Building a thriving business isn't always about rapid expansion. When should you hit the accelerator on growth, and when should you pump the brakes? Jannese and Austin are in Nashville, Tennessee to talk with Taku Zhou and Sibusiso Ajayi of TKZ Architecture LLC to explore this crucial entrepreneurial crossroads. The duo shares candid insights from their journey building TKZ Architecture, revealing the moments they knew it was time to scale – and importantly, when it wasn't. They discuss how they balanced the allure of growth against the need to strengthen their foundation through refined workflows, established protocols, and market positioning. Tune in as we unpack the strategic decision-making that goes into sustainable business expansion and learn the telltale signs that you're ready for growth and how to execute that transition successfully.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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AI isn't about replacement – it's about enhancement. Austin and Jannese travel to Tampa, Florida to meet Alexa Kritis Mancuso, founder of Alexa Kritis Events, who reveals how she masterfully blends artificial intelligence with the personal connection essential to event planning. Discover how Alexa shares how she leverages AI platforms to handle routine tasks as well as showing clients how she can bring their creative visions to life. Like QuickBooks, there’s a perfect combination of AI-driven processes and human expertise that can help free up your time to make more money and focus on the things that matter. 

Whether you're AI-curious or AI-cautious, Alexa explains how to harness this technology to boost your bottom line while creating deeper connections with your customers.

 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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In our second installment of the Small Business Starter Kit series - we’re tackling a topic that’s sometimes tricky, sometimes confusing, but ever-present: taxes. Hosts Austin and Jannese have an insightful conversation with entrepreneur Isabella Rosal who started 7th Sky Ventures, an exporter and distributor of craft spirits, beer, and wine. Having lived and worked in two different countries and started a company in a heavily-regulated field, Isabella is no stranger to navigating the paperwork-laden and jargon-infused maze of properly understanding taxes for a newly formed small business. Join us as she shares her story and provides valuable insight into how to tackle your business’ taxes - so they don’t tackle you. 

 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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Most people understand the importance of raising capital to start a business, but securing additional funding after launch can be just as crucial for reaching the next level. Jannese and Austin discuss the strategies and challenges of finding ways to raise more capital to give your business a booster where it needs it most. The hosts chat with one of Nashville’s most exciting rising stars, Kenzie Wesp, who started Trueform Fitness at an incredibly young age. Learn about her journey and how she turned an opportunity into a thriving business that continues to flourish. 

 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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In business, every decision you make can change the trajectory of your company - so it’s important to be as informed as possible. The intel you collect as you learn and grow is vital to informing how and why you run your business in the future. On this episode, hosts Jannese and Austin share their own experiences with using data to inform the paths they carve forward as they sit down with Brandon Littleton who started Bag Lady’s Fry Joint with his brother. The two started their business from scratch, with just a family recipe and an idea. Join us as Brandon explains how hard lessons - and hard data - inform the decisions they’ve made so you can do the same with your own findings. 

 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

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Step one for starting a small business is often coming up with an exciting idea. But what is step two? Step three? Steps four through launch and beyond? On our second episode, and first iteration of our Small Business Starter Kit Series, Austin and Jannese visit The Candle Pour to chat with founders Misty and Dennis Akers. They’ll tell our hosts about how they got their business off the ground and about all the things that go with it: from incorporation to trademarks. Join us as they detail how they went from Grand Idea to Grand Opening. 

 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

 

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The long-term success of every small business starts with looking at its history and identifying the hits and misses along the way. In our premier episode for Season 3, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Jannese Torres sit down in person with Sherrice Rose, owner of Potentia Therapeutics in her clinic in Tampa, Florida. Together, they look back at her journey of buying an existing physical therapy clinic and making it her own. Hear the lessons she’s learned along the way and discover how studying her business's history helps her forge a path forward.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

 

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Attention small business owners: “Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories” is back for Season Three with brand-new episodes. Hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero & Financially Lit!) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return & Rich Habits) are hitting the road and meeting with small business owners in Tampa, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee to hear about the lessons they’ve learned at every corner of launching their companies. What would you do if your warehouse and inventory were destroyed in a tornado? Have you thought about how to protect your business's IP with a trademark? Do you have a backup plan if a bank loan doesn’t come through to get you off the ground? These are just some of the insights our guests are sharing this season. Plus, learn how they cut through the clutter and simplify the day-to-day with the help of Intuit QuickBooks. Listen to new episodes every other Thursday beginning January 9th and discover what it takes to start a business and keep it growing.

To learn more about how Intuit QuickBooks can power your business growth, visit: QuickBooks

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Change is inevitable in business, but understanding how each decision impacts your entire operation is crucial. In this LIVE bonus episode, Jannese and Austin sit down with Will Lucas. Will is the founder and CEO of Creadio, a marketing and production agency, and CEO and founder of the private social club TolHouse. He also hosts the podcast “Black Tech Green Money.”  

Learn invaluable lessons on attracting and retaining great employees with competitive pay, keeping prices attractive, and ensuring customer satisfaction—all while fostering business growth. Plus, Will, Jannese, and Austin answer audience questions about starting a business and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

• QuickBooks.com

• QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

 

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It’s all up to you. When you’re wearing multiple hats and running your own business, all of the rewards and accomplishments are on you - but so are the setbacks and challenges. The incredible journey of solopreneurship is filled with ups and downs and those who have tasted that lifestyle often can never go back to a “normal job.” In this special season finale, Austin and Jannese share their very own stories about what inspired them to branch out into solopreneurship and what keeps them going. And they'll share never-before-heard clips from founders in previous episodes detailing their own Why: the thing that keeps them going through thick and thin that allows them to have complete control of their lives and the ultimate level of financial freedom. 

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

• QuickBooks.com

• QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

 

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 8 Recap with Jannese and Austin

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