Grow Your Business and Grow Your Wealth

Are you still handing over your hard-earned money to Wall Street and hoping it works out?
This week, Gary is joined by M.C. Laubscher, wealth strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of Producers Wealth. M.C. shares how business owners can take back control of their finances using proven wealth-building systems that banks have used for generations.

They explore the critical difference between saving and speculating, how to build your own family banking system, and why most entrepreneurs are starved of capital when they need it most. M.C. also dives into his bestselling book Get Wealthy for Sure and how his Cashflow Ninja platform has reached over 7 million people worldwide.
💡 Key Topics Covered:

✔ Why business owners should think like banks.
✔The difference between saving, investing, speculating, and gambling.
✔How to use life insurance as a powerful liquidity and growth tool.
✔Why most traditional financial advice fails entrepreneurs.
✔The family banking strategy that enables long-term, tax-free wealth.

Quote: 
 "You don’t need to chase someone else’s dream with your money. You can build your own banking system, keep your capital in motion, and create wealth that lasts generations."  - M.C. Laubscher
📚 Mentioned:
✔ ProducersWealth.com.
✔ Get Wealthy for Sure → GetWealthyForSure.com.
✔ M.C.’s podcast, Cashflow Ninja → CashflowNinja.com.

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From Debt to Seven Figures: How Jeanne Omlor Built a Thriving Online Business Without Ads

How does a single parent go from deep debt to a seven-figure business in less than two years without spending on advertising? In this compelling episode, host Gary Heldt welcomes Jeanne Omlor, a Business Strategist, Seven-Figure Online Business Coach, and Certified Servant Leadership Executive Coach who shares her remarkable transformation.

Jeanne Omlor shares her journey from struggling offline coach to successful online business owner. After eight years of working as a coach and facing mounting debt after a life change, Jeanne decided to pivot to online business. Despite initially investing in Facebook ads training, she discovered the power of organic marketing instead. By developing a system based on human relationships, she built a seven-figure business in just 17 months with approximately 92% profit margin. Five and a half years later, she maintains a sustainable business that has helped nearly 500 coaches, consultants, and service providers thrive through her organic marketing methods.

Key Takeaways

→ Following up properly with leads is essential for business success. Most business owners fail to implement a systematic approach to follow-up, letting potential clients slip away.

→ Organic social media marketing on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook presents enormous opportunities that many businesses aren't properly harnessing.

→ Fear of judgment and concern about professional image often prevents business owners from taking the necessary actions to grow their client base.

→ Business anxiety affects quality of life - when you're constantly worried about finances, you can't be fully present with loved ones even when physically with them.

→ Success brings freedom from financial anxiety, which significantly contributes to overall happiness and life satisfaction.

Quotes from Jeanne

"There's not a worse feeling in the world than not fulfilling your potential. You're doing all the things, you're doing everything to be a good parent... but it doesn't feel good because you're just worried."

"Thriving wasn't really the order of the day with me. Because I'm emotionally connected to that, I don't want people to go through what I went through. I want it to happen for them."

Connect with Jeanne Omlor

Website: jeanneomlor.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeanneomlor

Facebook: facebook.com/jeanneomlor

Podcast: Business Wealth Impact

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What’s the real legacy of your business—just profits, or a thriving family and future-ready wealth?

In this powerful episode, Gary Heldt welcomes Lori Van Dusen, founder of LVW Advisors and a trailblazer in fiduciary financial planning.

Lori shares her extraordinary path from working in the South Tower of the World Trade Center with Lehman Brothers to leading a $6 billion independent advisory practice. She reveals the challenges and triumphs of creating a business that aligns with her values, mentoring the next generation, and serving multigenerational families.

Lori also discusses personal growth, the importance of proactive financial planning, and the moving story behind her Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Born from Resilience after Personal Loss.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

➡ Lori’s career journey from Wall Street to entrepreneurship. 

➡ Why she founded LVW Advisors to eliminate conflicts of interest. 

➡ Common mistakes business owners make with planning and succession. 

➡ The importance of aligning business strategy with personal values. 

➡ How to handle family dynamics in multigenerational businesses. 

➡ Selecting the right financial advisor for evolving needs. 

➡ Proactive client communication during market uncertainty. 

➡ The story behind Lori’s bestselling book and the power of resilience.

🔥 Featured Quote from Lori:

"Being early often feels like being wrong. But staying true to your values—even when the path is hard—creates lasting impact not just for your business, but for your life."

📚 Mentioned:

✔ Lori Van Dusen’s Wall Street Journal bestselling book (available on Amazon).

✔ LVW Advisors: www.lvwadvisors.com.

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Are you prepared to weather unexpected financial storms while building lasting wealth for retirement?

In this enlightening episode, Gary Heldt sits down with Harry Abrahamsen, a leading financial strategist specializing in personal financial economics and retirement planning. Harry shares his journey from building a family business to founding the Abrahamsen Financial Group, inspired by the life-changing events of September 11, 2001.

Drawing from his extensive experience working with clients at all stages of retirement planning, Harry reveals his philosophy on creating personalized financial strategies that protect against unexpected life events while building sustainable wealth.

Key Takeaways:

→ Financial planning must be personalized to each individual's unique situation, whether they're thinking about retirement, preparing to retire, or already retired

→ Unexpected life events can derail financial plans - proper protection strategies are essential for controlling your financial destiny

→ Building a network of trusted experts (attorneys, CPAs, bankers) creates comprehensive financial plans that consistently over-deliver for clients

→ Entrepreneurial thinking and continuous reinvention are vital components of financial success and career growth

→ Financial strategies should focus on both wealth building and wealth protection to ensure long-term security

Notable Quotes:

"After September 11, 2001, I realized the critical importance of properly protecting oneself from unexpected life events and controlling one's own destiny." - Harry Abrahamsen

"Throughout my career, my clientele has consistently shared one common objective: to receive expert advice and guidance from someone they trust." - Harry Abrahamsen

Connect with Harry Abrahamsen:

Book: "Money Rules - 9 Rules to Massive Wealth"

Company: Abrahamsen Financial Group

Location: Little Silver, New Jersey

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How Do Operating Environments Impact Business Risk and Investment Decisions?

In this insightful episode of Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth, host Gary Heldt speaks with Ryan Zabrowski, Director of Arbitrage at Krilogy. Ryan shares valuable wisdom from his decades of financial experience, as outlined in his book "Time Ahead: The Investor's Guide to Prosperity and Impact," and explains why understanding operating environments is crucial for achieving business success.

Key Takeaways:

→ The risk of starting a business varies dramatically based on timing and operating environment, just as walking down stairs is different when they're covered in ice versus when they're dry

→ Business owners often overestimate future cash flows due to natural optimism - creating realistic scenario analyses with probability assessments is critical for long-term success

→ Understanding accounting is fundamental for business owners - it's the language of business that allows effective communication with bankers, investors, and financial partners

→ Young professionals must take responsibility for their growth and be committed to putting in extraordinary effort - successful careers require sacrifice and dedication

→ Having the right financial team in place (financial advisor, tax preparer, and estate planning attorney) who communicate effectively with each other can dramatically impact long-term wealth preservation

Quote from Ryan:

"I think we're a bit in the hand-holding culture. What we need to explain to young professionals is they have to take responsibility, or the majority of the responsibility, for their professional growth. Those goals associated with large amounts of income are very hard to achieve, and they take sacrifice, commitment, and hard work."

How to Reach Ryan:

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 🛑 80% of businesses don’t sell—they dissolve. Are you prepared to avoid that fate?

In this episode of the Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth Podcast, Gary Heldt welcomes Adam Koós, a highly credentialed financial planner, portfolio manager, and exit planning advisor. Adam dives into his journey from pursuing a medical career to building his award-winning financial practice, Libertas Wealth Management Group.

Adam shares actionable strategies for business owners, executives, and investors to protect and grow their wealth, explicitly focusing on exit planning, tax efficiency, and the importance of working with fiduciary advisors.

5 Key Takeaways

➤ Plan your business exit early. Waiting until you’re ready to sell your business is one of the biggest mistakes owners make. Start at least 3–5 years in advance to maximize value.

➤ Always work with a Fee-Only Fiduciary. Fiduciaries are legally obligated to put your interests first, eliminating the conflicts of interest common in commission-based financial advice.

➤ Capitalize on tax-efficient strategies. Tools like Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) can help defer or eliminate capital gains taxes while generating passive income.

➤ Focus on your company retirement plan first. Maxing out your 401(k) or similar plan is the smartest way to reduce your tax bill and build wealth before exploring other investment options.

➤ Build your business with buyers in mind. Buyers don’t want to purchase a job—they want to buy a well-structured, self-sustaining company. Create continuity plans, reduce owner involvement, and secure key employees.

Quotes from Adam Koós

"You can’t wait until you’re ready to sell your business to start planning. The time to prepare is years before the sale, not the day before.”

“Fiduciaries don’t sell products—they sell advice. This eliminates conflicts of interest and ensures their clients’ best interests always come first.”

How to Reach Adam Koós

Website:

Libertas Wealth Management Group

Elevate and Exit

LinkedIn: Adam Koós on LinkedIn

Twitter: @AdamKoos

Facebook: Libertas Wealth Management Group

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How do you create a financial plan that withstands market volatility and economic fears?

Gary Heldt speaks with Melissa Bouchillon, Managing Partner at Sound View Wealth Advisors in this episode. With 21 years in wealth management and a background in psychology and education, Melissa shares insights on creating cohesive financial plans that connect all aspects of wealth management. She emphasizes the importance of having trusted professionals who communicate with each other to ensure your financial goals stay on track despite market fluctuations and economic uncertainty.

Key Takeaways

➡️ Create a cohesive plan connecting all financial components

➡️ Build a "bomb shelter" with 3-5 years of accessible funds

➡️ Focus on controllable factors: spending, saving, debt management

➡️ Work with professionals who speak clearly, not in jargon

➡️ Have a cohesive team of advisors who communicate with each other

Notable Quotes

"After somebody's health, their family, their faith, their finances really allow them to do the things they want to do and help the people they want to help."

"What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"

How to Reach Melissa

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Are you protecting your business and your people, or are you one complaint away from chaos?

📌In this episode, Gary Heldt sits down with Desmond McIlwain, a seasoned management-side labor and employment attorney with over 30 years of experience. Desmond shares invaluable insights into how small business owners can avoid costly legal pitfalls, build workplace trust, and create environments where employees thrive. From the importance of proactive workplace policies to how to handle harassment allegations, Desmond delivers actionable advice with clarity and care.

🖋 5 Key Takeaways:

👉 Labor laws apply to you—even if you’re small. One employee is enough to trigger legal requirements.

👉 Have a plan—not just for growth but also for compliance. Don’t shelve your policies—live them.

👉 Treat investigations seriously. Every complaint deserves a response, structure, and closure.

👉 Free resources are your friend. Agencies like the EEOC and DOL provide guidance and even free training.

👉 Employees buy in when they feel valued. Your culture and mission matter—don't just train, build trust.

📬 How to Reach Desmond McIlwain, PC:

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn

📩 Reach out via Urbana Systems, where Desmond leads labor relations efforts.

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In this episode of Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth, Gary Heldt interviews Chris Troka, founder of Focused-Biz, a marketing and automation agency helping small businesses access the same powerful tools and resources as large corporations.

Chris Troka shares his entrepreneurial journey from running an award-winning wedding DJ business to pivoting during COVID-19 to launch Focused-Biz, a marketing and automation agency. With a background in marketing and a passion for helping small businesses compete with larger corporations, Chris explains how he's leveraging AI and marketing automation to level the playing field for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs.

→ Marketing expertise is often what business owners lack most - they may excel at their craft but struggle with marketing and sales fundamentals.

→ When optimizing websites, focus on customer experience rather than keyword stuffing - reducing friction in the buyer's journey is essential.

→ AI tools can dramatically improve content creation, personalization, and customer service efficiency without requiring deep technical knowledge.

→ B2B (business-to-business) sales cycles typically take 8-15 months, while B2C (business-to-consumer) decisions happen within 3-4 weeks - requiring different marketing approaches.

→ Business owners don't need to understand everything about new technologies - partner with experts who can guide implementation while you focus on your core business.

"I see AI as another great tool. The more training that we put into it, the better it will be... With that shift and disruption in the labor market, that just becomes a new opportunity for people to learn a new skill."

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Could Your Business Benefit From Crowdfunding Beyond Kickstarter?

In this episode of "Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth," Gary Heldt interviews Paul Jossey, principal attorney at Jossey, PLLC, who specializes in investment crowdfunding. Unlike traditional crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe, Paul focuses on securities crowdfunding (Regulation CF), which allows businesses to raise capital by offering investors actual securities - whether equity, debt, or revenue share opportunities. This revolutionary funding avenue, which went live in 2016, enables businesses to turn their customers into investors and create a movement around their brand.

Key Takeaways

→ Securities crowdfunding differs from platforms like Kickstarter in that it offers investors actual securities (equity, debt, or revenue shares) regulated by the SEC, creating investor-customers who are financially invested in your success.

→ The crowdfunding campaign approach turns your company into a "movement" with loyal customers who become investors and ambassadors for your brand, compelling for B2C businesses.

→ Anyone can invest in crowdfunding opportunities (not just accredited investors), with statutory limits based on income protecting smaller investors while allowing broader participation.

→ A successful crowdfunding raise requires the business owner to be the primary salesperson, actively engaging their existing network first before expanding outward - the campaign won't succeed by simply posting online.

→ The timeline from preparation to launch typically takes 30-45 days (working with financial and legal professionals), with campaigns ideally running for no more than 3 months to maintain momentum.

Notable Quotes

"You turn your company into a movement. You get people that are not just a loan officer, but a bunch of people who want to see you do well." - Paul Jossey

"This is a campaign. It is not easy, and you can't just throw something on the internet and people will come. I don't care if you are the next Steve Jobs, it does not matter." - Paul Jossey

How to Reach Paul Jossey

Website: The Crowdfunding Lawyers

LinkedIn: Paul Jossey | LinkedIn

Free Consultation: Schedule a free 30-minute consultation through his website

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