Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

Natalie is the CEO of Bella Ballerina, a company that empowers women and moms to take control of their ambitions and create companies that fulfill their desire for a flexible lifestyle and entrepreneurial ambitions. Bella Ballerina offers franchise and license opportunities as well as retail sales through it’s family of products and services. With over 10 years experience in growing businesses into multimillion dollar empires, Natalie helps both her own clients and others find the path to building the right business for them with an unapologetic outlook on their goals. Natalie is a passionate and energetic leader who inspires and motivates her audience to live their best life in the way that they want, not just in the way it’s presented to them. Her passion for empowering others is contagious and allows her to connect with her audience to create powerful entrepreneurs. Natalie is the CEO of Bella Ballerina, a franchise offering boutique dance studios for young children. She is a native of Jamestown NY and a

September 30, 2014 was the day that episode #1 of the Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do Podcast launched. In three years (and 293 episodes) Thom Singer has interviewed over 250 entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, business leaders, and intrapreneurs. Some have accomplished amazing levels of success, while others are just starting their entrepreneurial journey. Along the way Thom has learned a lot of things, both from the guests and via the experiences of hosting a show twice a week. The people he has met has changed his life forever. Friendships have been made that will last a lifetime. In this episode he marks the 3 year milestone with 5 things he has come to know true for anyone looking to do more in their career: 1. You need to focus. 2. You need others to hold you accountable. 3. You learn more when you are part of a community. 4. Taking action beats sitting around thinking. 5. You have to assess your progress. Listen to this episode and share in the celebration of the shows reaching nearly 300 episodes, and g

Mike Belsito thought he wanted a career in sports management, but found himself loving starting new things. His first job was working as employee #1 for a startup, and he has never looked back. Today he is the co-founder of Product Collective. They founded the company in 2014 as a way to help product people all over the world connect, collaborate, and generally be inspired. As product people themselves, they found they were wanting to find places where they could meet other product people. They looked around and were surprised to find a lack of a product community that gathered in one place often, especially outside of Silicon Valley. And so Product Collective was born. Product Collective’s first initiative was INDUSTRY: The Product Conference, which initially took place in 2015. In its first year, INDUSTRY attracted 250 attendees from 21 states and 7 countries. Just one year later, attendance nearly doubled — with attendees from both years represented from larger enterprises and venture backed startups al

Chris Mefford has done it all, from starting his own company to working for churches, and most recently as a former VP at the Dave Ramsey organization (planning live events and more) and EVP for Dr. Henry Cloud.  Currently, Chris is the acting COO for Standard Behavior Digital. In his many roles, Chris has had the opportunity to change people’s lives by providing clear, actionable strategies to help people make smart business decisions and turn a fledgling department into one of the best in the company. Chris has coached leaders from businesses and nonprofit organizations nationwide. He offered his expertise and insight to assist senior executives and small business entrepreneurs to build better cultures, turn around underperformance, hire the right employees, know when to let people go, implement efficient processes, manage finances, and implement the organization’s mission all while making money and changing lives.  Chris even played a part in helping the Ramsey Organization win the“Best Place to Work in N

I recently heard a story of a person who was listed as a reference by a job applicant. Upon hearing about this great job (big opportunity for a small town) the reference pitched herself as a better option for the job. And.... the company hired her, leaving the applicant they had put through weeks of interviews on the sideline. Now, this story has several elements. First, I only heard one side of the story (and stories have a way of being told from the point of view of the storyteller). Yet, no matter how you slice this tale is has some ethical issues that can be called into question. The woman who took her friend's opportunity and spun it into her new career admitted to the original applicant that she was jealous of such a great job and wanted it. She also was crying when she told him the details, clearly showing she was not fully proud of her actions.  They were good enough friends (former co-workers) that they would hang out together on occasion with her spouse and shared many mutual friends. I imagine t

My career as a speaker was built during the "Great Recession". Before the crash I was advised that if my desire to be a professional speaker was real, I should change topics, as teaching people how to engage, network, build connections, etc... was "fluffy and nobody would pay" for that topic. Enter 2008 and 2009. The economy plummeted and people were being laid in near record numbers. Business professionals were scrambling either to find their next job or to show their extra value to their employer to avoid being the next one to be let go. Those who were finding success attributed their career stability to their networks. All the news outlets were running stories about the power of networking, and the topic was considered anything but "fluffy". While I had not had years of experience as a speaker, my take on how to make, grow, and keep your business relationships touched the problem faced by so many people. Associations who were hungry to provide real value to their members hired me to present and I created

Growing up an engineering student in India, Rohan Kale made some bad decisions in his 20’s and ended up gambling. He was dissatisfied with his job and disillusioned with the way things worked. So - to distract himself - he hung out with some people he really shouldn’t have… who were obsessed with betting. He lost a lot of money. €25,000+, to be exact. Luckily, he had the support of incredible family and friends who never gave up on him and who helped him get back on his feet. Anyone who’s been through this kind of thing always says ‘I don’t know where I’d be without them’ - well, he knows where he would be (and it is not a good place). But even though they helped him get out of debt, he didn’t come out without a scratch. Getting into so much debt when you’re still just maturing, and in so short a time (this all happened over 6-8 months) leaves you mentally and physically drained. He needed to heal. He needed a fresh start. He decided to go for one final gamble. -- He took out an education loan and travele

Today’s guest is Shane Sams, part of the dynamic duo behind FlippedLifestyle.com. Shane and his wife Jocelyn are former school teachers. After years of bad bosses, job losses, and frustration at work, they started an online business. That business made it possible to quit their jobs, spend more time with family and earn millions in passive income online - all while working only 10-15 hours per week! Now, they are helping other families do the same by connecting with people through their Flipped Lifestyle podcast, website and inside their Flip Your Life community.  http://www.flippedlifestyle.com/coolthings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vinh Giang is an entrepreneur, speaker, and magician who believes you should "Amplify the best parts of who you are".  Vinh's family are refugees from Vietnam. They arrived in Australia in 1981, March 31st. His dad has always shared with him a simple concept - life is a miracle. He used to tell him: "Son, do you know how ridiculous it is that you are alive? If your mother or I died in the war, you wouldn't be here. If your grandparents didn't meet, you wouldn't be here. Heck, lets take it back 50,000 generations. If a cave man ate a poisonous fruit and died, that's our entire bloodline vanished from this earth.. It took millions of years of serendipitous events for you to be here, and now that you are here, you are alive for 80 years on average. When you compare how long it took for you to get here versus how long you are here for.. it's like you are alive for 1 minute. It's a privilege to be alive. In this life of yours,remember to do what you love and jump as high as you can in life. As long as I am alive

Business leaders call on Ian Altman to modernize their sales and marketing. Ian’s approach helps companies significantly grow sales by aligning their goals with current and emerging trends in buyer behavior.  Ian is a multi-bestselling author, strategic advisor, and internationally sought speaker. A successful services and technology CEO for two decades, Ian draws on years of success and research on how customers make decisions. He shares how his clients have more than doubled their businesses following the same methods that he used to build his former company from zero to more than $1 billion in value. You can find Ian’s weekly articles on Inc.com and Forbes.com. He is the host of the weekly podcast Grow My Revenue Business Cast. Discover more about Ian’s keynote and how Ian’s helps his clients achieve remarkable results. On this episode you will hear his entrepreneurial story and his advice on how to grow your business.  Same Side Selling Academy: For more years than Ian cares to admit, clients have a

Do you ever wish you started your entrepreneurial journey earlier? It is common to hear from business people that they regret not finding their true path sooner. Leland Jones started his first company at age 17, and is already a business owner, author, philanthropist, and motivational speaker.  Jones wrote his book 'A Journey with Purpose' to help entrepreneurs start and succeed on their journey. 'A Journey with Purpose' provides tips, tricks, and advice to to tackle the most common and unexpected barriers that entrepreneurs face.  He also founded his company, T-Quotes, LLC in 2016 with his trusted team of four friends that make up the executives of the company. In line with the founders’ philosophy of philanthropy, T-Quotes, LLC donates ten percent of all proceeds to various non-profit organizations and is an official corporate sponsor of the largest student run philanthropy in the United States, THON, based in Pennsylvania.  Jones has experienced the entirety of his young life as part of a military famil

Talk about stealing the show: Laurie Guest (who was on "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" episode 68) was invited back to have a fun chat about business, customer service and entrepreneurship. She told Thom Singer she had a surprise for him, and was he willing to "play along".  As the show kicked off, Laurie took over the role of "Guest Host" (See that, Laurie Guest...Guest Host) and made Thom the interviewee for this episode. You have to tune in and see how she made him answer the questions he often asks others.  This is a fun and interesting show, and certainly something a little different. Who is Laurie Guest? Laurie Guest, CSP, began her training as a customer service expert at the tender age of nine. As a Midwest farmer’s daughter, she learned to master the art of customer engagement to sell more sweet corn than the competition. Of course, they didn’t call it superior customer service back then, but we all know the concept today. If your team needs assistance developing their skills, look no further. Lau

Matt Bauer is the CEO of Motivational Media, a video and production company that focuses on events, and the speakers and entertainers who make conferences successful. He was an IT person who when out of work was driving for Uber, and then almost overnight he launched a successful video production company with a full slate of clients. Matt specializes in creating the highest quality video products that showcase his clients and effectively convey their message, generating more business for those clients. Additionally, Matt is active in documentary work, raising awareness and education for great causes such as Parkinson's disease and autism. As a recovering IT professional, Matt uses his computer expertise to fine tune all aspects of audio and video production. During his time working with IT services firm My Computer Works, Matt was part of the start-up team, and spent a decade growing that business. A musician and entertainer in his own right, Matt has been singing and acting since the age of 7. One of his

Publishing is an accomplishment for anyone, especially a young writer as they build their confidence as an author. With Illustory, My Comic Book, and My Awesome Book children can realize their potential as an author and artist, and celebrate this success with a canvas print of their story’s protagonist. With nearly 100,000 children’s books available through Lulu.com, Lulu Jr. is the ideal destination for young readers. Lulu Jr.'s IlluStory, My Comic Book, IlluStory Junior and My Awesome Book enable children to realize their potential as authors and artists by publishing their own professionally published hardcover book or comic book. Over the decade since being launched, IlluStory has been repeatedly recognized by parents and industry organizations as a valuable tool for strengthening literacy skills, nurturing creativity and building self-esteem. Jen Santoro who works for Lulu Jr is working hard to relaunch the brand. She loves her job, challenges her boss, and engages retailers in ways that is having a re

Thom Singer met Brian Fanzo on a video podcast where they were both guest.  Thom knew from the start that the backwards hat and the cool tattoos made Brian the cooler of the two guest.  Since that time they have become friends and Thom knew he had to share Brain's story with the CTED audience.   Brian Fanzo talks fast and tweets faster. A proud, pager-wearing millennial, he is a keynote speaker and founder/CEO of iSocialFanz LLC, a social strategy consulting agency. Brian also co-hosts SMACtalk Podcast & FOMOFanz Podcast.   Brian’s #ThinkLikeAFan philosophy has powered first-of-their-kind storytelling campaigns for many Fortune 50 enterprise companies leveraging Periscope, Snapchat, and Facebook Live under the username @iSocialFanz. He was awarded the Top 25 Social Business Leaders of 2014 by The Economist Intelligence Unit and was nominated for the first ever #ShortyAwards Periscoper Of The Year 2016.   In 2016, Brian keynoted in 11 countries at more than 40 events highlighting his passion for change, collab

This episode is a conversation with Chad McNair from Aspen Beverage Group.  This is a "must hear episode", With over 18 years in product manufacturing, Aspen has become a leader in high quality custom beverage solutions. A quest for the “perfect” coffee has grown Aspen Beverage Group into one of the leading producers of liquid coffee in the world. Civil Engineer and CEO, Chad McNair has explored every aspect of coffee extraction, knowing that every step in a process contributes – or detracts – from the final product. He developed the proprietary TRIO™ process and built an industry leader. Aspen discovered that the key to stable, excellent flavor comes from the quality and purity of the ingredients and gentle handling in the process. By applying sophisticated technology to excellent base ingredients, Aspen produces a cleaner, superior beverage. The company has consistently earned Silliker certification for exceptional food quality systems, culminating in the Silliker Platinum Award in 2008. It all began in

In a variety of industries people try to save money by skipping hiring the professional and try to "wing it". No consultant would ever recommend this as the most efficient way to have the highest level of success, but for entrepreneurs this is a way of life because of limited funds. In the meeting world, however, it is common to spend $50,000 on a speaker and $40,000 on a chocolate fountain for dessert, but they skip out on much less and get anyone other than a professional Master of Ceremonies. Thom Singer is a professional speaker and master of ceremonies, and in this episode he talks about reasons why the best meetings utilize EmCees.  But this episode is not just for #eventprofs and meeting professionals, it relates to all industries. You are a professional something. Do you know why prospective clients in your vertical should hire you vs. finding an amateur solution? Make a list of why your customers should hire a professional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business Productivity Coach Teresa McCloy partners with her clients to stop being productive and do what matters. Teresa grew up on a farm, and has always seen the benefits of working for yourself. Her father, while a hard working farmer, also had free time that other dads did not have because he was self employed. She wanted that life, and while from time to time she has worked in "jobs" she has always come back to the entrepreneurial life. A recovering workaholic who was addicted to all the latest apps, software, and best selling books on productivity, is now passionate about helping business leaders and entrepreneurs to assess their habits and execute an Individualized Productivity System (IPS) for doing more of what matters. Teresa is a founding trainer and coach with the 12 Week Year™ system, and uses tools such as iEnneagram© and Life Maps, serving her clients through one-on-one coaching, webinars, and training to discover their unique talents, values and life mission. http://www.teresamccloy.com/co

Thom Singer is having the best year as a "Solopreneur". After 8 years of working for himself, he is seeing some of the results from nearly a decade of hard work. But he does not feel this is happening by accident.  This year he introduced a new product line (in the form of a new keynote speech called "The Paradox of Potential", and having this new talk has lead to some of the uptick in his sales.... but there is more to the puzzle.  In this episode he shares what he believes is helping him grow his business, and things that anyone can do to get to their own best year ever. 1. Know what you want. 2. Stop making excuses. 3. Take action. 4. Record and analyze your results. 5. Get others involved. 6. Ask.  7. Do not undermine your success - keep working. If you are an entrepreneur, solopreneur, have a "side hustle", are a business leader, or if you are in career job but desire to be more entrepreneurial... then you should listen to Episode 276 of "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do". Thom's Ask (hey, he is l

Next Level Insurance Agency was founded by Danny O'Connell and a dedicated team of service professionals who knew there was a better way to serve businesses & individuals.  They have created numerous innovative forward thinking solutions for employers and individuals to help address the increasing cost of insurance while balancing value based plans.  Danny's mission is to add value to the lives of clients, their employees, and his team through creative insurance solutions & focusing on the development of the person.  Danny was the guest on episode 181 of "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do", but in the last year he left the agency where he had worked for 10 years to start Next Level and to stretch his entrepreneur journey. He is a seasoned sales person with a passion for the insurance and benefits industry. His agency has grown quickly in the first year, and his story is one that will inspire people in any line of work.  Danny knows the value of hard work, industry expertise, and strong relationships. In this e