Clicks and Bricks Podcast

This Business podcast today is with Debbie Wemyss. She is a LinkedIn consultant and an expert in that field. She tells us her business owner story. What made her decide to own her own company. She joined us on the business podcast today to talk all about how she moved from a toxic workplace and went into being her own boss. She has a wild story and has overcome many hurdles and obstacles in order to keep moving forward with the company. Thanks for tuning in to todays Business podcast of Clicks and Bricks.  

Join the show: https://clicksandbrickspodcast.com/join-the-show 

(01:00) Ken asks Debbie about how she started her own business. 

(05:00) Debbie tells her whole story on what made her decide to start her consulting business. 

(09:30) Ken talks about how to adjust with toxic people. Business Podcast 

(14:00) Debbie explains why no matter what your doing online, your presentation is a form of marketing. 

(20:00) Debbie explains how she was terrified in order to take on multiple executives from Office Depot. She was terrified, but knew she was good at what she does.  

(25:20) Ken asks if the last 10 years has been smooth sailing or how she overcomes adversity. Debbie explains how she has gotten past rough times by focusing on moving forward in her business. 

(30:00) Ken explains how Debbie is living the American dream of being happy healthy and helpful to those around her in her business.   

About Debbie: Originally from New England, South Florida has been my home for... let's just say 'decades'! 30+ yrs in marketing, PR & fundraising led me to a new passion for social media with a specific focus on LinkedIn®. When I discovered LinkedIn, I was a 57-year-old job seeker, without a job for the 1st time in my career. A life-long networker, I loved the idea of initiating business relationships online that could be transitioned to offline. Such an ingenious idea! 10yrs later I wake up full of gratitude every day for the 'work' that we enjoy.  

Contact Debbies Team: 

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/debbiewemyss/

WebURL: https://dwconsultingsolutions.com/

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Todays story on Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast is all about the new and everchanging age of technology and being creative within your business in order to grow. This is the 157th Episode of Clicks and Bricks Business podcast. We are talking with Casey Hogue. He has an interesting story on why he left his comfortable corporate America job in order the start his own business and be his own boss. He has not looked back.  

Join the Show: https://clicksandbrickspodcast.com/join-the-show 

(01:00) Casey tells his business owner story on how he came up with the name of serotonin creative. 

(08:00) Ken asks Casey what happened in his life to inspire him to start his own company. Which is perfect for the business podcast. 

(15:30) Ken asks Casey how he maintains creativity in his business. Casey believes creativity is easy because creativity is about being creative. There's not one way to be a creative individual in business. 

(22:00) Casey believes simplicity and creativity are 2 extremely important necessities in business. Business Podcast talk. 

(28:00) They dive into how NFT's are the digital art renaissance. Story telling and artist are going to be big in the future.  

About Casey: “NOSCE TE IPSUM” (Know thyself) This is my mantra and my main guiding principle.  In order to do truly great work, a brand, company, and individual must fully understand who they are and whom they want to become. Through this lens, I work with brands to create solid foundations which propel them to create meaningful connections that move people to take action and strengthen their standing in the market all while striving to make the world a better place. I am the founder of Serotonin Creative Consultancy. Bending the trajectory of culture and business to become forces for good.  

Contact: 

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

WebURL: https://www.serotonincreative.comEmail: [email protected]

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Building an online community for you Small Business can take time. It will have a positive impact on your company. In Todays Business Podcast what Todd does with Clock Tower Advisors and he has some tips on what you can do to build a loyal community.

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Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast Episode 156 is all about a loyal online community for your business in order to grow.

(01:00) Todd tells the story on how he started his business Clock Tower Advisors.

(05:15) Ken talks about how to get through those hard times when you do not feel like doing what you need to do.

(08:55) Ken talks about he get into the internet early on in 1996. Tells a quick story on how it has changed since then.

(13:00) Todd expresses all you need to get started when building an online community and a business.

(18:30) Kens tells about how when selling you should focus on the benefits that the end user gets. Do not focus on yourself as the business owner.

(25:00) Business owners grow communities online without validating the needs of their future members.

(30:00) Ken talks more about the crazy world of Internet 3.0 and how it will change the future of business and online communities.

About Todd: I have been working in online communities and digital workplaces for most of my professional career. My earliest experiences with online communities was in discussion forums for multi-player games. Since then, I have worked with dozens of companies to help them devise a successful strategy for the online communities they want to build. I start from scratch and focus on the business goals you are trying to achieve. From there, I help leaders understand the factors that have the biggest influence on whether your online community platform will succeed or fail. What’s unique about my experience and approach is that I’ve helped companies select and implement their community or digital workplace platforms. I have worked directly with teams of developers, visual designers, and user experience architects to create world class communities. Community building isn’t only about managing the social elements, it’s about getting the technology and user experiences right from the start.

About Clock Tower Advisors: Clocktower Advisors was started with the idea of creating thoughtful digital strategies with measurable results using a full range of digital marketing and communications approaches. We've helped organizations of all sizes from startups to global brands. Since 2015, we have created online communities that deepen trust, increase customer loyalty, and lead to new product ideas. We also build highly engaging digital workplaces that improve employee retention, increase efficiency, and save money. By combining our unique understanding of the principles behind community building with digital marketing best practices and proven research, we create loyal customers, engaged volunteers, and happier, more productive employees for your organization.

Contact:

WebURL: https://clocktoweradvisors.com/

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

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Build a business, Think big and manifest what you are thinking. Anything is possible with the right mindset as a small business owner. Episode 155 Business podcast. Welcome to Episode 155 of Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast! Ken is speaking with the founders of Caravan Social Club. These two travel the country with their business and help small businesses grow in a very interesting way. There is a lot to unpack in this episode, they go from marketing strategy, how many times you should connect with a prospect to convert them to a sale, and even talk about how you can use the metaverse or decentraland to benefit your business.

(01:00) How Claudine and Janine decided to start their business Caravan Social Club

(05:00) Janine tells one of her favorite things she discovered in their business during the pandemic.

(09:30) Ken asks how somebody who owns a business can use their business model to benefit them to benefit their business.

(14:15) Ken talks about how somebody who owns a business should do multiple methods of exposure and not just doing one.

(18:30) Claudine explains the steps that Caravan Social Club takes in order to grow their business and brand exposure so clients know what to expect when they outsource to their company.

(31:00) Claudine talks about the most important thing in their business when it comes to the value that they bring to their clients.

(38:00) Ken talks about marketing and how many times you should connect and reach out to a prospect in order to convert them into a sale as a small business owner.

(44:30) Claudine talks about the Metaverse and her perspective on ways to stand out in a digital world as a business owner.

About Janine: Janine Just, or JJ as she prefers, connects audiences to a brand’s story through one-of-a-kind experiences. Experiential event expert, super-connector, and storyteller, JJ has experience with brands in every tier bringing a broad scope of expertise to her clients. Honing in on a brand’s message to bring bold storytelling techniques to experiential marketing, JJ has worked with major brands and organizations including Citigroup, Keds, SONY, NARS, KIND Snacks, Columbia Sportswear, Coca-Cola, Douglas Elliman, Martino Cartier, Wigs and Wishes, Deep Eddy Vodka, Harmless Harvest, Will Lane Athletics, KD New York, and LAHIVE to name a few. She creates experiences that allow brands to connect with their core audience. She utilizes traditional PR and maximizes social media for campaigns that allow a brand to reach further.

About Claudine: Claudine has over 20 years of PR experience working with top Fortune 500 companies to some of the top not – for – profit organizations. In the last ten years, she has consulted with some of the largest hospitality Groups on amenity programs, uniforms, events, collaborations, and social media. Claudine has produced over 50 fashion shows with globally recognized celebrities and brands and created one of the first mobile stores in an RV. She has been featured in Inc, Entrepreneur, PR Week, Ad Week, WWD, New York Times for her experiential programming work. She was recently featured on NY1 for her pandemic pivot of IRL programming to virtual with the Caravan Virtual Social Club.

Contact:

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

WebURL: http://caravanstyliststudio.com/wordpress/

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Keeping your mindset right and staying strong  will help you grow your business. Being persistent in business is the only way to succeed.  

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This is the 154th Episode of Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast. Ken is interviewing Adam Taylor who founded his company Spaces Taylored in the middle of the pandemic. Though there were many tough times in starting the company he never allowed it do beat him. He explains today the mindset that he forced himself to stay in to grow his business and allow himself to create a better life for his family.   

(01:00) Adam explains who he is and what makes Spaces Taylored a special business. He decided in the middle of the pandemic to become a business owner. 

(04:40) Ken asks Adam about how Adam plans on being competitive in the the market when it comes to finding top quality employees to work in his business. 

(08:00) Asking Adam about the mindset that he had to use to get through the hardest part of the pandemic in order to keep pushing forward to grow his business. He really focused on making a better life for his family.  

(12:45) Ken shares a story about a few small things to help be successful. Then Adam leaves a great tip about the mindset of a business owner and how to keep pushing forward as an entrepreneur.  

About Spaces Taylored: Spaces Taylored is a family run company committed to honesty, integrity and quality in every part of our service. Spaces Taylored has taken a new approach to designing and building, we're breaking the boundaries with solutions to transform the workplace. We want to make change simple and stress free, change is exciting! What’s important is that you find the best path for your employees and your colleagues, we can help you get there.  We can offer everything from the full project-managed package, to ordering a single chair. So whether you require a head office full refurbishment and fit-out, a bespoke office relocation or a few office desks from a supplier that you can trust, contact Spaces Taylored. 

Contact: 

Email:  [email protected] 

Phone:  07511118257 

WebURL:  www.spacestaylored.com

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Going the extra mile in business and in life can make all the difference. Check out the story behind how this business owner turned profits in just 6 months of opening his franchise. 

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This is the 153rd episode of Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Today Ken is speaking with Brent from Express Employment Professionals in Vancouver. Brent opened his firm less than 6 years ago and they started to turn their investment into profits after only 6 months. He did this by hustling and grinding on the phones and making calls. He is a strong leader and business owner. He also dives deep into their hiring process and how going the extra mile and putting in more effort can make you stand out when looking for a career opportunity.   

(01:00) Brent give a quick summary of Express Employment Professionals, the company is almost 40 years old and places over a half a million people in quality jobs each year 

(03:00) Ken asks Brent if it is normal for an Express employment professionals to break even and show quick profits in the business. 

(09:30) Ken dives into the transition into being your own boss and asks Brent what motivated him to start a business. Brent did not want to be an employee for the rest of his life. 

(17:00) Brent explains the extensive process that Express Employment Professionals goes through in order to get high quality employees into the right job. 

(25:00) Depending on the client that Express is working with they do testing and background checks in order to get them placed in the right spot. They do not want to put somebody in the wrong business. 

(30:30) having one extra employee in your business is important instead of only hiring when you need somebody, it can put your business  at risk. 

(37:30) Brent looks in depth at how much effort somebody puts into their resume and into their work. If they do bare minimum they take that into consideration.  

About Brent and Express Employment Professionals: Express Employment Professionals Vancouver is a leading recruitment and staffing provider in BC. Recruiting and hiring top talent will always be a major challenge for businesses. Not only are you up against your competitors, but the shrinking talent pool means fewer options. Understanding how to compete for the best candidates in a challenging market could mean the difference between continuing to struggle and finally taking that next step towards becoming a thriving business in your niche.  If you’re feeling pressure on the recruiting front, you aren’t alone. Hiring employees is one of the top challenge businesses face ahead of growing profits, providing healthcare, increasing revenue, and eliminating cash flow issues.  Business decisions come down to time and money. Express Employment Professionals can save you both. Recruitment is our passion and we have successfully recruited for small companies through to multinationals in many different specialisms including Accounting & Finance, Sales & Marketing, Manufacturing, Production & Operations, Construction & Property, Business & Office Support, and Human Resources. Our expertise extends to Temporary, Flexible and Contract Placement, Direct Recruitment, Executive Search, Contingent & Retained Recruitment, Individual and Team based Training, Research and Behavioral Based Interviewing and Selection.  We live and work in our community and have access to resources through our International Headquarters that allow us to provide workforce solutions and a level of service other staffing agencies can't match

Contact: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentpollington/

WebURL: https://www.expresspros.com/vancouverdowntownbc/job-openings.aspx

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Passion driven business will help you feel as if you never work a day in your life.  Join the show: https://clicksandbrickspodcast.com/join-the-show Todays episode is a good one! Welcome to Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast Episode 152. Zee has a passion for owning her own business and running her life the way that she wants to. She started her journey young in life starting by selling candy from the farmers market for a profit. Then has a few different jobs over the years and used the skills that she learned to eventually move into her passion for cooking and she has not looked back since!  

(01:00) Zee tells her story on how she got into business and her young journey into entrepreneurship.

(04:00) Kens asks Zee when she started her passion for cooking and taking photos of food before it was a trend, she explains that she started by cooking from the hear and had no idea it was a business. 

(10:00) Zee explains what it was like to transition from her home based kitchen into a professional commercial kitchen. She had to work smart and find a way around bank loans. 

(16:30) If you don't have a happy healthy employee then Ken believes that you will not have a company long term. Zee goes into getting out of her comfort zone is mandatory to grow. 

(19:00) Ken asks Zee what her favorite business books she would reccomend in order to get a fire light underneath a business owner to change their life. 

(25:00) Zee tells Ken that she thinks about those top business books in order to keep herself motivated throughout her daily struggles.  

About Zee : As the owner of ZeeTheCook, I am proud to lead a team of exceptional instructors and staff offering educational curriculum, testing and certifications in Hospitality Management, Culinary Fundamentals, and NRF Customer Service + Sales.  Our licensed proprietary school is focused on training, preparing and testing students for gainful employment and continuing education. Upon successful completion of our programs, graduates are supported with job recruitment opportunities.  

About the Brand "Zeethecook": ZeeTheCook is an independent, post-secondary school offering programs in Hospitality and Management, Culinary Fundamentals, and NRF Customer Service + Sales. Our licensed proprietary school is focused on training, preparing and testing students for gainful employment and continuing education. Upon successful completion of our programs, graduates are awarded with certifications and recruitment opportunities.  All students and all levels of experience (ages 15 and up) are welcome to apply for our certification programs.  Our Culinary and Hospitality instructors are noted for their success in managing notable programs on an Executive Chef level. Our faculty has on average over 13 years of experience, including both real world and teaching experience.   

Contact: 

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

Phone: 313-414-2301 

Web: https://www.zeethecook.com/about/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zee-shami/

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Welcome to episode 151 of Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast. Today Ken is interviewing an expert in the field of energy and power. John has over 40 years of experience in his field. After retirement he decided to start a business to impact the future of the world. Check out this episode to see how if you are about to retire or have already retired, you too can own a business. It is never to late to do what you have always wanted to do.  

(01:00) John tells his story about what he did before retirement followed up by his story about he decided to move into business. 

(04:30) Ken asks when it makes sense to have an energy consultant help you. 

(07:00) Asking Rusty more about the energy business and where he sees the future going in the future for America 

(10:30) John  explains how big companies are trying to change energy, and what he is focused on in order to make an impact 

(12:00) Ken asks John about AC vs. DC power and how he sees each one being useful for personal and business use.  

About John: Rusty Gilbert is President and owner of JR Gilbert Energy LLC after serving more than 40-years with Chevron and Gulf Oil. In his last assignment, served as General Manager of new Technology Deployment and Adoption in Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), successfully leading the implementation and use of externally developed innovative technology solutions across Chevron operations.  

In Pittsburgh, PA (2013-15), Rusty’s team applied new technology to unconventional plays which reduced cost and increased performance. A rotational assignment in Cabinda-Angola (2010-12) involved mentoring CABGOC national staff to become proficient earth scientists. While in Business Development (2008-10), he led a major effort to provide a geologic understanding and model the subsurface, delineate reserves, and identify optimal development scenarios in preparation for a significant bid round in southern Iraq. 

Working out of TX & CA, held numerous leadership assignments in R&D which supported Chevron’s worldwide shale plays as well as provided subsurface support for major capital projects. Other leadership assignments include exploration, production and new ventures campaigns in Alaska, California, Washington, Texas, Namibia, and southeast Asia (China, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, etc.). These efforts led to wells being drilled with some resulting discoveries and commercial development.  

Rusty has a BS degree, Honors, in geology from Rutgers University and a MS degree in geology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Prior to graduate school he briefly worked in the environmental and water resource field.  Outside of work, Rusty created the “Patriotic Colors” mobile app, which launched in 2018 with thousands of downloads on IOS & Android. The app offers patriotic overlays on new and existing photos accessible from your phone. He’s also developed an e-commerce site for numerous originally designed patriotic products.  

Contact: 

WebURL: https://jrgilbertenergy.com/Phone: 713-304-1834 

Email: [email protected]

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When the market needs change, you must change if you want your business to grow like this business owner was able to get his to.  

This is Clicks and Bricks Business Podcast 150th Episode. Welcome back! Today we are talking to a business owner who got started selling online before it really caught on by the consumer. He had a hard time explaining to people what he did for work outside of being a lawyer. He felt confident in what he was doing and understood the need for the products he had. So much so that in the last year of owning his first company they were on track to his 19 Million in sales. Check out how Greg made changes in his business in order to fit the new needs of the market.  

(01:00) Greg explains how he was an attorney when he and his wife decided to start building their first business 

(05:00) Greg tells the story of when the Chicago Tribune called and how it changed his business 

(10:00) Greg's story about how people used to ask what he did for work, in 2004-2005 people did not understand selling on the internet could be a full time job 

(14:00) Ken and Greg go back and forth about how and when to go all in on your business full time. 

(18:30) The story of how he started to make changes in his business and products that they offered to cater to what the market needed 

(23:00) The time that he needed to give his team full creativity to come up with amazing ideas for the business to sell to cater to the female market  

About Greg: I’ve been doing this direct-to-consumer thing long before it was even a thing, creating one of the first ever menswear brands natively online back in 2004 (The Tie Bar). Built it. Sold it. Tried something new. In 2019, I acquired Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont, a leading men’s accessories that makes most of its products right here in the U.S. In 2020, we went under a huge transformation that we’re still in the middle of. It’s a challenge I’ve never encountered before...and I’m loving it. I also teach Entrepreneurship at FAU and periodically do speaking engagements, where I share my experiences with others so that they can pursue the dream that I am fortunate enough to be living.  

Contact: 

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

WebURL: http://www.beautiesltd.com/

Email: [email protected]

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If you want to be a business owner you have to  GO FOR IT! Start something on the side and start small, but start somewhere.  

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Welcome back to Clicks and Bricks Business podcast. Today is the 149th episode, Ken is speaking with Kelly Presgrave from WorkWithYourHandz. Kelly tells the story of how she got into her business and what helped her decide that being her own boss and a business owner is what she wanted to do. There's a part in here where she states that no matter what would have happened in her life she would have found a way to start a company.  She loves being an entrepreneur and it doesn't sound like she would trade that for anything.   They use a a lot of technology in their business and she has an interesting perspective on the future of job interviews and finding great employees to work in your business.  

(01:00) Ken asks Kelly about who she is and what got her in starting a business. 

(04:30) Kelly explains that when she was a stay at home mother she felt that she wanted to invest her time into being an entrepreneur. 

(08:20) Our guest explains that if a business doesn't value their employees they will leave and go somewhere that they love. 

(13:30) Ken asks what ratio they see on how many interviews it takes to find a good employee. 

(17:30) Kelly explains to Ken the importance of soft skills and why they should be valued in an employee or a business owner. 

(21:00) Job interviewing may or may not go to complete videos, Kelly explains that she believes that in person vs. zoom job interviews are wildly different when looking for quality employees.  

About Kelly: ABOUT ME: I have three teenagers and a husband whom I love spending time with. I enjoy skiing, golfing, reading, traveling, learning, and working (yes, I LOVE MY JOB!) UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS: My company is different from a traditional recruiting company from beginning to end. I hear from clients, vendors, and applicants how our process stands out. I have been incredibly successful because I know the residential service industry inside and out, that coupled with my love of data-driven strategies and my team's love of recruiting, we have a winning formula that works in the toughest of markets.  

About WORKWITHYOURHANDS: Work With Your Handz is the recruiting expert for the residential service industry. We have been partnering with top companies throughout the country to ensure they hire the right person for the job using our top-notch recruiting services. As a result, our success within the industry unparalleled. Our team of recruiting experts has extensive experience in recruiting for skilled trades, allowing them to provide unique industry insight and deliver the highest quality direct-hire  talent to help your business grow. This experience has allowed Work With Your Handz to form relationships with industry leading companies that rely on us to fill every position from apprentice to the C-suite. Our goals are to meet the challenges of our clients and exceed expectations with every opportunity. Let us help you gain a competitive advantage through strategic recruitment.  

Contact: 

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/work-with-your-handz. 

Phone Number: 703-679-8791 / 877-679-8791 

Website: WorkWithYourHandz.com

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