The Authority Company

This week, Joe chats with Blake Johns, the founder of Smokeye Hill Whiskey, who shares the incredible story of his premium craft bourbon's meteoric rise. Blake recounts his journey from world champion equestrian to whiskey entrepreneur, detailing how his family's Arizona ranching heritage inspired the authentic brand story behind Smokeye Hill. The conversation delves into the challenges of entering the competitive spirits industry as a newcomer and the game-changing impact of unexpectedly winning Bourbon of the Year at the prestigious Ascot Awards. Blake offers insights into the complexities of scaling production in the bourbon industry while maintaining premium quality, and shares valuable entrepreneurial advice on taking risks and following one's passion. Listeners will gain a fascinating look at the craft spirits industry and the journey of creating an award-winning bourbon from scratch. Whether you're a whiskey enthusiast or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode provides an intoxicating blend of family heritage, business strategy, and the pursuit of the perfect bourbon.

In this candid conversation, Joe sits down with Jacob Furbee, CEO of XFS Global. He shares his unlikely journey from being nicknamed "Furball" during his grueling Marine Corps bootcamp to leading a major defense manufacturing company. Furbee opens up about the challenges of government contracting, navigating bureaucracy, and the leadership lessons he learned from his military service. His story showcases the transformative power of perseverance and self-improvement against all odds. Whether you're an entrepreneur, former military, or appreciate a success story, this is an inspiring listen.

On this episode of The Forbes Books Podcast, Joe speaks with Astrid Soto, a renowned entrepreneur and impact investor named one of the most influential women in mid-market M&A. Astrid shares her journey from working in her family's business at age 12 to becoming a powerhouse in private equity, offering insights on fundraising, navigating career challenges, and breaking barriers as a Latina in finance. She discusses the current state of M&A, particularly regarding baby boomer-owned businesses, and the importance of balancing technology with personal development. Astrid also reveals her exciting new venture in predictive technology, a cutting-edge project she's been developing under the radar. This episode is packed with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and thought-provoking reflections on success in the modern business landscape.

In this eye-opening episode of The Forbes Books Podcast, host Joe sits down with Kate Morgan, founder and CEO of Boston Human Capital Partners, to explore her revolutionary "embedded partner approach" to recruiting. Kate shares insights on why traditional recruiting methods are falling short and how her innovative strategy achieves a remarkable 20-25% candidate response rate. The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of work culture, including the shift away from rigid job descriptions and towards purpose-driven roles, as well as the impact of the tech bubble burst on salaries and employee expectations. Kate offers valuable strategies for balancing company culture with financial realities in both startups and established firms, while also discussing the challenges of managing younger generations in the workplace. Listeners will gain a wealth of knowledge on modern hiring practices, team management, and navigating today's complex employment landscape, with Kate even offering a sneak peek into her upcoming book on hiring strategies for cash-strapped startups.

In this episode of the Forbes Books Podcast, Joe has a fascinating conversation with Dr. Rob Douk, a trailblazer in behavioral health and wellness. Dr. Douk is the founder of The Well Club and has developed the "9 Dimensions" philosophy for holistic well-being, encompassing emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, creative, environmental, and financial aspects of life. The wide-ranging discussion covers Dr. Douk's journey of burnout and self-discovery that led him to prioritize whole-person wellness. Dr. Douk explains how the nine dimensions must be viewed holistically, as neglecting any one area creates an imbalance. He stresses the importance of tapping into the body's innate ability to heal through science-backed practices like meditation, breathwork, and developing a spiritual outlook beyond religion. The conversation explores techniques for overcoming lies, trauma, and harmful conditioning to unlock one's true potential for an abundant life. Dr. Douk outlines a process of knowledge, belief, habit-building, and attaining personal freedom. Overall, he shares his vision for transforming healthcare by empowering people to facilitate their profound mind-body-spirit wellness.

In this thought-provoking episode, Joe sits down with Tessa Adams and JT Swierczek, the co-founders of everle - a groundbreaking new networking platform. Addressing the widely debated negative impacts of social media, Tessa and JT share their visionary approach to reinventing online communities. With a mission to prioritize user privacy, mental health, and authentic connections, everle offers a refreshingly different social experience. Tessa and JT delve into the platform's unique features, including data privacy protection, on-demand mental health resources, and community-driven content moderation. The conversation explores everle's genesis, shedding light on Tessa's personal journey that inspired this innovative solution. As tech entrepreneurs, Tessa and JT candidly discuss the challenges of fundraising, particularly for female founders in the male-dominated tech industry. They also touch on the powerful shift towards women empowering and uplifting one another, fostering a collective movement of support. Join Joe as he dives into the minds of these trailblazers, uncovering their motivations, vision, and the potential impact everle could have on redefining authentic online connections and community building.

Joe welcomes Shelly Henderson, co-founder of Henderson Properties, to discuss her journey from stay-at-home mom to successful real estate entrepreneur alongside her husband Phil. Together, they grew Henderson Properties from a home office into a company managing over 750 rental properties across 180 communities. Shelly provides candid insights into the unexpected ups and downs of starting a business while raising a young family, as chronicled in her book "Starting From Scratch." She recounts how their entrepreneurial path began after friends asked them to manage rental homes during job relocations. The conversation covers the importance of teaching financial literacy from an early age to build generational wealth through homeownership. Shelly stresses instilling the values of hard work, budgeting, and delaying gratification in younger generations. She also shares wisdom on navigating today's turbulent housing market amid high interest rates while preparing for the cyclical nature of real estate. Throughout the interview, Shelly emphasizes the influential role that one pivotal opportunity can have in catalyzing an entrepreneurial journey. Her story exemplifies how embracing an unexpected open door, even amid chaotic life circumstances, can unlock unforeseen potential for business success. Shelly's experiences will inspire listeners to stay resilient and recognize when their own "sliding door" moments arise.

In this episode, Joe chats with Steven Pope, the founder of "My Amazon Guy," an agency helping brands sell on Amazon's platform. Steven shares his entrepreneurial journey and the problem his company solves: simplifying the process of listing and selling products on Amazon. He reveals secrets and strategies for scaling sales on Amazon, including how he helped one company achieve $80,000 in monthly sales within 90 days. Steven provides candid insights into the complexities of Amazon selling while offering practical advice for launching successful products on the platform.

In this episode, Joe sits down with Stan Gwizdak, CEO of the Kormac Group management consulting firm and author of the bestselling book "Karmic Selling: Earning Business by Earning Trust." Stan shares his unconventional path to selling, which began at age 8 by going door-to-door peddling seeds to earn money for a BB gun. Despite his early entrepreneurial knack, Stan initially resisted a career in sales, instead pursuing engineering and corporate operations roles. It took a life-altering car accident in 2004 for Stan to finally embrace his calling as a consultant, helping businesses drive transformational change. He opened up about the pivotal moment that made him ditch traditional manipulative sales tactics in favor of an authentic "seek to help, not sell" approach. The two explore Stan's philosophy that we are all "selling" in life, whether to spouses, kids, customers, or employers. He provides insights from "Karmic Selling" on building trust, delivering value first, and overcoming the fear of saying "no" to the wrong opportunities. Throughout the conversation, Stan emphasizes the power of staying true to one's authentic self rather than cloaking intentions behind empty sales tactics. His inspiring story shows how "giving away" value and putting people over profits can paradoxically lead to even greater business success.

Join Joe as he sits down with Justin and Lauren Owens, co-owners of Manzo Piedmontese, to discuss their unique beef label sourced from an ancient Italian cattle breed. Discover how these "magic cows" produce remarkably lean yet incredibly tender beef without marbling, making it a hit among celebrity chefs and professional athletes. Hear the fascinating backstory of how Justin's family has been involved with Piedmontese cattle for generations, and Lauren's journey adapting from city life to the modern ranching lifestyle. Learn about the premium pricing and direct-to-consumer model for their high-end beef products. And get insights into how they are educating consumers on properly cooking and enjoying this one-of-a-kind meat.