Ask Brien Show

By Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForgeBusiness Entrepreneurship Management

Ask Brien Show episodes

February 03, 2023Best Tips for Individuals Starting a Business with Bill Saller
Today we are joined by Albany Farms CEO Bill Saller. Bill joins us to talk about how to start a new business successfully. He walks through areas where you can cut costs and create savings and how to push through and be tenacious when times are tough at the beginning. Bill gives some excellent tips about bootstrapping your business from the start, how to manage marketing spending, and when to expand your team. If you are an individual starting a business, this episode is full of golden tips!

IN THIS EPISODE:
[8:20] What are the three most successful things about starting a business?
[10:40] How do you build a bit of a mouse trap?
[14:07] How can you be tenacious and push through the difficulties of starting a business?
[19:04] Tips for bootstrapping your business at the start.
[23:26] How does Bill feel about bootstrapping when it comes to marketing?
[26:00] At what point do you look to expand your team, and what does that look like?
[28:23] What tips would Bill share with founders starting to sell their products?
[34:15] What’s the story behind Legal Stepz? Why is it the best?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
There is always a way to get creative and figure out ways to cut corners when starting the beginning of a business. Who can you bring on to help with the business that wants to invest or simply be a part of the company? Legal Stepz is an excellent entrepreneur step to success when setting up the company.
Start small with your business, knowing that you will grow. Give yourself time, sustainably launch your company, and find your customer base organically.
Reviews are KEY when launching a business. Reviews are more important today than good reviews.

BIO:
Everything we do is about you. From chefs who create exciting new flavors to our noodle engineers that bring the BEST to ramen lovers everywhere. The days of ramen just being for college students are over. We embrace everyone in the ramen universe! We give you the fuel from the plants and the sun. Our noodle-obsessed engineers and chefs turn it into an easy on-the-go meal at an affordable price.
Providing Safe Quality Food to the ramen universe. Albany Farms maintains a food safety culture and continually improves our management system. We are 100% committed to complying with FDA and customer requirements.
We would love to take you on this journey with us. Albany Farms is committed to bringing America’s favorite meal, ramen noodles, to your dinner table. We proudly label our ramen noodles as MADE IN THE USA!! This means the WHEAT grown by our very own hard-working farmers, is transformed into steamy bowls of delicious noodles to satisfy ramen lovers far and wide.
What’s next in the Albany Farms journey? In addition to the BEST ramen noodles, we will be making our own flour. If you like our ramen noodles, just wait; our Albany Farms flour will come to you from local wheat farmers and will be seen on shelves soon.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Legal Stepz Website
Albany Farms Website
Ask Brien Podcast
38 min
January 20, 2023Top 10 Marketing Strategies with Traci Deforge Part 2
Today is Part 2 of Marketing Strategies for businesses. During this episode, we discuss using paid advertising campaigns on social media, knowing the best social media platform for your business, and collaborating with influencers. Gaining knowledge about your target market is crucial to any successful business strategy. This episode provides excellent tips on considering which platforms to use and how to learn more about your ideal clients. Tune in today to discover the second set of marketing strategy tips!
IN THIS EPISODE:
[8:55] Recap of the first four marketing strategies from Part I
[9:33] How to use paid advertising campaigns
[13:09] What social media platform is the best place to put ads?
[14:45] How do you know when your ad is testing well?
[18:41] What is the difference between business to business vs. business to consumer?
[21:50] How do you collaborate with influencers?
[25:32] Where do you find influencers?
[31:36] How to utilize in-person events, workshops, and webinars.
[35:15] How to protect your business when partnering.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Boosting posts lets you get your message out to more people. It doesn’t matter if you can pay $1 or $50 a boost; anything will help you gain traction and get eyes on your post.
When deciding on which social media platform, consider what you are selling. If you are selling a product that people need to see, such as a hair salon, interior design, etc., you will want to go with Instagram or tik tok. LinkedIn will be a great platform if you work more with a business-to-business.
There is a wide range of relationships with influencers and collaborators. Some influencers are paid to promote your product, but when starting out, you can also do free collaborations, such as having a guest on your podcast (so their followers will listen). If you have the funding available, companies are out there to match you to an approrpitate influencer for your product/business.

LINKS MENTIONED:
Ask Brien Podcast
38 min
January 13, 2023Top 10 Marketing Strategies with Traci Deforge Part 1
January is a time when many businesses review their marketing strategies or when people decide to create a new business. Knowing how to strategize your marketing is key to building a successful company. Today, we walk through four of the ten marketing strategies for businesses. Traci discusses creating a solid brand identity and what you should know when building your social media presence. Peter jumps in with great information on how to research your company’s name and what legal things you should be aware of before purchasing any domains or business creation. Tune in next week to hear tips six through 10!

IN THIS EPISODE:
[9:10] How to develop a strong brand identity.
[14:44] The best ways to optimize social media.
[17:13] Why should you search for a name before you get fully invested in branding?
[20:19] How do you use social media correctly?
[23:03] Content is KING for marketing.
[24:46] How do you determine which social media platform to use?
[27:22] What are the best email marketing methods, and why is it important?
[32:48] What is a lead magnet, and how do you get people to leave their info?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Foundational pillars when creating your brand are video, audio, and digital. What people see, hear, touch, and experience. People should be able to connect pieces of your branding to who you are.
Ensure you have a website domain (URL) that is recognizable and easy for your audience to remember. Claim all the social media names on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Choose one primary platform where your audience, customers, and clients live. Put your energy into that one platform. Have a presence on social media channels, but if you don’t have time to invest in them, prioritize one of them. Utilize scheduling tools.
Content repurposing is critical! Putting your energy into a podcast can then create content for blog posts, social media posts, video content (if you record the podcast on camera), audiograms, etc. You can use the one episode in a wide variety of ways.

LINKS MENTIONED:
Ask Brien Podcast
Produce Your Podcast
36 min
January 06, 2023Creating Connection Between Consumer and Product Through Video
In today’s episode, we are joined by the owner of Industrious Films, Jeff Nicosia. Industrious Films is a turn-key video content provider for clients and agencies, specializing in case studies, testimonials, commercials, tradeshow, and web content, with particular strength in the tech space. Jeff discusses how COVID impacted entrepreneurship and videography creation. He talks about why providing video testimonials and case studies is essential, as it creates a connection between the consumer and the product. Tune in to hear some great tips on preserving brand safety and what to look for when hiring a videography company.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[7:12] What is Jeff’s background?
[7:53] What services does Industrious Films offer?
[9:45] What is the biggest difference between working at an agency firm vs. working for himself?
[11:52] How does owning your own business allow for more flexibility?
[12:57] Does Jeff handle all functions, or does he outsource work?
[14:15] How was videography done during COVID?
[16:25] What is the most important thing he’s learned in business?
[18:25] Why are interviews and getting people’s voices out there so important?
[20:50] What advertising works the best?
[21:53] Jeff gives tips for new business owners regarding videography.
[25:21] Jeff provides insight into how to preserve brand safety.
[29:30] How does Jeff best manage teams and work with companies via remote work?
[34:11] What does Jeff look for when hiring/outsourcing work?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Seeing someone in an interview advertising a product creates the ultimate connection between the product and the consumer. It builds trust for the customer.
Have someone shooting behind the scenes, interviews, presentations, and corporate events. Capture as much as you can so that you can utilize it in a variety of ways.
Honesty goes a long way in entrepreneurship. If you create honest relationships, your business will go a lot further. Be honest with your clients, employees, contacts, and everyone you do business with.

BIO:
Industrious Films is a turn-key video content provider for clients and agencies, specializing in case studies, testimonials, commercials, trade show, and web content, with particular strength in the tech space. As EP/CD, Jeff oversees all pre & post-production. He is also an on-set director and interviewer. Some of Jeff’s clients include Quantum, DDN, Ghostbed, Thanx, ExtraHop, Backblaze, A-Check Global, SpinMaster Games, Creative Direct Marketing Group, Positive Coaching Alliance, and Manhattan Wine Auction.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Industrious Films
Email: [email protected]
Jeff Nicosia’s LinkedIn
Ask Brien Podcast
36 min
December 30, 2022Luxury with a Purpose with Ivy Alexander
In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Alexander, owner of Ivy Alexander. After discovering a box of broken dreams from a family member, Nicole decided to chance her dreams of starting her own luxury bag hook company. She discusses how she built the company from inception to manufacturing and shares her best marketing tips for bringing a product to market. She discloses what’s ahead for her company and the challenges she has faced while creating Ivy Alexander. Tune in today to hear about the entrepreneur process and get some great tips on pushing forward through fear.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[7:33] Nicole introduces her company, Ivy Alexander.
[10:36] Who are the competitors for Ivy Alexander?
[10:57] Where can people buy their bag hook?
[11:29] Why did Nicole start this business?
[13:14] What did Nicole do before starting her company?
[14:38] What was the process for Nicole to start her company and manufacture the bag hooks?
[15:55] How much time was there between starting the process and going to market?
[17:00] How did she determine the pricing?
[18:57] What is the Ivy Alexander Foundation, and how does the “Luxury with a Purpose” tie in?
[21:27] How did Nicole’s grandmother influence her business?
[22:50] How does Nicole manage her work-life balance?
[24:25] What are some of the things Nicole does to make Ivy Alexander stand out with marketing?
[25:33] What are the next products in the vision for Ivy Alexander?
[29:44] What was one of the biggest challenges she faced?
[33:24] How did Nicole overcome fear?
[34:45] How did Nicole get to the level of success she is at right now?
[55:27] What are the most significant things she sees for the next year?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Surrounding yourself with wonderful people helps with work-life balance. It is also crucial to acknowledge people who are supporting you and let them know how important they are to you.
Important to have good marketing and PR and put products out there to grow the company. It will not happen overnight, but nothing will happen unless people know about the product.
When becoming an entrepreneur, look around at the people in your corner to see who has connections that can help you build your business. Nicole expedited her business growth through the connections that she had.

BIO:
Ivy Alexander is a luxury accessories brand starting first with opulent purse hook products designed to keep your beloved handbags safe from theft and damage. We hope this will be the first of many products we offer, manifesting our tagline, “Luxury with a Purpose.”
The meaning behind “Luxury with a Purpose” is two-fold. First, we hope to create small, functional, luxurious accessories and products for a sophisticated clientele. Second, a percentage of our proceeds shall go to the Ivy Alexander Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping non-profit organizations that advance equity for women.
Founding this company has been a truly joyful experience because during the process, from inception to launch, I have had the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of talented, creative, and strong women professionals, all seeking to raise each other to new heights. I hope that this company and the Ivy Alexander Foundation will be able to give back and provide others with opportunities to flourish and find joy.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Ivy Alexander Website
Ivy Alexander Instagram
Ivy Alexander Facebook
Ask Brien Podcast
Discount code: Brien -10% off
37 min
December 15, 2022Impacting the World For The Better with a Business and Dignity Coconuts
In today’s episode, we are joined by Stephen Freed and Erik Olson, the founder, and president of Dignity Coconuts. This incredible company was started to create opportunities for communities experiencing poverty. Stephen felt called to figure out a way to help those in the Philippines who typically experience dangerous employment conditions. During this episode, we discuss issues while building a company outside of the US, how the pandemic affected their business, and their impact on the people in the villages. Tune in today to hear their inspiring story and begin to think about how your company might be able to create transformational change in the world.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[5:19] What is Dignity Coconuts?
[8:19] What was the plan for the company?
[9:30] How have politics affected the business?
[11:05] How did Erik come on board, and what was his role?
[13:23] What issues did they face while building a factory in the Philippines?
[15:45] What was the population in the villages when Dignity Coconuts started, and how has it grown?
[16:38] Where do they sell their products?
[17:09] Has Stephen always been involved in non-profits?
[18:21] What is the current revenue estimate for the next 12 months?
[20:35] In 2020, was the business able to do any sort of exporting?
[25:17] During the pandemic, were they able to keep up their supply chain?
[26:17] What are their plans for the future?
[28:34] What countries have the largest supply of coconuts?
[30:03] Where can someone buy Dignity Coconut products?
[31:02] Are they specific to retailers or expanding to wholesalers?
[33:16] What kinds of bundles can a customer buy?
[34:20] How many employees does Dignity Coconut have?
[35:30] How did they get into big-name stores?
[36:20] How does their price point compare to competitors?
[37:41] Have they always been organic certified?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
You can put a business in a difficult area and make a difference in the world and communities.
The Philippines has an over 70% unemployment rate. Most of the community is overworked, lonely, abused, and trafficked. Much of the population has to go elsewhere to find any work. Dignity Coconuts created a way for people to live and work in their villages so they didn’t have to leave home to work.
Most businesses could add an aspect of community outreach to their business. Not only will they grow their business profits, but they will help out communities that otherwise are struggling to have the things we take for granted in America.

BIO:
We saw a problem: abject poverty. So we set out to find a solution. What we found was a sustainable business. The kind of business that transforms communities. We provide jobs to break the chains of poverty and slavery. We know that a person who is empowered to work and make a living for his or her family is a dignified person. And that person is less likely to become trapped in harmful cycles.
WHAT
We are committed to making the best products on the market. Our team of engineers from the Philippines and the US created a proprietary method for extracting coconut oil. This gentle way to obtain the oil creates the best coconut oil on earth – a product our staff can proudly sell to the global market.
We also bring jobs to those who need them most in hard-to-reach places, often distressed communities. Even if it makes our jobs harder. Because that is where the business can transform communities. Those are the places where our business can be a catalyst to improve issues like unemployment rates, cycles of sickness, personal finances, education, environment, business development, leadership, and water sanitation.
WHERE
Our production plant is located in a relatively untouched area of the Philippines, full of pristine coconut trees. We have individually organic certified over 63,000 trees. We have trained our small-scale farmers in organic and sustainable practices that allow them to be proud of their harvest, as well as get a higher price for their work. Our 85 plant workers are paid fair wages for their work and given opportunities for training.
WHO
The message so many impoverished people hear is that they are somehow less – less intelligent, less capable, less motivated. Years of believing this can bury a person’s dignity. But it just isn’t true. We are seeing those lies shattered. We are seeing dignity unearthed and hope arises in villages along the coast of an often ignored part of the Philippines.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Dignity Coconuts Website
Ask Brien Podcast
40 min
November 25, 2022Successful Market Strategy and Brand Positioning with What if Foods and Sabine Schindlbauer
In today’s episode, we are joined by Branding Expert Sabine Schindlbauer. Sabine introduced the company she works for, WhatIF Foods, and talked to us about their products. Her past role at Red Bull gave her a lot of experience with influencers, so she talks to us about what brands look for in influencers and if this is still an up-and-coming space. Sabine gives some fantastic tips on branding, handling negative reviews, and determining the best social media platform for companies. Tune in today to learn more about creating a successful branding strategy and to learn all about WhatIF Foods!
IN THIS EPISODE:
[8:30] Sabine introduces herself and how WhatIF Foods got started.
[14:07] What countries are the product sold to?
[14:32] What are the product categories?
[16:02] What is the main ingredient WhatIF uses in its products?
[18:36] What are brands looking for when looking for influencers?
[20:23] How do brands manage ‘brand safely’?
[22:36] Sabine talks about her work with non-profits.
[24:01] What are Sabine’s favorite platforms to utilize for advertising and branding?
[28:50] Sabine discusses their upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday promo!
[30:23] How do you handle negative reviews?
[30:53] What is a food company’s best social media platform right now?
[31:53] What does Sabine think is the future of Twitter?
[32:15] What is WhatIF Foods’ growth expectation for the next 12 months?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Bambara groundnut is known as a complete food by farming communities, packed with natural iron, B vitamins, 20% protein, more than 18% fiber, and 7 minerals. This lentil replenishes the soil.
Influencers need to be credible and buy into the product completely to be representing a brand. With so many influencers now, it’s so important that they are passionate about the products and not just sharing the product to get paid. Make sure they believe in what the brand is doing.
When choosing which social media platform you want to use, ensure that it works well with each platform; each content platform is different – short form, long form, audience, demographics, consumer needs, etc.

BIO:
Sabine is an experienced marketing and management expert, building and developing strategies for brands and companies. Her passion to deliver extraordinary experiences for people, companies & brands manifests itself in her creative approach, effective leadership, and operational skillfulness.
As a seasoned manager and consultant, Sabine has over 15 years of experience offering services to prominent international companies, non-profits and startups. During her 10 years at Red Bull GmbH, in the International Sports Marketing Department, she helped shape the company’s global sports marketing strategy, managed athletes and events, developed branding strategies, and trained managers around the world. Her skills and expertise cover a wide range of areas, including event management, partnership strategy, talent (athletes & artists) management, brand development, community building, marketing, budgeting, and planning.
Sabine has been instrumental in building the brand new consumer brand WhatIF Foods, supporting the Singaporean start up with building this new brand from scratch, a successful go to market strategy, brand positioning and messaging as well as several product and market launches.
Sabine is curating global networking experiences and fundraiser events for the Send It Series and the Robot Heart Foundation, a 501c3 with its purpose to support artists and the arts. The foundation aims to create and fund projects whether they be self-created, collaborative or commissioned. At its core, the Robot Heart Foundation’s focus is experiential Music and Technology.
LINKS MENTIONED:
WhatIF Foods Website
WhatIF Foods Instagram
Sabine Schindlbauer LinkedIn
Ask Brien Podcast
35 min
November 18, 2022Marketing a Niche Market with Logan Shinholser
In today’s episode, we have Logan Shinholser, founder of Contractor Growth Network (CGN). Logan shares his experience through entrepreneurship, how he started his company and some of his best tips for fellow entrepreneurs. He shares how he helps companies with their marketing strategies and how CGN diversifies itself when working with similar clients. Logan talks about niching down and the success that can create for a company by being an expert in their field. Tune in today for some excellent tips to grow your business through marketing while facing a recession.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[7:16] Logan introduces his company, Contractor Growth Network (CGN).
[10:01] Logan provides a breakdown of his experience and career.
[11:53] What services does CGN provide for its customers?
[13:13] What is a “funnel”?
[15:23] How does CGN diversity itself with multiple contractors of the same type?
[17:37] What is the price point CGN has for their packages?
[20:32] What advice does Logan give someone trying to determine their niche?
[23:55] Given a potential recession, what marketing recommendations would Logan give?
[26:00] How does Logan use his podcast to leverage his company?
[30:22] How do you get people to pay attention to you in this social media market?
[33:02] What does Logan attribute to getting the “INK 5000” status?
[34:55] How to do YouTube SEO.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Video Marketing is working really well for businesses right now.
As a company that does network growth for multiple businesses, it’s vital to diversity your work, create a different look for everyone, and use branding specific to each company.
Narrowing down your niche can help your business immensely. Having too wide of a niche doesn’t allow you to be an expert in your area, which is what will make you successful.

BIO:
Growing up as the son of a contractor, Logan Shinholser watched my father work through the struggles of running a construction business. He saw his triumphs and failures and learned how difficult running a construction company could be. Watching his father build his business taught him what makes a construction company successful and what doesn’t. Logan’s experiences made him passionate about helping contractors build healthy, thriving businesses. Out of that passion, Contractor Growth Network was born.
Logan’s unique perspective and background in marketing allow me to bridge the gap between best marketing practices and what the average contracting company owner goes through daily. That’s why CGN focus on helping hardworking contractors instead of spreading ourselves thin by trying to assist several industries.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Contractor Growth Network Website
Contractor Growth Network Email
Ask Brien Podcast
37 min
November 11, 2022How to Grow Your Business Through Podcasting with Traci DeForge
In today’s episode, we interview our very own co-host, Traci! She has a lot of experience with podcasting through owning a full-service podcasting company and being a co-host on a few different podcasts. Traci discusses how podcasts can help grow your business through the potential recession we are facing. Tune in today to learn the best tips for promoting and growing your company through a podcast.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[8:51] Traci introduces what a podcast is.
[10:43] When was the first history of a podcast, and what was the first podcast?
[14:08] Demographics for podcast listeners.
[17:17] How do people find podcasts?
[18:25] How do you direct people to your business using podcasts?
[19:22] How do you start a podcast?
[20:32] Can you SEO a podcast?
[23:54] Can podcasts have commercials that create funding for a podcast to be self-sufficient?
[25:43] What are the trends Traci sees in podcasting?
[31:23] How does YouTube work with podcasts?
[34:23] How can a podcast help you during a recession?
[39:53] How do you prioritize all these media channels (Instagram, Linkedin, etc.)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
51% male/female split of listeners. The golden demographic is listeners aged 25-54. Podcast listeners are typically very highly educated. 45% or more podcast listeners are likely to have a college degree. And 68% are more likely to have a graduate degree.
Google loves show notes and timestamps because it pulls up keywords, which is excellent for directing to your podcast/your company.
People are leveraging their podcasts for marketing purposes and then recording “commercials” to add them to the middle of their podcasts as a further advertisement.
For 2023 podcasts are fundamental for content creation going forward. If you record your podcast both through audio and video, you can create a lot of other avenues of content for your business.

BIO:
Traci is the Founder & CEO of Produce Your Podcast.
She is also the Co-Host of the Make Real Money Podcasting Podcast, The Podcast Experts, and Ask Brien Live Radio KHTS FM in LA. She has 20+ years in Broadcasting Radio, Business Development, and Strategist for Fortune 500 Companies. She is an Industry Leader in Full-Service Production of podcasts since 2016.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Produce Your Podcast Website
Ask Brien Podcast
36 min
November 04, 2022Navigating Distribution and Marketing with a Regulated Product with Harji Singh
Today we are joined by Harj Singh, creator of Loki, one of the first cannabis-based beverages on the market. Loki is a non-alcoholic drink designed to be a healthier alternative for those who don’t want to drink alcohol. We discussed the regulations around a beverage like Loki and the hoops they had to jump through to get started. Harj talks about what marketing looks like for a regulated product and how they plan to keep up with the growing cannabis beverage industry. Tune in today to get some great marketing and SEO tips!
IN THIS EPISODE:
[06:16] Introduction to Harj Singh and how he started Loki.
[10:24] How did Loki come up with their flavors?
[11:05] How did they create a distribution market? Where did they start selling first?
[13:08] Are there rules around how much they can produce?
[13:37] Is Loki available in all states? How does Loki handle selling in states where cannabis isn’t legal?
[17:29] How many employees are there at Loki?
[19:21] What does marketing look like for a product not legally sold in all areas?
[24:23] What is the barrier of entry for a cannabis beverage?
[25:41] How will Loki keep up with the growing industry?
[29:12] What challenges has Loki faced, and how have they overcome them?
[30:02] What’s the most rewarding thing about being an entrepreneur?
[31:40] What are the differences between being a solo entrepreneur and working in a partnership?
[34:54] How did they come up with the name Loki?
[36:05] What is the best way to get SEO for a company?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Make the brand approachable and show that it can easily fit into someone’s life.
Getting started with a business is the very first thing to do. Don’t overanalyze things and jump in. Figure everything out as it comes. No one will be 100% prepared!
Positioning the company as a unique item and determining how to make it stand out is key with marketing and branding. When having a product that has regulations, you need to understand those regulations and how to market around them.

BIO:
SipLOKI was aptly launched on National Cannabis day, 4/20 of 2021, and today has over 4 active distributed and available in over 300+ locations. Nationwide. You can take a sip of LOKI in select pharmacies, yoga studios, convenience stores, smoke shops, and some vegan restaurants, bars, and spas. So celebration and euphoria are never too far away!
To learn more about SipLOKI, their products, and the work they do to enhance our drinking experiences, be sure to check out their website and visit their socials!
LINKS MENTIONED:
SipLOKI Website
SipLOKI Instagram
SipLOKI Twitter
38 min

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