Beyond 8 Figures

Beyond 8 Figures

By A.J. LawrenceBusinessEntrepreneurshipManagement
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Beyond 8 Figures episodes

  • Innovative Disruption for a Better World with Nima Sophia Tisdall, Blue Lobster

    When confronted with the unsustainable and unjust model of commercial fishing in Denmark, Nima Tisdall co-founded Blue Lobster to disrupt the industry innovatively while also bringing in a profit. In this episode, Nima shares some key insights from her journey as an impact entrepreneur, including the importance of practicing self-care, understanding your strengths and weaknesses and staying sharply focused on one goal. 

    About Nima Sophia Tisdall:

    Nima is a conscious consumer whose role in the founding of Blue Lobster earned her a place on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. She is also a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, was named one of the Top 100 Women in Denmark, and was part of the Obama Foundation as a European Leader.

    Episode highlights:

    • As an impact entrepreneur, Nima combines capitalistic market forces and the values of the non-profit sector. By doing this, she ensures that her business contributes to making the world a better place. (02:21)
    • Communicating your story so that people can easily connect with it is a vital part of rallying support amongst your target audience. When people understand your mission, they are more likely to stand with you. (07:22)
    • When you are driven by a greater mission than yourself, rather than by money, you are more likely to push through difficult times. Money can be made anywhere, but the true purpose will keep you anchored.  (15:08)
    • Trying to solve too many problems is a recipe for disaster because it will be too overwhelming, and you will likely not get anything done. Instead, hone in on your main goal and stay focused on achieving that. (18:59)
    • It is vital to ensure that you practice self-care as an entrepreneur. You will only be able to operate effectively in your workplace if you look after yourself. (24:35)
    • It is important to understand your own strengths and weaknesses and be open to delegating work to others as a leader. This way, you can focus your energy where it will be most effective, and your team can handle the rest. (29:54)


      • Nima’s best advice for entrepreneurs:

       

       “Find one thing. Find one thing that you can change in the world and focus on that because you can’t change the whole world at once.” (18:58) You probably won't get anywhere if you try and do too much, so stick to your main goal! 


      Connect with Nima:

      • LinkedIn
      • Instagram
      • Website


        • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
        • Website
          • 35 min
        • Rebranding Yourself from Founder to CEO with Jamie Lieberman, Hashtag Legal

          When you reach a certain degree of success in your journey as a founder, it’s important that you focus on rebranding yourself as a CEO. This will allow you to take your business to the next level! In this week’s episode, Jamie Lieberman, founder, and CEO of Hashtag Legal, shares what she has learned as one of the few lawyers working in the entrepreneurial space.

          About Jamie Lieberman:

          Jamie is an accomplished lawyer and an entrepreneur. She founded Hashtag Legal to fill a gap that she noticed in the digital business world. Jamie is driven by her desire to serve her clients in the most meaningful way possible, and she always aims to leave things better than she found them.

          Episode highlights:

          • By really listening to the issues that your customers/clients are experiencing, you will be able to respond in the most impactful way because you will understand exactly what they are experiencing. (06:22)
          • Hiring the right people and finding a community will help you deal with the loneliness and fear of being an entrepreneur. (11:20)
          • Building and running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t rush any part of the process, and ensure that you build strong foundations from a legal, data, analytics, and people perspective. These will set you up for success from the early days, and will help you avoid making mistakes in the future. (13:28)
          • To take your business Beyond 8 Figures (and be a guest on Beyond 8 Figures), you need to stop thinking of yourself as a founder and start thinking of yourself as a CEO. One of the most valuable things you can do as a CEO is to learn to delegate. (18:58)
          • Jamie defines success as leaving things better than you found them. We agree with her; your entrepreneurial journey should be about helping others in some way, and this mindset will allow you to be more empathetic towards your clients. (24:18)


            • Jamie’s best advice for entrepreneurs:


            “You need to reassess your role as founder, and stop thinking of yourself as someone who has just created something that is happily moving along, to reframe your brand as CEO.” (20:34) Once your business is up and running, it’s important that you step into the role of CEO, which requires you to think and act differently than you did when you were a founder.


            Connect with Jamie:

            • LinkedIn
            • Instagram
            • Website


              • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

              • LinkedIn
              • Twitter
              • Website
                • 34 min
              • Building a Boundary-Breaking Business with Dominnique Karetsos, The Healthy Pleasure Group

                Breaking boundaries in business takes more than just hard work. It takes courage, support systems, and a lot of resilience. Dominnique Karetsos, CEO of the Healthy Pleasure Group, is driven by her life mission to shape the future of the sexual health and technology industry. This journey has required her to break many boundaries along the way, and in this episode, she talks about the tools that have allowed her to do so successfully. 

                About Dominnique Karetsos:

                Dominnique’s entrepreneurial journey started when she was 13, selling alcohol-free perfume balms. Since then, she has worked in over 30 markets globally, helping start-ups and market leaders improve and increase their sales, marketing, and distribution channels. Today, she is CEO of the only ecosystem dedicated to sexual health and technology!

                Episode highlights:

                • In order to make a meaningful impact (while also making a profit), listening to your consumers should be a foundational value of your company (11:51)
                • Because of the high level of competition, being scrappy and thinking outside the box are essential for building brand loyalty. Just trying to own a community is not enough. (22:54)
                • It’s impossible to break boundaries on your own. You will have a higher chance of success if you surround yourself with people with whom you share a mission. (30:24)
                • Having compassion as an entrepreneur will allow you to better connect with your partners, your employees, and your customers. This will allow you to better handle the challenges that are faced on your journey. (34:05)
                • Finding joy in the entrepreneurial journey, rather than being fixated on the outcome, will make it easier to deal with inevitable hard times. (36:12)
                • There is always room to learn and grow. Being able to engage in a process of continuous learning is what Dominnique considers a success.(40:08)


                  • Dominnique’s best advice for entrepreneurs:


                  “Surround yourself with the people that are going to share the vision with you.” (34:46) It takes a team to build a business and change the world! 


                  Connect with Dominnique:

                  • LinkedIn
                  • Website
                  • Instagram


                    • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                    • LinkedIn
                    • Twitter
                    • Website
                      • 53 min
                    • Customer Centric Brand Building with Kelley Higney, Bug Bite Thing

                      If you want to grow and improve your business, put your customers first! Kelley Higney, founder, and CEO of Bug Bite Thing, has achieved incredible success through continuously improving her brand by listening and responding to the needs and wants of her customers. If you’re interested in what it takes to build a customer-centric brand, this episode is for you! 

                      About Kelley Higney:

                      Kelley Higney is a third-generation women entrepreneur who is on a mission to provide as many people as possible with her chemical-free solution to insect bites. Kelley put everything into her business, and it paid off: Bug Bite Thing is Amazon’s best-selling product for insect bite relief, and Kelley is only aiming up!

                      Episode highlights:

                      • Bug Bite Thing is a customer-oriented business; listening and responding to customer feedback is what Kelley sees as the key to the success that they have achieved. (04:10)
                      • Publicity can come from unexpected sources. For Bug Bite Thing, it came from Shark Tank; the show took them to the next level by raising awareness about the business. (10:15)
                      • Every business is unique and faces different challenges. As a leader, it is so important to be able to think outside the box and pivot when necessary. (12:28)
                      • In order to build a sustainable business, make sure that every element of it is scalable and relevant to your goals, otherwise, you may lose your ability to grow. (14:37)
                      • Being data-driven does not mean you have to be data-heavy. Collecting data should be a selective process, otherwise, you end up using resources unnecessarily. (18:31)


                        • Kelley’s best advice for entrepreneurs:


                        “Being customer-focused has been the driving force of everything for us.” (04:42)  Kelley has always put her customers needs and wants at the core of every decision she has made with Bug Bite Thing


                        Connect with Kelley:

                        • LinkedIn
                        • Website
                        • Instagram

                          • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                          • LinkedIn
                          • Twitter
                          • Website
                            • 36 min
                          • Outsourcing As A Growth Strategy For SMEs with Max Fisch, Real Estate Project Solution

                            Recruiting and retaining talent are essential for growth strategy, but they are common pain points for many companies. Today’s guest, Max Fisch, has built a successful business around the art of outsourcing, and in this episode, he shares what his journey as the founder and CEO of Real Estate Project Solutions has looked like to date.

                            About Max Fisch:

                            Throughout Max’s real estate career he has worked in mortgage origination, financing, wholesale acquisitions, rehabbing, and investments. Max’s own experience of working with virtual assistants inspired him to found a virtual assistant outsourcing company for the real estate industry. His latest venture, Liberty Business Solutions, will provide the same service to companies in other industries. Max is driven by his desire to have a positive impact on others.
                             

                            Episode highlights:

                            • Building and sustaining a business is an incremental, deliberate process, and as long as you are continuously moving forward (no matter how slowly), you are on the right track. (13:50)
                            • Max believes that the people who work alongside him in his businesses have been the key to his success. (16:52)
                            • In order to sustain a successful business, don’t rush the hiring process, and don’t be afraid to fire people if they aren’t a good fit. (22:25)
                            • Technology has changed the way we work, and companies should all be taking advantage of the fact that so many people are now working remotely. (29:58)
                            • Success is more than just financial status. It is also about how you feel when you’re working, and how much of an impact you are having on other people. (34:42)


                              • Max’s best advice for entrepreneurs:


                              “Always be improving. I don’t care how much or how little, but always be better than the day before.” (15:29) Building a business is hard work and it may take a lot more time and effort than you were expecting, so celebrate the small wins and always look ahead. 


                              Connect with Max:

                              • Website
                              • Instagram
                              • Facebook


                                • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                • LinkedIn
                                • Twitter
                                • Website
                                  • 41 min
                                • Why Timing Is Key When Building A Brand with Fran Maier, BabyQuip

                                  When it comes to the success (or not) of an entrepreneurial venture, timing is key. In this episode, Fran Maier shares how her understanding of trends, her women-focused perspective, and her attitude towards risk, have allowed her to build multiple thriving businesses over her 25-year career. 

                                  About Fran Maier

                                  Fran has been involved in the creation and running of 5 different startups, including the world-renowned Match.com. She is a legendary entrepreneur, and brand builder who has won numerous awards for her work, including AlwaysOn’s “Top 25 Women in Tech to Watch in Silicon Valley,” and Hot Topic’s “100 Most Influential Women in Technology.” BabyQuip, Fran’s latest founding achievement, is a company that provides a platform where other entrepreneurs can rent baby equipment to traveling families.

                                  Episode highlights:

                                  • So much of a business’s success depends on timing, which is why it is so important to keep up to date with the trends that are taking place around you and make sure that your business ideas align with those trends. (04:59)
                                  • Forming partnerships with other trusted brands is a great way to build the credibility of your business. (15:55)
                                  • The entrepreneurial realm has been male-dominated for so long, and bringing in a woman's perspective opens up a whole new world of possibilities. (21:05)
                                  • BabyQuip’s appearance on Shark Tank occurred on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Fran and her team managed to keep afloat by cutting down on marketing spending and branching out in terms of their offerings, and now they are reaping major rewards. (24:05)
                                  • Because the millennial generation has a strong desire for travel, is comfortable with renting, and looks for specialization, the current environment is an ideal one for BabyQuip (and other businesses utilizing a similar model) to thrive within. (28:57)
                                  • The BabyQuip business model cultivates entrepreneurship because the providers of the baby gear are all running their own small businesses through the platform. (30:24)

                                    • Fran’s best advice for entrepreneurs:


                                    “Sometimes being ahead of the curve is not always the best thing. Timing is everything.” (07:39) 


                                    Connect with Fran:

                                    • LinkedIn
                                    • Twitter
                                    • Website


                                      • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                      • LinkedIn
                                      • Twitter
                                      • Website
                                        • 44 min
                                      • Delegating Tasks To Sustain Success with Michelle Penczak, Squared Away

                                        Business owners often find it difficult to delegate tasks because they feel like they have to do everything themselves. Michelle Penczak has a message for you: you don’t! Michelle is the co-founder and CEO of Squared Away, a virtual assistance provider that solely employs military spouses. In this week’s episode of Beyond 8 Figures, she shares what her inspirational journey of building and sustaining a business (alongside long stints of solo parenting while her husband is away on deployment) has looked like!

                                        About Michelle Penczak:

                                        Michelle’s successful career as a virtual assistant, combined with her personal struggles of finding a job because of the frequent relocation that is required of military spouses, inspired her to start her own business. Today, Squared Away employs over 200 military spouses, and Michelle is doing an incredible job of balancing solo parenting (while her husband is away on deployment) and running her ever-growing company! 

                                        Episode highlights:

                                        • Michelle’s approach to leadership is one that embraces and encourages curiosity and involves her being open about the things that she doesn’t know. (04:19)
                                        • By making sure that her team members are working in roles that they love, Michelle has built a sustainable organization. (05:32)
                                        • It is so important to pause on your entrepreneurial journey; there is always work to be done, but taking time off and learning to delegate work to other members of your team is essential. (08:43)
                                        • The military spouses who make up the staff complement at Squared Away may not have cookie-cutter resumes, but sometimes the ‘perfect fit’ is not who you would expect.  (19:35)
                                        • Success for Michelle is her ability to balance solo parenting (while her husband is away on deployment) and running a successful business. (21:46)


                                          • Michelle’s best advice for entrepreneurs


                                          “Be curious, always.” (04:33) 

                                          “Don’t do everything yourself.” (13:02) 


                                          Connect with Michelle

                                          LinkedIn

                                          Twitter

                                          Website


                                          Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                          LinkedIn

                                          Twitter

                                          Website

                                          28 min
                                        • Continuously Adapting To Enable Transformation with Maha Achour, Metawave Corporation

                                          To thrive as an entrepreneur in the competitive, ever-changing world we live in, being adaptable is key! Maha Achour, founder and CEO of Metawave, shares how her clear vision, approach to failure, and systems that she put in place early on have been invaluable on her journey as an entrepreneur who is transforming the mobility sector through disruptive technology.  

                                          About Maha Achour:

                                          Before her current role as CEO of Metawave, Maha Achour completed a Ph.D. in physics and spent many years gaining valuable experience at various technology companies. Her work has earned her a place on the Forbes 50 over 50 Vision List. Maha believes that true disruption comes from transforming core technological infrastructure, and she is currently putting this belief into practice in the mobility sector.

                                          Episode highlights:

                                          • Our world is continuously evolving, so entrepreneurs need to be dynamic and adaptable to enable truly disruptive transformations. (04:35)
                                          • Analog computing has not been used to its full potential in many sectors, and Maha explains why, at Metawave, they are integrating this mode of operation into their technologies. (07:50)
                                          • Maha attributes much of her success to seeing failure in a positive light; failure is how we learn, so rather than becoming demoralized, we should respond proactively so that we can do better the next time. (13:01)
                                          • Two types of failure exist in the entrepreneurial realm: one caused entirely by the entrepreneur and the other which comes about because of external factors, and Maha’s advice for dealing with each one. (17:39)
                                          • One of the most valuable things you can do as a founder is to put processes in place to help you smoothly transition through potential issues that may arise. (22:23)
                                          • Having a clear vision, understanding your competition and how to protect your technology, and building a good core team: are the factors that Maha sees as foundational to success as an entrepreneur. (25:43)
                                          • Maha shares some details about the three core values that Metawave is built upon humbleness, honesty, and teamwork. (31:25)

                                            • Maha’s best advice for entrepreneurs:

                                            “As an entrepreneur, you have to keep a dynamic view of your environment and not be focused on one passion in a solid path that you cannot deviate from. You have to adapt to the opportunities.” (06:02) 

                                             

                                             

                                            Connect with Maha:

                                            • LinkedIn 
                                            • Twitter 
                                            • Website 


                                              Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                              • LinkedIn
                                              • Twitter
                                              • Website


                                                • 38 min
                                              • Drive Continuous Business Growth By Building The Right Team with Robert Hurst, Bengeho

                                                Building a successful business is not a job for one person. So a founder’s ability to build a team with complementary skill sets to their own is one of the keys to the success of an entrepreneurial venture! In this episode, Robert Hurst shares some of the key lessons that he and his partner learned while co-creating an award-winning international music corporation.

                                                About Robert Hurst

                                                Robert’s corporate experience, the lessons he learned from his entrepreneurial father, and his ethical and customer-focused approach to business allowed him to reach greater heights as a founder and CEO than he had ever imagined. Now, as an investor, he is focused on helping other entrepreneurs achieve their goals and making a positive impact on the world.

                                                Episode highlights:

                                                • Robert’s journey from employee to entrepreneur to investor, and how he is now using the lessons he has learned along the way to help other entrepreneurs thrive on their own journey’s. (03:04)
                                                • You can’t do everything yourself! The success of your business depends on the team that you, as a founder, surround yourself with; complementary skill sets are key. (06:02)
                                                • The growth trajectory of Robert’s company, Bengeho, and the process that he and his partner, Andrew, went through of bringing on board a private equity company when the business got too big for them to manage alone. (08:49)
                                                • Shared values and ethics made Robert’s and Andrew’s business partnership thrive as it did for the 20 years they worked together. (18:14)
                                                • When Robert and Andrew interviewed potential hires, they always took note of whether they used the word ‘passion,’ because passion is one of the key factors that can carry a business through difficult times. (22:16)
                                                • Financial strain that comes with bootstrapping a business (as Robert and Andrew did with Audio Network), and the deeper understanding of your business that you will gain as a result of going this route as opposed to the venture capital route. (24:19)


                                                  • Robert’s best advice for entrepreneurs


                                                  “It’s never about one individual. It’s about a team of people with complementary skills. If you can assemble a great team of people around you, you become very, very investable.” (04:28) 

                                                   

                                                  Connect with Robert:

                                                  LinkedIn [Robert Hurst]

                                                  Twitter [Robert Hurst]

                                                  Website [Bengeho]


                                                  Additional Links:

                                                  Audio Network


                                                  Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                                  LinkedIn

                                                  Twitter

                                                  Website

                                                  35 min
                                                • Using Franchising To Invest In Local Businesses with Kenny Rose, FranShares

                                                  When most of us think of franchising, major fast-food chains are the businesses that come to mind first. However, you probably didn’t know that many of your local essential service providers are franchises too! Through his company, FranShares, Kenny Rose is giving you an opportunity to invest in these local businesses and, therefore, in your community. Kenny’s approach to entrepreneurship is based on building solid foundations, continuous learning, fair and ethical treatment of his employees, and not cutting corners. 

                                                  About the Guest 

                                                  Kenny Rose watched his dad build a business from the ground up, and the challenges that he and his family went through during the lean times gave him all the grit and determination that he needed to create his own success. Kenny’s career began as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, after which he went on to found his own brokerage. Today, Kenny is the founder and CEO of FranShares, which has recently closed its first fund and has a fast-growing waiting list for the next one!  

                                                  In this episode 

                                                  • The career phase that Kenny feels he is currently in, and what his journey up to this point has looked like. (03:01)
                                                  • What drew Kenny to the world of franchising and his approach to building relationships early on. (07:48)
                                                  • Kenny explains what his company, FranShares, does and the benefits of investing with them. (10:04)
                                                  • The two broad categories of franchisees and their differences. (12:05)
                                                  • One of the biggest problems in the franchising industry, and Kenny’s plans to combat this. (15:02)
                                                  • The article which kicked-offed Kenny’s entry into the thought leadership realm. (18:30)
                                                  • How you can contribute to uplifting your local economy by investing with FranShares. (22:28)
                                                  • Approaches that Kenny has adopted with regard to the franchise management side of the FranShares fund. (24:50)
                                                  • The mindset shift will enable franchisees to see greater success. (26:02)
                                                  • Life experiences which have given Kenny the grit to make a push through difficult times. (28:18)
                                                  • Recklessness and pessimism; the combination of qualities that Kenny believes are required to take your business to the next level. (31:05)
                                                  • What success means to Kenny. (34:52)

                                                    • Highlights 

                                                    • There’s a lot more that goes into building a business than just being an expert in your chosen field. Taking the time to understand the other elements involved is the key to success. 
                                                    • Cultivating an environment that promotes staff retention in the long term, even if it is a higher upfront cost, is a far better growth strategy than cutting costs and losing employees as a result. 
                                                    • By investing in local franchises, you contribute to uplifting your community, and there is minimal risk involved.
                                                    • Entrepreneurship isn’t an easy journey, but if you have an idea that you genuinely believe will work, don’t let anything or anyone stop you from pursuing it. 


                                                      •  

                                                      Best Advice Kenny Would Give to Someone Who is Transitioning from a 6-7 to 8 Figure Business: 

                                                       

                                                      Although it may be tempting to cut costs wherever you can, paying your employees well will be some of the best money you ever spend. 

                                                       

                                                      “When you start slashing paychecks, people walk out the door. When you start increasing them, people stick around. From a shortsighted point of view, people focus on saving money by the hour, but I want to make more money by the year, and I do that by having the best staff in place.” (16:19)

                                                       

                                                      Being fearless enough to push your ideas, and keeping your cards close so that you aren’t taken advantage of, will help you reach great heights as an entrepreneur. “You need to be a combination of reckless and pessimistic.” (31:07) 

                                                       

                                                      How Kenny Defines Success for Himself (34:52) 

                                                      “I love building, so success is building what I envision. It’s not a dollar amount, it’s a lifestyle.” 

                                                       

                                                      Mentioned in This Episode:

                                                      FranShares White Paper: https://franshares.com/passivefranchiseinvestingwp/


                                                      Fundrise: https://fundrise.com/ 


                                                      Why it only costs $10k to “Own” a Chick-fil-A franchise: https://thehustle.co/why-it-only-costs-10k-to-own-a-chick-fil-a-franchise/ 


                                                      Connect with Kenny:

                                                      • Web 
                                                        • FranShares: https://franshares.com/ 
                                                        • Semfia: http://www.semfia.com/ 
                                                        • LinkedIn
                                                          • Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyrose/ 
                                                          • Company: 
                                                          • FranShares: https://www.linkedin.com/company/franshares/ 
                                                            • Semfia: https://www.linkedin.com/company/semfia/ 
                                                          • Facebook
                                                            • Personal: https://www.facebook.com/kennymrose 
                                                            • Company: 
                                                            • FranShares: https://www.facebook.com/FranShares/ 
                                                            • Semfia: https://www.facebook.com/investlocally/ 
                                                            • Twitter: 
                                                              • Company: 
                                                              • FranShares: https://twitter.com/FranShares (582 Following, 235 Followers)
                                                              • Semfia: https://twitter.com/investlocally (776 Following, 39 Followers)
                                                              • YouTube 
                                                                • FranShares: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEU3n6svoEkVK_mSsBcrCjw 
                                                              • Instagram
                                                                • Personal: https://www.instagram.com/kennyrose28/ 
                                                                  • Company: 
                                                                • FranShares: https://www.instagram.com/franshares/ 
                                                                • Semfia: https://www.instagram.com/investlocally/ 


                                                                  • Follow Beyond 8 Figures:

                                                                  • Website: Beyond8Figures.com
                                                                  • Twitter: @beyond8figures 
                                                                  • Facebook: Beyond 8 Figures
                                                                  • Instagram:@b8fpodcast
                                                                  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-8-figures/
                                                                    • 41 min

                                                                  About Beyond 8 Figures

                                                                  From the publisher's feed

                                                                  At Beyond 8 Figures, we believe in DELIBERATE entrepreneurship. It means creating a solid foundational framework for your entrepreneurial journey, building from a place of passion, and intentionally aligning your actions with your goals so that you can create success on your terms.