Self Made Strategies

Episode 115 - Nabwana Isaac

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

You are about to hear an amazing and inspirational story about an entrepreneur who is based in Uganda.  Nabwana Isaac is a filmmaker, producer, director, editor, and director of photography, based in Kampala, Uganda.

He is the owner and founder of Ramon Film Productions, as well as Wakaliwood (wakaliwood.com).  Wakaliwood is a film studio based in Wakaliga, Uganda.  Its founder, Nabwana IGG (our guest), has been called Uganda's Tarantino, as well being referred to as the Steven Spielberg of Uganda.  His action movies are frequently made for less than $200, and sold by the cast and crew (before the black market bootlegs make furhter revenue generation impossible).

Become a PATREON of Wakaliwood here: https://www.patreon.com/wakaliwood

On this episode you will hear:

* Isaac's first exposure to filmmaking (which was actually just hearing about the movies, showing at the local cinema halls, from his brothers)

* How Chuck Norris and Clint Eastwood, influenced and inspired Nabwana's movie making style

* Isaac's 3 month journey to learn to use the software at his disposal

* How Isaac leveraged every opportunity to become a filmmaker

* Isaac's life as a brick-maker, saving as much as he could to buy his first camera

* How his grandfather inspired Isaac to focus on his talents and chase his dreams

* The naysayers that would tell Isaac he would not be able to shoot action films on his budget, and how Isaac overcame them

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted and produced by Tony Lopes, and edited by Eric Leidelmeyer, in Philly, PA USA.  Nabwana Isaac joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Kampala, Uganda.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com).

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, so you can catch the latest episodes.

www.selfmadestrategies.com

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

About this episode:

Claus Raasted is an innovation strategist, and has been pushing the limits of the possible for twenty years. He serves as the Director for The College of Extraordinary Experiences, is a Coach at McKinsey, and releases a daily innovation keynote on his YouTube channel. He is a prolific author, with 30 books to his name, and has just finished ”The Innovation Cycle.” Claus Raasted also has a past in reality TV, but these days, who hasn't?

Visit the College of Extraordinary Experiences here: https://extraordinary.college/

On this episode you will hear Claus discuss:

* All about the College of Extraordinary Experiences

* Why you should incorporate experience design into your business (regardless of the type of business it is)

* Best practices for developing your own experience design

* How to get your own "Smurf"

* Why storytelling is important to the message you deliver

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Claus Raasted joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Rønne, Capital Region, Denmark.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com).

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, so you can catch the latest episodes.

www.selfmadestrategies.com

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

113: Jessica Wolfson - Finding Success Through Multiple Projects at Different Stages

On this episode, we bring you the Self Made Strategies of Jessica Wolfson.  Jessica is a video and film Director & Producer with a strong track record and expertise in curating creative content in complex fast-paced environments.  Jessica has also worked as a marketing strategist for traditional and digital distribution, develops and manages dynamic multi-platform marketing strategies for theatrical, TV, home video, and digital releases.

Jessica has worked in many roles from director to post production supervisor.  She manages budgets, scripts, schedules, crew, cast, locations, sets, as well as post production and distribution sales.  She often works as a creative or distribution consultant for filmmakers, guiding them through the production and release processes.

She additionally works in strategic marketing and impact producing for both traditional and digital distribution companies and have created and managed dynamic multi-platform marketing strategies for theatrical, television, VOD, SVOD, home video, and digital releases.  She develops cross-promotional plans with strategic partnerships that result in building awareness and generating sales.  Additionally, Jessica has overseen social media channels to develop strategies, engaging content, sizzle reels and trailers, and analyze data to improve digital campaigns for both brands and individual titles.

Jessica's specialties include: Documentary and Independent Films, Television, Branded Content, Strategic Marketing and Impact Producing.

You check out Jessica's film projects and more by visiting her website: lostfootagefilms.com

On this episode you will hear Jessica discuss:

* How every project (film or otherwise) is a learning and growth experience

* Why you need to start with the basics

* The elements of storytelling

* How Jessica broke into the film business, and later into independent film consulting

* Jessica worked on many projects at once, but at different levels, and how that facilitated her success

* Jessica's best practices for keeping your priorities, and saying "no" to projects that do not align with those priorities

* How Jessica has survived as an entrepreneur and mom of two

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Jessica Wolfson joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Austin, TX.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com).

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, so you can catch the latest episodes.

www.selfmadestrategies.com

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

112: Jaclyn DiGregorio - Why You Need to Start Throwing so much Spaghetti out into the Universe Something MUST Stick

On this episode, we bring you the Self Made Strategies of Jaclyn DiGregorio. When Jaclyn was a 21 year old college student, she found herself in a corporate internship questioning what she really wanted out of life.

Then, without experience or savings, she decided to take a leap of faith in starting her own business. 4 years later, she is now running a thriving 6-figure business, has coached dozens of women, written 2 best-selling books, and has spoken at many colleges, conferences and corporations across the U.S.

Jaclyn believes that we all have the potential inside of us to create lives we absolutely love. Unfortunately, our brains like to make up lies about why this might be possible for someone else, but not for us.

The good news is, that those things are simply not true.

You check out Jaclyn's books, courses, and more by visiting her website: https://www.jaclyndigregorio.com

On this episode you will hear Jaclyn discuss:

* Why starting a business may be harder than it seems

* Practical steps for applying the law of attraction to your life

* How belief and action interplay with regard to creating the life you have dreamt about

* Morning rituals to achieve short term goals

* Why you should start writing down your dreams/beliefs/goals, and all of the possible ways that they can come to fruition

* The power found in playing with energy

* Advice on developing your own morning routines

* Why you should start believing that you can create anything in your life

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Jaclyn DiGregorio joined us remotely, via Zoom, from the Philly suburbs, in PA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com).

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform, so you can catch the latest episodes.

www.selfmadestrategies.com

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

111: Bo-Dean Sanders - Lines of Communication in Diversity and Inclusion

On this episode, we bring you the Self Made Strategies of Bo-Dean Sanders. B0-Dean transferred from Cheyney University, the oldest Historically Black College-University (HBCU) in America, to Villanova University, where he played football on a majority white team. He writes about diversity & inclusion in sports and the positive impact multiculturalism had on his personal relationships in college. 

Bo-Dean's new book, "Race Against…Against Race," is Bo-Dean's memoir about transcending stereotypes through the foundation of sports. He provides a unique perspective on building relationships with teammates and classmates from different socio-economic backgrounds and races by reaching out, talking, and listening.

It’s the story of one young athlete’s dream of playing college football and the racial divides that unfolded as he tried to fit in on a predominantly white campus.  He slowly integrates into his new environment by staying positive and focusing on shared experiences like chasing dreams.

While painting a picture of a student athletes’ campus life in the ‘80s, Sanders aims to examine the issues of race through his participation in college sports.

He discovered that he and his teammates learned from each other to develop and grow relationships based on mutual respect and acceptance.

You check out Bo-Dean's book (on Amazon) by visiting this link: https://www.amazon.com/Race-Against-Journey-Diversity-Inclusion/dp/1631953559

On this episode you will hear Bo-Dean discuss:

* How Bo-Dean's experiences can help with Diversity and Inclusion initiatives

* Why a positive mindset is important in overcoming culture shock

* How lessons from organized sports are relevant to diversity and inclusion initiatives

* Simple advice for finding common ground with someone

* Why competition needs to be removed from networking

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Bo-Dean Sanders joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Delaware County, PA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com).

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast, sign up for our newsletter, or to get more information about our guests.

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

Episode 110: Courtney Lawless - Strategies to Turn Your Dreams Into a Reality

On this episode, we bring you the Self Made Strategies of Courtney Lawless.  Courtney Lawless is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and tech founder who works with

businesses of all sizes to help execute strategies to turn their dreams into a reality.  Courtney currently serves as a co-host on the Amazon Prime show, Wolf PAC (which premiered in Jan 2021), where she engages with startups to help them accelerate their growth to actualize their potential. In addition to investing and advising, Courtney co-owns and manages a full-stack software development company, MoxēHub (https://moxehub.com/), where she builds sophisticated, high demand tech solutions alongside her expert team. Courtney explains, "At MoxeHub, we challenge conventional thinking by utilizing our unique skill sets to architect brilliant solutions from end to end. Our mission is to help bring strategic and disruptive innovations that positively impact peoples' lives to the market in an efficient & economic manner."

Courtney brings an exceptional record of 18 years’ experience and an extensive background in private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, real estate, and structuring large business deals. Courtney delivers a unique brand of intellectual capital, structured funding, and strategic partnerships to better guide founders and portfolio companies alike. Courtney specializes in identifying, growing, scaling, strategic development, and a hands-on approach to these companies' operations in further helping them achieve their full potential and success.

A self-professed strategy addict, she excels at bringing together the pieces of the puzzle needed to make a company successful. She has a no-nonsense attitude and is known for her no-frills speaking of the truth. Courtney is driven by a desire to help new companies grow, not only for the benefit of their stakeholders, but also for the well-being of their consumers. She believes in the power of business to uplift the communities they serve. As a mom, Courtney is passionate about her role in building a bright future and she has worked with several charities to help them reach their goals. With a sharp eye for talent and an instinct for identifying businesses with high growth potential, having raised over $5b in capital commitments from large institutions.

On this episode you will hear Courtney discuss:

* What venture capitalists look for when analyzing businesses for potential investment.

* The three pieces that indicated a successful business (the founders, the numbers, and the market).

* Best practices growing and scaling your organization.

* Why you need to focus on building a team, rather than doing everything.

* The new Amazon Prime show, Wolf PAC

* What to expect from Season 2 of Wolf PAC (currently in production)

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Courtney Lawless joined us remotely, via Zoom, from the Media, PA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast,

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

Episode 109: Dr. Cody - Why Adding TikTok (and Videos) to Your Content Marketing Strategy Could Significantly Increase Your Business

On this episode, we bring you the Self Made Strategies of Dr. Cody.  Dr Cody is an American-born,  Australian Chiropractor who has clicked, popped and adjusted his way to a popular social media account.  Dr Cody uploads various patients getting their back, neck, hips and any other body part possible cracked, allowing listeners to hear each individual "pop" sound with an ASMR-like quality. Dr Cody (@drcody_dc) has become a runaway hit on TikTok, enjoying 2.6M+ followers to go along with his 250K+ Instagram followers. 

On this episode you will hear Dr. Cody discuss:

* Why you should sometimes just say "why not," and take a risk (that usually is not much of a risk)

* Best practices for building a massive following (especially for individuals looking to maintain a professional personal brand)

* Why you must be both genuine, but also adding value

* Best practices for beginning your branding on TikTok

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Dr. Cody joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Australia.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast, sign up for our newsletter, or to get more information about our guests.

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

Self Made Strategies is now also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

Episode 108: Jen Groover - The MORE Method

On this episode, bring you the Self Made Strategies of Jen Groover.  Jen has been a top business and lifestyle contributor and content creator for major television networks such as ABC, CBS, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business News, and The CW. She and her products have also been featured on QVC. Jen also has regularly contributed editorial pieces to several prominent business magazines and online resources including The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Positively Positive, and The Story Exchange.  Her products, brand, and work have been featured in hundreds of media outlets including O! The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, People, US Weekly, SUCCESS and Entrepreneur.

Her success skyrocketed with the creation of the Butler Bag, the world’s first compartmentalized handbag, that became a multi-million dollar brand, and has not stopped since. Jen spring-boarded the Butler Bag’s success into an entire lifestyle brand, found at a variety of price points and well-known retailers, which led to the creation of subsequent lifestyle brands, Leader Girls, and Empowered by Jen Groover.  Leader Girls (more info here: https://jengroover.com) teaches young girls the importance of empowerment through play, while the recently launched “Empowered by Jen Groover” brand, including her one-hour PBS special and forthcoming book, comprises a variety of consumer products that encompass her quotes and inspire people to live life with passion and purpose.  The success and momentum of Jen Groover’s empowerment movement has led to the vision and launch of the Empowered Economy Initiative, which encourages corporations and universities to combine efforts in order to educate and support small business owners and entrepreneurs in their communities, thereby stimulating the economy.

Jen Groover has been tagged by SUCCESS MAGAZINE as a “One-Woman Brand,” a “Creativity and Innovation Guru” and a leading “Serial Entrepreneur” by Entrepreneur Magazine and ranked #8 by SAP in the Top 51 Influencers of Human Potential.  Now, she is helping individuals like you to get MORE out of their own lives with her book “The MORE Method.”

You can grab a copy of The MORE Method here: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B089CFPT2G&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_wXqcGb8EEAY82&tag=softstix-20

On this episode you will hear Jen discuss:

* How Jen went from developing the Butler Bag to creating programs like Leader Girls

* Jen's book, The MORE Method

* Why meditation can be helpful in getting more out of life

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Jen joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Media, PA USA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast, sign up for our newsletter, or to get more information about our guests.

Follow us on:

• 

On this episode, you will hear the Self Made Strategies of Nick Bayer, CEO and Founder of Saxbys Coffee.  Nick Bayer has always been in the business of bringing people together, whether it’s as one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s "Most Admired CEOs" or as a consummate team captain since Little League. So when he created Saxbys in 2005, Nick never really considered it to be a coffee company — instead, it’s a social impact company fueled by amazing food, beverage and hospitality. Philadelphia-based Saxbys has since grown from one corner cafe to nearly 30 units with a singular mission:

MAKE LIFE BETTER.

Saxbys is a hospitality business fueled by great coffee. We pair the local, friendly atmosphere of a neighborhood coffee shop with consistently delicious products you’d find at a big name coffee place.

Today, that team spans over 700 members across the Northeast that represent the change-makers of tomorrow. To that point, Nick introduced Saxbys’ pioneering Experiential Learning Platform (ELP) in 2015 in partnership with Drexel University — the nation’s first entirely student-run cafe where students earn full academic credit and wages through a university cooperative education platform. Nick’s vision for the platform is to embolden the next generation of entrepreneurs, providing undergrad students with tangible experience as a supplement to traditional classroom learning. In three short years, one ELP cafe has blossomed to twelve.

Nick is joining us today to discuss how he developed the concept for Saxbys, and a system that is repeatable and scalable by college students. For those of you who don’t believe millennials can pull off amazing things prepare to be blown away.

NOW also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

On this episode you will hear Nick discuss:

* How Nick developed the idea for Saxbys

* Out of all the mission statements Nick could have selected, why he decided on "Make Life Better"

* Pitfalls and issues in developing a system that focused on college student’s essentially running the majority of Saxbys' business  

* How to overcome the pitfalls in running a business focused on college students

* How Saxbys developed a system that was repeatable and transferable to students with little/no career experience

* Why Nick trusts student CEOs to run $1,000,000+ businesses

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Nick joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Philly, PA USA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast, sign up for our newsletter, or to get more information about our guests.

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn

On this episode, you will hear from a digital marketing specialist who works in paid and organic marketing, PR, and social media marketing and management, to help small businesses find their authentic voice for their audience through a holistic marketing approach. When Sarah DeGeorge is not working on digital marketing strategy, you'll find her on a walk at a local park reading or working in animal rescue and rehabilitation.

Visit sardegeorge.com to connect with Sarah or to get info on making your marketing more consistent.

You can watch the YouTube version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/IcEkBykS0Wg

Here are the Self Made Strategies of Sarah DeGeorge.

On this episode you will hear Sarah discuss:

* How Sarah started on her freelance marketing career

* Approaches that Sarah uses, that you can take with you, when it comes to building out a holistic or integrated marketing approach in client work

* The issues that Sarah has found with her own clients when it comes to their marketing strategy (we'll do a little bit of kind of case study)

* Best practices and how to avoid some of the pitfalls that other people are experiencing with their own marketing

* Sarah's strategies for developing consistent processes for your marketing (consistency is key!)

* How you can avoid imposter syndrome and burnout

NOW also available on the Self Made Strategies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOG-mybCfvYWhoXo4vPoB5g

Production Credits:

This Self Made Strategies Podcast is a SoftStix Productions LLC jawn. This episode was hosted, produced and edited by Tony Lopes, in Philly, PA USA.  Sarah joined us remotely, via Zoom, from Philly, PA USA.

The Self Made Strategies Podcast is sponsored by Lopes Law LLC (www.LopesLawLLC.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Self Made Strategies Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. You can find us on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Blubrry and many other podcasting platforms.

Don't forget to visit www.selfmadestrategies.com to subscribe to our podcast, sign up for our newsletter, or to get more information about our guests.

Follow us on:

• Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • LinkedIn