Tal Atid is the Co-founder of Flooret, a direct-to-consumer flooring company based out of San Diego, California, with operations nationwide. Being the son of a construction and flooring company owner, he had early exposure to the flooring business. After graduating from college, Tal worked in his father's business. Four years later, he worked for another flooring company, and his experience there eventually led him to start his own brand.

Flooret strives to improve the way floors are purchased, starting with direct product sourcing, a fresh approach to sampling, exceptional customer service, transparent pricing, easy shipping, and a network of recommended installers.

Flooring companies often work with retailers to get their products to the end users. It's tough to make it using a DTC distribution channel because flooring products are treated as commodities. People rarely know nor have a connection with flooring brands. So how does one overcome this challenge and make it in the direct-to-consumer field?

Tal Atid and his partner successfully started and grew a flooring company without spending much on advertising. Instead, they focused on two critical things: producing high-quality products and providing excellent customer service. Referrals and recommendations from their customers became their main methods of marketing.

In this episode, John Corcoran of Rise25 hosts Tal Atid, the Co-founder of Flooret, to talk about emerging in the direct-to-consumer category of the flooring industry. Tal shares how he ended up working in his father's flooring company, the lessons he learned, and what made him leave and eventually start his own company. He also shares how Flooret aggressively grew without much advertising, how they overcame the challenges they faced, and why good customer service is essential.

Orrin Klopper is the Co-founder and CEO of Netsurit, a company offering managed outsourced IT services and support for organizations in the US and across the globe. Netsurit has offices in New York and New Jersey.

Additionally, Orrin is one of the founding members of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) in South Africa and an active member of the Young Presidents' Association (YPO). Orrin completed the Entrepreneurial Master's Program at MIT Sloan School of Management.

Are you a company that heavily relies on IT services? Does your organization fear cyber threats? Or, maybe your company has already experienced a breach in security. If you own or lead a company, consider hiring a managed service provider. Having this type of firm employed is the equivalent of having insurance.

Netsurit — co-founded by Orrin Klopper — has been offering its award-winning IT, cloud, and security services since 1995. When IT firms were charging businesses for unnecessary technology, Orrin and his partners saw an opportunity to provide managed outsourced services with an honest, ethical, and fair approach. In current times, a lack of automation or security loopholes can cost your organization millions of dollars or cause the company's demise and loss of everything you've worked hard to build. Beyond helping companies recover from the unthinkable, the founders dedicate themselves to cultivating a culture that is not only positive but also inspiring.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz welcomes the CEO of Netsurit, Orrin Klopper, to the show. He shares information about the services his company provides, explains why businesses would benefit from their services, and gives insight on how to create a progressive company culture.

Rayner Teo is an independent trader, an ex-prop trader, and the Founder of TradingwithRayner. He discovered trading in 2009 when a forex broker came to his school and organized a trading competition. Since then, Rayner has devoured every bit of trading knowledge he could find and learned as much as possible to be a consistently profitable trader. He started TradingwithRayner to journal the things he has learned to help other traders find success in the markets. Today, Rayner is the most followed trader in the world, with more than 200,000 traders reading his blog each month and 1.62 million YouTube subscribers.

Many people would love to become full-time traders and enjoy the extra time and financial freedom that can come along with it. It can be an exciting and lucrative career path but also a very challenging one. If you are considering quitting your job and are interested in trading, how can you effectively transition to become a profitable trader?

You have to have a solid strategy to launch your trading debut. Rayner Teo did just that. First, he got a job trading to learn the ropes and have a stable source of income. He knew he needed money to fund a nice-sized trading account. So, he learned everything about the world of trading at his job and then began looking to source additional funds to support his trading. Starting a blog and selling trading courses, he began to raise money, enabling him to grow his funding account and use it to continue trading and make it his livelihood.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, Joshua Chin sits down with Rayner Teo, an independent trader, an ex-prop trader, and the Founder of TradingwithRayner. Rayner talks about how he started trading in the middle of the financial crisis and why he decided to teach others to help them find success in the trading world. Rayner shares how he transitioned from a full-time job to becoming a full-time trader, how he balances the entrepreneur and trader hats, and his thoughts about wealth.

James Pang is the Founder and Managing Director of My Drum School. He founded My Drum School in 2007 and now leads a team of 45 employees with four locations and a headquarters in Singapore.

James discovered his love for music at an early age by experimenting with various instruments, including the electone organ, classical guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, flute, piano, drums, and percussion. He obtained his business degree at Nanyang Technological University with first-class honors in 2006.

Starting a business from scratch and growing it into a successful company is not an easy feat. It takes hard work, dedication, perseverance, and patience. What are you willing to do and give up to achieve your entrepreneurial dream?

James Pang quit his corporate job to pursue his passion and build his business. Along the way, as he grew his business, he learned to give up control. He found value in delegating and empowering his team members. James found that the business could scale bigger if more people were being empowered by assigning them to crucial roles.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, Joshua Chin sits down with James Pang, Founder and Managing Director of My Drum School. James talks about how he started the entrepreneurship journey and the sacrifices he had to make to grow his business. He shares how his purpose shifted through the years and how the pandemic demanded so much change in how they do things.

John Corcoran is a recovering attorney, an author, and a former White House writer and speechwriter to the Governor of California. Throughout his career, John has worked in Hollywood, the heart of Silicon Valley, and has run his boutique law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, catering to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

John has been the host of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast since 2012. He has interviewed hundreds of CEOs, founders, authors, and entrepreneurs, from Peter Diamandis and Adam Grant to Gary Vaynerchuk and Marie Forleo.

John is also the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that connects B2B businesses with their ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners and generates ROI through their done-for-you podcast service.

Are you a member of a leadership organization and considered contributing more? Is being in a position of leadership time-consuming, or does it boost professional growth?

When John Corcoran joined the Entrepreneurs' Organization San Francisco (EOSF) chapter as a board member in 2021, he was already the Marketing Communications Chair for EOSF. After over a year on the board, he's happy with his decision, despite his busy schedule. John explains the many benefits of being involved in EO as a board member, including growing as a leader, meeting people and learning best practices in other businesses, and sharpening your other skills — all of which you can bring back to your own business. As a member of the board, John says it's rewarding to have the opportunity to give back and be a more active participant in a community that's engaged and active with really giving like-minded entrepreneurs.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, host Chad Franzen sits down with John Corcoran, the Co-founder of Rise25 and Marketing Communications Chair and board member at EO San Francisco, to discuss his role at EOSF and why he joined the board. John explains how EO has impacted his leadership growth, his time commitment, and the benefits of being an EO board member.

Bo Ghirardelli is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sky's the Limit, a rapidly expanding digital platform that connects entrepreneurs with peers, volunteer business mentors, training resources, and funding. Sky's the Limit is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the US serving underrepresented young adult entrepreneurs, with over 40,000 young entrepreneurs and volunteers registered on its website.

Through his experiences, Bo saw there was a gap in the market for supporting underrepresented young adult entrepreneurs who need the resources to help them realize their potential. That's why Bo co-founded Sky's the Limit. Now he leads a team of 30 people across software design and development, member experience growth and partnerships, and has generated over $10 million, primarily from national and global corporate partners, including Accenture, Goldman Sachs, PNC, and CVC Capital Partners.

What can you do to improve an ecosystem that does not serve everyone? Many underserved communities are being left out of the entrepreneurial picture, even though they are frequently the people who need it the most.

Bo Ghirardelli began as an English and social studies teacher before joining the Peace Corps. During his time abroad, he was inspired to go to Morocco by the Arab Spring, which opened his eyes to the importance of entrepreneurship for many people facing adversity. That's why Bo co-founded Sky's the Limit, one of the largest nonprofit programs in the US, serving underrepresented young adult entrepreneurs. Sky's the Limit has the resources to assist underrepresented entrepreneurs and to create a global community where they and their allies can form meaningful relationships and grow together.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, host John Corcoran welcomes the Co-founder and CEO of Sky's the Limit, Bo Ghirardelli, to the show. Bo shares the experiences that led to founding Sky's the Limit. Bo discusses the evolution of Sky's the Limit's focus, talks about the benefits of establishing a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), and shares some of the success stories made possible through his organization.

Laurie Corona is a business coach and entrepreneur. She is a member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization of San Francisco and coaches for the EO Accelerator program. She was the Chief Executive Officer at Greene's Cleaners, a family-owned business that was sold in 2021. Laurie worked as the Vice President and CFO for Lixit Animal Care Products and as a Financial Analyst for Stamper Capital. In 2012, she received the North Bay Business Journal CFO Award issued by the North Bay Business Journal.

The pandemic disrupted business as usual in virtually all industries, including dry cleaning. Many business leaders faced challenges finding a path for growth or an exit strategy as they emerged from the pandemic, but some managed to come out on top by using technology. How can your business leverage new technologies to scale and increase customer satisfaction?

Laurie Corona shifted the way her business operated by implementing new technologies and broadening her services to stay afloat. By utilizing app features, her company could answer common questions, track orders, and provide a better customer experience without the usual number of employees. Listen to this episode to hear how Laurie expanded her business throughout the challenges of the pandemic and how things developed as the market emerged.

In this episode, John Corcoran of Rise25 sits down with Laurie Corona, business coach and entrepreneur, to talk about leading and exiting her family business in the wake of the pandemic. Laurie discusses getting her business back on track after the pandemic, how emerging technology can fulfill the consumer experience, and the face of exceptional leadership in trying times.

Nikole Mackenzie is the Founder and CEO of Momentum Accounting, a 100% US-based remote team of business-savvy accountants and technology experts who help like-minded creative agencies and other professional service companies scale from $1 million to $10 million in annual recurring revenue.

Nikole and her team help agency owners save money, increase revenue, stay compliant, save time, and eliminate stress, ultimately giving them the freedom to scale their recurring revenue businesses to an eventual multimillion-dollar exit. Nikole is a recovering CPA who has led hundreds of owners to revitalize their accounting departments by helping them save money, increase revenue, stay compliant, save time, and eliminate stress.

When is it the right time to pursue something unstable, or should you choose stability instead? During your entrepreneurial journey, you will be faced with taking a risk or playing it safe. Your experiences and goals will affect the decisions you make.

Nikole Mackenzie followed the stable option throughout the first part of her career as a CPA, but she knew she needed to take a risk to reach her goals and do her own thing her way. Nikole knew that business owners needed more than someone to do their books once a quarter — they needed someone to help them make those all-important financial decisions. She didn't enjoy being a CPA at a traditional firm and knew she could do more for her clients, which led her to take that leap of faith, so she founded Momentum Accounting. They are more than your traditional accounting firm that does your books — they're small business gurus. Whether it's seamless invoicing that keeps customers paying on time or forward-looking forecasts, they've got great advice and innovative ideas to share. Now Nikole helps others navigate their entrepreneurial journey through her thriving, innovative business, easygoing approach, and contagious enthusiasm.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, host John Corcoran welcomes the Founder and CEO of Momentum Accounting, Nikole Mackenzie, to the show. She shares stories from being a CPA and the lessons she learned that led her to found Momentum Accounting. Nikole discusses creating an exceptional customer service experience, building customer loyalty, and how much value entrepreneurs can get from being involved in EO San Francisco or any chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization.

Josh Levine is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Color More Lines, a boutique e-commerce agency helping brands grow faster on Amazon and Walmart. Color More Lines is a performance-based agency that delivers true white glove service. In the last two years alone, during the pandemic, they helped eight brands go from zero to 100,000 dollars a month within 12 months of working together.

Own an e-commerce brand? One of the many problems you'll likely deal with is other brands profiting off your Amazon marketing. Not to mention inventory management and the pain of losing your first-page Amazon spot because your forecasting was way off the mark and your product ran out of stock.

If you're dealing with any of those problems, you want to pay attention to this episode, as Josh Levine talks about clearing all the roadblocks in your Amazon account. You'll also learn about how your marketing and branding outside Amazon helps you sell more on Amazon and how Amazon is subsidizing your marketing spend on other platforms. Ready to find out more?

Listen to this Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast with Dr. Jeremy Weisz featuring Josh Levine, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Color More Lines. They discuss low-hanging fruits to grow your e-commerce brand, why you should consider diversifying to Walmart, common inventory forecasting mistakes you should avoid, and lots more.

Karl Funke is the Founder and President of Amig GmbH, which is based in Munich, Germany. Karl combines his substantial technical engineering knowledge with strong business instincts to lead a multi-million dollar company. Karl has spent about 15 years in the semiconductor industry, has held several leadership roles on boards of directors, and has a new company in the sustainable energy efficiency sector. He also served on the global board of directors for the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for over three years.

Are you an effective leader in your organization? The nature of leadership and what styles work best often hinge on the context in which they are implemented. How can you lead to build an environment where people can thrive?

Implementing influential leadership is a huge step forward in helping people flourish. Modern leadership development extends not just to our companies but to our communities, our families, and human beings all around. Adopting an influential leadership strategy not only helps us to help our peers operate better but can facilitate a better understanding of ourselves in the process.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, John Corcoran welcomes Karl Funke to the show. Karl is the Founder and President of Amig GmbH and recently finished his tenure as a member on the Entrepreneurs' Organization's (EO) global board. Karl takes time to explain the leadership structure of EO, reflect on his career, and discuss the nature of being an effective leader.