Show Notes:

In this episode, we learn how to make the Inc. 5,000 list five times as a one-employee company from serial entrepreneur, investor, and author, Phillip Smith. He has partnered with Kevin Harrington, one of the original sharks on Shark Tank, and has been part of five acquisitions since 1998. Phillip is an expert in B2B lead generation and is one of the most sought-after consultants, working with over 10,000 clients and counting. His most recent business, All in One Marketing, was created to help companies scale their digital marketing without making costly mistakes.

Phillip offers three main services: fractional chief marketing officer, all-in-one marketing software platform, and PR services. His goal is to help companies not make costly marketing mistakes, as he has heard countless times from companies that hired the wrong person or tried something that didn't work.

In this episode, Phillip walks us through a customer journey and explains how his company helps people get into business or helps those already in business to launch, scale, or exit. He emphasizes the importance of having all parts of the funnel work together and how many companies do not understand this concept.

Company site:

To get in touch with Philip, visit his website: http://www.philipfsmith.com/

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Builder Show, host Bill Prater interviews Wilbur Milhouse, an entrepreneur who has transformed over 30 years of diversified civil and structural engineering experience into a global enterprise. Milhouse discusses how he launched his startup, Milhouse Engineering and Construction, from the basement of his home in Chicago's South Side with the vision of creating a better engineering firm that is driven by the desire for greatness for his clients and for the communities. Over the course of the last 20 plus years, the Milhouse brand has grown into a family of seven companies employing 500 team members, offering solutions in civil, mechanical electrical, structural, environmental engineering, as well as construction, program management, and vegetation management, and groundskeeping.Milhouse serves both public and private entities, including the Chicago Department of Aviation, Chicago Department of Water Management, various ports, and universities. His firm solves problems by bringing together talented individuals to provide program management, design, engineering, monitoring, and more. They ensure that projects are executed properly and accomplished on time and on budget.The focus of this podcast is on engineering equity, and Milhouse discusses how he has been able to get individuals who may not have chosen the path of going to a four-year college involved in his business. He emphasizes the importance of being able to stay on budget, which can be very difficult, especially in the engineering and construction space. Milhouse's vision of creating a better engineering firm has come true, and his story serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere.Company site:To get in touch with Wilbur, visit his website: http://www.milhouseinc.com/

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Builder Show, we feature Craig Ceccarelli, owner of Homespec.com. Craig is going to share with us how he built a large and highly successful home improvement company, and why he went about doing that. But before we get into that, we'll learn about the problems homeowners in southeast Michigan face with their basements and crawl spaces.Craig serves homeowners in southeast Michigan and anyone with a basement or crawl space. Basement waterproofing is the bulk of their business. These houses are typically anywhere from 15 years old on up. The initial system that the builder might have put in is failing or failed and needs replacement, just like any other component of the house.Normally, homeowners call Craig's team when they see water on the floor of the basement. It could be an isolated plumbing problem or a basement waterproofing issue. Craig's team will come out for a free inspection and diagnose the problem. Once they identify the leak, they will sit down with the homeowner and come up with a plan, either solving the problem from the outside or using interior methods.Join us as we learn how Craig built a successful home improvement company and how he helps homeowners in Michigan solve their basement and crawl space problems.Company site:To get in touch with Craig, visit his website: https://www.basementfix.com/

Show Notes:On the Business Builder Show with Bill Prater, Talia Goldstein discussed her role as the president and founder of Three Day Rule Matchmaking. Three Day Rule is an exclusive matchmaking company that caters to busy professionals. The matchmakers work one-on-one with clients to create a curated dating experience and quality matches.The company targets successful professionals, including LGBTQ clients, between the ages of 20 and 80. According to Goldstein, online dating has caused many problems with dating, including too many options and less accountability, which has made dating more superficial. Three Day Rule simplifies dating by matching people based on core values and qualities that are truly going to make a difference in a partner later in life.Three Day Rule's process includes capturing what clients are looking for and matching people based on what will make a difference in 20 years. Clients outsource their dating life to Three Day Rule's matchmakers because they don't have time to date and don't want to spend 12 hours a week online. Three Day Rule's matchmakers are trained to provide quality matches and confidentiality to their clients.The company's success stories include matching top executives, entrepreneurs, and celebrities with their perfect matches.Company site:To get in touch with Talia and her gift for our listeners, visit her website: $500 off -- https://www.threedayrule.com/matchmaking/talia

Show Notes:In this interview, Bill Prater talks to Steven Sashen, CEO of Xero ShoesSteven is a serial entrepreneur, former professional stand-up comic, award-winning screenwriter, and competitive sprinter. He and his wife Lina Phoenix co-founded Xero Shoes, a footwear company that creates comfortable and healthy shoes. Xero Shoes has helped hundreds of thousands of people live life feet first and has even assisted single leg amputees who have trouble feeling through typical cushioned shoes.Sashen and Phoenix appeared on Shark Tank and turned down a $400,000 offer from Kevin O'Leary. Sashen is also a competitive sprinter and one of the fastest men in the world, and he aims to keep hitting All-American times. The revised show notes provide a more comprehensive summary of the episode, highlighting Sashen's impressive achievements and the impact of his work through Xero Shoes.Company site:To get in touch with Steven, visit his website: https://xeroshoes.com/

Show Notes:In this interview, Bill Prater talks to Tim Daly about building your business by retaining existing customers. Tim Daly is the founder of Vincodo and oversees client strategy and marketing operations. He brings over 20 years of direct marketing and Internet experience, and has served Fortune 500 companies both on the agency and client side. His agency, Vincodo, is client agnostic and focused on direct response marketing and ROI. Daly and his team work with both Fortune 500 companies and small and medium-sized businesses.Over the years, Daly and Vincodo have successfully grown companies from the $2-3 million range to 20, 50, and $100 million companies by utilizing best practices in Google, Bing, and Facebook marketing. Daly and his team solve various marketing problems for clients, such as structuring campaigns for maximum ROI, understanding where to invest marketing dollars, and predicting policies that will be competitive with other insurance companies.According to Daly, the key to retaining existing customers lies in understanding their needs and providing them with solutions that cater to those needs. He recommends that businesses focus on providing value to their customers through exceptional customer service, personalized marketing, and customized offerings. By doing so, businesses can create a loyal customer base that keeps coming back for more and spreads the word about their positive experiences to others.Company site:To get in touch with Tim, visit his website: https://vincodo.com/

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Builder Show, host Bill Prater interviews Chris Carter, CEO of Approyo, about the company's expertise in SAP Success and its global reputation for being the trusted choice for companies worldwide. Chris Carter is a renowned leader in the technology industry, having created the first SAP Cloud for a client in 2005 and the first SAP HANA production cloud used by an actual client.Approyo's main focus is on unlocking the power of data and providing the ultimate solution in SAP HANA and cloud computing with AI. They serve companies around the globe that engage in transactions globally or any kind of transactional aspect with SAP software. With their expertise in SAP Success, Approyo not only empowers businesses to maximize the full potential of their data but also ensures that their SAP systems are optimized for efficiency and performance.During the episode, Bill and Chris discuss how Approyo's unique approach to SAP Success has helped many companies in their digital transformation journey. Approyo's team of experts provides customized solutions according to each business's unique needs, enabling them to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.The Business Builder Show podcast is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone interested in learning more about the latest trends and best practices in the business world. Tune in to this episode to hear firsthand from Chris Carter about Approyo's unparalleled expertise in SAP Success and how they can help your business reach its full potential.Company site:To get in touch with Chris, visit his website: https://approyo.com/

Show Notes:In this episode of BBS, Claude Burns, founder and CEO of Office Libations, shares insights on why tech-enabled service businesses are successful. His company has made the Inc. 5000 list twice and serves organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in tech, biotech, and professional services industries.Office Libations takes care of companies' food and beverage programs and builds customized programs that support their budget, dietary needs, and unique culture. They provide white glove, high touch service to clients, forming long-term relationships with them. By building custom programs that incorporate clients' unique cultures and dietary needs, Office Libations helps clients create a positive, engaging work environment that fosters productivity and employee happiness.Claude provides a case study of how Office Libations delivers their products and services to clients, comparing it to a grocery list that is put on autopilot. By taking care of clients' food and beverage programs, Office Libations frees up their time and resources so they can focus on their core business. If you're interested in learning more about how tech-enabled service businesses can help your organization thrive, tune in to this episode of BBS with Claude Burns.Company site:To get in touch with Claude, visit his website: https://www.officelibations.com/

Show Notes:In this episode of the Business Builder Show, Bill Prater interviews Vinnie Fisher, the founder and chairman of the Fully Accountable Companies. Vinnie is an experienced lawyer specializing in growth strategy and leadership development, whose life has been devoted to helping others through law, personal advice, and education.Vinnie has been instrumental in launching the careers of countless ambitious individuals and has a passion for developing and cultivating leaders. He believes that the bedrock of a good company is its leadership team and has stepped down as the CEO of his own company to promote a dynamic leader to the CEO position, modeling what he believes is critical in exponential growth in companies - leadership development.Fully Accountable provides outsourced accounting and finance, fractional CFO, and accounting work to mid-stage companies doing north of a million dollars in revenue. Vinnie identified problems in mid-market companies that having a fractional CFO could solve. The accounting space is old and tired, and Vinnie wanted to make a difference by providing trustworthy financial information and language to businesses.Company site:To get in touch with Vinnie and get access to his gifts, visit his website: https://vinniefisher.com/

Show Notes:Jonathan Keyser is the founder of Keyser, a technology-enabled commercial real estate firm that focuses on helping the user or the tenant or the occupier. He believes that traditional commercial real estate firms primarily represent landlords, developers, and real estate investors, and that the industry tends to be stacked against the tenant.As a result, Keyser's firm only represents the user or the occupier, and never has to worry about conflicts of interest. They help companies figure out a real estate plan and execute upon that plan, and have four main areas of focus: office space, industrial or manufacturing or warehousing space, healthcare space, and retail.Keyser's firm operates differently from traditional real estate firms, and he believes in serving and helping his clients and delivering more value than his competitors. His firm has helped companies save money and de-risk their portfolios, and Keyser believes that spreading awareness about his firm is important.Keyser's philosophy of serving and helping others is rooted in his upbringing as a Christian missionary kid in Papua New Guinea. He stumbled into commercial real estate and became cutthroat and ruthless, but a speaker at a conference changed his perspective and he realized that he could succeed by helping others.Keyser's firm competes with traditional real estate firms, but he believes that his firm's unique approach and philosophy sets them apart.Company site:To get in touch with Jonathan, visit his LinkedIn profile or the Keyser website at https://keyser.com/