This episode marks the end of Season One. We're going to take a break, and I want to talk about why.

I’ve been guilty of lacking focus and spreading myself too thin. I haven’t been making enough progress on what really is important to me in the business world: launching and growing a startup.

So I’ve decided to make some changes and focus more of my attention on that ONE thing, and, unfortunately, that means something has to give. I love speaking with startup founders and entrepreneurs, engaging with all of you, and working on the podcast – but, right now, I need to make that conscious effort to focus more of my time and energy on launching my startup.

Once that gets going, you’ll hear me back on the mic. I’ll continue to leverage this amazing medium to connect with and learn from other entrepreneurs, and I'll share that knowledge with you as well. 

If you’re listening right now, thank you so much for joining me. The ride’s not over; it’s just going to sit still for a little while so I can focus on my ultimate goal of launching and growing a startup – just like many of my guests have.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/bonus003

Today's guest, Leonard Kim, is managing partner of InfluenceTree. At InfluenceTree, Leonard and his team teach people how to position their brands, get featured in publications and grow their social media following.

Leonard is recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top Digital Marketer and Top Youth Marketer, and by Red Letter Resumes as a Top Personal Branding Expert.

He went from being almost homeless to becoming a personal branding expert whose content has been read over 10 million times. He has amassed a social media following of well over 250,000 people. He’s been featured in too many publications to name, so there's a Wikipedia page about him.

We're going to learn Leonard's powerful story about struggle and success, useful and actionable tips for becoming a social media expert, and how a strategy can help overcome both fear and the noise on social media.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/060

Today's guest, Larry Kim, is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of WordStream, a marketing software company managing over a half-billion dollars in annual ad spend for over ten thousand customers, and he shares marketing insights to over a million visitors every month at his WordStream Blog.

Larry also developed free tools for Facebook ads & AdWords used by over a million marketers worldwide; is a leading contributor to Inc. Magazine and Search Engine Land; keynoted dozens of marketing events; was named "Most Influential PPC Expert" for 2015, 2014 and 2013 by PPC Hero; and won the 2015 Top Search Marketer of the Year awards from both the US Search Awards & Search Engine Land.

We're going to learn how Larry validated WordStream, how he built an offer that gets new customers in the door, and how an expert approaches content marketing.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/059

Today's guest, Allen Gannett, is a leader in the science of marketing and creativity, and a sought-after investor in innovative technology companies. He is the Founder and CEO of TrackMaven; a General Partner at Acceleprise Ventures; and he is a frequent writer on creativity, leadership, and marketing with his work appearing in Fast Company, The Washington Post, The Next Web, and more.

TrackMaven is a marketing data and intelligence platform used by some of the world’s biggest brands, including General Electric, Microsoft, Marriott, Fidelity, and other Fortune 500 companies. Acceleprise Ventures is an early-stage fund that invests in emerging software companies. Through Acceleprise and his personal investments, Allen has invested in nearly fifty startups ranging from language learning disruptors to next-generation artificial intelligence technologies. Gannett has also been honored as a Forbes “30 under 30,” a World Economic Forum “Global Shaper,” a Washingtonian “Tech Titan,” and an Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” Finalist.

We're going to learn about content marketing and analytics, why marketing is looking less and less like a funnel, and how Allen developed growth strategies for his startup.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/058

Today's guest, Callum Laing, has started, built, bought and sold half a dozen businesses in a range of industries across two continents. He is a partner in the Private Equity firm Unity-Group, co-founder and Director of The Marketing Group PLC, a Director of the Key Person of Influence program in Asia, and an author of two books.

Callum wrote Progressive Partnerships: The Future of Business, a widely acclaimed book identifying the evolution of business from competition to collaboration, and his new book is Agglomerate: From Idea to IPO in 12 months, which is co-authored with his business partner Jeremy Harbour.

We're going to learn about the concept of Agglomeration developed by Callum and his business partner Jeremy Harbour, how the first collaborative IPO launched by Unity-Group is achieving rapid growth, and how Callum envisions Agglomerations helping small businesses grow in the future.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/057

Today's guest, Dana A. Oliver, recently retired from his position as Senior Director of Research & Development at Medtronic. With 30 years of experience and an impressive track record of revenue generation, Dana’s latest book Mantra Design is a must-read for every new product development professional aspiring to introduce premium priced, patent protected, market share leading products. He also has one previous book, Mantra Leadership.

Dana is now an independent consultant helping companies with his new organization Innovation Leadership. He is helping businesses grow by introducing the concept of Emotionally Intelligent Innovation Leadership, which emphasizes the value of individuals to a business' success.

We're going to learn the processes Dana used to help grow Medtronic's revenue from $100M to $2B, the value of emotionally intelligent leadership for business growth, and the best business mantras for entrepreneurs.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/056

Today's guest, Drew Massie, is Founder and CEO of AttorneyFone, which provides marketing and technology services for attorneys, and LeadGen Ventures, which helps startups with product development and go-to-market strategy for call generation and lead generation.

Drew is an experienced entrepreneurial technology and business development professional, and he has impressively managed to grow his businesses while raising a family.

We're going to learn how startups can take advantage of a pay-per-call advertising model, the processes that Drew goes through to grow new business ventures, and how he has been able to balance being a father and an entrepreneur.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/055

Today's guest, Rachel Adams, is a Realtor, Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Coach. In just 3 years, Rachel Adams made Wall Street Journal’s list of Top 1000 Realtors in the US. To the outside world, her "Facebook life" looked perfect, but her reality was a different story – until one conversation changed everything. She wrote a book and created a program called Lost to Found in 90 Days that is changing lives all over the world.

While real estate is in Rachel's blood, her greatest joy comes from encouraging others to lead their best life. This is why she launched Lost to Found in 90 Days, and this is why she often hosts Female Empowerment Masterminds geared towards "finding your power within." Rachel also recently launched Limited to Legendary, a 10-week course emphasizing how personal growth equals business success and how to leverage social media. Rachel has a special offer for the Go and Grow Audience. Go to lost2found90.com/free-previews to download the first three chapters of the book and one of the inspirational guidance videos.

We're going to learn how Rachel lives her life with authenticity and intention, how her courses help others live a more authentic and intentional life, and how she uses social media to build relationships that grow her business.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/054

Today's guest, Aaron Janx, is an in-demand Business and Sales Mentor for coaches and consultants around the world and in many different industries. Aaron owns and operates three businesses, including a successful real estate investment company, which has provided him the financial freedom necessary to follow his passion. Aaron's passion is mentoring coaches and consultants in lead generation and sales so that they can rapidly grow a strong, six-figure practice.

Before Aaron jumped into entrepreneurship, he was a sales director and trainer with a Fortune 500 company. He won awards and broke sales, but he also lived beyond his means. He quickly went broke after parting ways with the company. Humiliated, depressed and defeated, Aaron reluctantly went on food stamps to feed his wife and four kids. Today, Aaron attributes his turnaround and success to his sales skills, which he says "took him from food stamps to freedom."

We're going to learn about the sales skills that took Aaron "from food stamps to freedom," Aaron's four-step process for imitating confidence in sales, and how Aaron provides values to the members of his Six-Figure Coaching Club.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/053

Today's guest, Tom Schwab, is Founder of Interview Valet, a concierge-level podcast booking service. Tom helps small business owners, entrepreneurs and solo-prenuers get featured on leading podcasts that their prospects are already listening to. Then he shows them how to turn listeners into customers.

Tom is also the author of CONNECT: Grow Your Business as a Podcast Guest and the creator of the CONNECT Online Course. If you want to learn more about Interview Valet, receive free training for getting on your first podcast or download the checklist that Tom uses before every interview, head over to InterviewValet.com/GoAndGrow.

We're going to learn how Interview Valet validated the effectiveness of the service, how podcasts convert 25x better than blogs, and which Guinness World Record Tom is trying to set.

You can also access this episode at http://goandgrowpodcast.com/052