You might be very busy but are you productive? Are you actually accomplishing things that will move your business forward? Are you winning but not truly winning?

To dive into this interesting paradigm, I (Daniel) interviewed Bruce Kidd, the President of Kidd Consulting Group. A business sage, Bruce shared about the value of not winning, how activity doesn’t necessarily equal success, and much more.

“Wins–success early–can make you a little immune or less than cognizant of the things you should be changing. Even though there are things there, you’re not thinking about them, because you’re doing well, you’re winning.” -- Bruce Kidd

• Not winning
• Important versus urgent
• Strategic focus
• Vulnerability and humility
• Time, talent, treasure

Bruce Kidd is the President of Kidd Consulting Group, which provides expertise in grant writing and research, evaluation, project administration, program design and implementation support. Their clients include school districts, community-based organizations, non-profits, governmental agencies, and businesses who make a difference for youth, their families, and their community.

kiddconsulting.net  

[email protected]

Linkedin - Bruce Kidd  ||  Linkedin - Kidd Consulting Group

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

SavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

A business that is relationally focused and authentic is positioned much better to thrive. But these terms are often thrown around without much in the way of a solid how. How do you build trust? How do you build relationships both inside and outside your organization?

To dive into this topic, I (Kyle) chatted with Brayton Deal, the Founder and President of Iron House Studios. Brayton and I discussed some ways to be relationally focused, such as giving first, and believing and investing in people.

“There’s a ripple effect of excitement, of trust and confidence being built, even in your team, let alone customers and clients.” -- Brayton Deal

• Communicating personality
• Maximizing every aspect
• Giving first
• Believing in people
• Focusing on today
• Asking how you stress others

Brayton Deal is the Founder and President of Iron House Studios, a video company built for the budget-conscious marketer who's blessed with good taste and great strategy. Their proven process uncovers the most engaging stories and best personalities in your organization because they believe it's the "everyday" person that has the most impactful things to say. And it's this type of content that receives the most engagement online.

ironhousestudios.com

[email protected]  

Linkedin - Brayton Deal  ||  Linkedin - Iron House Studios 

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

SavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

As kids, we often think we know what we’ll be when we grow up. And some people do. They fall in love with a particular field and pursue it. Others find themselves meandering a bit more, as opportunities present themselves and interests twist and turn. Perhaps your journey in life and business looks similar.

To talk about taking untraditional paths, I (Kyle) interviewed Mark Duran, the CEO and Co-Founder of Student First Technologies. Mark and I discussed both the joys and the hard work of moving off a set path onto one you didn’t foresee.

“Be really honest with yourself. Why do you want to start a business?” -- Mark Duran

• Untraditional paths
• Expanding equity
• Choosing your work to learn
• Value of 5 year commitments
• Patience pays off
• Solidify your basics first
• Know and feed your why

• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
• A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools by Tim DeRoche
• The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann 

Mark Duran is the CEO and Co-Founder of Student First Technologies, which offers customized technology solutions to empower organizations that support School Choice. Their passion stems from the belief that every child deserves access to quality education, and the groups supporting quality education choice deserve software and processes built to make it happen.

studentfirsttech.com 

[email protected] 

X (Twitter)  ||  Linkedin - Mark Duran  ||  Linkedin - Student First Technologies 

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

When technology functions the way it should, people are more productive and happier in their work, and clients are served at a higher level. That’s why businesses that intentionally move with technology changes can flourish while others struggle. But it can be tricky to have enough time and resources to keep up.

To talk about growth through technology changes, I (Kyle) interviewed Ryan Grimes, the Founder and President of My IT Indy. Along with expounding on technology evolution through the years, and what it means for business, Ryan encouraged leveraging the most recent changes to set yourself apart.

“We talk about technological evolution as kind of being parallel to medicine. Because back when I was a kid, you had a doctor [who] pretty much did everything for you… Now everything is a specialization... Technology is kind of the same way at this point… Properly, you have to have a team.” -- Ryan Grimes

• You need a team
• Pushing forward by modernization
• Growth through technology
• Holding value to increase clients
• Caring for yourself to care for others

Ryan Grimes is the Founder and President of My IT Indy, a company passionate about all things technology. He built My IT Indy to help businesses use technology to increase productivity, while remaining secure.

The backgrounds and IT expertise of the My IT Indy team run deep. When you work with their team you’ll have: Network Engineers, System Architects, Cloud Solutions Specialists, Remote Work Technologists, Cybersecurity Specialists and Business IT Strategists.

Myitindy.com

[email protected] 

Linkedin - Ryan Grimes  ||  Linkedin - My IT Indy  

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

SavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

No matter what path you choose, if you don’t understand yourself first, you’re going to flounder. You’ll be hindered in knowing where you’re going, how to get there, and who to invite along. You may find yourself tempted by opportunities but struggling to make them successful.

To get some further insight into this, I (Kyle) interviewed Hamish Cohen, a Founder and General Counsel at Proteus Discovery Group, as well as a Founding Partner at Mattingly Burke Cohen & Biederman, LLP (MBCB). Hamish and I discussed his bold choice to leave a large, flourishing law firm to build two startups, and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way. 

“If you don’t know who you are, you’re not going to be in good relationship with anybody else… It starts with self-analysis.” -- Hamish Cohen

• Sailing your own ship
• Two buckets
• Understanding yourself first
• Sometimes it just doesn’t work
• Lessons from employees

Hamish Cohen is a Founder and General Counsel at Proteus Discovery Group, as well as a Founding Partner at Mattingly Burke Cohen & Biederman, LLP (MBCB). His practice focuses on client counseling and litigation for start-up businesses, Fortune 100 companies, sports organizations, individuals, and local, regional, and national business entities.

ProteusDiscovery.com

MBCBLaw.com

[email protected] 

Linkedin - Hamish Cohen  ||  Linkedin - Proteus Discovery  ||  Linkedin - MBCB 

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

SavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

When you absolutely love something, it can be uncomfortable and even scary to think of making it a business. What if it ruins your passion for that hobby or interest? What if your business utterly fails? Should you take the safe route and only work your interest on the side?

To discuss this real struggle, I (Kyle) interviewed Scott Leming, the Founder and Owner of Pax Custom Woodworking. Together we discussed the savagery–as well as the sage–of living your passion as a solopreneur.

“The thing I’m most afraid of is that I don’t want to turn a hobby into something that I don’t want to do anymore... I decided I wanted to be protective of it.” -- Scott Leming

• Passion for what you do
• Conquering the fear of hobby to business
• Self-awareness and self-protection
• Reducing fear through dreaming
• Hidden gold in your past

Scott Leming is the Founder and Owner of Pax Custom Woodworking. Pax means “peace” in Latin and that’s what Scott experiences as he delves into his passion of creating custom wood pieces for clients. He loves the challenges of new projects and bringing his customers’ visions to life.

Paxwoodworking.com

paxwoodworking.com/contact

Instagram  ||  Linkedin 

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  ||  [email protected]

SavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

All humans deserve to feel a sense of belonging in their work environments. This is not only an emotional and social issue but also a straight business issue. When people do not feel comfortable, they struggle to bring their best, causing performance and outcomes to suffer.

In this episode, I (Kyle) and Julie Kratz, the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of Next Pivot Point, discuss the necessity of allyship both for the individual and for businesses.

“Don’t all humans deserve to feel a sense of belonging in the work they do for 40+ hours a week? Why do we think that’s a ‘nice to have’ and not a ‘must have’?” -- Julie Kratz

• Implementing inclusion
• Subconsciously adhering to unconscious biases
• Freedom and professional benefits of self care
• Leaning into your genius
• Digging into available resources

• SHRM: The Voice of All Things Work 
• Edelman, including the Edelman Trust Barometer

Julie Kratz is the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of Next Pivot Point. A highly-acclaimed TEDx speaker and leadership trainer who promotes diversity, inclusion, and allyship in the workplace, she helps organizations foster more inclusive environments. 

Julie is also an author, keynote speaker, host of The Diversity Pivot Podcast, holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and is both a Certified Master Coach and a certified unconscious bias trainer.

Next Pivot Point

[email protected]

Podcast and Books: The Diversity Pivot Podcast  ||  nextpivotpoint.com/books

Linkedin - Julie Kratz  ||  Linkedin - Next Pivot Point

A turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company’s to-do list. 

FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.

Linkedin - Daniel  ||  [email protected]

Linkedin - Kyle  || 

While we’re taking a business from the dreaming concept phase into the nitty-gritty realization phase, there are countless milestones. But even as milestones are met, there are always more to achieve, creating what can sometimes result in a temporary, but widening gap. So how do we go about closing the gap between expectation and reality?

To discuss this question, I (Daniel) interviewed Emily C. Krueger, the President and CEO of 16 Tech Community Corporation. Emily talked about the savagery of closing the gap, knowing what to let go of, and encouraging team member autonomy and accountability. Emily also shared about values as a living, breathing document, identifying people that fit those values, and the grace of curiosity before criticism.

“In the course of this lunch conversation, the mentor said to me, ‘Emily, when there’s such a big gap between reality and expectation, the only thing you can do is sprint to close it’.” -- Emily C. Krueger

• Sprinting to close the gap
• Letting go of the right things
• Fostering autonomy and accountability
• Values as a living, breathing document
• Engaging community
• Why physical place matters
• Identifying people that get it
• Curiosity before criticism

Emily C. Krueger is the President and CEO of 16 Tech Community Corporation, the nonprofit operating entity of 16 Tech Innovation District. 16 Tech Innovation District is located in Indianapolis, and is a 50-acre community dedicated to fostering world-changing innovation and economic opportunity. 

It is their vision to develop an innovation district that creates opportunity, cultivates community, and facilitates discovery through the convergence of people, technology, purpose and place. Their driving mission is moving Indiana to the next level of global leadership through a placemaking strategy that attracts, develops, and retains talent by leveraging the unique entrepreneurial, corporate and university research assets in downtown Indianapolis.

Located near Central Indiana’s top healthcare, academic, and corporate institutions, 16 Tech’s fast-growing network of dynamic spaces, programming, tenants, and partners are creating an innovation ecosystem where bold ideas and emerging enterprises can thrive. They’re bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, startups, corporations, and community members from diverse backgrounds into a single place dedicated to collaboration and creative problem-solving. By forming ideas and forging partnerships, they are all propelling their entire region forward.

Website: 16 Tech Community Corporation (16 Tech Innovation District)

Email: [email protected]

Linkedin - Emily Krueger

Linkedin - 16 Tech

Instagram

Vimeo

Facebook

Twitter

Daniel is a partner and the VP of Business Development for FullStack PEO and co-host of the Savage to Sage podcast. He is passionate about seeing people, leaders, cultures, and...

As AI continues to expand and grow, it’s more and more critical that businesses not only adapt to using new tech but to leveraging it. To this end, becoming a company that creates custom solutions through innovative architecting is a wise strategy. This allows a business to remain on the cutting edge and to continue to meet the needs of clients, while others who do not adapt will, unfortunately, slowly fade. 

To address this need, I (Kyle) talked with Justin Fortier, Founder, CEO and CTO of FYC Labs. As we chatted, Justin shared the need for custom solutions, cultivating culture that’s not contrived, and what innovation is and is not. Justin also discussed the trajectory to team self-sufficiency, directing your value, and anticipating healthy letdowns in business.

“You don’t need to be Elon Musk to be innovative… You can be innovative in the way that you work each day and trying to find better ways–even if it’s incremental–to improve your workflow… your output… your teamwork… your leadership… To me, that’s innovation.” -- Justin Fortier

• Need for custom solution architecting
• Culture that’s not contrived
• What innovation is and is not
• Trajectory to team self-sufficiency
• Unapologetically eject
• Find your tribe
• Directing your value
• Healthy letdowns in business

Listen to the 1st podcast episode with Justin: WHEN YOU CAN'T KEEP IT DOWN WITH JUSTIN FORTIER

At FYC, they are a team of innovative and dedicated professionals who are passionate about helping businesses succeed. Their expertise in engineering, design, and strategy allows them to provide comprehensive solutions that drive businesses forward. They are committed to delivering exceptional results and building long-lasting relationships with their clients.

Their mission is to provide customized software solutions for a diverse range of industries, including government, nonprofit, education, healthcare, SaaS, consumer, and startups. FYC takes pride in the fact that their team of experts has extensive experience in these industries, which enables them to provide tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client.

FYC Syndicate is a group of businesses in which FYC has a stake through building, ownership, or investment. They aim to enhance the value of these businesses through their expertise and resources, fostering growth and success. As part of FYC Syndicate, businesses can access their network of resources, receive support from their experienced team, and have opportunities for advancement. Through collaboration, they can achieve greater success and significantly impact the business world.

FYC Labs

[email protected]

Linkedin - Justin Fortier 

Linkedin - FYC Labs

YouTube 

Instagram

Entrepreneurs are most successful when they fit and have passion for what they are undertaking. The answers to critical questions such as these indicate the probability of making it: How do they relate to the solution they are bringing into the world? Do they have grit and determination, especially in the early stages? Are they humble enough and willing to seek help and support when and where they need it? Are they crazy enough to invest in?

In this episode, I (Daniel) interviewed Matt Hunckler, Founder and CEO of Powderkeg, and Christopher (Toph) Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures. Together with their friend, Nate Spangle, Matt and Toph are also the co-hosts of the podcast Get IN. As we spoke, Matt and Toph shared about their entrepreneurial journeys, invigorating connections, and founder market fit. They also talked about finishing well with excellent execution, safety and encouragement in community, empowering mental energy, and the upcoming Global Cross-Sector Innovation Rally Conference.

“How do you relate to the problem and the pain point?... Do I see what I’m doing as part of something bigger? And not from an ego standpoint… Even if I benefit nothing from this endeavor, do I feel good about making this contribution?” -- Matt Hunckler

• Addressing problems
• Invigorating connections
• Founder market fit
• Grit and staying power
• Crazy enough to invest in
• Finishing well
• Safety and encouragement in community
• Empowering mental performance
• It’s about relationships
• Rally Conference

Rally Conference: The Largest Global Cross-Sector Innovation Conference will be held in Indianapolis, IN on AUGUST 29 - 31, 2023. Rally forges and celebrates cross-sector connections between companies, entrepreneurs, investors and universities from across the globe and features a $5M cash IN-Prize pitch competition, 1:1 investor meetups, a demo arena, content sessions and more!

Matt and Toph’s Podcast: Get IN

Matt Hunckler is the Founder and CEO of Powderkeg, a digital community that helps startups and professionals thrive in the fastest growing tech hubs in the U.S. With more than 10,000 active members, Powderkeg cuts through the noise, amplifies reach, and helps high-growth tech ventures connect with the resources they need to grow and scale in areas beyond Silicon Valley. 

Matt believes life is too short to work at a boring job. That’s why he created Powderkeg. They help match smart people with the best tech jobs so they can love their work and live their best life.

In previous roles at various fast-growing tech companies, he led Marketing, Product, Sales and a smattering of just about every other role right up to the CEO and founder. He’s started and bootstrapped companies and helped scale venture-backed businesses. Matt loves helping people level up in their career, connect with their calling, and reach their fullest potential.

Website: powderkeg.com 

Innovation Capital of the World, Indiana Tech Hub: