My guest on today’s podcast is Broc Buckles. Broc is the co-founder and co-owner of BC- Brokerage- an independent insurance brokerage firm based out of indianapolis indiana, providing life insurance, as well as disability, long term care, and annuities to clients. What’s unique about BC-Brokerage is that they don’t market direct to consumer like most insurance agencies. Instead they have chosen to work directly with fee-only financial planners like myself to serve our clients and solve a very specific pain point in the fee-only space which is how to provide insurance solutions to clients when we aren’t salespeople. In this episode we talk about Broc and his business partner Peter’s journey of working in the insurance space and learning exactly what they don’t want to do which is upsell, call their friends and family for sales, and live transactionally. And how they came across the fee-only community and saw a real need that they could serve. We talk about how they navigated the early days of getting their name out there all the way until now when phone calls are no longer going out from their office but pouring into their office and how they have managed immense growth. Broc also spoke candidly and highly of his relationship with Peter- how starting a business together with a friend alters the relationship, but how they have successfully built a healthy partnership based on respect, genuine care for each other, and playing to each others’ strengths. And be sure to listen to the end as Broc shares how he defines success, and how it doesn’t have to do with the dollars in the bank, but rather the feeling of fulfillment and freedom he is working towards. So with that introduction, I hope you enjoy this episode of the Self-employment Success podcast with Broc Buckles. 

Links
https://peacelinkfp.com/
https://www.bc-brokerage.com/

 I have a very special guest on today’s episode, my sister-in-law and dear friend Emily Brown Levis. Emily owns her own therapy practice operating as a couples therapist and a supervisor for other therapists starting off in their careers. What is unique about Emily is how she left a flourishing practice she had with a business partner in Northern Virginia to move to a new city to marry her husband, and in doing so had to restart her business from scratch. Living in a new city, with a new husband, and starting her business over was a year filled with some of life’s largest transitions. Emily speaks to how she navigated that with immense grace for herself in the process. In this episode Emily shares honestly about her own journey through burnout and a depressive episode that led her to do some real and deep heart work, asking herself if being a therapist is really what is best for her and how she ultimately came to the decision that, yes, it is, but it has to be done in a way that provides balance and allows her to live her life to its fullest potential without burnout and without working with just anybody. And be sure to listen in, as Emily explains that a secret to her success this time around has been getting clear on who her ideal client is, and trusting the process to the point of turning away potential clients that didn’t fit that mold. So with that introduction, I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the self-employment success podcast with Emily Brown Levis.

My guest on today’s podcast is Wills Francis. Wills is the founder and partner of Former Colleagues, a comprehensive and immersive multi-disciplinary brand experience, communication, and idea practice that partners with ambitious, established brands that want to explore ideas and creative concepts outside of their status quo. What’s unique about Wills is his innate desire and need to engage the creative aspects of his identity. In today’s episode Wills talks about his experience working in a job, not utilizing his creativity to its full potential, and how it was beginning to slowly dull his soul. He talks about how the support of his wife, and the need to feed his creativity led him to creating Former Colleagues with his business partner. He also shares about his journey to have confidence in himself, and to daily battle the head trash that inevitably comes for everyone on the journey of self-employment. In this episode Wills speaks to entrepreneurs directly and provides insight and wisdom in how to develop the identity of your organization, business, product, etc, and how that is critical to its success, but also involves play and exploration of self. And be sure to listen to the end as Wills explains what achieving success looks like for him, and I will give you a spoiler, it has nothing to do with income. I had a blast having this conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. So with that introduction I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the Self-Employment Success Podcast with Wills Francis.

My guest on today’s podcast is Will Fortanbary. Will is the owner of Fort Studios, a motion graphics design firm located in Atlanta Georgia creating graphic design projects for folks like the NFL, Chick Fil A, Dude Perfect, and other renowned artists and companies. What’s unique about Will is how early on in his career, when working as an employee, he learned that he could make multiples more income on the same types of projects if he just cut out the middle men and worked as a freelance agent and how that prompted him to build his own reputation in the industry, separate from the companies he worked for. In this episode we talk about how he worked nights and weekends on projects outside of his 9-5 motion graphics job to build his business. Will shares about the concern his wife, Joy expressed at the idea of him going full time and the fear of that becoming an all consuming thing in Will’s life, but how he was actually able to get more done in less than 8 hours a day by going full time on his own. And how it eliminated the need to work nights and weekends while still taking on bigger and more projects. We also talk about Will’s desire to stay a solopreneur, to maintain a lean business, and how that affords him the ability to choose the projects he works on and also foster the life he wants inside and outside of work. And be sure to listen to the end as Will expresses how he defines success and why he has already achieved success in his life. So, with that introduction I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the Self employment success podcast with Will Fortanbary.

My guest on today’s podcast is Maddie Alm. Maddie is the owner of Fueling Forward Nutrition, a sports nutrition consulting firm based out of Boulder Colorado, working alongside runners and endurance athletes to help them optimize their performance through proper nutrition. What’s unique about Maddie is that she is a professional runner herself. She walked on to her college team and through working with a dietician herself, went from one of the worst runners (those were her words not mine) to one of the best. Through her own story she came to realize that many athletes in endurance sports are underserved when it comes to things like sports nutrition counseling, so she decided to become a registered dietitian. In today’s episode we talk about how being a dietician affords lots of opportunities in the form of traditional jobs, but how she went out on her own, so that she could work with the specific types of athletes she wanted to work with, in the ways she wanted to, and how that also afforded her the freedom to continue to run and compete herself. We talk about how Maddie took her own advice, and hired a professional business coach to help her structure her business and in doing so doubled her income in a matter of months. This episode is jam packed with great thoughts and nuggets for all types of entrepreneurs. And be sure to listen to the end when Maddie shares some nutrition best practices and tips for busy entrepreneurs. So, with that introduction, I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the Self employment success podcast.

My guest on today’s podcast is Nat Browning. Nat is the owner of Of Great Value Jewelry, a handmade jewelry business that has experienced significant growth in the last year. What’s unique about Nat is how she never intended to be an entrepreneur. In this episode, we discuss her journey to figure out what she wanted from work. How she was working multiple side hustles and going to grad school to try and get a “stable job” that she thought she should get. How Of Great Value was consistent in her life throughout years of inconsistency. And how a conversation with another creative entrepreneur she was working for pushed her to take the leap, follow her passion, and go full-time with Of Great Value. We also talk about the immense community support and outpouring for her, and how that carried her not only through starting a business but also through an unfortunate situation where she lost 90% of her inventory. And be sure to listen to the end where Nat passionately describes the deeper meaning behind the name Of Great Value and how she is passionate about adorning people with valuable, intentional, and handmade jewelry in a way that reminds them that they are valuable, and intentionally made as well. So with that introduction, I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the Self-Employment Success Podcast. 

My guest on today’s podcast is Brandon Kopp. Brandon is the owner of Tidewater Insurance Brokers. A booming insurance company offering personal insurance lines to customers. What’s unique about Brandon is how he never planned on being a business owner. How he was dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how that led him to quickly launch his business. In this episode, we talk in length about Brandon’s focus on maintaining the right priorities. How he has worked hard to foster the culture and values of his business and his team just as much as fostering sales. And how he has intentionally created boundaries around his work to make sure he is investing just as heavily in his personal life, his family, and the things outside of work that matter. And be sure to listen to the end as Brandon talks about how his team has built-in client care measurables called Surprise and Delights, which don’t necessarily make any money, as a key measurable metric to the success of the business and each employee. So with that introduction, I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the Self-Employment Success Podcast with Brandon Kopp. 

My guests on today’s podcast are Blake Dozier and Cory Jessee. They are business partners and the owners of OnPoint Building Services, one of the largest janitorial services companies in coastal Virginia. What’s unique about Blake and Cory is their commitment to creating a “white-collar experience, in a blue-collar industry.” In this episode we talk in length about their focus on fostering the growth and development of the people that work for them at all levels of the business from the management team to the actual cleaners themselves. And how they desire to create an experience and pathway for all employees to grow and have an experience with their work that is beyond just getting paid but ultimately benefits their quality of life as a whole through their work. We talk about how this belief in caring for everyone on the inside of the business is the true secret sauce to success and growth on the outside. It is also what ultimately led them to be voted the best place to work in 2021, an award rarely given to blue-collar companies. And be sure to listen in as they talk about their relationship both inside and outside of work, what their partnership has looked like, and the keys to creating a partnership that is successful long term. So with that introduction, I hope you enjoy today’s episode of the self-employment success podcast with Blake Dozier and Cory Jessee. 

On today's episode we hear from John Powers. John runs Powers Rawls Real Estate, a prominent residential real estate sales team located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. What is unique about John is that he runs his business alongside his wife Kaylee. They came into the business underneath Kaylee's grandmother, but were needed to take over the business quickly, in a season where they were still learning a lot themselves.  In this episode we talk about how John and Kaylee left the security of both having secure, salaried incomes to going all in on commission income as a family. We discuss how they navigated a succession plan that happened faster than anybody planned both relationally as a family and professionally in the community. We also discuss John's desire to remain humble amidst all of the transition and growth in their business. And be sure to listen to the end as John discusses the dynamics of working and running a business with his Spouse- the challenges and how they made the  decision to hire a coach to help them grow in their marriage, have hard conversations, and ultimately produce more connection. 

Leland Gross CFP® introduces himself and his heart behind producing the Self-Employment Success Podcast, and what you can expect as a listener.