Inter:views | Cracking The Entrepreneur Bottleneck

This is the final episode of Inter:views, Cracking The Entrepreneur Bottleneck.

I reflect on over four years of podcasting and nearly 170 interviews with entrepreneurs worldwide. 

While the podcast served its purpose, it's time to transition fully into coaching entrepreneurs. All episodes remain available until the end of 2024, then exclusively on YouTube. 

In this final episode, I share memorable moments and guests, highlighting valuable insights gained. 

Moving forward, I'll focus on coaching and providing resources to empower entrepreneurs to thrive. 

Strategic Resources for Entrepreneurs:

The Bottleneck Index: your first step towards uncovering and addressing your bottlenecks. : 

eBook: "THRIVE": your go-to guide for overcoming bottlenecks and driving your business forward: 

B-weekly newsletter, The Bottleneck Digest

Follow me: 

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@laurentnotin

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentnotin/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/laurentnotin/

John Cronin, now 27 years old, was diagnosed with Down syndrome. That never stopped him from becoming his best version. Together with his father as a business partner, he has defied all odds to become a tycoon in the socks business, impacting millions of people worldwide with their story of resilience, hope, and the power of vulnerability. They host workshops, seminars, and talks to educate people about Down syndrome and how anyone diagnosed with it can reclaim their life.  

Their business is not just about socks. It is an avenue to spread their message of hope and inspiration. Built on five principles, the business aims to showcase the capabilities of people with different abilities. Yet, like any other business, bottlenecks are inevitable. The struggle with perfectionism was one of the main bottlenecks they faced when they started. 

John’s Crazy Socks has a mission of spreading happiness through unique socks. They show the world that disability is not inability, pairing a retail mission with a social one. Donating 5% of earnings to the Special Olympics, they expand their charity partners, creating socks with awareness themes like Autism and Down Syndrome. With fast, personal service and hand-written thank you notes from John, they aim to bring joy through every package, proving what people with differing abilities can achieve. 

Tune in. 

Key Highlights from The Show 

[02:54] John and Mark Cronin’s story behind their Crazy Socks business 

[05:13] The pillars of their business 

[09:35] Why they chose a socks business and not any other 

[15:08] Candies in the socks boxes to win more loyal customers 

[16:13] The experience of a father-son partnership in business 

[18:57] The struggles of perfectionism and other bottlenecks in the business 

[26:54] Parts of the business that John likes the most  

[29:11] The power of living for a cause and purpose 

[33:34] Parting words of wisdom and best ways to reach out and connect 

[34:38] Wrap up and calls to action  

Notable Quotes 

·        Never wait for perfection and the perfect time to do something. Get up and go!  

·        Being physically challenged does not mean being mentally challenged. 

·        Sometimes, you never know how much what you start will grow. The only way is by doing it and pivoting whenever necessary. 

·        When delegating roles in a business, don’t start immediately thinking about how you will get something done. Instead, think about who will get it done, and then let them do it. 

·        It is so good to wake up in the morning and have something to do that matters.  

·        Consider hiring people with different abilities and understand that doing so is good for business. 

Connect With John and Mark Cronin 

Website: https://johnscrazysocks.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnscrazysocks/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChQzvQju2SQiW9rIf5JNsVQ 

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@johnscrazysocks 

  -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Scaling up a start-up is a delicate balance of Skills and Sacrifice, embodying the essential qualities required to navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Beyond a visionary idea, founders must possess the skill set and be ready to make the sacrifices necessary with consistency to achieve their vision.  

They must also be able to recognize their limitations and empower others to contribute to their business success. This requires an Entrepreneurial Mindset—a blend of optimism, creativity, and resourcefulness—that fuels founders' drive to overcome obstacles and find opportunities that can propel them toward sustainable success.  

In this episode, we discuss the critical components necessary for entrepreneurs to transition from startup to scalable success with a special guest, Feras Alhlou. Feras has built and sold companies in Silicon Valley and abroad. He helps startup founders make good, informed decisions about entrepreneurship to avoid the pitfalls that derail many new ventures or hinder their growth.  

Feras has served as a mentor, providing guidance backed by extensive experience in business strategy, consulting, marketing, and analytics. 

Tune in. 

Key Highlights from The Show 

[02:42] One key lesson from Feras for start-up entrepreneurs 

[03:20] Why passion is optional for start-up founders' success  

[05:08] Three must-have skills for startup founders  

[08:21] How to overcome the obstacles of delegating to grow 

[10:31] Practical tips for delegation and the right time to delegate 

[13:14] The essentials for entrepreneurship success  

[15:18] The principles of working with advisors   

[17:20] The keys to accelerating your business growth: people, processes, and mindset  

[21:40] How to create a financial runway and when to reach out to investors 

[25:40] Sacrifices that you should be ready to make as a founder  

[28:41] Building consistency over motivation

[30:24] What Feras has learned about himself as an entrepreneur 

[33:42] Feras’s advice to entrepreneurs trying to get off the ground or scale 

[35:03] Wrap up and calls to action  

Notable Quotes 

·        Passion is optional, but skills and sacrifice are not.  

·        If you are doing the same things, you are not growing; you‘ve to find ways to automate and delegate to focus on new and bigger things. 

·        Learning from people who have been successful in what you are trying to accomplish will save you a lot of mistakes and headaches. 

·        What got you to ten people and a million dollars in revenue will not get you to 20 or 30 and 2 or 3 million dollars in revenue. 

·        The mindset of dealing with the unknowns and ambiguity is a muscle you have to grow as a founder ready to scale.  

·        Always put a financial plan in place and expect the revenue to be delayed and more expenses than you planned for. 

Connect With Feras Alhlou 

Website: www.StartUpWithFeras.com/daily-advisor

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@StartUpWithFeras

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/FerasAlhlou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartUpFeras

Instagram: instagram.com/StartUpFeras

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ferasa

 -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Have you ever considered hiring a coach for your business, particularly focusing on overcoming bottlenecks? Since Renan Devillieres started working with Laurent, he has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in his business.  

Though surprised by how smoothly the process has been, he acknowledges the importance of having someone for accountability and guidance, which is why Laurent's services are invaluable. 

Before meeting Laurent, Renan felt a gap between where his business was and where he wanted it to be. Perhaps you have experienced this, too. You might have tried various strategies to improve your business without much success. What could be the issue? Could you be struggling with delegation and letting go of certain responsibilities?  

Renan is a seasoned entrepreneur who is the co-founder and CEO of OSS Ventures, a pioneering French firm dedicated to fostering start-ups tailored to manufacturers. With a background as an economist at the OECD and as a co-founder of a successful start-up in Brazil, Renan established OSS Ventures with a vision to facilitate the digital transformation of manufacturing facilities, enabling them to thrive in the modern landscape. In this episode, we dive into his inspiring transformation journey through coaching to scale his business. 

Tune in. 

Key Highlights from The Show 

[02:09] Episode intro 

[02:54] Renan’s mindset and bottlenecks level before working with Laurent 

[04:26] Business and personal impact of a business that was not at par with its vision 

[06:24] Aspects that have changed since he started working with Laurent   

[08:19] Why coaching is inevitable for your business success 

[10:30] The value of dedicating time to coaching 

[12:50] How far the business is from the original vision 

[15:40] Where did the business dream come from? 

[20:50] The motivation for Renan to become an entrepreneur 

[23:43] The diverse business experiences he had before founding OSS Ventures 

[27:47] How entrepreneurship has been transformative in his life 

[30:25] Renan’s one practical recommendation to entrepreneurs from all his experience 

[31:36] How to reach out and connect with Renan  

[31:58] Wrap up and calls to action  

Notable Quotes 

·        You must practice and change your roles as the company grows and get the leaders to take responsibility and make more decisions. 

·        The biggest risk entrepreneurs face is themselves; being a bottleneck is about self-limitation. 

·        A business that is not at par with the vision of where it should be will always impact the entrepreneur’s mindset and personal life.  

·        In entrepreneurship, always embrace doing it faster and with more intensity. The more you procrastinate on making decisions, the harder it gets to go past the analysis paralysis. 

Connect With Renan Devillieres 

Website: https://www.oss.ventures/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renan-devillieres/ 

 -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Embracing resilience and overcoming self-limitations requires a combination of mindset shift, determination, and strategic action. It is all about acknowledging and understanding the self-limiting beliefs that contribute to self-imposed barriers, reframing them, and cultivating a mindset that can support resilience and growth.   

As an entrepreneur, the journey involves consistently pushing the boundaries of comfort and consistently challenging and expanding your potential to overcome limiting beliefs, unlock opportunities, and pave the way for personal and professional success. Additionally, being part of a community, letting go, and following your dream to serve your purpose can help keep the momentum going and navigate this journey with determination, fulfillment, and success. 

In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Patricia Boral, the visionary entrepreneur behind Boral Branders.  We explore her mindset shift, overcoming self-limitations, the power of letting go, and the pivotal role of delegation in scaling her business.  

Despite facing challenges stemming from her background and accent, she has risen above them, leveraging her unique perspective and experiences to fuel her entrepreneurial journey. Patricia's ability to connect with clients on a personal level, coupled with her strategic insights, has earned her the trust and loyalty of a diverse clientele.  

With a forward-looking approach and a commitment to innovation, Patricia continues to lead Boral Branders toward new heights. Her story is a testament to the power of honoring dreams, inspiring others, and staying committed to growth and innovation.  

Tune in.  

Key Highlights from The Show 

[01:04] Episode intro 

[02:55] How Patricia's personal life inspired her entrepreneurial journey  

[05:47] Patricia’s delegation limitations and how she overcame them 

[08:06] Mindset shift: Overcoming self-limitations and Patricia's triumph  

[12:28] Putting yourself out there to practice and get better  

[13:12] How to find the right model and scale your business 

[15:05] Patricia’s Perspective on AI versus Human Intelligence 

[18:10] Letting go and Paticia’s story of entrepreneurial resilience in 2018 

[21:44] What Patricia has learned about herself as an entrepreneur  

[24:08] How coming from Bolivia ignited her entrepreneurial spirit 

[27:10] Patricia's dream for her business and how she plans to achieve it  

[29:56] Patricia’s one recommendation to entrepreneurs 

[30:21] The dream that Patricia followed to serve her purpose 

[34:02] How to reach out and connect with Patricia  

[34:24] Wrap up and calls to action 

Notable Quotes 

·        How our mindset is working is how our business is going to be working. 

·        The biggest risk entrepreneurs face is themselves; being a bottleneck is about self-limitation. 

·        Delegation and letting go start in our heads, and it’s not just about trust but also about hiring the right people and being realistic.  

·        If you stop growing, you start dying. 

·        Honor your dreams, follow them, and do them in a way that inspires others, not just for monetary gain. 

Connect With Patricia Boral 

Website: https://www.boralagency.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciaboral/ 

-----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Integrating positive impact into your business strategy is a fundamental shift in mindset and operations that can drive long-term success and societal benefit. It is about identifying areas where your business can make a meaningful difference and aligning your business mission and values with causes that resonate authentically with employees, customers, and the community. By weaving positive impact into the fabric of your business strategy, you not only contribute to a better world but also enhance brand reputation, customer loyalty, and, ultimately, your bottom line.  

In this episode, Simon Schillebeeck shares his entrepreneurship journey, how to make a positive impact, contribute to sustainability, and strategies to help you grow your potential and increase your revenue base.  

Simon is an academic entrepreneur and the founder and chief strategy officer of Handprint with a genuine commitment to effecting positive change and revolutionizing business frameworks for a regenerative economy. Under Simon's visionary leadership, Handprint serves as a pioneering platform that bridges corporations with causes. It automates, integrates, reports, and visualizes the constructive actions corporations undertake, aligning with their values. Rather than merely minimizing harm, Handprint is dedicated to fostering ecosystem regeneration and community revitalization. 

Tune in.  

Key Highlights from The Show 

[02:48] Episode intro and a bit about our guest, Simon Schillebeeck 

[03:17] How Simon got into the entrepreneurial world  

[06:10] How to overcome the challenges that come with the business hat  

[08:02] Balancing academic integrity with entrepreneurial pursuit  

[09:54] Simon’s bottlenecks as a startup founder  

[11:41] How to shorten the sales cycles and move to revenue-making  

[15:22] Maintaining strategic stability while staying flexible for Unbounce shifts  

[17:42] Being overly optimistic and Simon’s experience as a startup looking to scale  

[21:55] How to strategically allocate resources and pursue opportunities as a startup  

[23:08] The impact that Simon craves to make as an entrepreneur  

[26:00] Simple things companies can do to be more sustainable  

[34:57] Simon’s recommendation to aspiring entrepreneurs  

[36:45] Best ways to reach out and connect with Simon  

[37:38] Wrap up and calls to action 

Notable Quotes 

·        Working with a startup is always a risk, and companies need to be willing to take risks because they believe in the potential of it. 

·        The most important thing companies can do to be more sustainable is decarbonize and optimize their processes. 

·        There are a lot of positive businesses that can come out of using impact to change your relationships. 

·        You need a passion for your business; running a business from 0 to 1 and from 1 to 100 is hard.  

·        You are not an expert in everything, and the faster you let go of what you are not good at, the better you will perform.  

Connect With Simon Schillebeeck 

Website: https://handprint.tech/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonschillebeeckx/?originalSubdomain=sg 

-----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Have you ever faced difficulties scaling your business, even with adequate funding and a strong foundation? If so, you might be experiencing a bottleneck. Reaching the next level often requires significant shifts like mindset changes, new working strategies, or adopting different frameworks.  

It could also involve taking on a new leadership role or seeking specific training or coaching. All these factors, combined with the challenge of integrating them, can lead to stagnation and become a bottleneck for your business growth. In this episode, we are joined by Riggs Eckelberry, an entrepreneur who successfully navigated and overcame such a bottleneck in his own journey. 

Riggs Eckelberry, CEO and Chairman of the Board of OriginClear is a seasoned disruptor in the tech industry who transitioned into the "green" space by co-founding OriginClear's predecessor in 2008 and taking it public.  

Leveraging his background in commercializing breakthrough technologies, including notable successes during the dotcom era, he spearheaded OriginClear's mission to address growing water supply issues by providing compact on-site systems and revolutionary offerings for   With experience in management, sailing, and skiing, Eckelberry is dedicated to enabling the water industry to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. 

Tune in.  

Key Highlights from The Show 

[03:29] Episode intro and why scaling up is Riggs Eckelberry’s current bottleneck 

[05:37] Great expectations of a CEO 

[06:49] Things you can do to put your company in a position that is easy to scale 

[09:21] The 2018 realization of growing with a team 

[14:37] The most difficult parts of growing the business 

[18:04] Riggs’ shift from entrepreneurship to corporate and back to entrepreneurship  

[23:51] Indicators that you need to shift from entrepreneurship to corporate 

[28:25] Why Riggs is an entrepreneur 

[30:16] What Riggs foresees beyond his retirement 

[33:17] Riggs’ recommendation to entrepreneurs from his years of experience  

[36:12] Best ways to reach out and connect with Riggs Eckelberry 

[37:52] Wrap up and calls to action 

Notable Quotes 

·        Tackling a business bottleneck must start with the entrepreneur. 

·        Scaling a business is an operational bottleneck. 

·        Customer service is driven from a company's top leadership to the bottom. 

Connect With Riggs Eckelberry 

Website: https://www.originclear.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riggs/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/riggseck/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riggseck/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riggseck/ 

  -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

We all start a business with a goal in mind. Sometimes, it may only be to have enough for you and your family, and other times, it may be to grow it into a prosperous company that will last for generations.  

In the first case, the entrepreneur could be a solopreneur with few or no plans to delegate some tasks. They become the bottlenecks, handling every aspect of the business. But that could be overturned. What if the business outgrows? What if the demand becomes too enormous than what you currently supply? Would you close the business, chase away clients, and remain at your level? How would you navigate that growth, set new goals, and make readjustments to fit the growth? With so much need for outsourcing and delegation of duties, how will you ensure everything runs smoothly?  

Join this conversation with Josh Nielsen, who has undergone exact growth with his podcasting company. He has seen the growth, gone through the pain of transition, and grown the company in ways he never imagined. This episode is packed with tips, insights, and valuable information to help you go through the unprecedented growth turbulence in a business.  

Josh Nielsen founded Zencastr, a company that makes it easier to record high-quality audio for podcast interviewees based anywhere in the world. Before working at Zencastr, Nielsen was a software developer at Missouri Star Quilt Co., co-founded Soundkeep, and led frontend engineer at Mahalo.  

Tune in.  

Key Highlights from The Show: 

[02:58] Josh Nielsen’s journey from a digital nomad to the founder of Zencastr 

[05:48] What was difficult in transitioning when the company outgrew him 

[07:19] Big goals with the company 

[10:33] Key milestones of Josh’s company since he started it as a solopreneur 

[13:47] The most difficult parts of growing the business 

[15:39] Josh’s current bottleneck as an entrepreneur 

[23:40] What he has learned about himself as an entrepreneur 

[29:56] Josh’s recommendation to entrepreneurs from his experience  

[31:35] Best ways to reach out and connect with Josh 

[31:50] Wrap up and calls to action 

Notable Quotes: 

·        As entrepreneurs, we must constantly evolve with our businesses or risk being left behind by our own success. 

·        Transitioning from handling every aspect to delegating tasks is not just about growth. It is about survival in a competitive market. 

·        The most difficult part of growth is not the demand but the internal adjustments required to meet it effectively. 

Connect With Josh Nielsen: 

Website: https://zencastr.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnielsen/ 

 -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

AI is rapidly changing how we do business, and entrepreneurs stand to benefit immensely from its potential.

AI is not something that caught us by surprise. It is an expected trajectory of where we have always been going: a utopic society of more creativity and productivity. Entrepreneurs can apply AI in five key business areas: prospecting, sales, onboarding, HR, and data manipulation. AI can analyze customer data to provide personalized recommendations and targeted advertising, leading to better engagement and conversion rates. It can also provide insights and recommendations, helping you make faster decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

In this episode with Garik Tate, we talk about AI and how entrepreneurs can harness its potential for growth, efficiency, and overcoming bottlenecks. Garik makes companies more valuable to institutional buyers and increases profits through AI development/integration, hiring elite talent, and operational automation.

With over a decade of experience as a successful entrepreneur, Garik has founded companies spanning Software Development, Outsourcing, and Publishing. Notably, he has led and nurtured organizations and teams of up to 75 employees.

Tune in.

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:21] How entrepreneurs can harness the true essence of AI

[04:22] The evolution of AI for over 15 years and Garik’s take on it

[05:59] The five key business areas entrepreneurs can apply AI

[08:30] Practical examples of how you can use AI for the five areas

[13:15] How to personalize AI for your specific business

[17:06] Laurent’s reflection on his AI experience

[21:56] Why Garik is an entrepreneur

[24:12] His most current bottlenecks

[30:15] Garik’s recommendation from his experience in AI and entrepreneurship

[31:45] Best ways to reach out and connect with Garik

[32:25] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

● AI is a trajectory of where we have always been going—a utopic society of more creativity and productivity.

● Whatever you are looking for, there’s probably an open-source tool out there that you can plug into their API without knowing how to code.

● Prompt engineering is the most current way of training AI to fit your business needs.

● Empowering the teams, letting go, and delegating are the most common bottlenecks among entrepreneurs.

● How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and life isn’t something that will happen later but something that is happening now.

● Everybody has two lives. The second life starts when you realize that you only have one.

Connect With Garik Tate 

Website: https://www.valhalla.team/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garik-tate/

 -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now! 

Most founders get stuck with bottlenecks when they cannot delegate responsibilities to their team. The satisfaction of labels and not letting the ego go away could be detrimental. You have to let others play the game because, in most cases, the founder is not as skilled as his team of dedicated experts.  

Entrepreneurs will also always use their networks as a benefit when building something new. However, they never connect their team to these networks, which is still another source of bottleneck.  

Ari Tulla, who joins us in this episode, shares more of his entrepreneurship journey from age 18 and how he became stronger and never gave up despite the adversities along the journey. He also admits that despite having over 25 years of successful entrepreneurship, he still struggles with finding himself as the bottleneck of his business. 

Ari Tulla is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Elo, an AI personalisation engine delivering the exact nutrients to live better. After years of family health struggles, Ari has dedicated his life to building companies that help people live better.  His companies, BetterDoctor, Quest Analytics, and Elo Health, have helped over a hundred million people gain better access to healthcare. 

Tune in.  

Key Highlights from The Show 

[03:47] A short summary of Ari Tulla’s entrepreneurship journey since 18 years of age 

[06:02] The US hustle culture of never giving up 

[08:16] His secret of never giving up on business 

[13:41] When do you know it’s time to give up on a business 

[23:03] How his experience working at Nokia was 

[27:55] Determining the breaking point of a business 

[31:40] One of Ari’s current entrepreneur bottlenecks 

[35:45] Why it is not possible to have 100% bottleneck-free business 

[39:34] Best ways to reach out and connect with Ari 

[41:32] Wrap up and calls to action 

Notable Quotes 

·        When you get into adversity and things don’t go your way, the best antidote is just to keep going. 

·        The secret weapon of never giving up in business is your right mindset. 

·        Entrepreneurship is all about mindset. The most successful entrepreneurs are not so because they have better skills. They have a better mindset. 

·        Always use your networks as a benefit when you are building something new. 

·        Leaders are not born; they are made. 

·        Founders become company bottlenecks when they cannot delegate responsibilities to their teams. 

Connect With Ari Tulla 

Company’s Website: https://www.elo.health/ 

Personal Website: https://www.aritulla.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aritulla/ 

  -----

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!