In The Trenches

In The Trenches

By Tom Morkes | business, marketing, writing, and publishingBusinessEntrepreneurshipMarketing
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In The Trenches episodes

  • ITT 043: How to Operate a Business from Another Country with Nick Gentle

    Nick Gentle is the co-founder of iFindProperty. Born in New Zealand, Nick lived and worked in Japan for 11 years before he began investing in rental properties. To get started investing, he used iFindProperty, a company that helps investors find and invest in real estate in New Zealand. After Nick became a professional investor, he and a friend built an investment company to help others do the same. Most suprisingly, Nick was able to build this company while still living in Japan. As fate would have it, a few years later they ended up merging with iFindProperty, and have built it to a leading investment company in New Zealand. What Nick Gentle and I talk about in today's broadcast:

    • How he started his investment company
  • The issues he faced working with a partner
  • Differences and hurdles of investing between New Zealand and the United States
  • The balance between the company as another job and being an investment
  • Struggles of running a New Zealand-based company while living in Japan

    • Where you can find Nick Gentle online:

    • ifindproperty.co.nz
  • @ifindproperty.co.nz

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    22 min
  • ITT 042: How to Build a Fundraising Franchise from Scratch with Matt Miller

    Matt Miller is a former Air Force pilot, advertising executive, and full-time serial entrepreneur. He is currently focusing on school fundraising. After 9 years in the Air Force, Matt decided to branch off to build his own business. He hasn't looked back since. Matt started in the vending industry when a friend from church talked about buying gumball machines to put in local businesses. After some reading and research, he decided to give the bulk candy industry a shot, and built a large route in the San Antonio area. After the recession in 2008, several kids knocked on his door selling items to raise money for a school project. That visit turned into an idea to use vending machines for school fundraising, and now Matt has nationwide distribution and is continuing to expand and grow his business. What Matt Miller and I talk about in today's broadcast:

    • The cost of production for the vending business (and why these margins work for fundraising)
  • How Matt developed his business model from scratch
  • How Matt is scaling his business into a franchise and the pros and cons of doing so
  • The time investment to train and bring in new distributors as a franchise founder
  • How Matt has started several other businesses after streamlining his vending business
  • How Matt can manage so many projects and business at one time (hint: it's not easy)
  • The role that Rich Dad, Poor Dad played in his life

    • Powerful quote from today's broadcast:

    “Live like no one else now, so that later you can live like no one else.” - Dave Ramsey

    You can find Matt Miller online:

    • SchoolSpiritVending.com
  • SchoolNewsGuru.com

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    32 min
  • ITT 041: How to Harness Your Story to Publish Books with Dr. Lee Warren

    Dr. Lee Warren is the author of No Place to Hide, a memoir recounting his experience as a military brain surgeon in a combat zone. Dr. Warren went to medical school on scholarship from the Air Force. Just after finishing school, he joined active duty in August 2001. He deployed immediately after. Later, in 2005, he was deployed again to Iraq, this time to the busiest theater hospital in the country. Because this was one of the most heavily attacked base, he saw a high volume of patients. After getting home from Iraq, Dr. Warren struggled reintegrating. He admits that for five years he battled with PTSD, until finally embracing writing as his outlet out of the darkness. What Dr. Lee Warren and I discuss in today's broadcast:

    • How writing created a path for Dr. Warren to deal with his struggles
  • How Dr. Warren was able to go from writing about his experiences for family, to self-publishing, to landing a lucrative traditional publishing deal
  • How much impact publishing through a traditional publisher had on the book and its reception
  • Whether new authors should self-publish or go the traditional publishing route (Dr. Warren has done both)
  • How Dr. Warren has been able to expand speaking and media engagements
  • The process Dr. Warren went through going from non-fiction to fiction

    • Where you can connect with Dr. Lee Warren:

    • www.wleewarrenmd.com/
  • @drleewarren

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    34 min
  • ITT 040: How to Collaborate with Anfernee Chansamooth

    Today’s guest is Anfernee Chansamooth, the founder of Confidentpreneur.com. Anfernee is also a philanthropist, executive coach, business consultant, and writer. He has trained over 1,000 business leaders across 14 countries to work better and more effectively together. He has become the National Partnerships and Content Manager at Hub Australia, a co-working space in downtown Sydney. What Anfernee Chansamooth and I talk about in today's broadcast:

    • How a headache which led to a hospital visit changed Anfernee's outlook and life
  • How he started Confidentpreneur.com from scratch
  • How Anfernee has leveraged the negative times in his life to help inspire others
  • How anyone can make money by connecting people
  • The future of work and collaboration
  • Why collaboration and interaction matters
  • How an introvert can benefit from co-working spaces

    • Killer Quotes:

    "If you're multi-talented, find a way to make your talents work together”

    You can find Anfernee Chansamooth online:

    • Confidentpreneur.com
  • HubAustrailia.com

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    1 hr 3 min
  • ITT 039: How to Pivot a Business with Chris Mance

    Chris Mance is a software engineer and the founder of Nichevertising, software that gives authors, podcasters, and thought leader businesses the power to engage with influencers and build their following. What Chris Mance and I talked about in this broadcast:

    • How Chris went from the corporate world to launch his business
  • How Chris built Nichevertising into what it is today, pivoting multiple times along the way
  • Nichevertisings pricing model and how Chris moves customers along the sales funnel (from free to paid)
  • How Chris developed a system to maximize the effect of twitter for businesses
  • Where Chris sees the future of Nichevertising and how he plans to grow from here

    • Where you can contact Chris:

    • Chris Mance on LinkedIn
  • nichevertising.com
  • Nichevertising on Twitter

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    28 min
  • ITT 038: How to Build a Platform with Darren Stehle

    Darren Stehle is the founder of EatMoveBe.com, a website devoted to living a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating. He lives in Toronto, Canada, and has spent his entire adult life cooking healthy meals. He could have been a successful chef, but the stressful lifestyle wasn't worth it to him. So he started his own business and grew his own platform from scratch on his own term. What Darren Stehle and I talk about in today's broadcast:

    • How Darren positioned himself and his business in the food/health industry
  • Why Darren moved from a static to a dynamic website
  • How Darren approached his niche to multiply his efforts
  • Darren’s process of reaching people with his message
  • The greatest struggle Darren had building his platform from scratch

    • Where you can find Darren Stehle online:

    • eatmovebe.com
  • @darrenstehle

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    29 min
  • ITT 037: How to Dream Big and Take Action with Simon Granner

    Today's guest is Simon Granner, the President of Clarity Financial, a life insurance company, and the founder and host of The Simon Granner Podcast, a business and self-development podcast for entrepreneurs (or anyone hustling to do great work).  What we talk about in today's episode:

    • How Simon got his start in entrepreneurship
  • Why Simon started podcasting (we definitely share this in common)
  • How Simon has evolved his podcast into something much bigger
  • What it takes to create a "Minimal Viable Strategy" for any type of business or creative project (skip this and you're toast)
  • How a podcast can be a VERY powerful marketing tool for your sales funnel
  • And much, much more...

    • Where you can connect with Simon Granner:

    • SimonGranner.com
  • @SimonGranner

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    30 min
  • ITT 036: How to Build an Export Business with Rachel Glueck

    Today's guest is Rachel Glueck, founded of El Amor Del Diablo, a Mexico-based mezcal company. Originally from the United States, Rachel met her now-husband and business partner in Mexico in 2012. Rachel originally began experimenting with importing textiles to Baja, California,  that they wanted to sell in the market in Baja California. That's when she was invited to help sell mezcal. After seeing how well it sold, they decided to do start their company. What you'll learn in today's broadcast:

    • Having never worked in an import / export business, Rachel shares her experience getting started
  • How Rachel approached their import business from a sales perspective
  • How Rachel found investors and handled the importation of mezcal into the United States (hint: it's not a very simple process)
  • The biggest struggles Rachel has dealt with thus far in her startup journey
  • How Rachel grew their following locally, organically and via a crowdfunding campaign.

    • Where you can find Rachel and El Amor Del Diablo online:

    • amordeldiablomezcal.com/
  • @AmordelDiablo

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    28 min
  • ITT 035: How to Grow Your Business with Doug Geiger

    Doug Geiger is the founder of CanYouHandlebar.com and senior project manager at Saddleback Leather Co. In today's interview, we not only talk about both of these companies, but we also look specifically at how Doug has leveraged giveaways to grow his business rapidly. Just a few of the topics we cover:

    • Doug's background as senior project manager at Saddleback Leather Co.
  • How Doug uses true stories to grow his brands
  • The fastest ways to market a company (as well as the LEAST effective ways, and what to avoid)
  • How Doug launched CanYouHandlebar.com from scratch
  • The thought process behind niche products like mustache creams and leather satchels
  • The long road to retail

    • And much, much more... Where you can find Doug Geiger online:

    • CanYouHandlebar.com
  • @CanYouHandleBar

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    48 min
  • ITT 034: How to Network Like a Boss with Rachel Gilliam

    Rachel Gilliam is the founder of PunchPresence.com and the marketing director for Launch DFW, a company that supports tech entrepreneurship throughout northern Texas. I brought Rachel on the show specifically because of her uncanny ability to connect with people and lead communities (a skillset that is undervalued, in my opinion). Here are just a few of the topics we touch on in today's interview:

    • How Rachel got her start in marketing and how she started her own business from scratch
  • How Rachel and other entrepreneurs handle the loneliness of solopreneurship
  • The most effective ways to network no matter what business you're in
  • Rachel's incredible ability to connect with people (even though she's a self-admitted introvert)
  • What Launch DFW is and where it's going

    • Where you can find Rachel Gilliam online:

    • PunchPresence.com
  • LaunchDFW.com
  • @racheltgilliam

    • If you enjoyed today's podcast, please leave a review on iTunes here. Thanks so much in advance for your support.

    32 min

About In The Trenches

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In The Trenches with Tom Morkes provides behind-the-scenes look into the life and work of entrepreneurs, writers, artists, warriors, and leaders.