Larry Winget is a 6 time New York Times / Wall Street Journal best selling author, business speaker, and a friend of mine. He and I discuss what business people get right and wrong and give you tips on keeping your ship righted. If you’re just beginning your entrepreneurial journey, Larry has some excellent advice for you (hint: it involves defining what a business is and firmly understanding what problem you are in the business of solving). As Larry says, “your business profitability will be in direct proportion to the problem you solve.” Lots of great wisdom in this episode!

Fitness By Design is a gleaming and modern Indianapolis-based personal training facility. FBD is in it’s 30th year of business. This is quite an accomplishment in an industry saturated with national chains, YMCA’s, and various other workout facilities. Then there’s the various fitness fads from yoga to kickboxing to Crossfit, not to mention the reality of fitness: most people don’t even exercise! So, how does an independent fitness business not only survive, but thrive for three decades? Co-owner, Lisa Hudson will tell you how. The best part: you can apply her lessons to make YOUR business thrive too!

Bruce Turkel ran his own Advertising agency for over 30 years. His clients include Bacardi Rum and the city of Miami - he knows branding. Bruce also knows business and he knows where most businesses screw up. That’s why I have him on the show — to show you how to not screw up your branding outreach. Turns out, most of us talk about our function, meaning: we tell the world what we do. But in a world where function is the cost of entry, that’s old fashioned. Bruce delivers some great advice and methods that’ll help you Do Business Better, including: Understand your consumer, appeal to your consumer’s aspirations, and above all else- make your brand All About Them.

What kind of business owner would tell you you don’t need a business plan and and to avoid perfection? The kind of business owner who sold his company for lots of money and is now retired. Geoff Cubitt joins me to discuss his philosophy on building a company, why you don’t screw over customers, and why you must always move boldly. Geoff was an engineer and an employee, then a partner, then an owner. He and his company - a digital agency - not only survived the Great Recession, they grew through it. This episode won’t dispense the usual business school advice on achieving success. And that’s just why you should listen to it!

I invented this podcast for you: the entrepreneur, business owner, solopreneur, self employed striver, or business person who wants to do it better. By better I mean more profitably, more happily, and for as many years as you choose to do so. That’s what doing business better is all about to me. I quit my Fortune 500 job in 1994 to pursue a life and business by choice. All these years later I’m still driven by my original “why” that made me resign from corporate America: to be rewarded financially for my accomplishments and to be more creative (I was selling lighting fixtures, so to be “more creative” than that was a pretty low bar, admittedly!).

In the episodes that follow you’ll find usable, practical ideas and insights you can apply to your own business. We’ll have great discussions with people who actually know what they’re talking about because they’ve "been there and done that," as they say. Thank you for joining me here. I promise to deliver something of value and we won’t waste your time. Because I know you have business to do and I’m here to help you do it better.