"Failures are just opportunities for growth. They're not mistakes, they're expenses. You're out of business when you can't afford your mistakes.”
Erik Ekman is the founder of Outside Van, an Oregon-based manufacturer of full custom, adventure-ready Sprinter vans. This is one of my shorter interviews, but it’s packed with great advice on how to run a company that attracts deep talent and does amazing work. Erik and I are both mountain bikers, so there are a few cycling references in here, but most it's just killer advice on how to create a company that's pushing boundaries while selling a premium product. The quote above is one of my favorites and sums up his fast moving, experimental management style. And with that, please enjoy episode 26 of The Build Cycle Podcast!
For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast
Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Ep #026 - Move Fast & Do Amazing Things w/ Outside Van Founder Erik Ekman

Startup stories and tips for entrepreneurs mixed with expert Content Marketing lessons to help you grow your business, build your brand & increase sales!

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What's up builders!
It's been a minute, but this episode brings it back in a big way. My friends Simon and Giulio are co-founders of Bike Connection Agency, a marketing and event firm focused on the cycling market.
If you're considering taking your own industry relationships and experience and creating a marketing or event agency, there's a lot to learn here about how to do it, what services to provide, and more.
Over the past six years, BCA has built up to four annual events and servicing a handful of premium marketing clients, which simultaneously sounds like a lot and not that much.
And that is one of the most fascinating parts of this interview - how they're balancing work and life by creating a business that meets their needs while still allowing for a massive amount of free time for both of them.
At a time when many of us are examining our own work - life balance and re-prioritizing personal and professional goals, to hear these two discuss it is incredibly refreshing.
The icing on the cake is their relationship. Starting a business with a lifelong friend can be tricky, but they've created a system of open, honest communication and trust that should be a benchmark for any of us. We get a little personal on this, and it's amazing.
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For photos and more, check out this episode's show notes here:Ep #075 – Maximizing Work-Life Balance for Fun & Profit
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Ep #075 - Maximizing work-life balance & profit w/ Bike Connection Agency

Have you ever tried to come up with a business idea that's mostly automated and creates a great passive income stream?
Or tried to figure out how to take your skillset and turn it into a low-effort lifestyle business?
Well, that's almost exactly what my guest today has done. Tina Wilmott already knew the Public Relations agency business, so when she wanted to take control of her time and her life, she found a gap in how brands were able to get their news in front of the media. She launched Endurance Sports Wire, and quickly hired a small team to handle the daily tasks.
In theory, it could basically run itself, but as you'll learn, the dream is much harder than the reality, especially for those of us with an entrepreneurial, growth mindset. If you want to launch your own side hustle or lifestyle business, or you're just interested in PR and media, this is a great episode for you!
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For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at tylerbenedict.com/podcast
Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Ep #074 - Lifestyle Businesses are Hard! w/ Endurance Sports Wire

With the start of a fresh year, I thought it'd be fun to talk Mindset. We're all probably thinking through the ways we can perform better, manage better, grow our companies, and, hopefully, strike a better balance between work and life.
My guest today is entrepreneur mindset coach Joe Trodden. He focuses on working with early stage founders, those who have launched and built a small team, usually in their first few years of business. His goal? To help them, and us, push past some of the pain points that come as our teams grow but we still think of ourselves as the fearless leaders who can solve all the problems.
I know this is something I've done many times, and it's definitely a limiting factor for any company's growth. Here's how you overcome that by sharing your vision in a way that your team can execute.
SHOW NOTES & LINKS
For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at tylerbenedict.com/podcast
Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Ep #073 - Creating the Entrepreneurial Growth Mindset w/ Joe Trodden

We've all seen subscription boxes for everything, and kids toys, coding boxes, learning kits and more are common.
But a toy RENTAL service that's focused on eco-friendly sustainability whose toys are returned and sent back out to a new family? How does that even work? How is it safe? Is THAT business model as sustainable as its products?
I interview founder and CEO Rachael Classi on how she launched, where the idea came from, and how this early startup is sourcing products and pricing their service.
This is probably the youngest startup I've interviewed, but there's still plenty to learn. And it's an interesting concept with lessons and ideas you can apply to your own business.
For more show notes and links to connect with Rachael, head over to this show's post here:
https://tylerbenedict.com/2020/12/01/ep-072-how-tiny-earth-toys-launched-a-subscription-toy-rental-service/
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Ep #072 -Tiny Earth Toys' subscription toy rental service

This episode is a mix of startup story and content marketing ideas, perfect if you're:
looking for an uncluttered channel to promote your brands or products.
wondering how someone creates a totally unique app in today's crowded landscape.
In this episode, Magma co-founder Jake Warner recounts his inspiration for creating an app that lets anyone create a well designed, easy to share, searchable digital magazine straight from their phone! Not only can you share it, but it can have links, videos and more...and it's SEO friendly with Google.
This one really impressed me, and I'm looking at how I can use it myself to promote my own businesses.
For full show notes and links to things mentioned in this episode, go to:
http://www.tylerbenedict.com/podcast and click on this episode!

Ep #026 - Move Fast & Do Amazing Things w/ Outside Van Founder Erik Ekman

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