Own The Exit

How can prioritizing value over profit reshape an entrepreneur's journey? In this conversation, Michael Crowder shares the importance of not solely focusing on money but adding value to clients. He discloses the power of being genuine and the importance of picking partners wisely. Tune in as we discuss leadership, entrepreneurism, risk-taking, treating people well in business, taking time for yourself, and guarding yourself from people who may not have your best interest at heart.

Join us for an inspiring episode with Michael Crowder, a successful and versatile entrepreneur who has been in business for many years. Starting out at just eight years old, running errands at a senior center, Michael managed to take his career to new heights, growing a technology company by 1800%.

[00:00 - 08:00] Michael Crowder's Incredible Entrepreneurial Journey

• How Michael started his first business at eight years old

• Starting a small company and became president of it, growing it by 1800%

• Success story began with running a cable across town from a truck

• Focus on adding value to clients, not just making money

[08:01 - 14:49] Writing Your Story Is Key

• Guard yourself against being taken advantage of

• Be careful when picking partners and planting your flag

• Writing your story is important and can open up opportunities

• Michael shares an example of a successful sale

[14:50 - 22:12] How to Add Value and Win Friends in Business

• Treat people with respect and kindness

• Balance between doing the right thing and knowing why you are doing it

• Add value to the marketplace and put customers first.

• Discern phony people from genuine ones

[22:12 - 29:11] Guard Yourself and Take Time for Yourself

• Define the end before you begin

• How motivations change over time

• Take time for yourself and cut off your phone

• Guard yourself against people who claim to have your best interest at heart

[29:12 - 32:33] Wrapping Up!

• It's crucial to build something that surpasses one generation

• Take time for yourself; enjoy yourself

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn!

Resources Mentioned:

• How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

• You're The Greatest - Frank Maguire

Key Quotes:

“Be intentional about writing your story. Write it down, don't forget it.” - Michael Crowder

“At the end of the day, there's nothing wrong with failure unless you stay there.” - Michael Crowder

“Don't just begin with the end in mind. Define the end before you begin.” - Michael Crowder

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Connect with us through LinkedIn.

Visit our website, www.oakiq.com, to build more secure futures!

Thanks for tuning in!

If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe through your favorite streaming platform!

What strategies might one employ in real estate to achieve personal and financial freedom?

Today, Jesse Taitt,  an accomplished Real Estate entrepreneur, and investor, shares his inspiring entrepreneurial journey, from wanting to pursue a career in music to building a successful real estate business. Hear how he and his wife could bootstrap their own business by working with buyers and sellers, investing in commercial properties, and building a team. Jesse stresses how he continues to invest in both his business and passion, having found a balance that works for him. 

Get inspired by Jesse's story of overcoming obstacles on his journey toward creating more space for himself and others at the table!

[00:01 - 07:28] Jesse's Entrepreneur Journey and How He Built His Business from the Ground Up

• Jesse's experience as a real estate entrepreneur and a musician

• How Jesse and his wife built their business organically without spending money on marketing

• Jesse's faith is central to everything he does, and his vision is to use his passion to serve others

[07:29 - 14:28] Building a Business for Financial and Time Freedom in 3-5 Years

• Working in real estate to build something meaningful that could last for decades

• Jesse's journey to becoming a real estate investor and getting into a passive income

[14:29 - 21:04] Investing Strategically: How to Break Into the Commercial Real Estate Industry

• Investing should be fun and exciting

• What commercial real estate offers

More passive income, better appreciation, and more control over the property

• Triple net leases are beneficial as they require minimal maintenance from the landlord

[21:05 - 27:32] Starting a Real Estate Company from an Experienced Entrepreneur

• Study the city you want to invest in and look for properties near new developments

• Get a real estate license to gain knowledge of the industry before investing

• How Jesse started his journey of buying commercial property after watching a TikTok

[27:33 - 31:01] Wrapping Up!

• Jesse on the Own the Exit round

Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn & Facebook!

Key Quotes:

“Investing should be fun, and it should excite you. You should invest in things that are exciting to you." - Jesse Taitt

“A business is almost like walking through the forest with a flashlight on the ground. You can't really see fully  where the next step is.” - Aaron Leatherdale

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Join us on LinkedIn, dive into our enriching content on YouTube, and explore our website to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments!

If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,or any preferred podcast platform!

Join us in this episode as we dive deeper into Justin Rizzo's journey and how he has been able to create success by combining his passion for art with entrepreneurship. We'll discuss his process for vetting team members, how he established financially viable ventures, and the challenges of raising donations for a nonprofit production company. Plus, Justin will share some tips on how to pivot better and sooner, think less and believe more, and not be scared of change.

Tune in to explore the power of music to speak to people across cultures and the importance of having a good story with good music.

[00:00 - 07:17] Building a Team and Crafting Impactful Stories Through Music and Film Production

• Justin Rizzo started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 12

• He learned the value of a team, which is necessary for large-scale production

• It's important to hire people who are smarter than you and trust them with the vision

[07:18 - 13:47] Transitioning to the Screen

• Have a core group of management or leadership that has pre-established values and relationships

• It is important to steward the gifts given to us as creatives

• Producing faith-based positive messaging targeted towards a younger generation is important

• Music speaks across cultures and can go viral, spreading positive virtues

[13:48 - 20:08] Combining Art and Entrepreneurship

• Firelight Creative Productions' tagline is "The New Frontier of Missions"

• Combining creative and entrepreneurial skills to create a financially viable venture

• Establishing a model to make money with films and higher-paying distribution deals

[20:09 - 27:52] Wrapping Up!

• Learn to pivot better and sooner - think less, believe more

• Accepting problems as one's fault and being able to change them

Make sure to visit Justin Rizzo’s website.

Key Quotes:

“Music speaks. I think for us, it's really about the music. Stories have to be excellent, it doesn't matter how good your music is if your story's horrible, no one cares.” - Justin Rizzo

"You have to hire people who are way smarter than you and way better than you, but they have to trust you, and they have to fall in line with the vision and values that you set for your film set." - Justin Rizzo

"It's really liberating when the problems in your life are your fault. Because then you can change it." - Justin Rizzo

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Join us on LinkedIn, dive into our enriching content on YouTube, and explore our website to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments!

If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,or any preferred podcast platform!

Are you ready to transform your mindset and cultivate resilience? In this episode, Malachi O'Brien explores the power of physical, emotional, and spiritual health when it comes to achieving goals. He stresses why business owners need to focus on their physical health to have emotional well-being and how focusing on the present moment can reap the rewards in the future. 

Tune into this insightful conversation to gain insight into building resilience, unlocking emotional power, and creating generational wealth!

[00:01 - 07:54] Embracing Challenges to Achieve Greatness

• Failure is not something to avoid, but something to anticipate

• How emotional baggage can get in the way of success and fulfillment

[07:55 - 14:18] How GratitudeCan Change Your Life

• Be grateful for your deepest failures and most vocal critics in your darkest times

• Develop a mental discipline of gratitude to become unstoppable

• Stay in your lane and focus on what you are called to do rather than comparing yourself to others

• Give yourself the gift of picturing yourself achieving big goals and feeling what that day will be like

[14:19 - 21:07] Unlocking Wealth Through Passive Income

• Physical health and emotional health are connected

• Power of massive focus for a short period will take you farther than you can imagine

[21:08 - 28:43] Wrapping Up!

• Invest in yourself to add more value and make more money

• Prioritize health, emotional and spiritual fitness

• Have a strong enough why to accomplish goals

Connect with Malachi on Instagram.

Resources Mentioned:

How To Grow Your Small Business by Donald Miller

Key Quotes:

“When you can be grateful for your deepest failures, your most vocal critics, and your darkest times, you're unstoppable.” - Malachi O'Brien

“If you're scared of failure, you hate failure, then probably entrepreneurship's not for you.” - Malachi O'Brien

“The world is drowning in information, but it's starving for wisdom.” - Malachi O'Brien

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments!

If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠,or any preferred podcast platform!

What if you could design your own entrepreneurial destiny? In today's episode, Caleb and Aaron dive into the importance of planning for your business exit from the start. They discuss Own The Exit, a concept that encourages entrepreneurs to create a lifestyle by design and achieve freedom in time, finances, and location. They explore their own entrepreneurial journeys and emphasize the need to build a sustainable business model that can function without relying entirely on one individual.

Tune in and learn more about the importance of creating meaningful work that is enjoyable!

[00:00 - 07:35] Crafting Sustainable Businesses & Achieving Freedom Through Entrepreneurship

• The idea of Own the Exit Podcast is to define an exit strategy for the business

• The common thread between entrepreneurs

[07:36 - 14:01] The Entrepreneurial Journey

• It’s not just about selling the business but also crafting meaningful work that can bring fulfillment

• Entrepreneurship is about defining one's own exit

• How Caleb and Aaron share how they started their entrepreneurial journey

[14:02 - 20:17] How One Big Settlement Led to a Successful Landscaping Business

• 11-year-old Caleb bought 10 seashell necklaces and sold them to older couples for double his money

• How Caleb started a landscaping business and grew it until he exited

[20:18 - 26:51] Building an Exit Strategy

• How to create sustainable systems and avoid relying on one person for success

• To be successful, entrepreneurs must go all in

[26:52 - 31:01] Wrapping Up!

• Systems are key to success

• Thinking like an entrepreneur, investor, and franchiser is critical to building an exit into a business

Key Quotes:

“Thinking with the end in mind allows you to strategize in the right way.” - Caleb Edwards

“You have to think about building your business in a way that it's sustainable and can actually function without being entirely dependent on one person.” - Caleb Edwards

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Join us on LinkedIn, dive into our enriching content on YouTube, and explore our website to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments!

If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,or any preferred podcast platform!

Own The Exit

Where we dive deep into the world of entrepreneurship and the dreams many harbor about true freedom.

But there's a missing link that often goes overlooked: how to gracefully and strategically exit your business. That’s what this show is all about.

Description:

In our childhood, many of us dreamed of flying high, breaking barriers, and one day being our own bosses. Inspired by books like 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad', the goal has always been clear: achieve financial and time freedom. The allure of watching your business thrive from a distance while others manage its day-to-day operations is undoubtedly appealing.

But here's the reality check - most entrepreneurs stumble when it comes to crafting that crucial exit plan. They get so enmeshed in the day-to-day grind, the strategic vision, and their personal connection to the brand that they forget to design their exit from the very venture that was meant to provide them freedom.

On this show we'll interview seasoned entrepreneurs and exit strategy experts to understand:

Whether you're at the start of your entrepreneurial journey, or years into building your empire, it’s never too early or too late to start thinking about your exit. And remember, you don’t exit to leave; you exit to gain. To gain that time, freedom, and peace that drove you to entrepreneurship in the first place.

Remember:

It’s your business, and defining a successful exit is your prerogative. Own it. Shape it. And when the time is right, master the art of the exit.

Until then, keep dreaming, keep building, and always Own The Exit!