Fervent Four

George Berry, Founder at Pioneer Transport, Inc., joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of the trucking industry, grants + funding opportunities for businesses in Hampton Roads, and why NOW is the time to invest in the trucking industry.

Micah Miller, Managing Member and Founder at Easton Outdoors, joins the show to discuss all things Easton Outdoors, the importance of creating a strong web presence and his proven 5-step sales process.

Dave Rosen, Co-founder and CEO of Secret Chord Laboratories, Inc., joins the show to discuss his journey from PhD to Founder, Secret Chord Laboratories, and the upcoming closed beta product release of Dopr – a software designed to help artists better forecast song performance.

Eric Thomas, Co-founder & President at Rival Digital, joins the show to discuss his experiences running a podcast, all things Rival Digital, and some challenges he has faced an entrepreneur.

Hear hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller chat with Eric Thomas, Co-founder & President at Rival Digital. Podcasts are not just the rave of the town; they are a fantastic tool that you can use to grow your business. Meet Eric Thomas of Rival Digital who capitalized on the growing media to get attention to his digital marketing business. This week hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Eric Thomas, Co-founder & President at Rival Digital, to discuss the benefits of creating a personal brand and how to leverage digital marketing to achieve your business' goals. Tim Ryan is the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads. Learn more at: https://www.startwheel.org

Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and recent author of his new book Anomaly, a guide on how to differentiate yourself and your business from the crowd. Learn more at: https://www.zackmillersays.com

Enjoy what you hear? Listen to the Fervent Four Show LIVE every Thursday at 11AM. Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/

Past Episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-fo...

Show notes:

0:00 Introducing Eric Thomas + A brief history of podcasting The Joe Rogan Experience #1568 – Tom Green: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kR2...

8:46 What is Rival Digital? What are its offerings? Learn more about Rival Digital: https://rivaldigital.com The Smart HVAC Marketing Podcast: https://rivaldigital.com/podcast/

21:50 Eric discusses his experiences as a podcast host

31:14 The biggest challenges Eric faces as an entrepreneur + Tips on how to scale a podcast

41:49 Tim discusses the importance of habit building in life, fitness and business

53:10 Reflecting on the early days of the Fervent Four Show + How podcasts evolve over time

The Fervent Four Show: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-fo...

57:22 Eric's closing thoughts: Would you rather guest or host? + Zack's pop quiz About Eric Thomas and Rival Digital "Before coming to Rival, Eric worked alongside some of the largest HVAC and home services companies in the country. He has spent the past 6 years mastering all aspects of digital marketing and website design with plans of starting his own agency.

Eric is a digital marketing specialist with an intellectual curiosity for understanding how consumers engage with brands, and a passion for helping businesses grow their online presence." "Rival Digital is a full-service digital marketing agency for HVAC contractors looking to grow their business. Their core service offerings are website design, online advertising, search engine optimization, and social media marketing. In addition, Rival Digital hosts a podcast called the Smart HVAC Marketing podcast where they interview industry leaders about how they've grown their business over the years." Learn more at: https://rivaldigital.com

The Fervent Four Show: Did you know that only 4% of businesses hit $1M in revenue? Tim Ryan and Zack Miller are the creators of The Fervent Four Show, designed to help you get there. Check them out on Facebook Live every Thursday at 11 AM.

Listen here: Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/ Past Episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-fo... Social Media: Eric Thomas https://rivaldigital.com Twitter: @rivaldigital (https://twitter.com/rivaldigital) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/riva...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rivaldigital

Instagram: @rival.digital (https://www.instagram.com/rival.digital)

Other Links for Eric Thomas:

Personal Website: https://ericpthomas.com

Tim Ryan https://www.startwheel.org Twitter: @StartWheel (https://twitter.com/StartWheel) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/star... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartWheel

Zack Miller https://www.zackmillersays.com Twitter: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays

Thanks to our Sponsors: The Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center – http://www.hrsbdc.org/en/ StartWheel – https://www.startwheel.org

Josh Green, Director at the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program, joins the show to discuss customer discovery, quantifying success, and the ICAP experience.

Danny Rubin, Founder & President at Rubin, joins the show to discuss the most over looked and under-taught skill: email etiquette, pivoting his business from a client services model to a SaaS platform, and the importance of understanding customer feedback.

Craig Zingerline, Founder & CEO at Growth University, joins the show to discuss key metrics for startups & how to improve them, the mission of Growth University, and the importance of experimentation & customer feedback loops for early-stage startups.

Hunter Walsh, Program Manager at 757 Startup Studios, joins the show to discuss to discuss why 757 Startup Studios is unique to Hampton Roads, the current state of the local startup community, and how Hunter's experience in the local business community has helped bring a new perspective to the region's entrepreneurial activities.

Gavin Andersen, a consultant at Arcphor, joins the show to discuss his perspective of the startup community as a recent college graduate, the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, and Tim's proven process for successfully onboarding new employees.

Nick Kondoori, Founder & CEO at KarHappy, joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of his new business venture, KarHappy, as well as his goals are as an entrepreneur and business owner.