Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

Jake Pusch is a technology sales executive who has a passion for acting. Where many people abandon their dreams as they get into a career, Jake has found the time to make acting a priority. While working hard and finding career success in a tech company can be all consuming, he has made a commitment by taking acting classes, auditioning, and even working with friends to complete a short film. It turns out there is a lot of similarities between being an entrepreneur and the life of an actor. Rejection and failure are common in both professions and there is the need to understand the other players around you and respond to them appropriately. Jake the co-star of an upcoming short film called "The Agenda" (in which Thom Singer has a small role). In this episode Thom and Jake discuss the film and what went into making this project a reality. Find more info about Jake Pusch on social media (including Twitter @JakePusch) or on IMBD http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7783425/. And search Facebook for The Agenda Film 2016

Steve Heimerman is a master storyteller. After 20 years in broadcast journalism, Steve founded Tilt Motion- an award-winning video production company. By expertly applying emotion to communicate concepts both big and small, Tilt Motion’s work has drawn acclaim from customers including United Healthcare, Wells Fargo and Ford. Tilt Motion also has the unique ability to distill complex topics into videos that entertain, engage, and educate. This ability is important to note because marketing in the age of information overload is becoming increasingly difficult. When nearly 2 out of 3 people prefer video to reading text- you have an opportunity to engage! http://www.tiltmotion.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Allen is Vice President of viaONEHOPE, a merit-based marketing platform that empowers entrepreneurs to make an impact while making an income. Katie leads the business and the community of more than 1,200 Cause Entrepreneurs, or CEOs. viaONEHOPE was founded by ONEHOPE, a brand with a mission to celebrate and serve the world through thoughtfully-crafted products that each makes a measurable impact for a specific charitable cause. viaONEHOPE provides “CEOs” the opportunity to make an income by hosting events ranging from in-home wine tastings to fundraising galas, while making an impact in their local communities. In addition to everyday impact built into each ONEHOPE product, 15 percent of sales from viaONEHOPE events are donated to the host’s cause of choice. Since joining viaONEHOPE in 2014, Katie has empowered Cause Entrepreneurs across the US to contribute to ONEHOPE’s efforts in raising more than $2 million in donations to national and global nonprofits, including ASPCA, ACT Today, Why Hunger and m

Todd Nevins is a digital media executive who’s founded 3 successful startups – 4 if you count the beef jerky company in Mexico – specializing in marketing, technology & career development. He is also the host of the Go Hunt Life Podcast. http://gohuntlife.com/ He is a published writer/industry expert who has been quoted in Forbes, Computer World, Inc., All Analytics, datanami, Plotting Success and the Dallas Business Journal. Additionally he spent years interviewing top business leaders for a weekly ‘Exclusive Chat Series’ exploring career paths and industry trends. Clients have included Fortune 1000 corporations in financial services, healthcare, entertainment, government, education, energy, retail, ecommerce, telecom and software. Todd now lives in Austin, TX, but after nearly 20 years in Dallas, TX; he and his wife left everything behind and moved to Merida, Mexico where they spent five years. He is the guy to talk to if you want to know about pulling the rip cord on your life and jumping into something

Justin Deese is a CEO who is a highly sought-after business strategist, visionary, and self-made entrepreneur. His passion is to help move other entrepreneurs from business operators to business owners. He simultaneously built three flourishing in-home service companies in multiple states, is a certified E-Myth Business Coach, the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Collar Success Group and is an expert at helping fellow business owners structure and manage their companies for maximum profitability. Justin draws on his decades of real experience to help small business owners avoid the daily distractions and make every hour of their work count. Justin has a distinct talent for helping entrepreneurs recognize growth opportunities, remove what’s hindering their success, and develop customized strategies based on their personal goals. He has extensive working knowledge regarding all aspects of operating a successful in-home service business, including (but not limited to) sales and marketing, recruitment, systematiz

Matt Miller graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 and was an Air Force pilot for 9 years. His long-term desire was to start a business to build a lifestyle based on freedom and choice. A conversation with a good friend led him on a 10-year business quest that has brought Matt's franchising company to the cutting edge of both the vending and school fundraising industries. Starting with an investment of $100 he has built School Spirit Vending into a multi-million dollar vending business. After a successful career in the corporate world, Matt found he was looking to take control of his life. The success of his business allowed him to move to the country, home school his children, and live the life he wanted. He loves living in "the middle of nowhere" and raises pigs and then sends them to freezer camp. Learn more about his company and download his book on owning a franchise business at http://www.svbusiness.com/coolthings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is the audio of a webinar that Thom Singer did with Kelly Newsome from ConnectRoot. The topic is a discussion of going from Networking to Sales. Meeting people is great, but we need to get to a point in our business relationships where we are converting our networking activities to the bottom line. The advice on how important it is to "network" is taught to everyone in business, but people are confused as to what it means. The definition of the word "networking" has come to mean too many different thing in our business communities. Networking should not be a verb (you should not "go networking"), but instead a way of life that impacts all aspects of your business and personal world. What does networking really mean? It is the creation of long-term and mutually beneficial relationships between two or more people, where those involved find more success through the connections than they would without the connection. Thus networking is not just one-sided or for those times when you are in need of n

Roger Rickard is a speaker, trainer and consultant that helps businesses, non-profits and associations find their voice in advocacy. About Roger Roger has been an advocate for citizen involvement since the age of 13. He was elected to public office as a young man, later served as a legislative staffer for the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and has worked on many local, regional and state campaigns as well as numerous Presidential campaigns. His work spans a cross-section of local, regional, national and international organizations. In 2011, Roger authored The DMO Advocacy Toolkit for Destination Marketing Association International. In 2013, Voices in Advocacy® built a grassroots meetings industry advocacy platform for the Convention Industry Council called the CIC AdvocacyHub™. In 2013, Smart Meetings Magazine did a cover story on Roger, entitled Passion & Purpose, Roger Rickard’s Call to Action. Also in 2013, Successful Meetings Magazine named Roger one of the Six People Worth Watching in the Meetings In

If you have ever visited Ann Arbor, Michigan the odds are you have eaten at Zingerman's Deli. This episode is a great interview with Ari Weinzweig, co-founder and founding partner of the company now known as Zingerman's Community of Businesses. Ari moved to Ann Arbor from his hometown of Chicago to attend the University of Michigan. After graduating with a degree in Russian history, he went to work washing dishes in a local restaurant and soon discovered that he loved the food business. Along with his partner Paul Saginaw, Ari started Zingerman’s Delicatessen in 1982 with a $20,000 bank loan, a staff of two, a small selection of great-tasting specialty foods and a relatively short sandwich menu. Today, Zingerman’s is an Ann Arbor institution—the source of great food and great experiences for over 500,000 visitors every year. Each day the Deli serves up thousands of made-to-order sandwiches with ingredients like corned beef and pastrami, homemade chopped liver and chicken salad. The Deli stocks an array of fa

Jean LeFebvre is the founder of Panache Images, a personal style and wardrobe consultancy for people who want to dress to enhance their professional and personal image. If you are like most people, you were not born knowing how to dress for your unique face, body and coloring. So you end up with closets full of unflattering, mismatched clothes that don't fit you or your current life. And with lots of frustration over the money you have spent with so little to show for it. When you are ready for a more positive clothing experience, having a pro to guide you in creating a personalized wardrobe is the short route to looking your best. Panache Images works with you to develop and execute a personalized wardrobe plan within your timeline and budget. Consultations are informative, friendly and private. Services such as Color and Style Analysis, Closet Edit, Personal Shopping and Closet Integration give you real help in having the right clothing for you and knowing how to wear it to flatter your shape and form. P

Donna Kastner helps event professionals and association executives improve revenue performance through her consultancy, Enlighten 123. Locking in on critical needs for top targeted segments, she works with clients to fine-tune their content marketing strategies, grow loyalty, and ultimately, create raving fans who appreciate how events accelerate their journey to better. Donna is also the Founder of Retirepreneur, helping experienced business executives with knowledge/skills in areas where needs are high, but the candidate pool is light to "jump the shark" and make a smooth transition from full-time employment to more fulfilling and flexible work as a consultant. She has just released the official Retirepreneur Podcast. Give it a listen on iTunes or at http://www.retirepreneur.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Cunningham is the CEO of ReadItFor.Me. What is Readitfor.me? Readitfor.me is a way for individuals and teams to learn, retain and apply the ideas from the best business and personal development books the world has to offer to businesses and their lives. We help people spark the conversations that can unlock their greatest work. How is this different from something like Cliffs or Coles Notes and other book summary-type services? Readitfor.me is more than just a book summary-type service. Most other book summary services simply take the main concepts or ideas from the books and summarize them into bite-sized pieces. Readitfor.me by contrast was developed based on research into how people learn, behave and act therefore taking it beyond just summarizing books. We take the world’s best business and personal development books, and turn them into engaging, zero-preparation workshops that leaders can run with their teams in less than one hour a month. Steve started his career as a lawyer in Toronto, and a

Ruud Janssen is a Facilitator, Business Modeller, Event Designer & Marketeer with expert knowledge of Global Meetings industry and Membership Based Organisations. Author, Digital Event Strategist, Networker, Visual Thinker, Consultant & Serial Entrepreneur. Radically creative and able to inspire people. Internationally he is recognized as a thought leader in the meetings / events industry. He is the founder of Event Model Generation, a Training and Consultancy organisation that helps organisations align their activities by illustrating potential trade-offs of their events. The Event Model Canvas is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing events and conference models. Building a thorough Event Model Canvas can be achieved through a 10 step #EventCanvas methodology where the team involved in the event systematically analyses, describes and outlines the inputs for the components in the final canvas prototypes. The methodology is sequential and makes use of a range of visual

In episode 201 Thom Singer shares his journey the last six months that has included changing his diet (he gave up most wheat and sugar), training to run a half marathon (He had almost never ran in his life), and changing his outbound business development habits. Entrepreneurs can fall into two camps when it comes to their diet and fitness. They are either very dedicated to good choices, or they let their health slide. Thom had been in the later camp for most of his career. For Lent he gave up sugar and wheat, and then took up running in the spring. The result is a weight loss of 25 lbs, a new wardrobe (because his clothes no longer fit), more mental focus, and suddenly he calls himself a runner (excitedly going 3-5 miles a day four or five days a week). He also doubled down on his business and has become a daily outbound salesman again. His speaking and coaching businesses are seeing an immediate impact from his efforts and he is excited to show others how they too can have results if they commit to small a

Episode 200 is a big milestone for any podcast. When Thom Singer started this show he had no idea it would become such an important part of his business life. In interviewing nearly 200 entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, business leaders and others with the entrepreneurial spirit he has been exposed to many people with different paths to success. In planning for this show Thom decided to look at what he has learned in speaking to others who have carved their own career path. Ten Lesson Learned From Hosting "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" 1. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone - and that is okay. 2. To be successful you have to go for it. 3. Enthusiasm and ambition matter. 4. Planning and focus (with execution) are key. 5. You have to take the risk if you want the rewards. 6. Networking is important. 7. Your product or service must fill a need. 8. Sales, sales, sales. 9. There will be rough days and weeks. 10. Pay attention to your numbers.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Founder and CEO of the marketing firm Triple R Marketing, Matt Ruedlinger has been described as “highly creative with an unparalleled understanding of service”. With over 20 years’ experience in Marketing and Sales, Matt has helped small-local businesses and brand-name Fortune 500 companies alike become leaders in their industry. He has worked alongside world-renowned author and sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer, and has helped businesses promote their products at high-profile events such as the Sport Emmy Awards. Matt’s vision of Triple R Marketing is key to his core belief and operating principles, driving him to create distinguished customer experiences, “Customer experiences are not planned based on data, they happen when you empower the right people who love what they do, and I love what I do.” Customer experience is integral to his work. He believes satisfied customer are not a level of success, as being satisfied is the bare minimum we will accept in today’s social world. With this customer-centric bus

This episode of "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" is a simulcast of the "Reality Check Podcast with Craig Price" (Episode 208). Each year Craig hosts a "Speakers Roundtable" for his show at the National Speakers Association "Influence" Conference. What he creates is a wonderful dialogue between people who are active in the business who share their insights and ideas, while laughing and exposing their mutual friendship and respect. This conversation is a real behind the scenes look at the world of being a professional speaker, with an emphasis on marketing, standing out in a crowded field, embracing your real self, and ways to promote each other. Craig Price is joined by Certified Speaking Professionals (CSP's) Thom Singer, Jessica Pettitt, Dr Mary Kelly, and Jason Kotecki (Jason, Mary, Jessica and Craig have all been guests on "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do"). For more information about Craig Price and The Reality Check Podcast, visit http://realitycheck.therealistsguide.com/ Learn more about your ad choices.

Marquesa Pettway, CSP, a designation awarded to less than 700 speakers in the world, DTM, a Business Reinvention Expert, Professional Speaker, Author of The Reinvention Roadmap, SpeakerTalk Radio host (on itunes) and the founder and chief coach of The National Center for Speaker Training. She helps entrepreneurs attract clients and earn income by using their voice to grow their business. She’s coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals to profitable businesses since 2005. Marquesa provides the "how" in her Reinvention Roadmap™ and SpeakerBlueprint Roadmap and many other business boosting programs via THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPEAKER TRAINING. She's recognized an as expert by New York Newsday. Les Brown, the internationally renowned motivational speaker, calls her a brilliant speaker and business coach. Associate Producer for CNN small business show, "Managing with Lou Dobbs" turned Biz Reinvention Coach to hundreds of entrepreneurs and hundreds of organizations since 1993. The New York Daily News q

Mark Hunter is "The Sales Hunter." He helps companies and salespeople find and retain better customers. He is also the author of the best-selling book, High-Profit Selling. He is recognized as one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Sales and Marketing Leaders." All of this has him traveling globally nearly 230 days per year, working with companies to help them grow their top-line sales and bottom-line profits. He is known for his sales growth strategies and consultative selling approach to business. Mark Hunter is frequently quoted in the media and is a keynote speaker at major conferences on the subject of sales and sales leadership. His sales techniques are in use today by salespeople on 5 continents and in more than 100 different countries. Be sure to read Mark's latest best-selling book "High-Profit Selling - Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price" by AMACOM. In the book Mark shares proven strategies to maximize price and minimize discounts. The book contains a step by step process with how to increas

Joe Zente is the President/CEO of Z3 Performance Development, Inc. He founded Z/Three in 1999 with a singular vision -- to help forward-thinking entrepreneurs to exceed their personal and business goals. Joe is the developer of the UnCommon Sense© Formula for Success, a process that has been used by hundreds of CEOs and presidents to transform their culture and to create consistent, predictable, scalable, sales organizations The Formula has also been deployed internationally by thousands of managers, salespeople, service providers and subject matter experts to dramatically improve their selling effectiveness and results. His approach is practical and no-nonsense. Joe speaks nationally on Building World Class Sales Organizations, has written hundreds of articles and eBooks, and blogs monthly at http://www.zthree.com Joe understands business. He has directed Fortune 500 divisions, led nine companies, founded six and sold two. His experience includes more than 30 years leading international firms involved in a