There is only one place to fight a battle: on the front line. Kenny brings that mentality to his business and his approach to fitness.

Kenny went from the lowest rank in the army to the highest level. He got his start as a personal trainer in the military. He served as a trainer to help people meet the fitness standards of "fit to fight" in order to remain in the army. 

Not only did he become a premiere fitness trainer but he also became a bodybuilder in his 40's. Kenny shares the experience of the process of getting into shape as well as walking out on stage in front of hundreds of people at the competition.

"I actually did my first show before I retired from the army and that was boy, you want to talk about terrifying. I could jump out of airplanes and helicopters, but my first time walking out on stage and the Speedo, their photo, four or 500 people, that was terrifying." - Kenny

"Trust the process. If I had a dime for every time I said that to a client, I'd be rich already. You have to be diligent with those simple principles. It's not always rocket science. It's not always a big genius idea. It's not always doing something special. It's just doing the basics routinely and being consistent and diligent with that daily." - Kenny

Kenny describes his process for starting Frontline Fitness. He set up meetings with local gym owners and asked if he could shadow them, asked them questions that he submitted in writing beforehand, and found that they were very generous with their time and ultimately saved him thousands of dollars by providing valuable advice.

Kenny shared some early mistakes and what lessons he learned that are helping him make his business stronger. I really appreciate when people share these kinds of details, we all make mistakes and it's in those mistakes that we learn about ourselves and have the ability to learn from one another. 

Tips from Kenny for business owners and entrepreneurs:

1. Time management
   • You have to set your schedule
   • Guard it fiercely
2. Pick two or three things to do today and consider it your "hit list." And, make sure they are critical to your business.

We also have a conversation about eliminating or firing clients. How it seems so impractical when you are just starting out but can be a big contributing factor to your long-term success or ability to scale your business.

"People want to help you, and they can't help you unless you're honest and they know what you really need, and many won't help you unless you have the courage to ask for help." Joe

"Both failure and success are comas, and most of us think of them as periods." - Joe
 

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Snap Fitness
• Vibe Cary

Connect with Kenny Ragsdale and Frontline Fitness
Website | Facebook | Instagram

When considering a big career change Paul wrote a list of things he valued:

• He wanted to be present
• He wanted to be closer to home and family
• He wanted to be more involved in the community
• He wanted more face to face interaction
• He didn't want to commute as far

"When you're married, if you and your wife are on the same page with something, that's probably something you should really think about doing." - Paul

Paul is not.a stranger to running a business. He had a shaved ice truck that he grew into four trucks and used the selling of those trucks as starter money for his life before settling into a career. But when it stopped being fun and started feeling like churn he was looking for an opportunity to do something more in line with his values.

He has taken the philosophy of trying to make the person in front of him feel like the most important person at the time. Being present in the moment. 

Paul shares his weapons of choice for brick and mortar business owners:

• Develop healthy time management skills
• Have a plan when to switch from startup mode to maintenance mode
• Be consistent
• Work hard to have a balance
• Write down your work items so they are accounted for and you can be present when home
• Wake up early

Also mentioned in this episode

• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• Southern Peak Brewery in Apex
• Lisa Gaither the muralist 

In this episode, the guys get retrospective into the past year of podcasting. Talking about lessons learned, mistakes made, successes and their plans for the future.

What is your definition of success? What is your plan to get there? After interviewing and talking with hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs there is one constant. No one has the same answer. We have different goals and metrics for success that make simplifying or turning success into easy formulas to follow a wasted effort. You have to start with knowing yourself, what you envision as success and then chart your course based on your strengths, skills, and talents.

The guys talked about Victorinox and how they faced an identity crisis as a company after 9-11 and the airlines no longer allowed people to travel with their swiss army knives. They needed to reinvent their company. There was a quote from the guy who ran the company that "We cannot think in terms of quarters, we have to think in terms of generations."

"I think the feeling of wanting to be significant is simply a clever disguise on discontentment." - Joe Woolworth

Neale Bayly shares about his upcoming project called the "Laverda Project"

It's a project about fixing up an old Laverda bike and returning home to ride it where he grew up, spend time with friends and reconnect to his home. Rebuilding the bike is really phase one of the project. Phase two is doing a documentary about the process and then finally lead to a movie.

You can find out more and stay involved on the Neale Bayly Rides youtube channel

Also mentioned on this episode:

• Tecovas Fine Bootmakers 

In this hilarious and informative episode, we learn about the human behavioral science behind our body language and how to use it to establish trust and create genuine connections.

Terry teaches a class that ranges from  D.I.R.T. Dangerous Individual Recognition Training. How do you identify a threat as early as possible so that you can avoid it through to "how to be better in front of a camera", how to get up and present and be an authentic version of yourself.

Terry was on the show Top Shot for a number of years. He talked about his experience on the show.

Now Terry teaches a variety of topics with body language as a foundation. You can book him and find out more at TVempowers.com.

Terry reads the Guys Who Do Stuff and gives insights to our personalities through our body language when we first met.

We talk about bullying. How we are parenting these days versus what we were told by our parents about how to handle a bully.

Connect with Terry
For booking info on Terry Vaughan
Connect on social media: Linkedin | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |

Katie shares that though she left her job at IBM with her body her mind stayed another three years. She was describing a phenomenon common to many people of the transition from an employee to a business owner. She graciously shares some wisdom she learned on the way and what helped her break free from employee thinking.

Katie talks about some of the advantages of being a small business

• You learn more about business than traditional jobs because roles span more disciplines
• You have the speed of execution on your side

A common mistake to avoid is not knowing your numbers! 

The core skills that business owners need to succeed are curiosity and creative problem-solving.

Katie shares the genesis of the Launch Wake Country programs and the value they've added to our area. The Launch your city programs have four components. Training, mentoring, networking, and funding. The point of the Launch programs is to create a community of entrepreneurs that support each other and do business with each other.

Katie unpacks the role of community colleges (economic development) and how they are set up to serve their students and local businesses.

Also mentioned on this episode:

• Small Business Center Resource page for Wake Tech
• Launch Wake County

From the Triple T Suspension Website:

Triple T was found in 2015 by Kendall Williams, III. Kendall became enamored with anything requiring fuel at a very young age, with a particular fondness for motorcycles. His love for 2 wheeled machines eventually grew into a deep passion, leading him to seek out opportunities to educate himself on the mechanical skills necessary to maintain and improve vehicle performance. Thus, he sought out and solidified mentorships with seasoned mechanics, who helped expand his mechanical knowledge, while he worked on his and his friends’ motorcycles to sharpen his skills.

Kendall shares about how he started his company with no outside cash infusion but slowly and methodically grew his business over time. One of the keys to his success was patience.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman
• Triple T Suspensions Facebook Page

More on Divyah from her website:

I bring over 20 years of rich and varied experiences to my roles as a business positioning coach, influence mastery advisor and speaker.

My professional career includes positions as a university associate professor, scientist, biotechnology professional, and as a global business relationship and leadership coach. I merge my biopharmaceutical career with my extensive experience as a coach, author, consultant, and speaker. My passion for coaching and the sincere desire to make a positive impact on people led me to develop effective evidence-based leadership and partnership programs.

Due to my coaching and consulting work, I have become a veteran scientific and leadership presenter at biopharmaceutical and business conferences. I am blessed with the ability to connect with audiences across all industries and am very gratified with the reviews my appearances receive.

Among my professional recognitions are having Women of Distinction Magazine, a magazine division of the National Association of Distinguished Professionals, feature me in one of their issues. Worldwide Branding recognized me as VIP of the Year in 2013 for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in leadership coaching. NAPW acknowledged me as a VIP Woman of the Year in 2014 for outstanding leadership and commitment in coaching. Additionally, Continental Who’s Who named me as a Pinnacle Professional in the field of coaching and consulting in 2015.

As for the press, I have been covered by BBC.com, CBS News, Haeretz.com, IGN, Daily Mirror, Daily News NY, Reuters, Slate.com, The Independent, TooFab, and USA Today.

DAV University and the California State University of Fullerton awarded me my post-graduate certificate in biochemistry. The International Coach Academy (ICA) certified me as a coaching and learning leader. I am also certified as a Certified Professional Coach by ICA and Professional Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation.

As an 8-Time #1 International Bestselling author, I have authored a number of leadership and Entrepreneurial books. The topics include but are not limited to Stress Management, Mindfulness Mastery, Critical Thinking, Candid Critique, Appreciative Inquiry, Leadership and Influence, and Emotional Intelligence.

Discusses on this episode:

• Divya's latest book Expert To Influencer: How To Position Yourself For Meaningful Impact

 In this episode, we talk about what Jon Rufty has learned from 20+ years as a business owner and builder. How he got started and how he weathered the storms of the last couple of decades in the housing and construction market.

He has built some of the most expensive and beautiful homes in the Triangle and built a team of dedicated people that have made his company a staple in the Triangle.

Some of his secrets to success are:

• Hire people that are better than you.
• You have to put the company ahead of yourself because if the company is not successful you cannot protect your employees.
• Don't take on too much debt.

Jon shared his thoughts on what's exciting about living in the Triangle and what he believes some of our challenges in the future are going to be. 

Dr. Cindy shares about some lessons she's learned in her journey from Veterinary school to running her own Veterinary Hospital.

"They teach you how to be a vet, but not how to run a business." - Dr. Cindy

She said some of the important lessons for her were to have patience, have faith and the importance of celebrating the wins along the way.

Some ways to celebrate the wins are to plan awards tied to goals for your staff. Dr. Cindy took her team to the Tiger exhibit to celebrate their one year anniversary and sets smaller goals with rewards like gift cards or lunches.

Dr. Cindy shared that the suicide rate among Veterinarians is rising each year in part because of the stress of the job and the toll it takes to actually be the one to euthanize an animal patient that in some cases they have seen for years.

Serving your community and giving back is a great way to combat the stress of your job and the sense of community provides a sense of feeling good and almost therapeutic. 

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The youtube video of a shelter worker singing to the dogs
• Peak City Veterinarian Hospital
• Cause for Paws

The town of Cary is a 33% larger landmass than Paris France, Cary is 40 square miles with a population of 167,000+ people. The town has been growing steadily at around 2.5% per year and is seeing a lot of redevelopment and new development.

The mayor mentioned a branding campaign coming up and the question they asked the branding company was whether or not we should remain a town or a city.

In North Carolina, we are more like a Dillon's Rule state. Which means you can't do anything unless the legislature says you can.

Harold explained that the people of the town of Cary are like his CEO, and he learned early on to not disrespect his boss. He also mentioned the importance of listening in serving in government.

When working with an "us versus them" council he asked a trusted counsel for advice and was told "it's all about communication. If you want to work together as a group, you've got all respect for each other. Respect, of course, is earned is not given. And you have to earn that respect and the way you earn that respect as work with them every day."

Never disregard what anyone has to say. Try to listen with an open mind. You may surprise yourself. - Harold Weinbrecht

We discussed the new developments coming to Cary including the additional development around the Library, the Downtown Park, the redevelopment of Cary Towne Center and the largest development in Cary's history called Fenton.

Mayor Weinbrecht mentioned his blog where he laid out what could happen to the site of the old Library.