Catalytic Conversations

Catalytic Conversations

By Wendy Dickinson AscendBusiness
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Catalytic Conversations episodes

  • No Love is Greater Than That of a Father For His Son...

    You’ve been told to take the emotion out of your business decisions.  It makes sense.  If only it actually worked.  We know that making a decision in the midst of extreme emotion is a really bad idea.  But, what happens if the President of the family business feels really strongly about a person (his son, for ex.), or a plan, and can’t separate the emotion from reason?

    My guest today is Jay Cowan, a “recovering insurance guy” (his words- not mine).  Jay shares a family business story that is heartbreakingly tragic.  This story is the WHY of Jay’s business, Business Owner Exit Strategies.

    In this story, Jay’s stepfather, Glenn, chooses his successor based on his love for his son.  It went terribly wrong.  Glenn needed a coach.  He needed someone to talk through his options, develop a plan to prepare his son for leadership and offer support as he navigated the relationship with his son.

    The first time I heard this story, I couldn’t believe it.  If you work in a family business, take the relationship aspect of the business seriously.  It matters.

    If you’d like to talk with Jay, call him at 804.726.6011 or check out his website at BOESVA.com.  If you are in a family business and want a coach to support your efforts to succeed, call me at 804.372.7575 or email me at [email protected].

    42 min
  • SBA Tools for Family Businesses

    Listen to Dennis Wagner, SBA Lender for Atlantic Capital Bank, to discover financial tools for family businesses.

    We know that many family businesses run short on cash.  We don’t know how much more it costs family businesses when they don’t include the SBA as an option.  There are reasons to take a look at the SBA.  They have 3 tools to offer that may prove to be handy for your family:

    1. Loan to acquire a business that has a lack of collateral ( a service firm, etc.)
    2. If there is a real estate transaction on the table- buying another building, building a new building, then explore the Rent Replacement Program.
    3. Total partner buyout assistance - this can be a huge help to family businesses in which the next generation needs to buy out family members, but don’t have the capital to do so.

      4. Something that may surprise you, Dennis isn’t limited to doing business in Virginia.  He can become part of your team of outside advisors. This is especially valuable if you include him prior to signing a letter of intent (LOI) to purchase a business.

      So, if you’d like to learn more about those 3 tools, give Dennis a call.  Research tells us that having 3 options can increase our chances of making a good decision by 80%.  To contact Dennis,  email him at [email protected], or give him a call at 540-850-7799 ©.

      40 min
    4. BB Hamilton- An Extraordinary Leader of Men

      This interview took place at BB’s place of business, The Executive Grooming Lounge.  That night was rainy, cold and yet- the shop was packed, the only space for us to have this conversation was the back room- music, members of the community and the fruits of BB’s leadership evident everywhere we looked.  Mr. BB Hamilton discusses the return on investments like leadership, mentoring, and modeling.  BB has an established apprenticeship program where aspiring barbers learn how to be ambassadors of the Executive Grooming Lounge, and the men they were created to become.  BB discusses the myth of work/life balance, personal development and building successful, profitable teams.  He recommends books that he uses with his team: Who Moved My Cheese and The Four Agreements.  There is a lot to aspire to here!

      28 min
    5. Big Business in a Small Town
      Meet Tommy Howard, former President and CEO of Sqwincher, based in Columbus, Mississippi. Tommy shares his experiences of assuming leadership of his family’s business, gaining a private equity partner and then, his exit from the company after selling to a strategic buyer.
      Tommy had 3 priorities in the sale: legacy, the well-being of Sqwincher employees AND purchase price. In our offline conversation Tommy said that “this is a small town, it’s not like those people can just go out and get another job”. He went on to say that he feels really good about the outcome and continues to see Sqwincher grow while making a positive impact on the Columbus community.
      21 min
    6. Transparency In Action - Leadership at It's Best
      Phil Pietrandrea, Sales Director- Infrastructure at UNITRAC Railroad Materials, Inc. / Wabtec is my guest for this interview. Phil is a veteran of mergers & acquisitions. He shares key leadership strategies for leading a team through the M&A process, with integrity and authenticity. Phil makes a strong case for ownership transparency to gain company wide buy-in. Phil utilized his team of external advisors to successfully lead UNITRAC across the finish line - and gained trusted friends along the way.
      42 min
    7. Failure Leads to Peace & Profit: How did Todd White Do It???
      How many of you are willing to put peace of mind ahead of profit? My guest, Dry Farm Wines founder, Todd White, is one of the few. In this interview we learn about clean wine, fear based leadership, and the rewards of failure.
      Todd tells us about his entrepreneurial journey which started at age 17. Todd founded 2 companies that he sold successfully. Todd also defines success; his perspective may surprise you. Todd labels his 3rd company a resounding failure that brought about his greatest wealth- peace.
      This interview focuses on the 4th of Todd’s creations - Dry Farm Wines. White has resiliently created DFW with a growth mindset, and expanded sense of awareness. Todd looks for those ready to embrace personal responsibility, while being part of a community - a key to the DFW Peace & Profit Manifesto.
      Check out to the DFW site: https://www.dryfarmwines.com
      38 min
    8. Wall Street Exit Led to Grand Cayman's Beaches
      Rhonda and Jim Leavitt candidly share their conversations. They start with the one they had when Jim wanted to leave his Wall Street career to start their business. The money in savings, division of labor with a family of four young children and, how to eventually exit the business, are discussed in this interview.
      Jim and Rhonda are the founders of Grand Cayman Villas and Condos. Natural disasters, along with the issue of distance, are factors both Rhonda and Jim navigate in running the business and their household.
      Check out the company on their website: www.grandcaymanvillas.net. Listeners, if you’d like to learn more about working with me as your coach, feel free to call me at 804-372-7575 or go to my website, Ascend To Sell.com. I would love it if you would leave a review on iTunes and share this podcast with your contacts.
      37 min
    9. How Does a Climatologist Spot an Acquisition?
      This episode focuses on creating value through climate optimization. Anne Waple, Vice President & Co-founder of Climate Optimize shares strategies for acquisitions.
      Climate Optimize, Inc “CO”, was founded on the fact that climate change presents both risk & opportunity to enterprises worldwide. Markets increasingly reward those that include climate assessment in their governance. CO takes climate assessment to the next level: Climate Optimization. Uniquely positioned to add enterprise value against a backdrop of climate change, CO will climate optimize by:
      ● Identifying, & acquiring, profitable companies with significant climate optimization potential. This may offer opportunities for outside capital partners.
      ● Assessing & advising third party clients using a CO-developed proprietary climate optimization platform to maximize enterprise value.
      Contact the CO team by visiting their website: climateoptimize.com . Contact Wendy Dickinson, the M&A Coach at: ascendtosell.com
      31 min
    11. Connor Gillivan: An Entrepreneur's Journey From Amazon to FreeeUp
      As an Amazon seller veteran, eCommerce expert, and outsourcing guru, Connor Gillivan is passionate about building profitable businesses that address specific customer needs within the eCommerce world.
      Starting out of his college dorm room, Connor spent 4 years working with his business partners to build an eCommerce business selling on Amazon.com. With the venture, he’s sold over $25 million online, have worked with over 1,000 suppliers, and have managed over 500,000 products.
      After hiring and firing hundreds of remote freelancers and virtual assistants with his Amazon venture, Connor and his business partner started FreeeUp.com to address the frustrations they were facing on other marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer: (1) too much time interviewing and vetting freelancers and (2) too much turnover.
      FreeeUp receives hundreds of applications from freelancers each week, interviews them for skills, communication, & attitude, then only allows the top 1% into the network.
      32 min

    About Catalytic Conversations

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    We explore the volatility business owners face every day. During this time of economic crisis brought on by COVID-19, everyone is looking for answers. We hope to give you ideas for your recovery plan.