In this episode of The SCORE Podcast, co-hosts Tom Nixon and Marc Trail meet up with SCORE Certified Volunteer Mentor Richard Gibbs and his client Rebecca Aughton of Bra-Vo Intimates, as we discuss the importance of their professional relationship from the perspective of a well-established business and the current pandemic.

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Donna Hover, past chair of SCORE of Southeast Michigan and current principal of Leaders Laboratory joins co-hosts Tom Nixon and Marc Trail to discuss the attributes of effective leadership. Whether you are the CEO of a well established business, or are in the ideation stage, Donna discusses the important leadership elements necessary for your success.

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Paul Riser, Director of Detroit Urban Solutions for TechTown Detroit, joins co-hosts Tom Nixon and Marc Trail to discuss business incubators and accelerators, not only from the standpoint of the tech-based company, but also for traditional product and service companies that need to embrace this brave new world of digital platforms.

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Gino Wickman, best-selling author, serial entrepreneur and founder of Entrepreneurial Leap, joins co-hosts Tom Nixon and Marc Trail to discuss and examine the six essential traits of successful entrepreneurs, and how to determine if you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur! If you are thinking of starting a business, are in business and want to validate that you have these traits, or are struggling to determine why your business hasn’t reached its full potential, the tools discussed in Gino’s latest book “Entrepreneurial Leap” will give you the clarity you seek.

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Co-hosts Armando Ojeda and Tom Nixon are joined by Jeff Sloan, founder and CEO of StartupNation, a multi-media company that provides educational and inspirational resources to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners. Listen in as Jeff describes the free and premium services his platform provides to startup entrepreneurs, and to learn why SCORE’s partnership with StartupNation is a match made in heaven!

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What do you do when someone asks you, “So, what do you do?” Do you freeze up? Do you over-sell? Do you stumble? Do you tell a different story every time? What if there’s a high-stakes shark, banker or prospective client in the room? With so much at stake, it’s critical for business owners and entrepreneurs to get it right. And practice makes perfect. Marc Trail, volunteer with the Southeast Michigan chapter of SCORE, joins the show to talk through strategies for perfecting the art of the pitch.

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Paul Jones is Executive Director of Wayne State University’s Goldman Sachs 10 Thousand Small Businesses Program. He joins Armando and Tom to talk about this unique program that helps guide small businesses toward greater success, as well as more generally discussing funding and capital strategies and opportunities for startups and local small businesses in southeast Michigan. Tune in to see if your small business qualifies for this important program. The deadline to apply is September 28th!

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The pandemic and its economic fallout has, overnight, created tremendous challenges for entrepreneurs and small business owners, forcing (or inspiring!) many to pivot to new markets, new service models or new product offerings. Co-Owner of Detroit Cycling Studio, Nicole Nesbitt, joins hosts Armando Ojeda and Tom Nixon, along with her SCORE Certified Volunteer Mentor Angela Mitchell, to discuss how she and her husband were able to successfully pivot their dream business during a time of crisis.

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Co-hosts and SCORE volunteers Armando Ojeda and Tom Nixon are joined by Nancy Grose, Economic Development Specialist with the Michigan District Office of the SBA and our SCORE chapter liaison. Nancy provides her first-hand perspective and expertise on how small businesses in Southeast Michigan have survived—and even thrived—during the economic downturn, as well as the available resources small business owners should be tapping into in order to forge ahead.

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Co-hosts and SCORE volunteers Armando Ojeda and Tom Nixon welcome Master Mentor David Broner from the Southeast Michigan chapter of SCORE to the show. A mentor with more than 10 years experience guiding entrepreneurs along successful paths to small business ownership, David is a wealth of experience and knowledge, of which he shares some nuggets of wisdom in Episode 2.

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