Brett Trainor Unplugged

By Brett TrainorBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement

Brett Trainor Unplugged episodes

December 03, 2021BizOwner360 Series Ep 3: Buyer’s Preferences & Digital First
In this episode, I want to share some of the biggest changes in buyer expectations in the B2B landscape and how you can use them to your advantage.

I touch on why you need to think about business growth the way an ecommerce company would even if you're a services company, which is ultimately digital-first.

Lastly, I talk about the mismatch between buyers and the traditional buying process brought by the pandemic and how you can align with the new normal undertakings.

I’m very thankful for how you have welcomed this new series and may you keep having me as your guide on your way to your $10-million revenue. Tune in now!

Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
14 min
November 30, 2021131. What’s Hot in B2B & Bootstrap or Raise? with Eva Nahari
In this episode, I welcome back Eva Nahari, a principal at DNX Ventures, an early-stage Venture Capital firm investing in B2B Startups.

Why am I bringing venture capitalists back to the program?

Eva is on the front lines of new technologies within the B2B space from which you can get potential business ideas or areas you can move your business into.

You’ll surely learn technologies that can help improve your business in efficiency and growth from everything that Eva shares in this episode.

Eva also gives her two cents on scaling through bootstrapping and raising which will help you decide on which between the two should you adopt for your business.

This episode is loaded with insights on the hottest B2B SaaS platforms and growing your startup so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:
Introduction [00:00]
Eva’s transition to B2B investing and mentoring [3:39]
Squadcast and its workflow-based UI-guided tool [5:54]
Quark.ai and how it provides better customer support [8:34]
Macrometa: The Cloud for the Edge [14:07]
What’s next on the horizon for Eva [17:13]
Do you need to get salespeople when expanding? [21:47]
Eva’s thoughts on bootstrapping and raising [25:05]
The best-case scenario for founders bootstrapping or raising [28:37]
Should you bootstrap all the way to your first million? [32:52]
The biggest challenges that Eva sees from the founders she onboards [34:36]
Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
DNX Ventures website (https://www.dnx.vc/)
Squadcast Website (https://www.squadcast.com/)
Quark website (https://quark.ai/)
Macrometa website (https://www.macrometa.com/)

About Our Guest:

Eva Nahari is a Principal at DNX Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage B2B companies. Prior to joining DNX, she spent 9 years at Cloudera, where she helped organizations scale by developing products and go-to-market strategies.

Eva is interested in investing in firms that are developing SaaS, Cloud, ML-Enabled Enterprise Software, and DevOps solutions that potentially alter how IT is provided to businesses.

Eva has also worked as a startup coach and angel investor.

Connect with Eva Nahari:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvaNahari

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanahari/

Substack: https://substack.com/profile/26323472-eva-nahari\

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
42 min
November 26, 2021BizOwner360 Series Ep 2: Owners Capacity - How to Overcome the #1 Growth Blocker
Today, I'm diving into the #1 blocker that keeps businesses from getting to the $10-Million revenue which is.. the owners’ capacity.

No matter how good you are at growing your business on your own, there will come a time that you’ll have to go beyond yourself.

And what’s great about it is you don't have to overcome that learning curve by yourself.

Join me in this episode as I help you figure out how you can conquer this obstacle.

If you have any questions regarding growing your business, drop a comment and I will try to answer them in the upcoming episodes.

Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
9 min
November 23, 2021BizOwner360 Series Ep 1: Why $10 Million is Your Growth Target
Why should your ultimate goal be $10 million in revenue?

Today, I welcome you to Episode 1 of the BizOwner360, a new B2B Zero to Ten series to guide you as you grow your businesses to $10 million.

If you have been listening to this podcast, you’ll know that the tactics and success stories we share are all for our goal of reaching the $10 million revenue mark.

But why exactly $10 million?

Take a listen as we kick off this very special series.

Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
Tune in to the Podcast Ep. 69 with Domenic Rinaldi (https://bretttrainor.com/2020/09/22/what-founders-need-to-do-to-maximize-their-startups-value-with-sun-acquisitions-managing-partner-domenic-rinaldi/)

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
6 min
November 23, 2021130. BizOwner360: Another Resource, Same $10 Million Goal
Welcome to a special episode of the B2B Zero to Ten Podcast.

Today, I want to introduce “BizOwner360”, a new weekly series that will serve as another resource for you as you break through and grow your businesses to $10 million.

This will air every Friday in addition to the current regular weekly episodes and will also be available on my YouTube channel.

Here, we start with Episode 1 where I tell you why $10 million in revenue should be the objective of every business owner.

Tune in now and let’s get this started!

Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
Tune in to the Podcast Ep. 69 with Domenic Rinaldi (https://bretttrainor.com/2020/09/22/what-founders-need-to-do-to-maximize-their-startups-value-with-sun-acquisitions-managing-partner-domenic-rinaldi/)

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
7 min
November 16, 2021129. 5 Ways Digital Marketers Rip-off Business Owners and What to Do About It with Sean Rosensteel
There are many ways digital marketers rip-off business owners that you should be wary of if you want to attain the ROI you deserve in the “digital marketing first” space we’re in.

We will be talking about 5 of these schemes and how you should deal with them with Sean Rosensteel who becomes our show’s second third-timer.

Sean also brings to the table his company’s sure-fire digital marketing framework that you can easily adapt for your own business.

After this episode, you’ll surely be able to work out with your digital marketer the corporate success that you’re aiming for so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:

1. Introduction [00:00]

2. The one time when Sean got ripped off [2:23]

3. The issue in digital marketing specializations [6:00]

4. The biggest way digital marketers can rip business owners off [8:40]

5. What you should take note of when meeting with a digital marketer [10:22]

6. Two reasons why digital marketers recommend expensive technology [12:58]

7. Defining success with your digital marketer [21:09]

8. The problem with digital marketers who don’t guarantee their work [25:53]

9. Laying your defense: Sean’s three-step framework for starting digital marketing [35:04]

10. Going on offense: Choosing your best promotional activities [46:13]

Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
Get a copy of Sean Rosensteel’s book, “The School of Intentional Living” (https://www.seanrosensteel.com/)
Get a copy of Donald Miller’s book, “Building a Story Brand” (https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-Customers/dp/0718033329)
Download “9 Ways Digital Marketers Rip You Off” (https://www.savvyproweb.com/)
Tune in to B2B Zero to Ten Episode 122 with Sean Rosensteel: (https://bretttrainor.com/2021/09/29/podcast-ep-122-the-roi-of-building-hassle-free-websites-for-your-zero-to-ten-journey-with-sean-rosensteel/)
Tune in to B2B Zero to Ten Episode 65 with Sean Rosensteel: (https://bretttrainor.com/2020/08/25/schools-in-session-intentional-living-is-the-key-to-real-success-with-author-sean-rosensteel/)

About Our Guest:

Sean Rosensteel is the owner of Savvy Pro Web, a company helping business owners build hassle-free websites that generate a steady flow of qualified leads.

Sean is also the founder of The Intentional Living Academy and the author of “The School of Intentional Living”, a book that provides insightful tips on achieving goals in the most efficient way.

Connect with Sean Rosensteel:

Website: https://www.seanrosensteel.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrosensteel/

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
55 min
November 09, 2021128. Profit-Generating Business Decisions Through Data & Analytics with Govind Balu
It's never too early to build your data infrastructure. You can always start small and scale it.

Today, I welcome back Govind Balu, Founder of QuaXigma, to chat about the power in the strategic value of data analytics, and ultimately machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Govind and I dive into ways on how to set up a business for a smooth sailing data & analytics system. Govind also shares how his firm helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation by creating customer-centric solutions.

You’ll surely come out of this episode with the perfect idea on how you’ll do data analytics for your business so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:
Introduction [00:00]
Data challenges that Govind see in SMEs [04:11]
Govind’s data organization tip for small companies [6:21]
Having the right data on making business decisions [11:47]
Keeping your database clean starting from the early days [14:02]
Including data strategies to customer journey roadmap [18:10]
Enabling your eCommerce strategy with data, AI, and ML [22:19]
Considerations to take note of for a better customer experience [26:20]
Govind’s piece of advice for startups [31:16]
Developing data strategies doesn’t have to be complicated [34:33]
Professional recommendations from Govind [36:22]
Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
Qua Xigma website (http://www.quaxigma.com/)
Tune in to Episode 42 with Govind Balu at (https://hardwiredforgrowth.libsyn.com/42-why-data-analytics-could-be-the-difference-between-success-and-failure-for-your-startup)

About Our Guest:

Govind Balu is the Founder and CEO of QuaXigma, a Data Analytics firm that aims to create customer-centric solutions that accelerate digital business transformation and unleash actual value by re-engineering the power of data and AI.

Govind has worked in the data and analytics industry for nearly three decades. Prior to founding his own company, he worked as a lead data scientist for companies including Bank of America and Allstate.

Connect with Govind Balu:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govindbalu/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/quaxigma/

Website: http://www.quaxigma.com/contact.html

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
42 min
November 02, 2021127. Baking Made Easier: BāKIT Box’s Recipe for Rapid Growth
With the simple goal of making the process of baking easier and more fun for everyone, our guest for today was able to build a fast-growing brand.

So if you’ve always known that you’re going to end up in the entrepreneur world but just don't have the idea as to how yet, this episode is for you.

Today, I welcome Shelley Gupta, co-founder of BāKIT Box, a new company that is modernizing the way of baking and is currently gaining a lot of traction.

Shelley and I break down the origin of BāKIT Box and how she went from being a singer-songwriter to working as a management consultant to ultimately co-founding BāKIT Box.

There's a lot of interesting learning and you can hear the tactics and the approach Shelley and her partner took in their early days so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:
Introduction [00:00]
How Shelley got started with BāKIT Box [03:01]
The inseparability of owners from their brand [5:18]
Shelley’s journey from working for Accenture to founding BāKIT Box [8:51]
How BāKIT Box makes baking simpler and more fun [11:32]
The first steps that Shelley took in building BāKIT Box [14:27]
Shelley’s framework for growing BāKIT Box [16:17]
Who Shelley envisioned as their ideal customers [19:18]
Shelley’s small pivots and goals for BāKIT [20:53]
What Shelley would have done differently with BāKIT Box [24:59]
Funding and outsourcing for BāKIT Box [26:07]
What’s next for Shelley and BāKIT Box [28:55]
Shelley’s personal recommendation [30:40]
Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
BāKIT Box website (https://www.bakitbox.com/)

About Our Guest:

Shelley Gupta is the Co-Founder of BāKIT Box, a new and fast-growing company that is modernizing the way of baking. Before co-founding BāKIT Box, Shelley worked as a singer-songwriter for years then transitioned to a career in management consulting.

Connect with Shelley Gupta:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-gupta/

Email Address: [email protected]

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
33 min
October 26, 2021126. How the Pivot From Consulting to Tech-Enabled Services Skyrocketed Growth for Garreth Chandler
Without fully understanding the various factors that surround a business problem, you will never develop the best solutions to them.

This is the key philosophy that Garreth Chandler, who joins me in this episode, uses in delivering the needs of their clients and employees in his company, The Evolved Group.

Garreth and I talk about the business decisions that he had to make to help The Evolved Group succeed, including his huge pivot from consulting business to a tech-enabled services company.

He also touches on the biggest changes that he has observed in the consulting and technology industry and how he adapted to them.

This episode is a valuable guide for you if you’re looking to start a B2B business so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:
Introduction [00:00]
What motivated Garreth to build The Evolved Group [02:33]
The customers that Garreth targeted at his company’s early growth stage [6:31]
The flow of business that Garreth had in his company’s beginning [7:56]
When Garreth started doing a one-to-many business strategy [11:28]
The Evolved Group and how they solve their clients’ problems [15:03]
The market that The Evolved Group is servicing [21:26]
It's better to be different than to be better [23:30]
The competency-based view of business [27:01]
The biggest changes with some of Garreth’s go-to market [31:56]
A market area that Garreth thinks is ripe with opportunity [34:18]
The focus for the Evolved Group in the near future [37:46]
A learning from Garreth [39:16]
Garreth’s experience writing a book with Michael Haynes [42:18]
Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
The Evolved Group Website (https://www.theevolvedgroup.com/)
“Listen, Innovate, Grow” by Michael Haynes and Garreth Chandler (https://amzn.to/345oxLa)

About Our Guest:

Garreth is the founder and CEO of The Evolved Group, a cutting-edge global insights tech firm that specializes in working with consumers and organizations to better understand their behavior, markets, and transformation.

With 25 years of experience in market research on both the client and supplier side, Garreth has developed successful research and technology start-ups and is a published author.

Connect with Garreth Chandler:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garreth-chandler-5821172/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8b6Sf1MQulZouppdq9NSuw

The Evolved Group: https://www.theevolvedgroup.com/contact/

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.
45 min
October 19, 2021125. From Freelance Consultant to Building an International Organization: Kobi Simmat’s Incredible Zero to Ten Journey
There are no shortcuts when it comes to setting up your company for success. It takes building a winning culture that works best not just for your market but for your team as well.

Best Practice Biz CEO and Founder Kobi Simmat joins me in this episode to share his Zero to Ten journey from a freelance consultant to the CEO of a multinational company.

Kobi also talks about the most important principles that he teaches to business owners who seek his advice on growing their company.

This episode imparts best company practices and philosophies that you can also apply for your business so tune in now!

We’ll talk about:
Introduction [00:00]
Kobi’s life before building Best Practice Biz [06:05]
Problems that Best Practice Biz solves [12:14]
Lessons that Kobi gained when he was starting to scale [15:18]
Reviewing your business activities in the previous week [23:24]
The easiest way to create a grant culture [30:04]
The value in helping people do the work they love [33:03]
Kobi’s insights on the power of content [39:12]
Why you should edit your website daily [45:43]
Looking at yourself as a consumer [49:50]
The ultimate test that is a cash flow-positive business [55:13]
Kobi’s #1 tip [57:28]
Resource Links:
Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/)
Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/)
Best Practice Website (https://bestpractice.biz/)
Best Practice Recruitment Tips (https://bestpractice.biz/recruitment)
Michael Schein’s “The Hype Handbook” (https://www.amazon.com/Hype-Handbook-Indispensable-Propagandists-Self-Promoters/dp/B099BRM28V/)
Tune in to the Podcast episode with Norman Crowley (https://bretttrainor.com/2021/05/11/how-this-serial-b2b-entrepreneur-has-changed-growth-strategies-and-why-content-is-the-key-to-scaling-with-norman-crowley/)
Tune in to the Podcast episode with Jennifer Fondrevay (https://bretttrainor.com/2021/08/31/podcast-ep-118-what-now-how-ma-can-impact-your-zero-to-ten-journey/)

About Our Guest:

Kobi Simmat is the Founder and CEO of Best Practice Biz, a global company improvement firm.

With over 25 years of experience in business consulting, Kobi aspires to release the potential in everything by providing pleasant, adaptable business solutions, and a commitment to continuous progress.

Kobi has counseled in over 7 countries, 50 sectors, and over 50,000 people to date

Connect with Kobi Simmat:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kobisimmat/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobisimmat/

Email: [email protected]

Connect with me and learn more about growing your business:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast
1 hr 6 min