And also environmental, right? We’re now hearing that-

Andy Goldstrom: [00:39:33] So, it’s an environmental thing so that’s serving a latent need that they’re trying to cater to as opposed to just people who just want to eat supposedly healthier.

Mike Blake: [00:39:42] Right. But I don’t see that that in their commercials yet, right? Maybe that’s their next phase. Right now, it’s, “Hey, this is just as good as any other Whopper, so you might as well have one.” But I don’t see the—I guess they’re just saying, “Well, if you’re just inclined to eat vegetarian, anyway, here it is.”

Andy Goldstrom: [00:40:02] Businesses don’t typically promote latent needs, but they need to understand them in order to capture the business.

Mike Blake: [00:40:11] Interesting. So, I’m being blatantly unfair, by the way. This is off-the-cuff questions for Andy. I’m asking to analyze a strategy of a multinational corporation real time. So-

Andy Goldstrom: [00:40:23] And I haven’t had an Impossible Burger yet, but I’ve heard it’s good.

Mike Blake: [00:40:28] Now, I’m getting hungry. So, how long do you think it takes to develop or maybe redevelop a customer profile?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:40:39] Depends on the size.

Mike Blake: [00:40:40] Does it have to take years?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:40:41] No, not if it’s done right.

Mike Blake: [00:40:44] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:40:44] So, you know, in my classroom, we’ve got people, young students, some of them are as old as 27, 28 because they’ve worked full time and they’re going back to school or, you know—but some of them are 18, 19, 20 years old who actually go through what we’re doing and are actually able to launch a business that I stay in touch with them. And they’ve actually launched fruitful businesses. One is launching a supplement product for gamers.

Mike Blake: [00:41:21] Okay.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:41:21] That’s specific to gamers. There’s another one that has an app that actually connects people to hold them accountable at the student level, where when it comes to health or getting somebody who can study with you or go to the gym. And they went through a process over several weeks as opposed to months and years to actually validate that that used the right tools or methodologies and did that.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:41:46] And when I work with my clients, it’s the same kind of thing. It doesn’t require push—you know, you don’t have to be Sisyphus. We’re not trying to push the boulder up the hill. You really can do it relatively quickly. And obviously, if you’re in a larger corporation, there are more stakeholders to please. That doesn’t mean the work needs to take longer. It just means that there are more stakeholders who you need buy-in from.

Mike Blake: [00:42:12] And it’s worth emphasizing. You have students that are doing this.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:42:15] I have students that are doing this and doing it well. And some of them, it’s just a practical exercise in class that instead of it just being a textbook kind of thing, which makes it more real, but some of them are actually pursuing these business opportunities and have been successful at it, believe it or not. And it’s exciting. And then, what I do with my clients, you know, it’s just as exciting because frankly, there’s more at stake.

Mike Blake: [00:42:46] Yeah.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:42:46] You know, they have families to feed. They have house, you know, mortgages. And they don’t have unlimited resources in terms of money or time or cash. And so, making the right choices and the right decisions along the customer profile route or how they manage their money or how they operate as they grow is really important. And I take a lot of pride in how I work with customers to do that.

Mike Blake: [00:43:11] And we are running out of time, so we’re going to have to wrap it up. This is a topic that, you know, probably deserves a lot more treatment than we’re able to give it in the span of one episode. But if people want to contact you to learn more about this topic, can they do so? And if so, what’s the best way to do it?

Andy Goldstrom: [00:43:28] Sure. Well, Michael, thanks for your time. I hope, you know, we covered enough, that people that were listening actually understand how important it is. And maybe it piques their interest or reinforces what they’re doing correctly or makes them think a little bit harder about what they need to do in order to really hone in on, you know, who they’re approaching and how they’re marketing their services or products.

Andy Goldstrom: [00:43:52] I can be reached at midcourseadvisors.com. My company is named Midcourse because it’s kind of the mid-course of a journey of a company, where adjustments need to be made. And my email address is agoldstrom@midcourseadvisors.com. And my phone number 770-633-2260. And you can find me on LinkedIn. And be happy to talk to anybody, to share, to learn about their perspectives and share any background I have.

Mike Blake: [00:44:19] Well, that’s going to wrap it up for today’s program. I’d like to thank Andy Goldstrom so much for joining us and sharing his expertise with us. We’ll be exploring a new topic each week. So, please tune in so that when you’re faced with your next executive decision, you have clear vision when making it. If you enjoy these podcasts, please consider leaving a review with your favorite podcast aggregator. It helps people find us so that we can help them. Once again, this is Mike Blake. Our sponsor is Brady Ware & Company. And this has been the Decision Vision podcast.

Inspiring Women, Episode 19: Stop Networking and Start Connecting (An Interview with Frank Agin)

March 10, 2020 by John Ray

Stop Networking and Start Connecting

In this edition of “Inspiring Women,” host Betty Collins encourages connecting (knowing people more) over networking (knowing more people). The show also includes an interview with master networker Frank Agin.

Betty’s Show Notes

Networking is about knowing more people. Something amazing happens when you network and connection happens. That is the moment of success because . . .connecting is about knowing people more.

What is your goal when you network? When you make connections?

Most connected people are often the most successful. Statistics support that statement. When you invest in your relationships — professional and personal — it can pay you back in dividends throughout the course of your career. The key word was “Investment”. That means you are going to give or put forth effort and resources FIRST, then ROI.

Who is the goal for you in networking and connections?

The what determines the who. Most importantly – figure out who matters. Sometimes you have to network with many to find the few solid connections. Think about the relationships you have right now that started with a person you met one year ago, five years ago, 20 years ago. How you network to make true connections is key.

Frank Agin, the President and Owner of AmSpirit, is just simply the best at networking and connecting. I have learned so much from him over the past 19 plus years. The number one thing I learned? Networking is more about connecting and engagement than to “know” everyone or be known. I am so thankful to have him as a guest on this podcast.

Are you networking, or are you connecting. There is a difference—make sure you know.

Frank Agin, AmSpirit Business Connections

Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections, where he works to empower entrepreneurs, sales representatives and professionals around the country to become more successful through networking. In addition, he is a sought after speaker and consultant to companies and organizations on topics related to professional networking and business relationship development.

Frank has written numerous articles on professional networking and is the author of several books, some of which include Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like and Trust to Create a Lifetime of Extraordinary Success, The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person In Your Network, and Chase Greatness: Life Lessons Revealed Through Sports. He is also the host of the weekly Networking Rx podcast, which provides insights and advice for becoming more successful through networking as well as the host of the daily micro podcast Networking Rx Minute, which provides short messages of inspiration and recommended action.

Frank has a law degree and MBA from the Ohio State University, a B.A. in Economics and Management from Beloit College, and continues his professional development through a variety of programs and sources.

For further information on Frank or to be in touch, go to his website.

Betty Collins, CPA, Brady Ware & Company and Host of the “Inspiring Women” Podcast

Betty Collins is the Office Lead for Brady Ware’s Columbus office and a Shareholder in the firm. Betty joined Brady Ware & Company in 2012 through a merger with Nipps, Brown, Collins & Associates. She started her career in public accounting in 1988. Betty is co-leader of the Long Term Care service team, which helps providers of services to Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and nursing centers establish effective operational models that also maximize available funding. She consults with other small businesses, helping them prosper with advice on general operations management, cash flow optimization, and tax minimization strategies.

In addition, Betty serves on the Board of Directors for Brady Ware and Company. She leads Brady Ware’s Women’s Initiative, a program designed to empower female employees, allowing them to tap into unique resources and unleash their full potential. Betty helps her colleagues create a work/life balance while inspiring them to set and reach personal and professional goals. The Women’s Initiative promotes women-to-women business relationships for clients and holds an annual conference that supports women business owners, women leaders, and other women who want to succeed. Betty actively participates in women-oriented conferences through speaking engagements and board activity.

Betty is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and she is the President-elect for the Columbus Chapter. Brady Ware also partners with the Women’s Small Business Accelerator (WSBA), an organization designed to help female business owners develop and implement a strong business strategy through education and mentorship, and Betty participates in their mentor match program. She is passionate about WSBA because she believes in their acceleration program and matching women with the right advisors to help them achieve their business ownership goals. Betty supports the WSBA and NAWBO because these organizations deliver resources that help other women-owned and managed businesses thrive.

Betty is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene College, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. Betty is also the Board Chairwoman for the Gahanna Area Chamber of Commerce, and she serves on the Board of the Community Improvement Corporation of Gahanna as Treasurer.

“Inspiring Women” Podcast Series

“Inspiring Women” is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. The show is hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and presented by Brady Ware and Company. Brady Ware is committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home. Other episodes of “Inspiring Women” can be found here.

Show Transcript

Betty Collins: [00:00:00] Today, we’re going to talk about a topic called networking, right? Well, I’m going to say stop networking and make connections. What does that mean? Well, networking is really about knowing more people, and connecting is knowing people more. I’m going to just say that again – networking is about knowing more people and connecting is about knowing people more. You need to think about that as we talk today.

Betty Collins: [00:00:29] Networking, some people think bigger is better. How many friends, how many likes, how many business cards, what’s your contacts like? For some businesses, that’s not the worst. You want volume; you want a ton of followers, especially when you’re really transactional. Networking is not always easy for people. It can be pretty awkward and, sometimes, just draining. You’re in entertainment mode way too much. Networking is- it’s often associated with just selling; so, if you don’t think you can sell, you don’t think you can network.

Betty Collins: [00:01:03] There truly is power in having a strong network, especially when you’re in business, and you’re in the marketplace. Something really amazing happens, when you network and connection happens. This is the moment of success because true connections- when you really connect with someone, you’re going to make up a community.

Betty Collins: [00:01:25] When you think of your community that you live in, or maybe the camaraderie of your office place, or maybe the associations we’re in, the ones that are the best are kind of like Mayberry; everybody gets along; everyone is in it together; they want success; there’s relationships; there’s mutual trust; there’s respect, which all has to be earned, but that’s the kind of network, and it becomes an actual connection. When I say stop networking and making connections, that’s kind of what I’m trying to get you to think about.

Betty Collins: [00:02:01] You have to really look at what is the goal for you in networking connections. Is it name recognition? Are you trying to just generate revenue? You get into hanging with the big dogs because you’re a little pup, right? How about you want introductions to certain people, or maybe you want to be at the table? There’s nothing wrong with any of those things, but you have to go, “What is the goal?” Because you could be consumed, out in the marketplace, networking all day long.

Betty Collins: [00:02:32] It’s shown that most people that are connected are generally more successful … Not bigger networks. People who are connected are often more successful. When you invest in your relationships, whether they’re professional or personal, it usually can pay a pretty big dividend back throughout the course of your career, but you have to realize what I just said – investment. That means you have to put the effort; you have to probably give first; and then, you’re going to get some return on that giving.

Betty Collins: [00:03:04] One of the missed goals, when you’re thinking about what is the goal of connecting and networking, is you can develop and improve your skill sets, when you do that, and you’re out in the marketplace, and you’re seeing how other people do things, or challenged by something you just didn’t think about.

Betty Collins: [00:03:23] Another goal, when you’re out networking, and connecting, and making those connections, is you’ve got to probably stay on the top of those latest trends, whether it’s in the market, or in your industry. I was recently at an event where they talked about the different aspects of Columbus and what was going on in the Columbus market. Of course, within probably a couple days, we were announced that we were the number-one place in the country …

Betty Collins: [00:03:48] I was able to just take a few of those tidbits, when I was out talking with people or trying to have conversations with clients. They looked at me like, “How did you know this?” Maybe it was something they didn’t know. Just like when I was at the marketing event, and I didn’t know that.

Betty Collins: [00:04:05] I think another missed goal, when you’re thinking about this whole thing of networking connection, is it keeps a pulse on the job market because you never know when you’re going to need that. I always go back to- I love this one guy who was in … He was a payroll rep for ADP, years, and years ago. He was like a lifer, because he had been there three or four years. I completely relied just on him. One day, he leaves. Now, I had nobody to really … I had no other relationships. I didn’t have any- I was not on the pulse of those connections. So, keeping the pulse on the job market, I look at that as, too, the [contact] market, when you’re trying to connect with people, but most certainly, you meet prospectives, and mentors, and partners.

Betty Collins: [00:04:48] The other thing we miss in goals, sometimes, with networking, and connecting, is your clients can gain access to your network, and then that gives them some necessary resources that will definitely foster a long relationship with them. Again, you have to go, what is the goal? Do you have one? If you don’t, you probably need to really rethink that. What am I doing? As we end the decade, and you go into 2020, what is the goal going to be for me in networking, so that I can make connections?

Betty Collins: [00:05:22] Then, after you determine that – it’s not like it’s a hard exercise, right? – who is the goal for you in networking? Who is the goal that you want to actually have connections with? Of course, the what determines the who, right? So, most importantly, but you have to figure out who matters in your network. I have a fairly large network. It’s always funny when I get happy birthday on LinkedIn. I’m like, “Now, who is this, and why did I accept this relationship? I don’t even know who they are.” You have to figure out, though, who matters in your relationship.

Betty Collins: [00:05:54] I always use this example – if you are servicing small clients, then why are you meeting with bankers who service large clients? Who is important? Who is going to meet your goals with you? Chances are, that probably isn’t, except that you could say, “I met with this big banker,” or “I know this big banker that everyone knows and wants to know.”

Betty Collins: [00:06:16] Now, there are times that you have to network before you find some really solid connections. You might have to meet a lot of people before you do. Think about, now, the relationships you have right now that started with a person, and now you don’t even know that person that connected you. I have plenty of those in my life, where it’s like, man, if I wouldn’t have met so-and-so, I wouldn’t know so-and-so, who introduced me to so-and-so.”

Betty Collins: [00:06:39] So, I don’t want to minimize the fact of liking everybody and connecting with a ton of people because you never know where that’s going to lead you, but it still has to go back … Who is the goal that you are trying to make a real connection with and have community? Also, when you’re thinking about your goal of who that is, it’s not just an external relationship, who your audience should be. I would tell you, very clearly, you need to internally make sure, in your organization …

Betty Collins: [00:07:07] I work for a organization that has 150 people, and I have four offices. I can’t just know the person sitting next to me. I’ve got to know more people in my company, especially as I’m navigating through … Because one day, I just might need people to be helping me with something, or I might want to be growing, and all the sudden, I only know this person.

Betty Collins: [00:07:28] It’s simple things about taking advantage of lunches with those internal people. Welcoming the new people. You might welcome a new person much more than someone else. It’s easier to kind of be with who you know, but you never know who that person is going to be and how they’re going to fit into the mix; into your outside and inside place.

Betty Collins: [00:07:47] I would accept and be part of office invites. It’s interesting when you’re linked to your peers. That’s one way I do with Brady Ware. I’m a link to a lot of the different offices, and then I kind of see what they’re involved with, in Atlanta, or Richmond, Indiana. When you’re thinking about networking and setting connections, you really need to think about the internal ones, not just the external. Maybe you work for five people. It’s a little bit easier. When you work for 150, it’s kind of different.

Betty Collins: [00:08:17] So, how … We talked about what is the goal, and who is the goal, and you’re defining those things. Now, it’s how do you network? How do you make those true connections? I could go to lunch three times a day, year round. Well, I don’t need lunch three times a day … You have to make it well worth your time, because, in my industry, client service is really important in my industry, making sure that the bigger I become with that, I have to really watch how much time I’m out having lunches, versus really making connections. It really comes down to I could eat lunch anywhere, but the connection part is what’s important.

Betty Collins: [00:08:54] I would suggest to you to really look at your calendar. I do it three weeks out, to go, “Why am I meeting with this person? Why is this calendar invite here? Should I even be taking the time to do that? Maybe it’s a better relationship for someone else around me than me,” and you try to do some of that.

Betty Collins: [00:09:12] The other thing is when you’re at an event, you need to look around and determine is this who I want to be around? If you’re at an event where you really don’t fit in; you’re not comfortable; you’re kind of out of the loop; or this isn’t my client; this isn’t my sweet spot; this is not connected to my industry, then you just went to another event that was really cool.

Betty Collins: [00:09:34] So, I just went to an event recently that was very interesting. It was on a Friday, and they made it very clear in the invitation, “Please be casual. This is really going to be just a time of getting to know some people in our network.” What they made sure happened was … First, there was a whole slew of professionals that they use. But the other part they did was the location was awesome. It was at the Italian Club – I think is what it was called – downtown. Cool place. Very cool. The food was easy, but phenomenal. You were carbed out on a Friday afternoon. There was no ‘fold the napkin, use the right fork’ situation. There were no suits on in the room.

Betty Collins: [00:10:14] The greatest thing they did was they brought clients that would really benefit the professionals. Then, they brought professionals that would really benefit the clients. It was really a lunch that was worth going to because there was such connection and there was such synergy. The room was filled with who you wanted to be with. That’s a really important thing, when you’re looking at events, and as you’re signing up to go.

Betty Collins: [00:10:43] I’ve been in public accounting since 1988, so I’ve been in the marketplace a long time, but I didn’t start networking till 2000; 12 years later. I was really good inside. I was really good with running … My firm, at that time, was small. I was good with just being behind my computer, talking with people that I already knew. Then, I became a shareholder. “Oh, you need to go get business.” Oh? I have no clue … Most of you who know me would think, “Oh, well, that would be simple for you. That would be easy for you.” No. There’s very few people, I think, in the marketplace that just love the idea of, “I’m going to go out and get new clients today and make relationships. I’m going to close the deal,” and the art of the deal, and all those things. That’s not usually the comfort level of people.

Betty Collins: [00:11:28] So I did join a group called AmSpirit Business Connections. It was the first time I had to tell people who I was, and what I did, and what I liked, and it was very nerve-wracking. I just was like, “Oh, my goodness!” I had to really think through that, “30-second commercial,” let alone just demonstrate to a group of people that I could take care of their clients. Never had to do that before. Never was out there. Don’t wait 12 years into your career to do that.

Betty Collins: [00:11:56] It took me a few years, too, to be comfortable. It wasn’t all success from day one. I still connect with people from that group. I’m not currently in AmSpirit Business Connections, but Frank Agin, the president and owner of AmSpirit, is just simply the best at networking that I’ve known. I’ve learned a lot from him over the last 19-20 years. The number-one thing I learned is more about connecting engagement than “knowing” everyone or to be known. It was really about be engaging and work on your relationship, not get to know everyone as much as you can.

Betty Collins: [00:12:35] I kind of went to the next level, when I joined a local chamber in Gahanna; became very involved. Then, I also got involved with NAWBO. Those two places were places where it became definitely connections. I was connected to it. This became relationships. Gahanna is my community, where I live, so there was a little bit more ownership there. It just really got me out.

Betty Collins: [00:13:00] In that organization, people started asking me to speak or be on panels, which was something I was just terrified of. But that really helped me become connected, and networking, and connected with people. So, it was really kind of a gift, even though, at the time, it was like, “Oh, my goodness!” The more I networked that led to actual connection, I began having, finally, success in the marketplace; in building my business, and connecting my clients to the right people. And just, then, at the end of the day, having a different kind of impact.

Betty Collins: [00:13:32] What were the lessons I learned over that timeframe? Again, I go back to if you serve small clients, why are you networking with bankers who serve large ones? You follow up. You thank the person you met that you really want to have a connection with. If you don’t have more than one meeting, you’re probably not going to make … It’s not probably going to be a connection, as much as it’s just going to be, “I networked today.” If you got somebody’s business card, and met him once, would you …? If you got my business card and met me once, would you say, “I’m going to be … I’m going to do accounting with her”? Probably not.

Betty Collins: [00:14:08] Then, I really learned to quit focusing on the sale aspect. You always know when you’re selling too much because people immediately retreat. If you’re perceptive at all, you kind of see it. Then, some connections, you know what? They’re just not meant to be. It’s okay. I’ve gone to some things, where I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, that was awful.” Even when they emailed me back and said, “Can I have an appointment?” sometimes you ignore them, and you delete them. I just know enough, now, who I am going to spend time with and who I’m going to really make a connection with.

Betty Collins: [00:14:41] Tips, to me, that take networking to connection levels, where you’re really making some connections? You’ve got to be yourself. You’ve got to be fairly open. Let me rephrase that – you’ve got to connect … You’ve got to be yourself, and open, but do not be telling your life story the first time you meet somebody. Be infectious, when you’re personable, which is really spreading your influence in a pretty rapid manner, and people are drawn to you. That kind of takes time to develop. If you’re too infectious- again, if you’re too personal, if you’re too much in selling, all those things backfire on you.

Betty Collins: [00:15:19] Be inquisitive. It’s not all about you. Here’s the typical question – “So, who do you work for?” or, “Hey, what do you do?” You could say, “How do you like working for your company?” and, “Well, tell me a little bit more about your company.” Of course, if they say, “I don’t like working there,” then you probably need to move on. “How did you get in this position? What drew you to this field?” Think about a different way to ask some questions, where it’s a little more inquisitive, and it really reflects on them. You could even take it a step further and ask them some advice in their industry; see what they’re made of on their feet like that.

Betty Collins: [00:15:54] Be generous when you’re out there. When I meet someone that I pretty, pretty connect with really well, and I could see a future in that relationship, I try to be generous, and like give them tickets to events. How many events do you have in your life, where you’re trying to get rid of a ticket? I did this with NAWBO lunch. I mean, guests are $20. When there’s a really good event, I try to take a couple people for 20 bucks, and they get to be in a roomful of 100 women. They may not even know who NAWBO is, let alone think they can afford that, or maybe they can’t afford it. You take them. You be generous in that, and they’ll be grateful. They’ll give something back to you, probably; or it’s just another way to make connection with them.

Betty Collins: [00:16:37] I would tell you that speaking, being on panels, or getting people in speaking gigs, or getting them on panels only when they have something really good to say, and they can say it well. Do not recommend somebody that cannot get out there and do it. Trust me, it’s never, never good because the reflection is on you when they really get on front of the stage, and they’re horrible; or they’re on a panel, and they don’t stick to a two-minute response time. But it is a good way to network. That is a way to make connection, where you’re placing people in the right place.

Betty Collins: [00:17:11] Then, think people. Get over positions. Sometimes, it’s, “I want to know the CEO of that company.” Maybe you need to know the children of the CEO in the company, because if you’re the same age as that person, guess what? They could be retiring a lot sooner than you maybe, or not be there as long. Sometimes, getting some younger people in your network, where you’re helping them, and they love your knowledge, and they love what they’re getting from you. They kind of think you’re a big dog, right? If you help them with certain steps in their career, or in their business that has lasting impact, you’re going to have some different generations behind you, as well. It’s a great way to go, plus, it gives you a little energy; gives you a little step, versus hanging out with the old people like us, right?

Betty Collins: [00:17:59] You help them because you know what to do. They have to want the help, but it could end up being a lifetime relationship for you, for sure. As I get older, my clients are selling, so if I don’t have some younger client behind me, to some degree, or younger people surrounding me, or younger connections who are starting to retire, your network could easily shrink pretty quickly. So, think position, yeah, but, really, I would think the person. Think the people.

Betty Collins: [00:18:26] This is one … You all know somebody like this. Stop treating the schmoozing like your busines-card contest collection. Start over with some new goals and think about quality over quantity. I look at that person and think they really are into, “I’ve got this collection of business cards, and I know everyone in town.” And then, you talk to that person in town, and they’re like, “Who are you talking about?” Name droppers; people who are totally about the collection – those are people you probably don’t want to connect with. If you are that person, you need to probably really go back to the who, the what, and say, “Let’s set some new goals with quality over quantity.”

Betty Collins: [00:19:11] Networking or connecting? Networking that leads to good connection … There is a difference, and you need to make sure you know that. You’re either green and growing, or you are ripe and you’re rotting. There is a difference. When you’re out there in the marketplace trying to make connections, and trying to grow, and trying to be different, you have to think differently. Knowing what to do and doing it are not the same thing. So, I would challenge you, today, to change your mindset on networking or connecting.

Betty Collins: [00:00:00] I hope you enjoyed the podcast today on “Stop Networking, Start Connecting.” I did this podcast because I could network and be out and about all day long but have no fruits from it; no results that I like. When I talk about the connection piece, I’m really talking about it’s got to … Networking is not a bad thing. It’s not like you stop that, obviously, but it’s got to make a connection that goes into a relationship.

Betty Collins: [00:00:30] There’s no one who can talk about this better than Frank Agin, who is the president and founder of AmSpirit Business Connections. Over my career, for sure, and through my business journey, Frank has been very influential in my networking and connection abilities. He’s simply the best at it. His organization and all the connections that have led to relationships have been there. So, I welcome you today, Frank, and thank you for taking the time to spend with me today. First, why don’t you just tell about you, the organization – that 30-second commercial thing that we talk about.

Frank Agin: [00:01:03] Sure.

Betty Collins: [00:01:04] It can go longer. It can go longer.

Frank Agin: [00:01:05] Yeah, I used to be an attorney, and I got into a networking organization … I’ll make the long story really short. I got into a networking organization; liked it so much, I bought it. I haven’t practiced law since 2004; it’s been a long time. What we do at AmSpirit Business Connections is we help entrepreneurs, sales reps, and professionals get more referrals through networking. It’s a for-profit membership-based type organization, where they come together with other like-minded individuals on a consistent basis to go through a consistent meeting program to learn about each other, and establish relationships, and exchange referrals.

Betty Collins: [00:01:47] I know I’ve benefited greatly from it. I can remember my first meeting, going back to those days, and I just thought, “I’ve never had to tell anyone a thing about myself, let alone ask anything.” Most people would think that Betty Collins could do this in her sleep; she’s personable, and on and on. It was a huge challenge for me. But, all the sudden, business development became this top, top thing that I had to do. So, it really, truly helped me through those times. I have some of my younger generation now in AmSpirit from Brady Ware, and they’re really enjoying it, for sure. I talk about stop networking and start connecting, but I want you to tell me what you think all that means. Tell me the difference between networking, connection, and leading to relationships.

Frank Agin: [00:02:34] Networking gets a bad rap. It does. People kind of think of networking as the aluminum-siding sales guy, used-car salesmen, or … We’re picking on men here. Perfect show for it, right? It gets a bad rap because people think of it so much as sales. They really kind of align those two. I look at networking this way – networking is a verb. It’s an action. Networking is really about getting out there and being amongst other people. From that, you make connections. People that you learn their names, they learn you, but really, the end game to it all is establishing relationships.

Frank Agin: [00:03:14] We do business with those that we know, we like, and we trust. All things being equal, we do business with those sorts of people. All things being unequal, and the example I always use is insurance … I pay too much … Well, I could pay less for my car insurance. I know I could. I just know I could, but I really like my auto-insurance guy. He’ll go to bat for me. He will do things. I can speak to lots of professionals in my life that I have this relationship with them. I can get it cheaper, but I wouldn’t have the relationship. There’s something about that relationship that just kind of pulls us together. So, it’s really about the relationships.

Betty Collins: [00:03:55] Sure, sure. I have had this same scenario. From the very first AmSpirit group I was in, my car-insurance guy has been there, and my house … I’ve never had a reason to change, and it was just because there was a relationship that was forged. I don’t have a reason to go look for 10 bucks a month or call an 800 number. Generally, who is the successful networker/connector? Who is that? What do they look like?

Frank Agin: [00:04:27] I don’t know about actual look. It’s more actions, and it’s really people who are focused on trying to help others, providing value to the world, providing value to others. In their mind, they ask … We all ask this question- the question we ask when we meet somebody new is, “What’s in it for me?” That’s very primitive. That’s a very primitive question to ask: “Okay, I’ve met this person. What’s in it for me?” Because we’re in a survival mode.

Frank Agin: [00:04:55] But the person who’s successful in networking is able to push beyond that question and ask the second question. The second question is, “What can I do for this person? What can I do for the person I’m meeting?” If you stop and think about it, everybody I encounter, probably about two percent will benefit me. Two percent can be a member of my organization, or a franchisee, or client, however you want to look at it. But 100 percent, I can help somehow, some way. The successful networkers, they’re kind of driven by that. I can tell, when I talk to somebody, it doesn’t take long to find out, by the questions they ask, where their mind is. If it’s constantly, “Hey, what’s in it for me? What’s in it for me?” I know they’re not a good networker. Doesn’t mean they’re a bad person, just that they’re not operating at that networking level.

Betty Collins: [00:05:42] Right. Well, I know that was probably the thing I learned the most is you … Especially when you’re saying, “What am I going to do for this person?” That’s the mindset you have to be in. It can be simple things, such as inviting them to events, or getting them on a panel, or getting them a speaking gig, or any of those type of things. It’s not necessarily leading to business, but you’re helping them get there. It’s not getting me any business because I got someone on a panel. But you just never know where that will lead to, because it’s truly helping them to connect where they need to be, or a place that they could really help your client, and that’s valuable to the client.

Frank Agin: [00:06:23] Right.

Betty Collins: [00:06:23] I just recently had somebody who … I said, “Who’s your …” They’re frustrated all the time with the bank, and I said, “Well, who’s your banker?” They go, “We love the teller.”.

Frank Agin: [00:06:35] Yeah, that’s the problem.

Betty Collins: [00:06:37] I said, “Who’s your banker? You want loans, and you want lines of credit, and you want these things, and you don’t have a banker.” So, I got them connected to a banker, and they have just been so grateful. I didn’t get anything out of that … You’re right in the terms of ‘but it helped my client.’ It definitely helped them. So, what are those common mistakes in networking …? I have those moments where I dread going to networking things because I know who’s going to be there, and I don’t want to deal with that.

Frank Agin: [00:07:07] Right.

Betty Collins: [00:07:07] Help the audience understand – this is probably what you shouldn’t do when you’re trying to network, and connect, and making that relationship really work.

Frank Agin: [00:07:17] Well, I think some of the common mistakes that people run into and probably the reason that keeps people away from networking events is they go in with the mindset of, “Okay, what am I going to try and get out of this?” What I always say … I call it my cloak of invincibility; when I walk into a networking event, I am there to help people. I’m a superhero. I’m here to help. If you don’t want my help, that’s okay, but very few people are going to reject somebody who’s trying to help them.

Frank Agin: [00:07:45] People get stuck with small talk; don’t know how to make small talk because they’re always so worried about what they have to say. What I tell people is, “Don’t worry about what you have to say. Get them talking. Allow them to talk; explore where they’re coming from.” Then you can just relax and let it come to you. I think people have, with respect to networking, they just- they think it’s got to work according to some preordained schedule, and you just don’t know. You know, in your life, there are things that have come out of the woodwork that you set in motion years ago. I hear that’s a common theme. “I ran into this person at a wedding 10 years ago. Now, they’re finally a client.” That happens.

Betty Collins: [00:08:30] Well, I know I was appreciative for some of those things that I learned early on, when I realy had to get into the business-development world. Now, I’m kind of in a world where I want to have impact more. I say the word ‘legacy’ probably too much because I’m 56 but having connections and relationships where you can really have some impact is huge. It’s not even just about building my business at this point. That’s why it’s so important to just stop the networking thing. Utilize that as a venue to make real connections that end up in lasting relationships. So, wrap it up for me. What is the takeaway, today, to the audience, that you would love to communicate to them?

Frank Agin: [00:09:13] You need to find ways to help other people. One of my many sayings … My kids will roll their eyes if they hear this. One of my many sayings is that everything you get out of life is tied to what you do in life. You just can’t see the string. It’s so true because things will happen, and you don’t know how they were set in motion.

Frank Agin: [00:09:33] You just need to focus on trying to find ways to help other people. I’m not talking about pulling your wallet out of your pocket and giving to charity. I’m talking about being encouraging to others. Introducing to people that don’t know each other is huge. Me being on this show is huge. There’s lots of ways that we can help one another. Just focus on helping one another, and don’t worry how it all pieces together. You just have to kind of trust the process. It does work.

Betty Collins: [00:09:59] Well, I appreciate you being here today, taking the time to be part of my podcast. I will tell you, if you’re an entrepreneur, or a sales rep, a professional, and you would like to generate a greater percentage of your business from referrals, you should consider AmSpirit Business Connection as an option for doing that. If you’d like to become better at building your network and making those connections that end up building relationships, you need to reach out to Frank, via his LinkedIn, or through his website, FrankAgin.com. Agin is A-G-I-N, And it’s all one word. So, FrankAgin.com. I can’t encourage you enough to stop networking. Make connections that build relationships.

Tech Talk: Nick Santora with Curricula, Marc Gorlin with Roadie and Bijal Patel with Synamedia

February 28, 2020 by angishields

Nick Santora founded Curricula after a 7-year career at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the enforcement agency responsible for regulating the power grid across North America. Nick spends time advocating and advising critical infrastructure utilities on how to improve their cybersecurity programs. Nick is internationally recognized as a cybersecurity expert and speaks regularly at security conferences across North America on the psychology behind influencing employees within security awareness programs.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from Rider University. He also earned his CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor). Nick also serves on the board of advisors for Veracity, and industrial control systems SDN company.

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.

Before starting Roadie, Marc Gorlin Co-Founded and was Chairman of Kabbage Inc., which provides working capital to small and medium-sized businesses. To date, Kabbage has raised more than $250 million in venture funding and has a $270 million credit facility from Guggenheim Securities. The company has provided over $3.5 billion in capital to small businesses.

In 1996, Marc was a co-founder and an original board member of Pretty Good Privacy (“PGP”), a company formed to commercialize one of the most prevalent security standards used on the Internet, popularized in the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Marc assisted with the initial formation of PGP and oversaw the financing, growth and eventual sale of the company (to Network Associates (Nasdaq: INTC), a public company worth over $1 billion) in December of 1997.

After PGP, Marc co-founded VerticalOne Corporation, a content personalization service that was sold to S1 Corporation (Nasdaq: ACIW) for $166 million. Marc was Executive Vice President of VerticalOne and worked in multiple areas of the company including financing, business development, sales, M&A and security issues.

Marc is an active speaker on serial entrepreneurship, innovation and venture funding. Marc has spoken at SXSW, RILA Supply Chain, The Montgomery Summit, Internet Summit, Southeastern Venture Conference, and Finovate among others. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and remains an avid bulldog fan.

Connect with Marc on LinkedIn.

Bijal Patel is Synamedia’s Chief Financial Officer and brings over 20 years of experience in international high-tech and software companies as well as private equity-backed technology firms. Bijal has extensive experience driving business transformation, integrations and process improvements.

Bijal joined Synamedia from hospitality technology innovator, HotSchedules where he served as CFO for 3 years. Prior to HotSchedules, Bijal was CFO at Aptean and before that he held the position of Vice President of Finance at Finastra and was interim CFO between 2012 and 2014. Bijal spent the early part of his career in a variety of senior roles at IBM.

Connect with Bijal on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Joey Kline is a Vice President at JLL, specializing in office brokerage and tenant representation. As an Atlanta native, he has a deep passion for promoting the economic growth and continued competitiveness of communities in and around Atlanta, as well as the Southeast as a whole. He has completed transactions in every major submarket of metro Atlanta, and works primarily with start-ups, advertising/marketing agencies, and publicly-traded companies. With a healthy mix of tenacious drive and analytical insights, Joey is a skilled negotiator who advises clients on a myriad of complex real estate matters.

With a strategy and business development background, Joey is first and foremost a pragmatic advisor to his clients. Most recently, he was the Director of Business Development for American Fueling Systems, an Atlanta-based alternative energy company. While at JLL, he has become a member of the Million Dollar Club, and has built a reputation as an expert on the intersection of transit-accessibility and urban real estate. With intimate involvement in site selection and planning/zoning concerns, Joey approaches real estate from the perspective of the end user, and thus possesses a unique lens through which to serve his clients.

Joey holds a Master of Business Administration from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a founder, board member, and the treasurer of Advance Atlanta, and also sits on the Selection Committee for the Association for Corporate Growth’s Fast 40 event. In addition, he is a member of CoreNet and the Urban Land Institute. Finally, he is part of LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2019.

Connect with Joey on LinkedIn.

Tech Talk: Chris Hermann with Clean Hands Safe Hands and Atandra Burman with RCE

February 20, 2020 by angishields

This episode is brought to you in part by our Co-Sponsor Trevelino/Keller

Chris Hermann, PhD is the Founder and CEO of Clean Hands – Safe Hands (CHSH). He has over 14 years of experience working in medical technology design and healthcare. His background, as a physician and engineer, has given him a unique perspective to bridge the gap between engineering and medicine. His in depth technical and clinical knowledge have allowed him to lead multidisciplinary teams to address complex clinical problems. These teams have created several medical devices, biologic therapies, and electronic sensors that are used clinically or are in clinical trials.

Dr. Hermann started and led the multi-institution research collaboration that developed the core technology utilized in the CHSH system. The research team included investigators from Children’s Healthcare, Georgia Tech, Emory School of Medicine, the GA Tech Research Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the last 10 years the research team has secured and executed more than eight state and federal research grants totaling over $3.2M. Unlike most clinical research grants, these projects were heavily focused on rapid iteration engineering development and completely driven by the real world needs of clinicians. Dr. Hermann is the lead inventor for the patents related to the CHSH technology and serves as the connection between the clinicians and engineers.

Outside of his clinical experience, Dr. Hermann has over ten years’ experience in a variety of leadership development training, experiential education, and team building roles. These include running and facilitating high ropes/challenge courses, climbing leadership development programs, and high adventure sailing programs. He has a PhD in Bioengineering, a MS in Mechanical Engineering, a BS in Biomedical Engineering with High Honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MD from the Emory School of Medicine. He is married with two children.

Follow CHSH on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Atandra Burman, CEO and Founder of RCE, is on a mission towards saving human lives, susceptible to heart attacks. We have put together a team of medical experts, who have developed a unique technology that detects critical cardiac biomarkers early in the stages of heart tissue injury. This is the first and only solution that empowers cardiologists in preventing the unexpected heart attack from happening and bringing peace of mind in patient care.

Follow RCE on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Your Host

Connect with Joey on LinkedIn.

Tech Talk: Troy Deus with Drum, Kurt Jacobus with GRA Venture Fund and Sean Gordon with vidREACH

January 16, 2020 by angishields

Troy Deus is the Co-founder and Head of Experience at Drum, where he is focused on delivering powerful products that enable any business to drive customer engagement through Drum’s social recommendation commerce platform. Troy comes to Drum by way of years of managing Design, UX, and Product teams in a variety of industries, including interactive television, mobile, marketing automation, and fin-tech.

Troy graduated with a degree in digital design and 3-D animation from University of Georgia. Since graduating, Troy watched as product design, development and user experience gained prominence as a key revenue driver. Troy focuses on building elegant easy to use products with personality that enrich the lives of everyone that uses them.

Follow Drum on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Dr. Kurt Jacobus joined GRA Venture Fund in 2018 as the managing director, overseeing the Fund’s investment decisions and board relations.
As CEO of MedShape, Inc. – an orthopedic device company he co-founded – Dr. Jacobus is a materials scientist and mechanical engineer with a track record of growing young businesses as a leader, advisor and investor. In addition to MedShape, he had a founding role in three other companies and has served in a formal advisory role to five other companies.

Dr. Jacobus began his career as a business consultant with McKinsey & Co., shortly after completing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. His engagements centered primarily on startup and turnaround work, infusing strategy, finance and operations expertise to drive better results for companies. Following McKinsey, he spent three years as vice president for The J.M. Huber Corporation, focusing on business development and mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. Jacobus left Huber in 2006 to launch MedShape with co-founder Ken Gall, whom he had met as a student at the University of Illinois. As president, he led MedShape from an unfunded business plan to a thriving company. Today, MedShape has a global sales force of more than 150 representatives and three FDA/EU-approved biomaterials for the human body, all of them new kinds of products.

Dr. Jacobus is an instructor at Georgia Tech. He also holds a B.S.M.E. degree from Georgia Tech and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. He serves on two external advisory boards for Georgia Tech.

Follow GRA Venture Fund on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Sean Gordon has an extensive track record recruiting, hiring, training, selling, and unlocking the talent of people. For 20 years, Sean has been on the front lines of business across North America. He started with AT&T, where he built award-winning teams in sales and operations from coast to coast. He delivered equally stellar results for EMC, Aetna and West Corporation before becoming CEO of a technology company in need of innovation.

Sean founded vidREACH.io to engage prospects, customers, employees and candidates through personalized automation via video, email, and/or mobile. Sean has created new lines of business, reinvigorated stagnant company cultures, and mentored hundreds of employees who have gone on to do great things.

Connect with Sean on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Connect with Joey on LinkedIn.

Del Ross with Hotel Effectiveness, Mike Lamb with LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Mike Gaburo with Brightwell

January 13, 2020 by angishields

Del Ross is an expert in hotel profitability optimization. He has extensive experience in all forms of revenue generation for the industry including distribution channel management, customer loyalty and lifecycle management, digital marketing and e-commerce. As a hotel investor, advisor, and strategy consultant, he has worked with every major brand, management company and ownership group on overall strategy and growth plans.

How to Connect with Del

Website: https://www.hoteleffectiveness.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotel-effectiveness/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HotelLaborMgmt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HotelLaborCosts/

Michael Lamb is the global Chief Privacy Officer for LexisNexis Risk Solutions and RELX Group.

Lamb is a member of the Advisory Board of the Future of Privacy Forum and of the Advisory Council of the Center for Information PrivacyLeadership. He has testified on privacy matters in FTC workshops and before the United States Congress. Lamb holds a BA in economics from theUniversity of Michigan and earned his law degree at the Boston UniversitySchool of Law.

How to Connect with Mike

Website: https://risk.lexisnexis.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lexisnexis-risk-solutions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexisNexisRisk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexisNexisRisk

Mike Gaburo has a 20-year track record of expanding and scaling technology enabled businesses. With his expertise in leading software businesses, he has driven sustained growth in revenue, margin, EBITDA, and stock price, while building strong teams and great customer experiences.

Through a focus on assembling the right team, one with a ‘users-first’ approach, Brightwell revenue has grown at a CAGR of >35% under Mike’s leadership. Prior to Brightwell, Mike served as COO at Paycor Inc., a provider of HCM SaaS to 30k businesses, where he led a 4x increase in revenue and an 8x gain in EBITDA. Mike also served as Vice President of Corporate Development and Vice President of Cleanroom Resources Division, at Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) – a global provider of business services. Mike holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Mike and his wife Sally have been married for >30 years and together have 3 grown daughters. Outside of work, Mike serves as a Board Member with KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools, a charter school network committed to educational excellence for all Atlanta children.

How to Connect with Mike

Website: https://brightwell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrightwellApp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brightwellapp

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

Why there is a need for Hotel Effectiveness software
How the Hotel Effectiveness software control labor costs and improve profits
The significant growth of Hotel Effectiveness in Atlanta in the past year
The future of AI
Data for good
Machine learning
What Brightwell does
What makes Brightwell unique
The role fintech and Brightwell are playing in the global economy
How responsible fintech companies like Brightwell take social responsibility for educating the unbanked

Nick Stratton with Bullseye Property Management Andrew Hull with Hull Holliday and Holliday and Irene Ploski with Independence Insurance Group E6

December 27, 2019 by Karen

Nick Stratton with Bullseye Property Management Andrew Hull with Hull Holliday and Holliday and Irene Ploski with Independence Insurance Group E6

Bullseye Property Management is a full-service property management company that manages residential real estate assets. We have over 10 years of experience in the industry and strive to excel in all aspects of property management including marketing the home the best way: attracting the most qualified tenant: contracting with superior vendors: and inspecting the homes regularly so both owners and tenants have a positive experience.

Hard work and accountability allow us to succeed in fulfilling this vision, our motto is “we manage your property as if it were our own.”

Nick Stratton, CEO of Bullseye Property Management, is an Arizona native and is passionate about real estate and property management. Since being licensed in 2005, he became bi-lingual and graduated with a degree in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University. This field of study has propelled companies like Walmart, Toyota and UPS to increase their revenue, decrease waste and take out inefficiencies.

Nick has applied the same principles used by these large companies in creating Bullseye Property Management: streamlining processes such as rent collection and distribution: effectively managing construction vendors: and maintaining up to date knowledge of laws and regulations to protect each homeowner’s investment.

Nick’s greatest satisfaction is creating and maintaining a smooth process from beginning to end with rentals. Nick also enjoys spending time with family, participating in triathlons, riding horses and serving in his church and community.

If you are a landlord engaged in a rental dispute, then Hull Holliday & Holliday is the right team for you. Their highly experienced team provides customized assistance and representation to property owners and managers throughout Phoenix and Tucson.

Whether you need a hand with the Arizona Eviction process, or you’re seeking advice on being more proactive in preventing future legal disputes with tenants, their team is here to serve you.

Their combined extensive experience enables them to advise and train you in a way that allows you to make informed decisions and act expeditiously when confronted with legal issues relating to rental and landlord/tenant matters.

Andy Hull graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966 from the University of Iowa. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1973 and a Masters of International Management in 1974 from the American Graduate School of International Management.

Andy has been engaged as an attorney in Landlord/Tenant Practice since 1989. He’s authored several books, such as Arizona Rental Rights (currently in its 6th edition), Arizona Rental Housing Blue Book, the Arizona Multihousing Legal Reference Handbook and was a contributing author to the Arizona Journal of Real Estate.

He’s a certified instructor for the Arizona Department of Real Estate and for the Arizona School of Real Estate. Any is also a keynote speaker at several legal seminars regarding Landlord/Tenant issues presented to the Association of Landlord/Tenant Attorneys, Maricopa County Justices of the Peace, Maricopa County Judge Pro Tempores, Continuing Education for Attorneys and Co-Jet training far Judges. He also served as a Justice of the Peace Pro Tem since 1989.

Founded in 2009, the team at Independence Insurance Group PLLC has a total combined industry experience of over 38 years. They are an independent insurance agency and have several options to offer to their clients. Their team is not bound to a single insurance company that offers a single type of product, instead, they look for the best fit for each of their clients.

Their goal is to find the right combination of coverage and price. The team at Independence Insurance Group PLLC looks forward to providing knowledgeable, prompt, clear and honest customer service to their clients and prospects.

They offer competitive rates and top products in the industry from financially-strong and reputable insurance companies. It is their priority to respond to all requests within 24 hours.

Independence Insurance Group PLLC thrives to be a relationship-based agency with their clients, business partners and professional network. They actively serve our community through fundraising & volunteering.

Irene Ploski has been in the insurance industry since 2003. She is married and is the mom of 2 very busy teenagers, and a high-energy Golden Retriever. Irene is fluent in Spanish, and she is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. She moved to Arizona in 2000 and became a U.S. Citizen in 2010.

She founded Independence Insurance Group in 2009. She has been a member of Networking For Charity, a Central Phoenix-based business networking group that focuses on generating qualified business referrals through philanthropy and volunteering. She has been Vice President of NFC since 2014. NFC has raised over $60,000 for small local nonprofit organizations in our community.

Irene is a member of the Phoenix Elks Lodge #335 and served as Chairwoman of the Advisory Committee for their teen program called the Phoenix Antlers Lodge #335, an organization that promotes leadership, good citizenship and strong friendships, respect for parents and love for community in teens through volunteering and fundraising. She is also a member of the North Phoenix Lions Club, which is a global organization of volunteers that join together to give their time and effort to improving their communities and meet humanitarian needs.

Connect with Irene on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About This Show

Lawgitimate and its awesome guests highlight everyday financial topics including credit scores, debt management, small business, and real estate.

Lawgitimate’s goal is to raise awareness and provide the full perspective, including the legal lens attorneys use to address these complicated and fun topics.

About Your Host

Rochelle Poulton is an attorney and owner of AZCLG. Rochelle has been helping people with Credit and Debt issues since 2012, owns several small businesses, and has nearly 20 years of real estate experience.

Rochelle created Lawgitimate to bring in a network of awesome people to raise awareness and educate people about the litany of legal issues she faces everyday at AZCLG.

About AZCLG

The Arizona Credit Law Group, PLLC aka AZCLG is a consumer rights law firm in Tempe, AZ helping people with Credit Repair, Debt Settlement, and Bankruptcy.

We are small but mighty and love helping people get back on track financially. Learn more about us at azclg.com.

Tech Talk: Axis Replay CEO Allie Young

December 5, 2019 by angishields

Entrepreneur Allie Young is the CEO and Founder of Axis Replay, the first-of-its kind entertainment and event facility for video games and esports. Axis Replay exists to provide gamers and their friends with a fun and social in-person gaming experience that enables them to build stronger connections. She also serves on the board of the Atlanta Esports Alliance, a division of the Atlanta Sports Council dedicated to gaming.

Prior, Young was the CEO and Founder of Alcovy Media where she was responsible for building the sales team, operations, strategic growth, and development. During Young’s tenure at Alcovy Media, she built the company to a $1.5M / year in revenues serving clients like Capitol Records, the US Army, and the Essence Festival along with successful political campaigns for SPLOST, eSPLOST, workforce initiatives, with strong results in event marketing.

An avid video gamer since her 20s, she used her knowledge of the sales and marketing industry along with her passion for gaming to create Axis Replay with the goal to bring gamers together. Allie brings the understanding, leadership, and organization to her role as CEO to ensure the success of Axis Replay. With a knack for building strong relationships and collaboration, she is a visionary with a unique perspective on innovation and thinking outside the box.

Follow Axis Replay on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Your Host

Connect with Joey on LinkedIn.

AZ BRANDCAST Jeffrey Watson and David Cosand with Resound

November 27, 2019 by Karen

AZ BRANDCAST Jeffrey Watson and David Cosand with Resound

David Cosand and Jeff Watson talk branding and their new book, offering an approach to branding that aligns reality with the ideal. And it’s backed by sound philosophy and practical operational thinking.

Find out what the book is about, why it matters, and maybe a truth or two from the book.

Resound Creative is a branding and marketing company in Tempe Arizona. Since 2009, Resound has been building authentic brands and experiences that resonate with your audience.

Dr. Jeffrey Watson is a member of the advisory board of Resound Creative Media. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and currently teaches courses in Metaphysics and the Philosophy of Mind at ASU.

He has an interest in understanding the nature of both individual and collective identity as they apply to an organization’s brand identity.

David Cosand builds digital experiences, using personalization, relevant content, and UX design principles. He’s served as a product manager in the marketing tech space and as a consultant for clients such as Wells Fargo, Dell, UnitedHealthcare, and MGM Resorts International.

David brings a practical approach, ensuring that the branding rubber meets the road.

Follow Resound on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT AZ BRANDCAST

Branding isn’t just for companies. In fact, Arizona is its own brand. Every month, Mike Jones and Chris Stadler tap into Arizona’s rich community of thought leaders and business owners to find out how the state is developing that brand. Join them as they interview business and thought leaders from in and around Arizona about higher purpose in their companies and Arizona’s development as a brand. AZ Brandcast is powered by Conscious Capitalism AZ and Resound Creative.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

It’s Mike Jones‘ mission to see brands grow and succeed – to reach their full potential. He believes every brand, like every person, has DNA that’s remarkable, but not every brand knows how to act like it (and communicate it to the world). It’s not about what’s trendy, whatever consumers are demanding, or whatever will turn the fastest profit. It’s about the long game – building real relationships with your customers and your community.

Chris Stadler likes to see great plans executed. In a world looking for magic formulas, his stoic outlook tends to point people back to doing the basics really well. Accountability and measurement are his tools. In the past, Chris served as the staff copywriter for a large credit union, UX/human factors researcher at the University of Iowa and full-time teaching faculty, teaching design, copy and strategy at the University of Oregon.

Decision Vision Episode 55: Should I Change My Customer Profile? – An Interview with Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

Decision Vision Episode 55: Should I Change My Customer Profile? – An Interview with Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

Andy Goldstrom, Midcourse Advisors

Michael Blake, Brady Ware & Company

Brady Ware & Company

Decision Vision Podcast Series

Visit Brady Ware & Company on social media:

Show Transcript

Inspiring Women, Episode 19: Stop Networking and Start Connecting (An Interview with Frank Agin)

Stop Networking and Start Connecting

Betty’s Show Notes

Frank Agin, AmSpirit Business Connections

Betty Collins, CPA, Brady Ware & Company and Host of the “Inspiring Women” Podcast

“Inspiring Women” Podcast Series

Show Transcript

Tech Talk: Nick Santora with Curricula, Marc Gorlin with Roadie and Bijal Patel with Synamedia

About Your Host

Tech Talk: Chris Hermann with Clean Hands Safe Hands and Atandra Burman with RCE

About Your Host

Tech Talk: Troy Deus with Drum, Kurt Jacobus with GRA Venture Fund and Sean Gordon with vidREACH

About Your Host

Del Ross with Hotel Effectiveness, Mike Lamb with LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Mike Gaburo with Brightwell

Nick Stratton with Bullseye Property Management Andrew Hull with Hull Holliday and Holliday and Irene Ploski with Independence Insurance Group E6

About This Show

About Your Host

About AZCLG

Tech Talk: Axis Replay CEO Allie Young

About Your Host

AZ BRANDCAST Jeffrey Watson and David Cosand with Resound

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