Sharpen The Spear

By Richard Walsh

Sharpen the Spear helps entrepreneurs escape the "owner prison" and scale their business. Hosted by a former Marine turned business coach, each episode offers quick strategies to gain freedom and succ... more

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FAQs about Sharpen The Spear:

How many episodes does Sharpen The Spear have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.

Sharpen The Spear episodes:

June 18, 2025 Building Strong Businesses: Michael Fortinberry on Culture, Mentorship, and Trades Innovation
In this episode, Richard Walsh chats with Michael Fortinberry about his journey from military service to entrepreneurship. Michael shares insights on starting businesses, perseverance, and recognizing strengths. They discuss effective delegation, strategic hiring, and building a strong company culture focused on employee satisfaction and work-life balance. Michael highlights aligning employee potential with company vision and the importance of role-specific contributions. They also explore incentive programs, mentorship, and the impact of AI on trades. Michael shares a success story of a young tradesman and offers ways to connect with him.
(0:00) Introduction of Michael Fortinberry
(0:27) Military background and entrepreneurship journey
(2:52) Starting companies and the role of perseverance
(5:05) Strengths, delegation, and hiring strategies
(7:55) Networking and the hiring process
(10:42) Building company culture and employee satisfaction
(19:50) Understanding financial needs and supporting employees
(24:23) Investing in employees and mentorship
(28:36) Company culture: Authenticity, transparency, and work-life balance
(33:07) Employee potential and strategic vision alignment
(37:15) Role impact on company success and team competition
(42:09) Incentive programs and creating a culture of success
(49:31) Craftsman with Character program
(52:01) Cross-departmental experience and the entrepreneur's role
(54:51) Adapting business vision and seeking feedback
(58:37) The impact of AI on business and trades
(1:03:03) Durable trades in a tech-driven world
(1:04:41) Career paths comparison: Plumber vs. lawyer
(1:05:28) Success story of a young tradesman
(1:06:47) How to connect with Michael Fortinberry
(1:07:32) Closing remarks and upcoming episodes
...more
1h 9min
June 16, 2025 Achieving Financial Freedom: Priscila Cosentino on Trust, Growth, and Wealth Strategies
Richard Walsh and Priscila Cosentino delve into the complexities of financial skepticism and the importance of customer service. Priscila shares her journey through financial losses, the value of mentorship, and aligning business goals with money types. They emphasize building trust and emotional intelligence as key elements in financial education and investment strategies. The conversation explores the balance between human connection and AI, highlighting the necessity of personal interaction for sales success. Priscila discusses the role of trust and referrals in business growth, as well as her approach to wealth advisory and financial planning. The episode concludes with insights on achieving financial freedom and defining wealth beyond monetary terms.
Disclosure Statement
We are an independent financial services firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of investment and insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. Investment advisory services offered through Virtue Capital Management, LLC (VCM), a registered investment advisor. VCM and Pri Cosentino are independent of each other. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. The information is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual’s situation. Content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any products mentioned.
Information provided is not intended as tax or legal advice and should not be relied on as such. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional.
Priscila Cosentino are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other government agency.
The opinions expressed by Richard Walsh and guests on this program are their own and do not reflect the opinions of this station. All statements and opinions expressed are based on information considered reliable but should not be relied upon as such. Statements or opinions are subject to change without notice. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Past performance cannot be used as an indicator of future results.
Any strategies mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Information expressed does not consider your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as personalized recommendations. Before acting on any information, please consult a qualified tax or investment advisor.
Investment advisory services offered through Virtue Capital Management, LLC (VCM), a registered investment advisor. VCM and Priscila Cosentino are independent of each other.
(0:00) Introduction to financial skepticism and customer service
(0:41) Sponsor: Sharpen the Spear Coaching
(1:08) Introduction of guest Priscila Cosentino
(1:35) Priscilla's backstory, financial losses, and learning
(4:32) Understanding business and finding mentors
(7:36) Money types, goals, and business alignment
(9:48) Building trust and emotional intelligence
(13:20) Financial education and investment options
(16:44) Continuous learning and adapting in business
(21:09) Human connection vs. AI limitations
(26:30) Necessity of personal interaction for sales
(32:02) Trust and referrals in business growth
(34:43) Priscila's wealth advisory and financial planning
(39:02) Managing profits and achieving financial freedom
(47:17) Defining wealth beyond money and connecting with Priscila
(48:33) First steps, closing takeaways, and sponsor message
...more
50min
June 13, 2025 Delegation and Growth: Renee Hastings on Virtual Assistance and Income-Producing Strategies
Richard Walsh is joined by Renee Hastings to delve into the world of income-producing activities and the role of virtual assistants in business growth. Renee shares her journey from discovering a passion for clerical work to balancing teen motherhood and education. They discuss the evolution of Renee's business and the benefits of virtual assistants for continuity and culture fit. The conversation highlights the importance of focusing on income-producing activities, expanding services to include social media and podcast production, and using podcasting as a marketing tool. Renee emphasizes delegation and faith in transitioning to a full-time business. The episode wraps up with ways to connect with Renee and closing encouragement.
(0:00) Introduction to Income-Producing Activities and Guest Renee Hastings
(0:30) Sponsor: sharpenthespearcoaching.com
(1:21) Renee's Background and Early Values
(4:03) Discovering a Love for Clerical Work and Business Ownership
(7:53) Balancing Teen Motherhood and Education
(10:45) Adult Education and Overcoming Challenges
(14:26) Renee's Business Evolution and Virtual Assistance
(19:09) Benefits of Virtual Assistants and Business Continuity
(21:53) Frustrations with Traditional Employees and Hiring for Culture Fit
(25:38) Selection and Screening of Virtual Assistants
(29:57) Value and Transition to Virtual Assistants
(34:35) Focusing on Income-Producing Activities for Business Growth
(38:57) Expansion of Services: Social Media and Podcast Production
(41:55) Podcasting as a Marketing Tool
(44:41) Transition to Full-Time Business and the Role of Faith
(46:23) The Importance of Delegation in Scaling a Business
(47:24) Connecting with Renee Hastings
(48:34) Closing Remarks and Encouragement
(49:10) Final Thoughts and Sponsor Recap
...more
50min
June 11, 2025 Mastering Marketing: Gee Ranasinha on Strategy, Differentiation, and Client Communication
Richard Walsh is joined by Gee Ranasinha to dive deep into the world of marketing. Gee shares insights from his agency background, emphasizing the need to integrate sales with marketing strategies, the impact of distributed working, and the internet's role in reshaping these fields. They tackle marketing misconceptions, the importance of education, and challenges in hiring and certification. The episode also covers diagnosing clients' true marketing needs, effective communication with the C-suite, and translating marketing metrics into business language. Gee and Richard discuss pricing strategies and the importance of differentiation to avoid commoditization. They explore automation, AI challenges, and managing client expectations.
(0:00) Introduction and Gee Ranasinha's take on marketing
(0:26) Sponsor: Sharpen the Spear Coaching
(1:07) Gee Ranasinha's backstory and agency insights
(1:49) Combining sales with marketing strategies
(2:16) Distributed working and internet's impact
(3:29) Richard Walsh on guest selection and ROI
(5:46) Marketing misconceptions and communication issues
(8:05) Comparing marketing to other business functions
(10:01) The necessity for marketing education
(12:06) Marketing's hiring challenges and certification discussion
(17:26) Debunking "digital marketing" and problem-solving
(20:15) Integrity and platform focus in marketing
(24:14) Diagnosing clients' true marketing needs
(28:54) Lead generation and sales funnel analysis
(32:36) Effective C-suite communication
(34:02) Misconceptions about marketing ROI
(36:25) Translating marketing metrics to business language
(39:00) Approaches to pricing: value-based vs. cost-plus
(41:51) Justifying premium pricing through high value
(46:20) Strategies to avoid service commoditization
(49:43) Managing on-site client requests and value messaging
(52:21) Automation and AI challenges in marketing
(53:29) Emphasizing differentiation in business
(54:43) Richard's sales process insights
(56:43) Setting and managing marketing expectations
(57:28) Contacting Gee Ranasinha
(59:01) Episode wrap-up and final thoughts
...more
1h 1min
June 09, 2025 AJ's Journey: Lessons on Perseverance, SaaS Success, and Strategic Business Growth
Richard Walsh and AJ delve into the significance of follow-up in sales and business growth. AJ shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting challenges faced with Market Circle and the impact of the dot-com bubble. They discuss the transition from consulting to developing Daylight and the perseverance required in shifting to a product-based company. The conversation covers the benefits and challenges of the subscription model and the role of advice, mentorship, and coaching in entrepreneurial success. They also explore the importance of team composition, leadership dynamics, and remote community engagement. The episode concludes with insights on strategic alliances and managing expectations.
(0:00) Sales statistics and the importance of follow-up
(0:22) Sponsor: SharpenTheSpearCoaching.com
(0:58) AJ's entrepreneurial journey and Market Circle's challenges
(4:11) Pivotal moments and the dot-com bubble impact
(6:25) The shift to consulting and developing Daylight
(9:01) Transitioning to a product-based company and perseverance lessons
(11:17) Instilling problem-solving and follow-up in business culture
(15:02) Embracing the software as a service model
(18:57) Customer adaptation to service model and hardware management
(21:38) Exploring the subscription model's benefits and challenges
(25:38) The significance of advice and mentorship in business growth
(28:52) Coaching's impact on entrepreneurial success
(32:35) The value of peer groups and training partnerships
(37:15) Importance of team composition and trust-building
(41:36) Leadership dynamics: friendliness vs. authority
(47:00) Systems for client relationship management
(49:00) Fostering remote community and engagement strategies
(52:00) Event planning and expert collaboration
(55:00) Strategic alliances and expectation management
(58:00) Closing thoughts and contact information
(58:33) Sponsor message: Sharpen the Spear Coaching
...more
1h
June 06, 2025 Chris Cannon on Systems, Delegation, and Building a Competitive, Client-Focused Business
Richard Walsh and Chris Cannon delve into the art of building a business around pain points, exploring Chris's entrepreneurial journey and the challenges he overcame through delegation. They highlight the importance of systems and processes, with Chris sharing his innovations in the dental industry. The episode covers business differentiation, identifying ideal clients, and fostering a positive work culture. Chris discusses contrarian strategies, leveraging the force multiplier effect, and prioritizing customer service. They emphasize creating lifetime client value, learning from various industries, and achieving business goals. The conversation concludes with insights on identifying hidden revenue, the ego box concept, and connecting with Chris Cannon.
(0:00) Building a business around pain points
(0:28) Sponsor: Sharpen the Spear Coaching
(0:55) Introducing Chris Cannon and his entrepreneurial journey
(2:05) Overcoming business challenges and the power of delegation
(3:41) The role of systems and processes in business success
(5:40) Innovations in the dental industry by Chris Cannon
(9:35) Differentiating your business in a competitive market
(13:18) Identifying your ideal client base
(16:12) Fostering a positive work culture for employee retention
(19:01) Employing contrarian strategies for business growth
(20:29) Leveraging the force multiplier effect for client expansion
(22:24) Prioritizing customer service and communication
(26:07) Building lifetime value with clients
(30:17) Learning superior customer service from various industries
(35:02) Creating and sustaining a positive work environment
(37:47) Embracing continuous improvement and adaptability
(41:10) Achieving business vision and goals
(42:28) Identifying hidden revenue and addressing inefficiencies
(44:27) Gaining insights from external perspectives
(45:16) The ego box concept and sharing success
(47:04) Profit, freedom, and impact - final thoughts
(48:01) Connecting with Chris Cannon
(48:25) Closing remarks and sponsor message
...more
50min
June 04, 2025 Maximizing Efficiency: Philip Sessions on Virtual Assistants and Business Systemization
Richard Walsh and Phillip Sessions explore the transformative impact of virtual assistants in service-based businesses. Phillip discusses rebranding to The Unfiltered Sessions Podcast and how virtual assistants enhanced his operations. They highlight the benefits of task delegation for growth and cost efficiency, stressing the importance of working on rather than in the business. The episode covers setting metrics, training employees, and using SOPs for effective follow-up. They discuss assessing client systems, empowering virtual assistants, and rewarding employees for system building, along with the roles of executive assistants and reevaluating business operations. A free delegation guide is offered.
(0:00) Importance of virtual assistants in service-based businesses
(0:23) Sponsor: SharpenTheSpearCoaching.com
(0:50) Introduction of Philip Sessions and his virtual assistant agency
(2:00) Rebranding to The Unfiltered Sessions Podcast and starting with virtual assistants
(3:35) Benefits and types of tasks for virtual assistants
(7:02) Delegating tasks for business growth and cost efficiency
(9:22) Philip's business improvement with virtual assistants
(11:16) Setting metrics and expectations for virtual assistants
(13:32) The importance of working on the business vs. in the business
(16:12) Measuring employee performance with metrics
(17:41) Training employees and the seven-call rule for follow-up
(21:24) Leveraging virtual assistants for follow-up and importance of SOPs
(23:41) Business systems: Job functions, how-tos, and training
(26:27) Onboarding, empowering VAs, and updating processes
(32:01) Assessing client systems before placing VAs
(37:07) Rewarding and recognizing employees for system building
(43:05) Systemizing business and key virtual assistant services
(45:01) Role of an executive assistant and the gatekeeper role
(49:56) Reevaluating business operations and offloading tasks
(51:57) Free guide on delegation and its benefits
(53:03) Closing remarks and call to action
...more
54min
June 02, 2025 Strategic Partnerships and Personal Growth with Brian Seim
Richard Walsh is joined by Brian Seim to discuss the intersection of self-awareness, belief, and coaching. Brian shares insights on identity, personal struggles, and the transformative power of small groups and masterminds. They explore the role of faith in overcoming business failures and the importance of morals and truth in coaching. The episode delves into building relationships through masterminds, strategic expansion, and the nuances of revenue versus profit. Brian and Richard highlight the critical aspects of selecting the right business partners, sharing success stories, and essentials for partnership agreements. They also discuss avoiding pitfalls and leveraging partnerships for growth.
(0:00) Introduction and guest Brian Seim's background
(1:24) Self-awareness, belief, and coaching insights
(2:53) Identity, personal struggles, and the power of small groups
(8:31) Business failures, identity, and the role of faith
(16:10) Collective wisdom in masterminds
(23:18) Morals, truth, and "my truth" in coaching
(27:00) Integrating play and truth discovery in life
(31:30) Building relationships and personal growth in masterminds
(40:04) Expanding mastermind groups with strategic methods
(41:02) Connecting with guest Brian Seim
(43:25) Revenue vs. profit in business
(44:12) Scaling through strategic partnerships
(46:30) Selecting the right business partners
(48:15) Partnership success stories
(50:45) Partnership agreement essentials
(53:10) Avoiding partnership pitfalls
(55:20) Leveraging partnerships for business growth
(56:45) Sponsor: BlueWave Consulting
(57:10) Outro and next episode teaser
...more
44min
May 30, 2025 Mastering Business Finances: Brian Lang on Strategy, Systems, and Financial Freedom
Richard Walsh and Brian Lang discuss the importance of financial literacy and strategy in business growth. Brian shares his background with Upside CFO and common financial challenges faced by businesses. They explore the significance of tracking finances, tax planning, and the impact of business journey stages on self-evaluation. The episode delves into forward-thinking strategies, accountability, and the rise of fractional services. Brian provides insights on subcontracting, financial oversight, and system implementation to improve business efficiency. They also cover diversifying income, teaching kids money management, and building freedom into business goals. Brian wraps up with contact information and actionable advice.
(0:00) Brian Lang's client success story and introduction
(0:33) Sponsor: SharpenTheSpearCoaching.com
(1:20) Brian Lang's background, Upside CFO, and common financial issues
(2:39) Career journey, learning experiences, and personal life
(5:05) Strategy and financial expertise in business growth
(7:12) Challenges and importance of tracking business finances
(9:20) Financial literacy and execution of coaching advice
(10:26) Impact of business journey stages and self-evaluation
(12:12) Aversion to numbers and tax planning strategies
(16:42) Case study: Blue collar business and tax planning impact
(20:19) Forward-thinking strategies and accountability in finance
(24:01) Financial investment impact and pricing strategies
(27:13) Rise of fractional services and communication with providers
(32:29) Benefits and challenges of subcontracting
(34:30) Future of fractional services and early financial planning
(41:47) Real-world examples of financial oversight in business efficiency
(43:24) Financial oversight, acquiring businesses, and importance of systems
(45:07) Implementing systems and team morale
(49:06) Delegating system implementation and preventing burnout
(53:47) Diversifying income and teaching kids money management
(1:05:18) Building freedom into your calendar and self-sustaining business goals
(1:09:43) Business metrics, impact on families, and choosing your path
(1:15:55) Incremental business improvements and contact information
(1:20:29) Closing remarks and sponsor mention
...more
1h 21min
May 28, 2025 Unlocking Financial Freedom: Tax Strategies and Real Estate Insights with Peter Culver
Richard Walsh chats with Peter Culver about his entrepreneurial journey and the founding of a trust company. Peter shares insights on business evolution, tax strategies, and achieving financial freedom, using an iceberg analogy. They discuss the importance of exit strategies, tax reduction, and early tax projections. The episode covers delegating, time management, and critiques to-do lists in favor of measurable systems. Peter talks about growing wealth, teaching financial concepts, and benefits of multifamily real estate investments. They explore real estate niches, asset leveraging, and conclude with tax reduction success stories.
(0:00) Introduction of guest Peter Culver
(0:32) Overview of Peter's businesses and entrepreneurial challenges
(2:58) Peter's career transition and founding a trust company
(5:01) Evolution of Peter's businesses and tax strategies
(7:45) Iceberg analogy for tax strategy and financial freedom
(10:59) Importance of exit strategies and tax reduction
(13:01) Role of tax strategists and timing for tax planning
(17:09) Early tax projection and expert perspectives
(19:42) Delegating, time management, and personal finance principles
(23:21) Ineffectiveness of to-do lists and value of measurable systems
(25:06) Growing wealth and teaching financial concepts
(27:48) Benefits of multifamily real estate investments
(31:18) Exploring different niches within real estate
(32:27) Leveraging assets and understanding financial education
(35:22) Tax reduction process and examples of success
(39:50) Improving quality of life through financial planning
(41:24) Accessing educational materials and taking action
...more
44min

FAQs about Sharpen The Spear:

How many episodes does Sharpen The Spear have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.