The Build Cycle

Think about a product you use weekly, then think about every way you could make it better. Then figure out how you could turn that into a product even without a the budget. That’s exactly what David McQuillen did when he launched The Sufferfest, a digital download series of cycling trainer videos that’s grown into a streaming app with exclusive rights to UCI race footage and global audience. While he may have lucked into a better distribution method, he made something infinitely better than the alternatives of the time, and has continued to improve it to stay at the top of his game and remain relevant amongst a slew of new virtual and digital competition. Here’s his story, full of lessons for any entrepreneur!

Check out the full show notes at The Build Cycle, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for bonus content between episodes!

Wondering how to start an events business? It doesn't matter if you're running a tradeshow, a conference, a marathon, or a kids obstacle course race series, the fundamentals are the same. That last one is what Billy and Helen Mattison have done, building Kids Adventure Games into a national race series that's ripe for growth. In this episode, they share where the idea came from, the participation numbers they need to fill an event, where their revenue comes from, and how they've created an experience that surprises and delights kids and parents alike. That helps them fill future events with repeat customers and grow the event through the wonderful free marketing known as "word of mouth". It takes more than a great idea to run a successful event, though. We talk about venue selection, timing, staffing and more, giving you a solid foundation upon which to build your own killer event or series.

For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast

Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Wondering how to start an events business? It doesn't matter if you're running a tradeshow, a conference, a marathon, or a kids obstacle course race series, the fundamentals are the same. That last one is what Billy and Helen Mattison have done, building Kids Adventure Games into a national race series that's ripe for growth. In this episode, they share where the idea came from, the participation numbers they need to fill an event, where their revenue comes from, and how they've created an experience that surprises and delights kids and parents alike. That helps them fill future events with repeat customers and grow the event through the wonderful free marketing known as "word of mouth". It takes more than a great idea to run a successful event, though. We talk about venue selection, timing, staffing and more, giving you a solid foundation upon which to build your own killer event or series.

For full show notes and images, click here.

Be sure to follow The Build Cycle on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

As a founder, many of us start our companies solo, then bring on people to help. And that's where it can get tricky…we're idea people, right? Not managers. No one taught us how to do this. How do you manage people? Could you do it better? Is there a difference between managing 10 employees or 600? Gary Smith is CEO of Polartec, one of the world's largest technical fabric manufacturers. They supply to The North Face, Timberland, Eddie Bauer & virtually every other outdoor clothing brand. He's also owner of Independent Fabrication, a boutique custom bicycle brand. Between the two, he's managing completely different workforce types and sizes. In this episode, he tells us how he does it and provides lessons on leadership we can all put into practice immediately!

For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast

Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

As a founder, many of us start our companies solo, then bring on people to help. And that's where it can get tricky…we're idea people, right? Not managers. No one taught us how to do this. How do you manage people? Could you do it better? Is there a difference between managing 10 employees or 600? Gary Smith is CEO of Polartec, one of the world's largest technical fabric manufacturers. They supply to The North Face, Timberland, Eddie Bauer & virtually every other outdoor clothing brand. He's also owner of Independent Fabrication, a boutique custom bicycle brand. Between the two, he's managing completely different workforce types and sizes. In this episode, he tells us how he does it and provides lessons on leadership we can all put into practice immediately!

Check the show notes for images and analysis, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for bonus content between episodes!

"It doesn't start with the content. It starts with the business goals."

If you're building a brand, you've almost certainly heard you that need a content marketing strategy, too. Which usually means a company blog, which means you need content to put on that blog. The more important question you should be asking yourself is "WHY do I need a content marketing strategy?"

In this week's episode, Blogs For Brands founder Yoon Kim helps us answer that, and provides strategies for developing the right kind of content marketing to increas sales and awareness, and other things to consider when planning your branded storytelling. We dive pretty deep, and I throw a lot of questions at him at once, but by the end of this podcast, you'll know how to develop your own content marketing strategy based on your goals and with performance metrics you can measure!

Find more actionable advice on content marketing on this episode's blog post, plus links to the tools Yoon mentions, photos and more!

Like it? Got more questions? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let me know what you want to hear more of!

"It doesn't start with the content. It starts with the business goals."

If you're building a brand, you've almost certainly heard you that need a content marketing strategy, too. Which usually means a company blog, which means you need content to put on that blog. The more important question you should be asking yourself is "WHY do I need a content marketing strategy?"

In this week's episode, Blogs For Brands founder Yoon Kim helps us answer that, and provides strategies for developing the right kind of content marketing to increas sales and awareness, and other things to consider when planning your branded storytelling. We dive pretty deep, and I throw a lot of questions at him at once, but by the end of this podcast, you'll know how to develop your own content marketing strategy based on your goals and with performance metrics you can measure!

Find more actionable advice on content marketing on this episode's blog post, plus links to the tools Yoon mentions, photos and more!

Like it? Got more questions? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let me know what you want to hear more of!

"It doesn't start with the content. It starts with the business goals."

If you're building a brand, you've almost certainly heard you that need a content marketing strategy, too. Which usually means a company blog, which means you need content to put on that blog. The more important question you should be asking yourself is "WHY do I need a content marketing strategy?"

In this week's episode, Blogs For Brands founder Yoon Kim helps us answer that, and provides strategies for developing the right kind of content marketing to increas sales and awareness, and other things to consider when planning your branded storytelling. We dive pretty deep, and I throw a lot of questions at him at once, but by the end of this podcast, you'll know how to develop your own content marketing strategy based on your goals and with performance metrics you can measure!

Find more actionable advice on content marketing on this episode's blog post, plus links to the tools Yoon mentions, photos and more!

Like it? Got more questions? Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let me know what you want to hear more of!

Do you ever wonder if other entrepreneurs are struggling with the same issues you are?

Daniel Galhardo launched Tenkara USA in 2009 and has grown it into the premiere brand of Japanese-style fly fishing rods through a combination of beautiful branding and aspirational marketing. But like every founder, he struggles with the same issues all entrepreneurs do. In this episode, we discuss how he's still figuring out his product cycle and management, hiring, and the ever vexing issue of how to delegate when you already know how to do it so well yourself.

We discuss how to keep things fresh when your products don't change every year, some of the ways we vet potential employees, as well as his startup story of finding manufacturers and launching the brand.

Like so many of us, he's figuring it out as he goes. One of my favorite quotes from this episode is: "I still treat my business as a learning opportunity. It's fun figuring things out, even if it's the hard way sometimes."

So, cast your attention this way and get ready to land some inspiration for running your own business better!

Quick note: If you liked this episode, click that SUBSCRIBE button your favorite podcast player, and leave me a review and rating. I want to know what YOU think, and what you'd like to hear more of!

For full show notes, links and images, check out this show's post at TheBuildCycle.com/Podcast

Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Overcast FM, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review and rating! And let me know who you'd like to hear interviewed...just message me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Do you ever wonder if other entrepreneurs are struggling with the same issues you are?

Daniel Galhardo launched Tenkara USA in 2009 and has grown it into the premiere brand of Japanese-style fly fishing rods through a combination of beautiful branding and aspirational marketing. But like every founder, he struggles with the same issues all entrepreneurs do. In this episode, we discuss how he's still figuring out his product cycle and management, hiring, and the ever vexing issue of how to delegate when you already know how to do it so well yourself.

We discuss how to keep things fresh when your products don't change every year, some of the ways we vet potential employees, as well as his startup story of finding manufacturers and launching the brand.

Like so many of us, he's figuring it out as he goes. One of my favorite quotes from this episode is: "I still treat my business as a learning opportunity. It's fun figuring things out, even if it's the hard way sometimes."

So, cast your attention this way and get ready to land some inspiration for running your own business better!

Quick note: If you liked this episode, click that SUBSCRIBE button your favorite podcast player, and leave me a review and rating. I want to know what YOU think, and what you'd like to hear more of!

For complete show notes, photos, links and more, check out this episode's blog post on The Build Cycle!