Everything Is Up

Everything Is Up a podcast that shines a light on the remarkable success stories of people around the world. Host Tammera Hollerich brings on guests to discuss their personal triumphs against the odds. This week, Tammera interviews Steven Jones, a small business owner, balloon decorator and convention producer. Steven shares his unique experience of being a middle-aged, twice-divorced single man that is always looking for the next opportunity. He talks about the importance of facing the realities of life and how his second marriage with the support of her family has been a blessing. Steven also highlights how water stations are transported with large trucks and how Fubu’s conventions and his event float was born. He also shares the effect of social media on the balloon decorating industry and his own trajectory of skyrocketed success when Amazon hired him in 2020. Steven expresses his pride in watching Tammera’s own successes and encourages others to make the most of their opportunities and talents.

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

-The Impact of Not Having a Child on Professor Lee's Life

-Exploring the Challenges of Being a Single Business Owner in Mid-Life

-The Efficiency of Water Station Delivery Systems

-Starting a New Business After Losing Two Conventions

-The Future of Balloon Decorating: Understanding the New Generation

-The Monetization of Social Media Sites

-The Lack of Art in Today's World

-"Understanding the Pros and Cons of Low Investment in the Blue Industry."

-Favorite Art Projects Created by a Guest

-Success During the COVID Pandemic: A Balloon Professional's Story

-The Impact of Hiring Steve Jones: A Balloon Artist on Amazon's Corporate Culture

-Celebrating Success: Steve Jones and the Everything is Up Podcast

Timestamps:

[00:04:28] The Impact of Not Having a Child on Professor Lee's Life

[00:08:11] Exploring the Challenges of Being a Single Business Owner in Mid-Life

[00:12:08] The Efficiency of Water Station Delivery Systems

[00:15:55] Starting a New Business After Losing Two Conventions

[00:19:44] The Future of Balloon Decorating: Understanding the New Generation

[00:23:50] The Monetization of Social Media Sites

[00:27:30] The Lack of Art in Today's World

[00:31:19] "Understanding the Pros and Cons of Low Investment in the Blue Industry."

[00:35:04] Favorite Art Projects Created by a Guest

[00:38:32] Success During the COVID Pandemic: A Balloon Professional's Story

[00:42:10] The Impact of Hiring Steve Jones: A Balloon Artist on Amazon's Corporate Culture

[00:46:47] Celebrating Success: Steve Jones and the Everything is Up Podcast

Notable Quotes:

"I did not expect to be where I am relationship wise or lack thereof at this age. And therefore, if I'm going to be completely honest, I have a tendency to throw myself into work, so I don't have to face the reality that I am alone."

"At the end of the day, you have to kind of focus on the fact that everything worked out the way it was posed to. You'll go crazy. And, yeah, and you just have to, I mean, it's all part of that acceptance. You just have to know, yes, there's plenty."

"Most men at my age are approaching retirement. If they're not already, like, get ready to walk out the door. I'm nowhere near that. I'm nowhere near that because, again, I own a small business and everything else, but at the same time, I'm not enjoying it. Right? So, I'm not about to just go do whatever."

"It wasn't, to be completely honest, you may have just got me on that day. But because they do I mean, they actually that that company supports the convention, which is float convention. The it wasn't, to be honest, it wasn't much, it really wasn't about the manufacturing issue. It was about representation.""

"You don't like it. Come up with something else."

"If I'm going to sell out, it's going to be to Steve Jones. It's not going to be to manufacture a company like that, that at the end of the day, you know, they don't have my best interest in heart."

"It's almost as if I wanted to say, you're going to have to jump onboard. Or you can stay antiquated in what you're doing."

"Had it not been for the organic way if we'd still be considered tacky and cheesy and blah blah blah.""

"It's been devalued to the point where it's like, okay, I'll even pay. And to me, it's the biggest slap in the face."

"It was an awareness. It was an awareness. And so, I am so ridiculously thrilled that I changed the corporate culture of 1 of the biggest companies in the world?""

Resources 

• Everything Is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Connect with Steven Jones

• LinkedIn
• Website

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

Everything is Up is a podcast hosted by Tammera Hollerich that focuses on inspiring entrepreneurs. In this episode she interviews Shanthi Rajram, an entrepreneur technologist with Amazek Solutions. Rachel talks about how she managed to successfully climb the ladder of the tech industry, her experience of raising three kids, and her parents' attitude towards her career. Shanthi advocates for asking for challenges instead of seeing everyone in the same industry as competition. During the podcast, Shanthi shares how she shares stories with her kids and activities she's doing in business, and mentions that one of her parents asked her to get a "real job". She reassures that her parents always encouraged her and they simply wanted her to be happy. With Shanthi and Tammera's insightful discussion, Everything is Up offers motivation and advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways:

• The Benefits of Collaboration for Entrepreneurs
•  The Benefits of Sharing Experiences and Challenges with Your Kids
•  Navigating Compromises as a Busy Mom
•  Improving Sibling Bonding Through Parenting
•  How to Achieve Success Despite Parental Pressure.

Topics with Timestamps:

[00:04:42] The Benefits of Collaboration for Entrepreneurs

[00:08:38] The Benefits of Sharing Experiences and Challenges with Your Kids

[00:12:55] Navigating Compromises as a Busy Mom

[00:16:40] Improving Sibling Bonding Through Parenting

[00:20:53] How to Achieve Success Despite Parental Pressure.

Notable Quotes:

"If you don't have a plan, you're just gonna be running around in circles. Right? You're gonna be running around in circles, and you're gonna be exhausted. And you're gonna be frustrated. And you're gonna be like, why am I not getting anywhere?"

"If you are prepared well and if you know what you are talking about, then the confidence comes by itself. And you don't have to prove anything to anyone. What you bring to the table speaks for itself." 

"Entrepreneurship is like a phase. There is a 2 year phase. There is a start up phase when you start, and then there is a 2 year old phase and then there is this adolescence, and then there is this teenage phase. And the companies go exactly like how your kids go." 

"Most people think of it as competition, right, especially if you're in the same industry. But  there’s so much collaboration. So it's the wrong c word. Right? That's what I tell people all the time. I'm like, this is the wrong c word. Competition, that should just make you better, but the collaboration is where you really start to hone your skills.""

"Be who you are. I don't want you to need to know your boundaries. You will figure it out. But there are value systems that go with it. These are non-negotiable. But within that, you know, do what you need to."

Resources

•  The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Connect with Shanthi Rajram

• Website 
• LinkedIn

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In this episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich welcomes Mike Roundtree of Zebra Crossing. Mike talks about the pressure of being an entrepreneur and business owner and how networking organizations, like “Mind Benders”, can help business owners problem-solve. He emphasizes the importance of spending 10 - 12% of income on marketing and advises that businesses need to know who their customer persona is. Mike also talks about EDDM, a postcard option for businesses, and how the profitable “Bloomberg company” was able to pivot from traditional events to digital consumer marketing. Finally, Mike jokingly complains about how even if students take a marketing course, they don’t always understand the basics. Don’t miss out on this great episode and more soon!

Key Takeaways:

• Networking and Problem-solving for Business Owners
•  The Challenges of Staying Up to Date for Small Business Owners
•  Importance of Strategic Marketing Planning and Budgeting
•  Marketing Basics: What Students Don't Know
•  The Benefits of EDDM Mailing services
•  Bloomberg's pivot into the consumer market.

Topics with Timestamps:

[00:04:47] Networking to Solve Problems for Business Owners

[00:09:24] Staying Current for Small Business Owners: Challenges Ahead

[00:13:33] The significance of strategic marketing planning and budgeting is immense.

[00:17:44] The Achievements of Roundtree Advertising and Marketing

[00:21:59] The Renaming and Rebranding of Roundtree Advertising to Zebra Crossing: A History

[00:26:21] What Students Need to Know About Marketing Basics

[00:30:40] Businesses Without a Customer Persona are in Need of Professional Assistance

[00:35:02] Exploring the Advantages of EDDM Mailing Services

[00:38:59] Bloomberg's shift into the consumer market.

[00:43:19] The Accomplishments of Mike's Marketing and Advertising Agency in Fort Worth, Texas

Notable Quotes:

"There's a lot of people that are just starting out and they're really good. And they're hungry and they want to prove themselves. So you can get a lot of good work done for a lot less money. And then, you know, you can always upgrade as you grow. I think that's a great way to start.

“Brand branding is not just putting your logo on stuff.” 

“Most business owners, I know, are so busy trying to run their businesses, helping employees, giving back to the community, you know, they're running 24/7. Most of them sleep about 3, 4, 5 hours a night if they get that.” 

“If you want to grow your business, you need to be putting about 10 percent of your gross income in that marketing.” 

Resources

•  The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Connect with Mike Roundtree

• Website 
• LinkedIn

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In our fifth episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich interviews Cameron Hydrick, the owner of top-rated window washing company, Warsh My Windows. Cameron talks about his success he has had in creating his Wichita, Kansas based business and how he got his first experience of being an entrepreneur when he lived in Texas. Cameron married his high school sweetheart. They’ve been married for 14 years and have six children.

Don't miss out - subscribe and join in the conversation!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●How Cameron got his start in the window washing business.

●Building a business from the ground up.

●Professional and personal development is essential for Cameron’s business growth.

●Find a great accountability partner or coach

●Help develop your employees into leaders so you can give them more responsibility.

●When hiring, think about the skills, experience, values and attitudes that the person will bring to the table.

Timestamps

[00:01:24] Cameron introduces himself and his business

[00:06:30] Starting from scratch in a new market.

[00:12:43] Implement one thing at a time.

[00:15:00] Accountability and coaching key.

[00:21:01] Leaders must develop leaders.

[00:26:28] Hire the right people.

Notable Quotes

“After having liked the taste of being your own boss, and then you know, there was other times when I was working for other people again. And I was like, man It's hard to get back under somebody else's tutelage per se. I like that freedom of being my own boss, which is kind of a double-edged sword in some ways. It's good and bad. Sometimes you're your worst employee. And you know, it's like you suck. You're fired. Get out of our own way and let our employees do the best work that we hired them to do.”

“For me and my personality and a lot of people probably, but especially when you're working for yourself, you don't have a boss to tell you what to do. So you need to call your shot and somebody needs to hold you accountable for it.”

“If you want to improve your hiring system or something it's like, okay, well you want to do that. Okay. What's the end goal? And then you work backwards. What can you do right now to implement into, or like install a system into your company? What can we do to build this right now?”

“It’s kind of like the carrot and the whip, I guess it's like you can either get motivated by a big, huge carrot or it's like, Hey, I got the big dream I'm going to chase after. Or it's like the

whip is like, okay, if I don't move, something bad's going to happen.”

“Growing personally as a leader, as well as I'm finding out, it's like, you're kind of your own bottleneck with the leadership too. Cause the next step in scaling requires more leadership under you, like another layer of leadership. So you've got to not only lead everybody, but also develop leaders. So they set the tone and doing that is a whole other ball game. You got to bring yourself up so far, because they're going to hit the ceiling if this is as far as you can lead. You’re not going to be able to develop a leader higher than you”

Resources

● The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

●Website

●Facebook

●LinkedIn

Connect with Cameron Heidrick

●Website

●LinkedIn

●Instagram

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In our fourth episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich welcomes Sunny Lowe, founder of cybersecurity firm Blue Jean Network. Sunny is an experienced serial entrepreneur who has been married for 38 years. Sunny shares that the biggest mistake he sees is owners not getting out of their own way and he talks about cyber hygiene, like unified threat management firewalls and EDR/MDR as ways to prevent cyber threats. He believes that small companies are limited due to the owner's inexperience and that these owners have an inner battle between the manager, technician, and themselves. To connect with Sunny, search for "Sunny Low" on LinkedIn, including the "u" in Sunny for his account.

Don't miss out - subscribe and join in the conversation!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●When is it time to sell your business?

●The impact long hours from running a business have on a marriage

●Sunny’s Cybersecurity work

●The Importance of Cyber Hygiene

●The Challenges of Running a Small Business

Timestamps

[00:00:47] Sunny Introduces Himself and His Business

[00:04:04] Selling your Business

[00:11:06] The Benefits of Changing Careers in the Same Company

[00:14:40] Cyber Hygiene and how to protect yourself online.

[00:22:15] Sales Strategies for Finite and Infinite Games

[00:30:10] Balancing the Inner Struggle: Managing Change, being a Technician, and Accepting Yourself

Notable Quotes

"I think most entrepreneurs wait too long to sell their companies. Most of them don't really step back and say, I'm going to have a change of ownership event. The question is whether it's going to be when I die, or is it going to be on my schedule? And so, the question is, are you going to control that or not?"

"I had friends that really basically asked me to come up with several numbers. They wanted to know what my personal wealth goal was, and I had to think about that, and I had to come up with that. And then they wanted to know what my business value target was, And I really hadn't thought about that. And I had to find out what a business value target is. I mean, how much is your business worth? How much will somebody pay for it. And then the question was, does your business value target meet your personal wealth goal? And once they meet each other, it's probably time to sell."

"If you're married and working more than 40 hours a week in my book, you're either at a very strange stage of your business or you're an unsuccessful entrepreneur. Anybody that's working more than 40 hours a week is not prioritizing what they're doing. They're just doing whatever's in front of them."

"Your job is to get rid of your job continuously. Your job is to train other people to do your job."

"It's not really easy. It's technicians that start businesses. They're doing something they've been doing for their boss, and they want that money that the boss is getting and they're mad at him about something or they get fired. That's what happened to me. I got fired and I had to go on to do it myself."

"There's really 2 different kinds of games in the world. There are finite games like football that at the end of the 60 minutes it's over. And there's infinite games like baseball, which is if you're still tied, you keep playing. Sales is not 1 client winning and losing. It's getting the next client and having your funnel filled.",

"The biggest mistake I see over and over and over and over is the owners won't get out of their own way. Right. Yeah, they become the bottleneck in their own company because they do hire really capable, really smart people because We're all taught right out from the shoot, hire people smarter than you to do the job. Right? But then they bottleneck them. Like you said, put them on the brake and they accelerate at the same time. Nothing loses good employees faster than to do that."

"Small companies are not small because of the length of time they've been in business. All companies are small because the owner is not yet mature enough to run a big business."

Resources

● The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

●Website

●Facebook

●LinkedIn

Connect with Sunny Lowe

●Website

●LinkedIn

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In our third episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich interviews Tim Ballard the owner of Cowtown Segway Adventures, one of the top ranked tours in Fort Worth, Texas. Tim is originally from the Metroplex area of Fort Worth and is known for his gregarious personality and energy. Tim shares his experiences of leading people and building success in his business. Most notably, he recounts the surprise of being invited to work by the tour guide on a Segway tour he attended after being laid off.

Don't miss out - subscribe and join in the conversation!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●How Tim got his unexpected start in the segway tour business

●In today's fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find the time to have fun and make memories.

●Teamwork is an essential part of any successful venture

●By working together and leveraging each other's strengths, teams can come up with creative solutions to difficult challenges.

●Remember that People are good at heart

●Tim's advice to his 18-year-old self is "stay the course." Stay focused and keep going even when things get tough.

●Never forget to be kind and help our fellow man

Timestamps

[00:00:47] Tim introduces himself and his business

[00:03:45] Have fun and make memories.

[00:08:09] Teamwork leads to success.

[00:23:19] People are good and happy.

[00:27:17] Stay the course and be kind.

[00:33:22] Everything is possible.

Notable Quotes

“People are good at heart. This is a statement that I firmly believe in and one that I have seen proven time and time again.”

“I mean, that last part of that sentence, people bring me hope. People are good. At the end of the day, people are a whole lot better than we give them credit for. And when we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, then we do bond a little bit.”

“If I were to give my 18-year-old self some advice it would just be stay the course. And you know, naturally, maybe I was a little naive at the time and stayed the course that I was on because it was in front of me. But in so many ways, it kept me from getting bloodied and scarred up and damaged. We step in puddles, we fall in buckets of water at times. But if we stay honest with ourselves and we have a good spirit about us, then we're going to spread that a little bit. So just stay the course and see where it goes. Everything seems to work out.”

“You can get a pretty good feel for how much somebody cares about you within the first minute you have them on the phone. So I hope my kids would see all these things that people write about on Yelp and the way that we do business, because if you do business that way, you do your personal life that way. And it's who you are.”

Resources

● The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

●Website

●Facebook

●LinkedIn

Connect with Tim Ballard

●Website

●Facebook

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In our second episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich interviews Tammy Denison the owner of King Scott Groomer Depot, a business that supplies professional groomers with the supplies they need to be successful. But before she was a business owner, Tammy was an animal lover who wanted to open a self-serve dog wash. Despite the naysayers telling her it wouldn’t work; she believed in herself and opened the business. And it was a success! Tammy explains that the biggest challenge of starting a business is having the courage to battle against those who might not believe in your vision.

Don't miss out - subscribe and join in the conversation!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●No matter what endeavor you are attempting, having faith in yourself is key to reaching your goals.

●Even when you have a great idea, you can’t do it alone. You need guidance and advice from experts.

●Having a strategic plan is essential and having access to people who have been there before can help you stay on track.

●Stay up to date on the latest trends and developments in your industry.

●By honoring your “yes” and “no's”, you can make decisions that are in your best interest and be honest with your needs.

●When employees don't know where the boundaries are with their employer, it can lead to unhappiness. By establishing clear boundaries, you can be sure that everyone knows what is expected of them.

Timestamps

[00:00:57] Introducing Tammy and her businesses.

[00:06:02] Believe in yourself and go for it.

[00:12:00] Seek help and advice.

[00:23:17] Say no to please others.

[00:24:07] Know your boundaries.

Notable Quotes

“With the dog wash, yeah, after signing that lease, we did have to take out a loan, so I mean, there was no going back. And so, I felt like every day I had the responsibility to my family, and I had to prove myself that this could be successful. There was no one going back for me.”

“I have about 500 new ideas a day and I have to, I have to weed through those and maybe one of those is good. And so, I think it's important to do a little research. You can't just go in and just hope that it works right now. Winging it. You've got to figure out how to rein that in a little bit so that you have a strategic plan.”

“You know, most businesses fail in the first five years because there isn't a strategic plan. Everybody's got a great idea, but it's the step by step with the business plan and mentors that brings you success.”

“The day that I realized I did not know what I was doing, I started calling people and you know, here's the thing about business owners. People are so intimidated by them because it's this persona that they have it all, that they've succeeded and that they would never help you. I have to tell you; they are some of the nicest people that are out there and so generous with their time and their knowledge. They just want to see somebody else succeed.”

“I'm really at this point in my life where I'm trying to, you know, honor my yes and no's, honor my calendar, honor my time and paying attention to more self-care. And so, I find that when I do that, I'm a better employer. I am more equipped to take care of day-to-day business and be present with wherever I'm at at the time.”

Resources

● The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

●Website

●Facebook

●LinkedIn

Connect with Tammy Denison

●Website

●Linkedin

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

This is a podcast about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field and want to make a positive impact on their communities. In this first episode of Everything is Up, host Tammera Hollerich introduces herself and shares her story of how she became an entrepreneur, from her days of working at Dairy Queen to her current status as the owner of three businesses. Tamara talks about how she was drawn to the entrepreneurial bug and then explains the challenges she encountered while building her business. She invites influential people to guest on the show, in order to share their stories, successes and failures, and the valuable lessons they learned while growing their businesses.

Don't miss out - subscribe and join in the conversation!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

●What to expect from the podcast.

●Risk-taking is an important part of life. It can be scary and uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth and success.

●Taking risks and learning from them is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.

●Making mistakes is part of life, and it’s important to take the time to reflect on them and learn from them.

Timestamps

[00:00:27] Introducing your host, Tammera.

[00:02:13] Take risks and fail forward.

[00:03:19] Upcoming guests on Everything is Up

Notable Quotes

“I'll tell you, out of all of us children, I am the only one that really got struck bythe entrepreneur bug. And it was quite by accident that I got hit with it because in high school I worked at Dairy Queen and like most entrepreneurs that I know at some point or another, we've been fired. And that's what happened. And it happened to me very early on. So I got bit by that entrepreneurial spirit. And unfortunately I have that all or nothing personality. And so not only do I have one company, but I have three. And having owned three businesses over the course of 25 years now, I have failed forward, to be honest, a lot. And because I have failed forward and I wish that I had known a few things earlier and maybe not made so many of those mistakes is the reason that I'm here today to start this podcast.”

“I've learned more from my mistakes, to be honest, than I have from my successes most of the time. But if I had had somebody earlier on that said, Hey, I did this, it didn't work. And here's why I think maybe I would have maybe made it further, faster. I'm very happy with the success that I'm having, but I also struggled in the beginning with the company because I didn't have those mentors and I didn't know where to go seek those mentors.The people that I'm going to have on this show are going to be those people that I wish I had had earlier on.”

Resources

● The Everything is Up Podcast

Connect with Tammera Hollerich

●Website

●Facebook

●LinkedIn

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please subscribe on the platform you listen to podcasts from, leave a review and share with your friends. We’d greatly appreciate it!

Welcome to Everything Is Up! I'm your host Tammera and this podcast is about the successes and achievements of those that have risen to the top in their field or who have achieved a level of success and want to make a positive impact on their communities.

I decided to start this show because I wanted to show you that ordinary people are achieving remarkable things and that you can too. I couldn't be more excited to share these stories with you.

Let me tell you a little bit about me and my backstory before sharing with you what to expect from this podcast.

I come from a military family where my dad spent 23 years serving our great nation in the Air Force and my mom was a schoolteacher for 30 years, I basically grew up on military bases moving all over the world. I have an amazing sister and two wonderful brothers. A real ordinary American family. So, you see I didn't come from a family of entrepreneurs, I tell you this because for the last 26 years (and yes, I started young) I have been building three successful startup businesses. I wholeheartedly believe that the ordinary can achieve the extraordinary because I am living it and I want you to know you can too.

On this podcast, I'll be having conversations with people that have risen to the top in their field and leaders in the community. How they got to where they are, the struggles and the wins, they have experienced along the way. And if they could, what advice would they give themselves now that they have achieved some level of success.

I hope you're as excited as I am, so be sure to subscribe to this podcast and stay tuned for episode 1.