The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

All entrepreneurs are visionaries, but our latest podcast guest has a vision more lofty than most. Chris Mirabile aims to add one billion years of healthy life to humanity–a goal that may be within reach, given that Chris himself is aging 31% slower than the average person his age.

Chris is the CEO and Founder of NOVOS Labs, the first human longevity company to simultaneously address all 12 biological causes of aging through its innovative, patent-pending over-the-counter supplements. 

As a serial entrepreneur, brain tumor survivor, and the youngest winner of NYU Stern’s business plan competition, Chris has a track record of beating the odds. He’s co-founded multiple lucrative startups, all while pursuing a lifelong passion for wellness, with an emphasis on avoiding disease, extending his healthy lifespan, and maximizing his well-being. 

Getting Scientific Support

Although Chris’s background is in business, he wanted to ensure his ideas at NOVOS Labs were fully backed by the scientific community. So he decided to become a “citizen scientist”–running self-experiments, reading scientific articles, and networking with top scientists in the field. In the early years of NOVOS, Chris attended biotech events to get himself in the room with leading academics.

It’s an approach that’s paid off. NOVOS has significant support in the scientific community, with some of the top minds in the field endorsing their products. To date, their anti-aging supplements have been backed by more than 400 scientific and independent research studies.

Natural Ways to Improve Your Health

NOVOS Lab’s anti-aging supplements target 12 biological hallmarks of aging to improve health and extend the lifespan. But even without taking supplements, Chris says there are plenty of natural ways to slow the aging process.

The first strategy is through nutrition. Meal timing, otherwise known as intermittent fasting, involves restricting your food intake to certain hours of the day (typically 16 hours of fasting with an eight-hour window for eating). Eating natural foods such as fish and whole eggs, is another way to slow aging. 

As for exercise, Chris recommends 25 minutes of low to moderate cardio each day, paired with strength training two to three days per week. Another important factor for our health is sleep: if you live in the city, try blackout curtains or an eye mask to keep light out of your bedroom. Make sure the temperature of the room is cool and use ear plugs to block noise if necessary. 

Meeting Market Demand

It’s clear from the success of NOVOS that Chris had identified a strong market need. Their supplements sold out in the first week, and for the first year, their biggest problem was keeping up with demand. All of NOVOS’s early growth was organic and word-of-mouth.

In July 2021, the company sales metrics were still performing extremely well, so they decided to raise their first round of venture capital. With the help of $5 million in funding, they hired their first employee that fall and have grown steadily ever since.

Enjoy this episode with CEO and Founder Chris Mirabile…

Quotes

“The question is, is what you’re about to do actually good for you in the long-term as well? And the answer is not always. A lot of the health advice, and even medical advice at times, is focused on short-term goals.”

“I want to have a positive impact on the world. I want to do good for people in any way that I can.”

“The way I define longevity is increasing your healthspan and your lifespan–both how long you live without chronic disease and how long you live before passing away.”

“What we’re thinking about is the 100-year-old who’s on the dancefloor at their great-great-grandkid’s wedding and living it up, and has more energy than the 50-year-olds and 40-year-olds. That’s longevity. That’s what we want, and that’s achievable.” 

“How can we take modern living environments and optimize lifestyles as much as possible, so that we can replicate–or even go further, in some cases–than those living in Blue Zones?”

“I want to spread this knowledge to as many people as possible, because you really can slow down or speed up your pace of aging, and everyone should at least have that knowledge to then decide for themselves if they’re going to take the care to slow down their aging.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

NOVOS Labs Website: https://novoslabs.com

Chris’s Website and Blog: https://slowmyage.com 

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismirabile

The tech industry is renowned for expensive startup costs and never-ending elevator speeches. Kevin Lancaster is the Co-Founder of a company that’s changing the game, connecting service providers and vendors on a level playing field.

As the CEO and Co-Founder of Channel Program, Kevin has been named one of the Top 25 Software Sales Executives by The Software Report in 2021. He’s built channel programs that have generated more than $5 billion in revenue and is a leading authority on cyber security, technology innovation, startup acceleration, and channel program development. His passion for supporting the underdog, creating meaningful partnerships, and making space for diverse voices fuels his work at Channel Program.

Kevin has an unrelenting drive to revolutionize the IT channel by empowering and inspiring both vendors and IT service providers to focus on community-building, collaboration, and respectful communication–a formula he believes will lead to greater success and health for the channel as a whole, along with its thousands of partners. 

How personal branding contributes to MSP success

Kevin has two main recommendations for anyone looking to build a successful MSP. The first is to build a strong personal brand–post consistently online, share thought leadership content, and be transparent about what you’re doing and why. Both Kevin and his business partner have spent years building their brand and reputation in the industry.

The second recommendation is to take a sales class, especially if you’re an introvert or selling is outside your comfort zone. Get comfortable talking to customers and build relationships. These two skills work hand-in-hand, as creating a personal brand will also help you sell more effectively. 

Creating an open and accessible community

After working in the industry for years, Kevin realized that the largest vendors were pricing out emerging competitors. At trade shows, for example, the larger companies held a monopoly on keynote speeches and the best booth locations, while newer startups were relegated to the sidelines. 

Kevin and his business partner wanted to give those scrappy startups an opportunity for equal access. So they launched a virtual event, Channel Pitch, where every company received seven minutes to pitch to vendors, regardless of size. The event was a hit and Channel Program grew the platform it is today, where vendors and IT service providers can connect in an open and equal community.

Enjoy this episode with Channel Program CEO Kevin Lancaster…

Quotes

“There are a handful of large vendors out there that are private equity backed, publicly traded, and they have deep pockets. What I’d see at these industry events, is you’d go up and down the rows, and you could see that the big vendors had the pockets to keep out all these emerging vendors. And in my opinion, they were stymying the innovation that could occur within the channel. The small, scrappy startups had these great ideas and great platforms but they weren’t getting the visibility.”

“Where do we go from here? How do we build a recurring revenue business that provides value to both sides of the industry?”

“That’s what drives me: trying to solve these problems.”

“As we looked at this massive marketplace and all the challenges, we thought, how do you break it down to the common denominator? How do you make it just stupid simple? If I can explain it to my daughter who’s 14, then we’re onto something.”

“We couldn’t have done this if we hadn’t built strong personal brands. Yes, we had a great product…but really, people were buying us.”  

“Yes we want to build a business, but we want to build a business that provides value. When you can be open and honest about that, I think that stuff comes through. And I think people can tell the difference between the snake oil person versus the person who genuinely wants to help create change.”

“Creating a personal brand helps you sell more effectively.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Channel Program: https://channelprogram.com/ 

Connect with Kevin Lancaster on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinlancaster/ 

“Whether you're a personal brand or business brand, you definitely have to define who your target audience is. When you try to talk to everybody you talk to no one.” -Rachel Gogos

Immerse yourself in the latest "Behind The brandiD " microsode, where Rachel and Christy discuss the intricacies of defining and marketing towards a specific audience. Gain valuable insights into:

 📣 Marketing with your target audience’s pain point in mind  📱 Tailoring your brand voice to the specific platforms where you target audience is most active  ➡️ Aligning products with customer need  🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Debunking the misconception that “everyone” is the target audience

Join us for a deep dive into the power of your target audience! 

When you’re running a mission-driven business, marketing is about more than just landing new clients–it’s about getting your message out to more people. Celina Shands is an expert at helping her clients tell their brand story and communicate their value to potential customers, partners, and funders.

As CEO of Full Capacity Marketing, Celina is the 2017 Marketing CEO of the Year in the Pacific Coast USA, a former American Marketing Association Marketer of the Year, and a two-time Women Who Mean Business finalist. For the past 25 years, she’s been a strong advocate for workforce education and economic development missions. 

As a communications expert, Celina has helped more than 500 workforce development and K-12/post-secondary education organizations build high-performing outreach campaigns that empower vulnerable populations, students and job seekers to embrace their potential. 

Finding the Best Marketing Strategy for Your Business

After 25+ years experience in workforce development and marketing, Celina says she still follows the same process with all of her agency clients. 

The first step is to sit down and define what problem the business is trying to solve in the market and what their unique selling proposition is. From there, the agency performs market research to understand the psychographics of the client’s target audience. Customers are inundated with marketing messages so it’s essential to use data to cut through the nose. 

The last step is to add outreach strategies, which may involve a new website with search engine optimization (SEO), paid ads, or PR. The best strategy will depend on where your ideal client spends their time online.

Relationship-Building and Word-of-Mouth

Born and raised in North Carolina, Celina approaches business like a true southerner by putting relationships first. Up to 97% of her agency clients come from word-of-mouth referrals.

From the early days of her business, Celina has prioritized her sense of mission and helping others. She built her network through email outreach, phone calls, and speaking at conferences. To this day, the company has never run an advertising campaign. Instead, Celina shares information freely with her audience through email newsletters, blogs, and ebooks. This educational approach has resulted in long-term, repeat customers–many of whom have become like family.

Tips for Running a Remote Team

Celina’s agency is fully remote and has been from the beginning–something she sees as an inherent advantage. Not only does working remotely save on overhead costs, but it also promotes greater communication between team members. Celina’s team works across several different time zones, but she’s flexible on when her employees work, as long as they continue to deliver results. 

Although these days there are many tools for remote work, technology alone isn’t enough to ensure the success of your virtual team. It’s equally as important for the CEO to set the tone and culture. You need to have systems and processes in place, and communicate clear expectations at the start of every project. Establishing key milestones will help keep everyone on track, and your team will appreciate having the freedom to work on their own schedule.

Enjoy this episode with CEO and Marketing Expert Celina Shands… 

Quotes

“The reason why we’re called Full Capacity Marketing is because I want each of our clients to be at full capacity long after our contract concludes.”

“If you position yourself as a partner versus a vendor, you have more opportunities that come in. That’s why we do things like ebooks, teaching, and things of that nature. Whether you work with us or not, we want you to succeed, especially in those missions.”

“I can’t say we’ve had all this success intentionally. We set the course as best as possible and then go with the flow and see what opportunities come up.”

“PR strategies are fantastic for entrepreneurs–getting them out there, getting their voice, and having a connection in the community.” 

“How does your business not only solve a problem, but connect to a bigger mission that is of value and relevance in the community or the markets that you serve?” 

“My grandma always said, ‘No one can argue with results.’”

“There’s room for everybody. It’s not a competitive thing, even though you’re trying to be unique in your own way. It’s really about being authentic."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Full Capacity Marketing Website: http://www.fullcapacitymarketing.com 

Connect with Celina Shands on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinashands/ 

Check out Celina’s new book, Business On Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/Business-Purpose-Inspiring-Overcomers-Changing-ebook/dp/B0CGWWF372 

eFCM Learning Hub: https://www.fullcapacitymarketing.com/skills-building/ 

“Without a business, there is no brand and without a brand, there is no business. Because they're so interwoven, it's important that a CEO is paying equal attention to both” -Rachel Gogos

Immerse yourself in the latest microsode of "Behind The brandiD," where Rachel and Christy unravel the symbiotic relationship between brand strategy and business strategy. Gain valuable insights into:

• Understanding the Impact of Your Target Audience on Business and Brand Evolution
• Navigating Pricing Offerings and Positioning
• Striking the Right Balance Between Brand Visibility and Business Efficiency
• Overcoming the Challenges of Business Pivots

Join us for a deep dive into the strategic intricacies that can shape your business success! 🎙️🌐

Max Azarov created his business to meet the needs of his own children and families like his. But it was successful enough to become a major online platform – and is in the process of scaling up big time. Today on The Business of You, Max shares some of his key takeaways from scaling up and growing as an entrepreneur. 

Max is the Founder of NovaKid, an online language learning platform for kids ages 4-12. Novakid has been included on the Forbes Top 500 list of America’s Best Startup Employers. NovaKid is currently in the expansion phase, exploring new ways to work with older children and create group language immersion experiences. Classes are 25-45 minutes depending on childrens’ ages. NovaKid employs complete immersion during classes, with no English spoken, and integrates learning games into the curriculum, making language acquisition engaging and effective.

NovaKid is a Series B startup that has raised $41.5 million to date and created revenue of over $18 million in 2021. This fully remote, venture-backed business has been operating since 2017, with approximately 2,500 staff and teachers in over 20 countries. Novakid is funded by well-known venture capital firms Owl Ventures and Goodwater Capital, PortfoLion, LearnStart, Xploration Capital, Bon Angels, Leta Capital, TMT Investments, all of which support innovation businesses globally. Max has a robust background in applied mathematics, software design, and digital signal processing. He worked at Google in product development and the development of Google Maps. 

Created out of need

Max Azarov was frustrated. Living abroad in Eastern Europe, he was struggling to find teaching modalities for his older son to learn English. In a place where English was not widely spoken or accessible at the time, he attempted to find a teacher for him – but she ended up moving away. 

While on a trip to Shanghai in 2017, Max had an epiphany when he saw families using a popular platform called VIPKid. Wondering why there was no comparable platform in Europe, he set out to research it. While there were plenty of options for adults to learn, there weren’t for children. There were widespread beliefs that children could not learn online and certainly could not acquire language skills online. Fortunately, those beliefs turned out to be false. 

Secrets of scaling a remote company

As NovaKid extended its influence, it emerged as a prominent player in the online education sector. Max Azarov, equipped with a background in applied mathematics, software design, and experience at Google, guided NovaKid through substantial growth.

Max's entrepreneurial journey, rooted in personal necessity, is a compelling illustration of how business ventures can address unmet needs and revolutionize industries, particularly in scaling online businesses and embracing remote workforces.

Quotes

“I was helping these big guys to help them solve a problem. That was a big moment for me – realizing that this is not just my hobby, not just my passion…it was something that I could use to make a big difference in the world.”

“This was the need – how do I make them fluent in English while living in a country where English is not the first language and is not widely spoken?”

“For adults, you could find a lot of choices. But for kids, there was nothing. Traditional wisdom would say that it wouldn’t work for kids. But that turned out to be completely false.”

“There are two things we do differently than others: We went with complete immersion! No English is spoken during the class. The second thing is that we heavily used learning games as part of the curriculum.”

“It’s a combination of games, to get attention, and full immersion that drives the learning.”

“We are focused on deep and meaningful connections with students.”

“Why do we even have language as a species? We have it to make deep, meaningful connections with each other. So we encourage that in our product as well.”

“If your business model allows you to have remote workers, definitely do that!”

“Without an excellent healthy culture, you cannot really build a successful company.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit the NovaKid website at https://www.novakidschool.com 

See NovaKid’s feature in Forbes’ list of America’s Best Startup Employers: https://www.forbes.com/lists/americas-best-startup-employers/?sh=60b6d5272ad7 

Connect with Max on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazarov 

"In the spirit of giving, holiday marketing is not just about selling products; it's about giving customers a reason to believe in the magic of your brand." - Oprah Winfrey

 'Tis the season to be generous because a connection with a potential customer can lead to a commitment.

In today’s “Behind The brandiD” microsode, Rachel and Christy explore various aspects of HOLIDAY MARKETING. From Thanksgiving and Black Friday to Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, they highlight the importance of creating a bond with customers that goes beyond transactions. Dive deeper to:

• 📱 Explore the role of social media in holiday marketing
• ✨ Embrace the spirit of generosity in holiday marketing
• 👔  Understand the intertwined nature of personal and business brands
• 🤝 Forge a lasting connection with customers that goes beyond transactions

What if everything we’ve been taught about how to succeed in business was wrong? According to Don Schmincke, success is not about learning how to win…it’s about learning how to lose. 

In his new book, Winners and Losers, Don uses scientific data, research from anthropological expeditions across the world, and his experience in training over 30,000 CEOs to argue that true entrepreneurial success arises from our failures.

Don is an award-winning speaker, researcher, and Founder of the SAGA Leadership Institute. His book The Code of Executive was a best-seller and his writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. 

Using his research from MIT and Johns Hopkins, Don uses evolutionary genetics to expose popular management myths and unearth controversial but scientifically accurate methods that accelerate sales, market penetration, competitive advantage, and organizational performance. 

Taking a Closer Look at Failure

After working with over 30,000 CEOs and business leaders to understand what drove the success of their organizations, Don had received numerous requests to apply his research methodology to entrepreneurship.

There were plenty of books that looked at what successful entrepreneurs did right, so Don decided to dig deeper into what happened before their successes. What he found was that their paths were littered with mistakes, failures, and major losses. 

Don began to suspect that the key to successful entrepreneurship lay in those failures–and his research validated that assumption. Over and over again, the successful CEOs he worked with agreed that this was what most research on entrepreneurship was missing.

Despite Don’s findings, he knew the popular advice to “fail fast” and iterate forward was a dangerous idea for entrepreneurs, for whom failure could mean losing their house or marriage. Instead, he encourages entrepreneurs to focus on their response to failure when it inevitably happens.

Embracing Failure and Taking Risks

As any entrepreneur knows, starting a business can be a minefield of challenges. What Don realized was that it was those moments of despair that seeded eventual success. 

The most successful entrepreneurs were those who faced seemingly insurmountable setbacks, failures, and losses–and kept going. His advice for entrepreneurs is not to avoid failure, but to embrace it when it happens.

According to Don’s research, entrepreneurs are uniquely suited to tolerate risk and adapt to change. The most successful business owners know that they must destroy old, unsuccessful ideas to make way for new ones.

Enjoy this episode with founder and best-selling author Don Schmincke…

Quotes

“I began to see patterns where we were teaching leadership wrong, and then I began experimenting about how to do it better using different models.”

“It’s not a new theory, it’s an unearthing of an ancient one.”

“We’re only teaching what the great entrepreneurs have done right, but we’re not teaching what they did wrong. And I found that in the space of failure, that’s where they found themselves and found their strength, and they grew. We should be teaching more around that.”

“It’s not for everyone. Entrepreneurs tend to be okay with taking on a level of risk.”

“There were a bunch of management myths that I needed to debunk and replace with actual data and actual experiences.”

“You have to destroy before you can create. Entrepreneurs seem to be comfortable with destruction. Some of them, when the ideas fell apart, they could embrace the destruction because it gave them access to new creation.”

“The entrepreneur seems to have the capability or ability to ensure that level of risk.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

SAGA Leadership Institute: https://www.sagaleadership.com 

Winners and Losers book launch: https://www.sagaleadership.com/w-l-book-launch 

Connect with Don Schmincke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/schmincke-research-alliance 

“You’re only as great and as strong as your team.” -Rachel Gogos

Join us for the inaugural episode of "Behind The brandiD," a microsode from "The Business of YOU" podcast, where we explore The brandiD agency, our dedicated team, and the world of business.

In this episode, our Founder and CEO, Rachel Gogos, engages in a dynamic conversation with Christy, a seasoned member of our brandiD team. They explore the realm of hiring for business owners and entrepreneurs, discussing the strategies for building a robust team, utilizing tools like Workable, finding the delicate balance between cultural fit and skills fit, and emphasizing the paramount importance of integrity in today's remote work landscape. Don't miss this insightful discussion—it's your key to achieving success in business growth!

Dive into this "Behind The brandiD" microsode where Rachel and Christy share their insights on:

• Team strength
• The hiring process with tools like Workable
• Balancing cultural fit and skills fit
• The significance of integrity in a remote work environment.

Parker Olson is a passionate young wellness entrepreneur, not afraid to take big risks to get results. Parker shares the lessons he has learned about bold branding, following your intuition, and standing out from the crowd.

Parker is a creative force within the realms of health, wellness, and strategic marketing. As the co-founder of FORIJ mushroom-infused snack foods and Scally Studios, Parker is spearheading initiatives that merge well-being with innovative business growth strategies.

Parker's entrepreneurial journey began with a personal 18-month exploration into diverse diets, sparking an unexpected discovery of the potent health benefits within varying mushrooms. This quest for health culminated in the birth of FORIJ, a brand dedicated to crafting granola bars that are as nutritious as they are delicious, all thanks to their unique mushroom blend.

Parker's thirst for innovation didn't stop with FORIJ. Acknowledging the difficulties faced by emerging brands in acquiring customers, he went on to co-found Scally Studios. This ground-breaking venture assists brands in unlocking the power of trust-based marketing engines, helping them navigate and thrive within the intricate digital marketplace. Through his unwavering resolve and commitment to health, wellness, and strategic business growth, Parker continues to inspire other entrepreneurs to chase their purpose.

Anyone can do it

When Parker was a college student, he saw that his dormmate was on his phone a lot, and making plenty of money. 

Upon questioning him, he discovered that he was monetizing a successful online Twitter account. On the spot, Parker sent him his entire savings – a few thousand dollars – in exchange for learning his secrets. It was a risky move, but it became a major success. He grew an account, made money while in school, and didn’t have to work full time. It was then that he realized that out of thin air and with a bit of a time investment, anyone can create value online and begin to support themselves. Despite acknowledging how impulsive that decision was, he also cites his intuition and impulsivity as a major asset when it comes to entrepreneurship. After all, risk can mean big rewards.

Later, when he decided to start more businesses, Parker had an understanding of what it takes to get started, and was unshaken by entry barriers. He’d made money online before. Why not do it again?

Passion helps us push through

One of Parker’s most influential lessons came when he attempted to launch a clothing brand. It was a fun idea, and a lot of the project came easily to him – but when it came down to doing more difficult aspects of business-building, he felt uninspired. 

Where he normally felt hyped up and motivated in his business, he felt annoyed and discouraged by challenging tasks. That’s when he realized that it was not the right path for him. Now, he shares that wisdom with us: if you find it draining to push through hard things in your business, it’s not the right business for you! Passion and purpose will fuel you through hard times, and a strong “why” will always make it worth it. 

While building FORIJ, Parker took extreme measures. He slept in a tent in the yard while keeping his ingredients safe in his room. He frantically contacted local cafes and rented out one of their kitchens for his production when covid hit. He even lived in his van and traveled the country selling boxes and educating wholesalers about the benefits of mushrooms for brain health, sleep, mood and more. All of this was possible because he believed in what he was doing, and he was fueled by purpose.

Good branding is unique and memorable

FORIJ has been called a few things over the years. Laughing, Parker admits that when he started, it was not a memorable brand. 

These days, FORIJ has cute packaging with memorable characters on it, bright colors, and a strong brand message about infusing everyday snacks with whole food ingredients. But before all that, there was cheap and basic branding – and it didn’t make the impact it does today. 

Back when the brand had a generic name and inexpensive stock kraft packaging, he gained notoriety not with cute colors and a great website, but for his hustle and belief in what he was doing. Because of his van lifestyle, he became known as “the van guy” with the mushroom foods. He realized that his brand was himself, because that was all that was unique and memorable. Going forward, he invested more heavily in his branding in order to help his products stand out and catch the attention of his consumers. 

Enjoy this inspiring and memorable episode of The Business of You, with Parker Olson…

Quotes

“I gave him every single dollar I had to my name, on the spot! This is part of what has enabled some of my entrepreneurial journey, but has also caused some tribulations for me…compulsively being like, this is a good idea! Without thinking it through. That kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey.”

“You, meaning anyone, can go out and make something that has value and support yourself.”

“I wore nice clothes to the office at that job. I was like - I go to work, I get paid, it affords me a lifestyle. But it doesn't bring me fulfillment, so I thought, I want to start a business. I want to work for myself.”

“It’s not rocket science. What you eat impacts how you feel!”

“What makes a good brand versus a pretty brand? A good brand is unique and memorable. Our brand was neither! It was pretty, but not unique or memorable.”

“People didn’t know the brand. They didn't even necessarily know my name. But they were like – you’re the tent guy! I realized, like, that was unique and memorable. That was the brand.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Check out the official FORIJ website at https://www.forij.co/ 

Connect with Parker on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/parker-olson-forij/