INspired INsider Podcast

Deirdre Breakenridge is the CEO of Pure Performance Communications, a company that fuses strategic communications with innovative technology to impact business communications from consumer interest to brand loyalty and advocacy. Deirdre has been in PR and marketing for over 25 years, helping senior executives in mid-and-large organizations better communicate with their stakeholders.

Deirdre also does reputation management and social media relations. She's a LinkedIn Learning instructor and was an Adjunct Professor at NYU, and she has written many books including Answers for Modern Communicators, and her latest one book, Answers for Ethical Marketers.

As humans, we want empathy, understanding, kindness, ethics, good judgment, and love. When we add these elements to how we communicate and market our products and services to people, these can positively affect people and influence consumer behavior.

However, not many business leaders know how to add these attributes to their communication and marketing process. Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications, has created the FEEL First Test to help leaders ignite their engagement. It begs them to ask questions about facing their fears, communicating with empathy, using ethics and good judgment, their love for their mission.

But how exactly can the FEEL First approach help businesses improve their outreach and how effective is it?

On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Pure Performance Communications CEO, Deirdre Breakenridge, about the FEEL First Test and how people can transform the way they communicate and connect with others. Deirdre shares the data and inspiration behind the FEEL First Test, the work she did with Richard Bistrong, and her insights on what communication may look like in the future. Stay tuned.

Angela Lauria is the Founder of The Author Incubator, an $18 million business that provides guidance for aspiring authors on how to write and publish their books. The Author Incubator has succeeded in helping more than 1,000 authors write, publish, and promote their books.

Angela has published many books herself, including Make 'Em Beg to Work for You, The Incubated Author: 10 Steps to Start a Movement with Your Message, and more. She most recently published the second edition of The Difference: 10 Steps To Writing A Book That Matters, which details her transformational ideas on the 10 steps to writing a book that matters.

Writing a book can become an evergreen source of qualified leads, but many entrepreneurs do not leverage it for different reasons. Some fear they aren't good enough to write a book, others worry about who would care enough to buy their books, while some assume that they won't make enough book sales to make it a worthwhile process. But Angela Lauria says that you can clear all of that self-doubt and that you don't necessarily. So how then can you turn your book into an evergreen leads funnel?

Listen to this Inspired Insider Podcast episode with Dr. Jeremy Weisz as he features Angela Lauria of The Author Incubator to talk about how writing your own book can help market your business. Angela will also be discussing the things that are holding holds people back from writing a book, the four-step process that they do at The Author Incubator, the lead generation strategy of book publishing and marketing, and more.

This Top Giver Series episode features some of the best and biggest givers who are experts in customer service, business development, relationships, and direct marketing.

This episode includes recommendations and tips from amazing personalities such as Tony Grebmeier of ShipOffers, Brian Kurtz of Titans Marketing, Chris Dreyer of Rankings.io, Ian Garlic of StoryCrews, Joel Weldon of the Ultimate Speaking System, award-winning speaker and author, Joey Coleman, Mike Roderick of Small Pond Enterprises, Vinnie Fisher of Fully Accountable, Jeff Garnett of Clean Slate Laser Tattoo Removal Centers, Liran Hirschkorn of Incrementum Digital, and Justin Breen of BrEpic.

Tony Grebmeier is the CEO of ShipOffers, a product, fulfillment, cash flow, and strategic planning company. He is also the host of the Be Fulfilled Podcast: The Real Stories Behind Success where he digs deep behind the real stories behind the journey of entrepreneurs towards the top of Success Mountain.

Brian Kurtz is the Founder and CEO of Titans Marketing, a direct marketing consultancy that educates and trains copywriters and marketers on the best direct marketing principles. He is also the author of the book, Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing.

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and Founder of Rankings.io, where they help elite personal injury attorneys dominate first page rankings. He is also the host of the Rankings Podcast where he features top founders, entrepreneurs, and elite personal injury attorneys.

Ian Garlic is the Founder of StoryCrews, a company that helps businesses connect with top-rated videographers to help businesses market and expand their brand through powerful stories captured on video. He also runs and hosts his own podcast, the Garlic Marketing Show podcast, where he discusses the latest marketing techniques that actually work.

Joel Weldon is the creator of the Ultimate Speaking System, where he coaches successful people to be even more effective speakers and communicators. Through his system, entrepreneurs can learn how to use speaking to grow their business and position themselves as experts at live events, webinars, videos, and podcasts.

Joey Coleman has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. He is an award-winning speaker at both national and international conferences, and he is also the author of the #2 Wall Street Journal best seller, Never Lose a Customer Again.

Mike Roderick is the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises, where he works with clients to curate, extend, and leverage their existing networks. He is also a co-host on the Access to Anyone Podcast, a podcast that explores how you can get to know anyone you want to in business and in life using everything from the latest technology to the most time tested principles.

Vinnie Fisher is the CEO and Founder of Fully Accountable, a full service cutting edge accounting firm that is recognized in eCommerce and the online industry as leading experts in accounting, offering proactive, forward-thinking, done for you, financial expertise to our clients.

Jeff Garnett is a serial entrepreneur with 20 years experience in technology, finance, sales & advanced digital marketing strategies. He is a Professional Google Adwords consultant and campaign manager, and the Owner of Clean Slate Laser Tattoo Removal Centers, a regional chain of tattoo removal clinics in New York, New Jersey.

Liran Hirschkorn is the CEO of Incrementum Digital, a company that helps clients grow their sales on Amazon using the power of Amazon advertising and Amazon DSP.

Justin Breen runs BrEpic, a PR firm that works with visionaries and exceptional businesses in various industries worldwide. He is also the author of the best selling book Epic Business: 30 Secrets to Build Your Business Exponentially and Give You the Freedom to Live the Life You Want.

Whatever stage your business might be in, you will always need two things: customers and strategic partnerships. These are the relationships that you build and maintain along the way that will help you boost your company and bring it to the next level. What you can get out of these relationships are important, but what you bring to the table that gives value to these connections is just as critical, if not more so.

On this episode of Inspired Insider's Top Giver Series, get a sneak peek into some of the amazing insights that you can get from top business leaders who know that in order to receive, you have to know the value of giving as well. Tune in as guests Tony Grebmeier, Brian Kurtz, Chris Dreyer, Ian Garlic, Joey Weldon, Mike Roderick, Vinnie Fisher, Jeff Garnett, Liran Hirschkorn, and Justin Breen share some of their top book recommendations and essential tips on how to develop relationships and keep them.

John Doherty is the Founder and CEO of Credo, a company that he started in 2013 because he wanted to help businesses to avoid hiring bad marketing agencies. John is a veteran SEO and digital marketer and he ranked as one of the top 140 SEO experts that anyone should be following in an article by Search Engine Journal.

Through his company, Credo, top companies can meet the best pre-vetted digital marketing providers within a few days and they can trust that these agencies can help grow their businesses. They have helped over 4,500 businesses, including companies like the New York Times, Adobe, Lands' End, and many more.

Are your leads inflow drying out? Or are you attracting unqualified leads and then struggling to convert them? These scenarios are oftentimes the result of a friction in your sales process, whether it be in the failure to qualify leads upfront or failing to add leads into your CRM and not being able to follow up with them. This then leads to low client intake and an underperforming bottom line. So how can you remove this friction and turn things around for your company?

On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Credo Founder and CEO, John Doherty, about how to remove any existing friction in your sales process and why it's so important for your business. They also discuss how you can block leaks in your leads intake system, John's philosophy on follow-ups, the importance of qualifying leads upfront, negotiation tactics to avoid underpricing your services, and more. Stay tuned.

Ben Wiener is the Managing Partner of Jumpspeed, the first and only micro-VC fund dedicated to investing in early-stage startups that originate within the Jerusalem startup ecosystem. Jumpspeed addresses the mismatch of supply and demand for the early-stage capital in the Capital of the Startup Nation.

All entrepreneurs know just how important seed capital is especially for startups. But what many don't know is how to get an investor interested enough to invest in them and their idea. Many wonder what investors look for before they decide to invest in someone or something, and even more importantly, what solidifies their notion that their hunch about a potential investment is right. What is it about a founder and their idea that gives an investor goosebumps? This week's guest, Ben Wiener, Managing Partner of Jumpspeed, sheds some light on what investors look for that makes them say yes to an investment opportunity.

Tune in to this episode of Inspired Insider Podcast as Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Ben Wiener, Managing Partner at Jumpspeed, about what knocks investors off of their feet and makes them decide to invest in a person and their idea. Ben shares insights on what convinces an investor that the investment is a good deal, what the investor-founder relationship should look like, and why he is passionate about investing in startups in Jerusalem.

Dr. Hoby Wedler is the co-founder of Senspoint, which has a sister brand called Tucker Branding, and it is a full-spectrum design company with a distinct focus on telling stories to create truly memorable experiences using all five senses.

Dr. Wedler has been completely blind since birth. He is a scientist, a food and beverage expert, and a passionate explorer of anything sensory. Dr. Wedler earned his Ph.D. in Computational Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Davis.

He also founded Accessible Science, a nonprofit organization that held annual chemistry camps for blind or visually impaired students. Dr. Wedler began opening doors to the world of wine aromas by holding truly blind wine tastings in Francis Ford Coppola's wineries, and he's conducted these all over the globe.

Dr. Wedler was recognized by President Barack Obama in 2012 when he was named a Champion of Change.

We make a ton of excuses for not doing the best we can, but when you listen to Dr. Hoby Wedler's story, you will realize that there really should be no room for excuses. Not one. Dr. Wedler is the perfect example of someone who didn't accept or make excuses. He set the bar high for himself and defied anyone who tried to dictate what he could and couldn't do. So not only did he major in Chemistry even when people weren't very encouraging about it, but he actually went ahead and earned a Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry.

According to Dr. Wedler, the secret is to expect the world of yourself and to never let anyone pull you down or box you in. Dr. Wedler exemplifies this belief and approach to life, and he says that his motto is to always challenge yourself to do something that you either dread doing or think you can't do, and just take baby steps and you'll get there.

Tune in to this episode of Inspired Insider Podcast with Dr. Jeremy Weisz as he talks with Senspoint co-founder, Dr. Hoby Wedler, about his inspiring story and why he believes that making excuses can pull you back instead of pushing you up. Dr. Wedler also shares some of the remarkable things that Senspoint has worked on, what it was like for the attendees of his blind wine tasting in the Francis Ford Coppola wineries, and how his parents helped him understand the value of setting the bar high.

Mark Timm has been an entrepreneur for almost three decades and he has started more than a dozen companies and has had six exits. Mark has spoken professionally for more than 25 years, giving thousands of speeches to millions of people worldwide.

Mark's most important role is being the CEO of the most valuable business in the world—his family. His own experience of dealing with entrepreneurial challenges fueled his passion for helping people balance the demands of family life and business.

He co-authored the book Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond with Kevin Harrington, one of the original sharks of the hit TV Show, Shark Tank.

It's good to have mentors in our lives but finding one that's a perfect match wasn't always the easiest thing to do. But now, people have become more generous with their time, their knowledge, and their experiences, and this has allowed amazing relationships to flourish. And more than just having flourishing relationships, it has become a gateway to an increase in potential cash flow and more importantly, an increase in the number of people you can impact in life.

That's precisely how productive Mark Timm's relationship with his mentor, Kevin Harrington, has been since they met. It's been so good that they've gone into multi-million dollar businesses together, and have co-authored the USA Today best-seller, Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond.

Listen to this episode of the Inspired Insider podcast with Dr. Jeremy Weisz and learn about the value of family and mentorship from Mark Timm, co-author of Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond. On the show, Mark shares amazing stories and lessons from his mentors, how mentors can help you succeed in business, family, and relationships, and find out why he considers his family as his most valuable business. Stay tuned.

Zac Zeitlin is the Founder of New Ground Ventures, a venture capital investment platform established to fund and support breakthrough companies. They invest in companies from the early seed stage up to businesses with $10 million in sales.

New Ground Ventures have a particular focus on food, health and wellness, education, and technology. Some of the companies they have invested in include Pipedrive, Zevia, Kevita, and many others.

Before starting New Ground Ventures, Zac was a Partner at Silver Point Capital and worked as a Private Equity Investor at Goldman Sachs & Co.

Investing in early-stage startups is a risky venture. But Zac Zeitlin left his senior role at a large fund, took the risk to become an amateur angel investor, and founded New Ground Ventures. He has since made some big wins, a few big misses, and a portfolio of over 50 companies.

For Zac, investing in early-stage startups has been about doing what he is passionate about and investing in companies he believes in. So how does Zac go about investing in notable startups like Pipedrive, Zevia, Kevita?

Take a peek at Zac Zeitlin's playbook for investing in early-stage startups on this episode of Inspired Insider with Dr. Jeremy Weisz. Zac talks to Dr. Weisz about how he discovered some of the companies he's invested in, what his company, New Ground Ventures, look out for in a company before they decide to invest, why he considers the initial stages of founding a company to be the most challenging, and more. Stay tuned.

Ran Korber is Co-Founder and CEO at BreezoMeter, the leading air quality analytics company. It is one of Israel's top startups and has almost 100 million daily users from its customers, including Dyson, L'Oreal, Bosch, Unilever, and many more.

Good air quality is so critical to life but oftentimes, we take it for granted. Back in 2013 when Ran Korber and his wife were planning on buying a house, they decided that one of their main considerations was having it in an area with the best air quality. To their surprise, there was no reliable data and no accurate way to measure the air quality anywhere. Because of this realization and his desire to protect his family's health, Ran and his friends, Emil Fisher and Ziv Lautman, decided to create a product that will help address this problem.

They developed very sophisticated algorithms capable of forecasting and monitoring air pollution globally. The result of that project is BreezoMeter. They are now a leading air quality analytics company that offers services worldwide with accurate data and actionable recommendations.

On this episode of Inspired Insider as Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Ran Korber of BreezoMeter about how their brand helps people to protect their health. Ran also shares how he survived COVID-19, the personal story behind BreezoMeter, how he convinced a team of experts to work with their company, and why 2020 is his best and most challenging year yet. Stay tuned.

Lior Sion is Co-Founder and CTO of Bringg, a SaaS technology that improves their client's pickup and delivery speed, capacity, and customer experience at scale. They've helped brands like Walmart, Coca-Cola, Panera, KFC, and many more.

Lior was previously CTO of GetTaxi and Clarizen. He is a serial entrepreneur with years of experience and know-how in disrupting the delivery industry.

The journey of building a successful startup comes with challenges that founders have to push through. It was no different for Lior Sion when he and his co-founder started Bringg. And although it wasn't a walk in the park, Bringg is now able to help their clients make delivery efficiency a competitive advantage allowing them to grow their market share.

Tune in to this episode of Inspired Insider as Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Bringg Co-Founder and CTO, Lior Sion, about how his company helps businesses through their SaaS technology. Lior also talks about how they zeroed in on a product-market fit early in the game, how they were able to acquire contracts with big companies such as Coca-Cola, the companies they'll love to add to their client roster, and the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur.