Influencer Blueprint Show

Anthony serves as Vice President of Banking Business Development at Benetrends Financial and has more than a decade of experience in franchise financing and SBA lending. As a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and active member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), he has built a strong reputation for helping franchisees and franchisors secure the capital they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses.

Throughout his career, Anthony has partnered with franchise professionals across a wide range of industries, combining deep expertise in SBA lending, business development, and strategic partnerships to deliver meaningful results. He is also a frequent speaker at franchise and lending conferences, where he shares practical insights on funding strategies, franchise growth, and access to capital.

Anthony's experience in franchise finance, SBA lending, relationship-building, and business growth would make for an insightful conversation and provide tremendous value to your audience of entrepreneurs, lenders, brokers, and business owners.

During the show we discuss:

• Why how you finance a business purchase can make or break your success
• How to structure an acquisition deal properly from the start
• The different funding options available (SBA, ROBS, etc.) and how they work together
• How to evaluate and choose the right financing strategy for your situation
• Common mistakes people make when buying a business and how to avoid costly deal errors
• How to approach franchise vs. independent business acquisitions strategically
• Why understanding all your options upfront helps you make smarter, lower-risk decisions
• How to position yourself for a successful purchase and long-term growth

You can learn more about Anthony here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-byrd-cfe-5824075/

Today we're talking about what business owners can learn by seeing their company through three different perspectives—the operator, the investor, and the lender. We'll explore why growth can create as many challenges as opportunities, and how understanding the lender's mindset can ultimately make us stronger business owners.

Our guest today has had the rare opportunity to sit in all three seats. As an entrepreneur, investor, and one of the country's leading SBA lenders, Nimi Natan understands that building a successful business takes more than revenue—it requires strong relationships, disciplined cash flow, and earning the confidence of those willing to invest in, lend to, and support your vision.

That perspective has helped him scale Gulf Coast Small Business Lending by focusing not just on transactions, but on the people behind the businesses they serve.

During the show we discuss:

• How SBA loans actually work and why they're one of the best funding options available
• The real requirements lenders look for when approving SBA deals
• Why many applicants get declined and how to avoid common mistakes
• How to structure your business and financials to qualify for larger funding amounts
• The differences between SBA loans and alternative financing options (and when to use each)
• How to leverage SBA financing to scale or acquire a business
• What lenders mean by "strong borrower profile" and how to position yourself as low risk
• How to navigate the SBA process faster and increase approval odds

Resources: https://gulfcoastsba.com/

Shane Pierson is a seasoned banking professional at Leader Bank, where he specializes in helping businesses and individuals access tailored financial solutions to support growth and long-term success. With a strong background in commercial banking and lending, Shane works closely with clients to structure financing strategies that align with their goals, whether it's expanding operations, investing in real estate, or improving cash flow.

Known for his relationship-driven approach, Shane focuses on understanding each client's unique financial position and delivering customized solutions that go beyond traditional banking. His expertise spans commercial lending, credit analysis, and strategic financial planning, making him a trusted advisor to business owners and entrepreneurs.

Shane is passionate about helping clients navigate complex financial decisions while building sustainable, scalable success.

During the show we discuss:

• Why lenders evaluate your business completely differently than you do
• How emotion can actually hurt your chances of getting approved
• What SBA lenders are really looking for when reviewing applications
• How to tell your business story in a way that builds lender confidence
• Why small operational changes can dramatically improve fundability
• How to prepare your business before applying for financing
• What most entrepreneurs misunderstand about the lending process
• How to bridge the gap between passion and bankable performance

Resources: https://www.leaderbank.com/

clients navigate complex financial decisions while building sustainable, scalable success.

Resources: https://www.leaderbank.com/

David Gens is an award-winning entrepreneur, fintech leader, and Founder & CEO of Merchant Growth, one of Canada's leading online small business finance companies. From humble beginnings in his apartment, David built the company into a national organization with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, helping thousands of Canadian small businesses access the capital they need to grow and succeed.

With deep expertise in alternative lending, financial technology, and scaling businesses, David is driven by a mission to make funding more accessible through innovative digital solutions. In addition to leading Merchant Growth, he is the founder of BankFlow AI, where he is pioneering AI-powered technology designed to transform the financial services industry.

A recognized voice in entrepreneurship and fintech, David frequently shares insights on business growth, digital lending, and the evolving landscape of small business finance. His practical experience and forward-thinking perspective make him a compelling and valuable guest for entrepreneurs, business owners, lenders, and finance professionals alike.

During the show we discuss:

• Why getting funding in Canada has been historically difficult—and what's changing
• How alternative lending provides faster, more flexible funding options
• What lenders actually look for when approving small business funding
• How to position your business to qualify for funding more easily
• The role of FinTech in simplifying and speeding up approvals
• How revenue-based funding and modern lending models work
• What separates businesses that get approved vs. denied
• How to leverage funding to actually grow your business (not just survive)

Resources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmvgens?originalSubdomain=ca Merchant Growth: https://merchantgrowth.com/ BankFlow AI: https://bankflow.ai/

Jeffrey Shaw is a globally recognized expert on selling to the affluent and a sought-after speaker who transforms how luxury businesses attract and retain a high-end clientele. With over four decades of experience working with the world's wealthiest individuals, he has mastered the art of understanding the luxury buyer mindset and elevating business strategies to extraordinary success.

As a preeminent portrait photographer, Jeffrey's work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS News, in People and O Magazine, and hang at Harvard University. His deep understanding of affluent clients' complex behaviors and unspoken needs informs his expertise in luxury sales and marketing.

Jeffrey is the author of Sell to the Rich, LINGO, and The Self-Employed Life and speaks at premier industry events such as ASID, NKBA, the Luxury Home Design Summit, and many more. His TEDx talk is featured on TED.com, and he is the creator of National Self-Employed Day, recognized on May 4th in the U.S.

During the show we discuss:

• Why attracting the wrong clients can silently destroy your business
• How to identify and target your ideal client for better profitability and ease
• Why alignment between your business and lifestyle is critical for long-term success
• How to simplify your business to increase efficiency and results
• The hidden costs of saying yes to everything (and everyone)
• How clarity in positioning leads to stronger marketing and conversions
• Why working harder isn't the answer—and what to do instead
• How to build a business that supports your life, not controls it

Resources: jeffreyshaw.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyshawauthor/

Damiano didn't start with connections or capital. At 24, he had $400 left, printed his LinkedIn profile 100 times, and spent 10 hours walking door-to-door to land his first client—a small power tool store that he helped grow into a nine-figure business within two years.

That early momentum led to building and scaling an agency to over $8 million a year with a 75-person team. But behind the growth was a different reality: broken systems, pressure from investors, inconsistent sales, and a business that couldn't function without him.

Then came the harder lessons—being defrauded by a client, losing team members and accounts to a trusted partner, and realizing that scaling hadn't created freedom; it had created dependence.

After exiting, he stepped into enterprise sales, advising teams like Shopify Plus. He then built and scaled another agency to over $2 million per month and later structured it alongside private equity partners with a clear path to exit.

But what changed most wasn't the scale—it was the perspective.

Today, Damiano brings a different kind of conversation to podcasts. He doesn't talk about how to grow faster; he talks about what breaks as you grow, why most agencies become harder to leave, and how to build something that actually works without you.

During the show we discuss:

• Why more revenue doesn't equal a healthier business
• How growth exposes hidden weaknesses in your operations
• Why founder-dependency is one of the biggest scaling bottlenecks
• How to build systems that allow your business to run without you
• The difference between scaling revenue vs scaling sustainably
• How to transition from hustle mode to structured growth
• Why early-stage struggles (like door knocking) build real scalability skills
• How to create a business that delivers freedom instead of burnout

Resources: https://www.theagency.business/

Cheryl Tibbs is a business growth strategist who bridges capital, technology, and automation to help entrepreneurs and small business owners scale. She combines business funding solutions with AI implementation, workflow automation, and strategic financial guidance to build efficient, resilient operations. With deep experience in financing, Cheryl helps companies secure working capital, loans, and equipment funding while streamlining processes through no-code and low-code systems. Her approach aligns access to capital with technology-driven efficiencies that boost productivity, profitability, and long-term growth. Cheryl is passionate about removing barriers—from limited funding to inefficient workflows and complex tech adoption—by designing smarter systems and sustainable strategies. Known for practical, results-driven insights, she speaks on funding, AI, automation, operations, and the future of tech-enabled growth. Her clients include founders, brokers, and vendors across diverse industries worldwide today.

During the show we discuss:

• Why access to capital alone won't scale your business (and what actually will)
• How growth exposes operational inefficiencies—and how to fix them early
• Why combining AI + finance is a massive competitive advantage right now
• How to build systems that scale instead of creating chaos as you grow
• The biggest disconnect between finance experts and AI experts—and how to bridge it
• How to use automation to improve efficiency, profitability, and decision-making
• What sustainable growth really looks like (beyond just revenue increases)
• How to structure your business so funding actually accelerates growth instead of amplifying problems

Resources: https://thecheryltibbs.com/ https://www.thefractionalcao.com/

Teri Ijeoma is a globally recognized financial educator, stock trading expert, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping individuals achieve financial freedom through strategic investing. A former educator and assistant principal, Teri transitioned from the classroom to full-time trading after discovering the power of the stock market as a tool for income generation and lifestyle design.

She is the founder of Trade and Travel, a highly successful online education platform that has taught tens of thousands of students worldwide how to generate income through trading. Known for simplifying complex financial concepts, Teri has built a reputation for making trading accessible to beginners while delivering real, actionable results.

A graduate of MIT with a background in education and leadership, Teri has been featured in major outlets such as Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and Black Enterprise. Today, she continues to empower aspiring investors to take control of their finances, build multiple income streams, and design a life on their own terms.

During the show we discuss:

• How options trading works at a high level and why it's attractive for income generation
• Why risk management is the most important skill in trading
• How Teri transitioned from a traditional career to full-time trading income
• Why trading is a learnable skill—not just luck or gambling
• How to develop a repeatable trading strategy instead of guessing
• The importance of discipline, consistency, and emotional control
• How trading can create time freedom and location independence
• Why education and mentorship can shortcut the learning curve

Resources Official Website: https://teriijeoma.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teriijeoma

Adam Stettner is a seasoned financial services entrepreneur and founder of FundCanna, a leading capital provider to the cannabis industry. After building Reliant Funding into one of the largest small business financing companies in the U.S., he identified a major gap in cannabis lending and launched FundCanna in 2021.

Under his leadership, the company has underwritten over 6,000 clients and approved more than $500 million in funding, becoming the largest non-bank, non-real estate funding source in the sector. Across his career, Stettner and his team have delivered over $6 billion to more than 200,000 businesses and reviewed over one million small business financial profiles. He has raised $300 million in equity and debt, demonstrating deep capital markets expertise. Stettner has earned recognition from Inc. 5000 and was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in San Diego.

During the show we discuss:

• Why the cannabis industry is fundable despite common misconceptions
• How to access capital in highly regulated and underserved industries
• Why traditional lenders avoid cannabis and what alternatives exist
• How to evaluate risk and underwriting in non-traditional industries
• How to build and scale a lending company in a niche market
• Why revenue-based financing is a strong fit for cannabis businesses
• How regulatory challenges impact funding and how to navigate them
• How to identify underserved markets and turn them into massive opportunities

Resources: https://thecannabisindustry.org/board-members/adam-stettner/ http://www.FundCanna.com

For over 30 years, Stephen Woessner has worked in the trenches of agency new business strategy, working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business.

Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partners, Erik Jensen and Hannah Roth. Stephen hosts the "Onward Nation" and "Sell with Authority" podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, "Sell With Authority."

During the show we discuss:

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• Why authority beats chasing leads
• How to turn trust into a system (not luck)
• Why niching down is the fastest path to growth
• How to build a steady pipeline of right-fit clients
• Why most marketing fails (and how to fix it)
• How to position yourself as the go-to expert in your market
• How to scale trust without burning out
• How to convert expertise into predictable revenue

Resources: https://predictiveroi.com/