The Entrepreneurial Web

The week we continue with food & CEOs with Andrew Suzuka.  Andrew is the CEO of Otamot Foods, and they are launching nationally with Whole Foods this month in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis. 

It is an interesting time for everyone!

Jeremiah introduces his guest Andrew Suzuka, who talks his current business workings with all that is going on, his current motivations for doing what he does, what inspired him to enter the food industry and take on his current role, adding a small anecdote of his own family that led to the creation of his sauce, before beginning to outline his entire journey as an entrepreneur. 

Andrew continues his story as an entrepreneur, telling a few remarkable success stories on the way, telling listeners what he thinks is necessary, both internal and external adversity, to find success. Jeremiah adds his own perspective naming adversity as an essential factor for growth. Andrew highlights the importance of being proactive, especially in times like these, keeping it real and leaving good impressions on people. 

Andrew talks about living in Brooklyn and the two go back and forth about their lives being shifted by the virus and the current business sphere, how the aftermath of the pandemic will be dominated by those who’ve adapted and built resilience. The talk shifts towards happenings in the food industry and the current climate with business relationships.

Andrew talks about his current relationship with Whole Foods in June, his sauce now being sold on a national scale, budding plans with Amazon, and the expansion of adding non-sauce products to Otamot’s catalogue. He shares his philosophy on the entrepreneurial experience outside of pure monetary gain and sheds some light on creating some video content, adding to his point of the importance of building a brand and longevity.

Aaron Felder was just named interim CEO for The Food Trust in January.

This Friday we’ll discuss how his daily duties have changed drastically since being named CEO and what the future looks like.

Jeremiah introduces the guest, Aaron Felder, the two going back and forth about their lives during the outbreak and Aaron discussing the mission of The Food Trust and their current situation. He discusses how their company does what they do and how they are funded, as well as where they operate and how the virus has affected the facets of their business and how it can actually be a benefit for them in the end. 

Aaron discusses his career before he’s ended up at The Food Trust, working with people with addiction, and speculates the futures of addiction centers through the crisis. They talk about the perceived scarcity of resources and their observations about people’s rabid shopping habits, the social-distancing, the innovations of video technology, and how things are settling in as protocols are being taken more seriously, as well as the current situation with the education system in the cities. They compare the reaction to the pandemic to that of Superstorm Sandy and 9/11 and how those helped prepare New Yorkers in a way when high-scale disruptors like these come up.

The two talk about the thriving food supply industry but speculate when the stores begin to overstock, Aaron giving his perspective on farmer’s markets and how some businesses will have to operate in these times from his line of work, and the current grounds for local businesses and restaurants as Jeremiah observes it, and interruptions in the supply chains with the surplus of food.

The conversation continues from the last segment before the two talk about finding some peace of mind through all of the isolation, Aaron talking about working at his current position at his organization and how they work through meetings and such. Aaron ends the show talking about a funny little anecdote involving a coworker and their family during a virtual meeting.

Everyday things are changing. So it is for business. Tune in for a frank discussion about how it is for local businesses on the front lines in this time of change with my guest Sylvie Bertrand owner of Le Paddock Brooklyn.

Segment 1 

Jeremiah opens the show with the message of the week, “'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”, and also chatting with the owner of a neighboring business about the true nature of running your own business especially in times like these. They emphasize perseverance and having a good attitude through it all while also talking about their current experiences as restaurant owners with the policies instituted in New York City. 

Segment 2 

The conversation continues with the two discussing the importance of transparency right now, the situation in New York on a ground level and the current rising importance of take-out apps, also how after all of this people will see the necessity of smaller local businesses and restaurants, the two sharing an anxiety on how this will affect the small business scene as well as their own restaurants. 

Segment 3

The two talk about their surprise at the warmth and reception from the public about their situations, having thick skin and keeping a high morale first and foremost, Jeremiah talking about his history working in the food business and valuable lessons he’s learned from those experiences, the two wishing their fellow entrepreneurs well.

Segment 4 

Jeremiah urges listeners to pick their five favorite restaurants, support them, and then urge their five closest friends to do the same, helping who they want to see survive after all of this. The talk continues with private businesses supporting each other and not relying on the lawmakers and powers-that-be for support and fending for yourself when necessary. 

This week Jeremiah is on his own with just you, his listeners, as he talks about the impact this environment is having upon his business and yours!

Segment 1 

Jeremiah starts off the show with the message of the week, and with the guest unable to come, Jeremiah runs the show solo today taking in guest calls, phoning a friend, an entrepreneur with his wife, and inquiring about his business, sticking to the theme of building a personal brand. The conversation steers toward the effects the coronavirus will have on smaller businesses and freelancers.

Segment 2 

Jeremiah informs viewers about the current situation in New York City before continuing the call-ins, talking to a freelance writer about the daily-ins and outs of his life right now attempting to seek a bit of stability and stay away from the media, the two going back and forth about the situation in the city in further detail.

Segment 3

Jeremiah continues on about the situation and reminds new business owners that everything is not always in their control and these things happen, seeing this as an alarm for people who came onto the scene on a relatively easy time. The call-ins continue with a woman talking about the situation as a resident of Brooklyn.

Segment 4 

Jeremiah continues the show with a story about his grandfather, who grew up in the depression and had his father sent to jail and how he worked himself in a good situation and giving the advice to ‘always keep your word’ for burgeoning business owners, talking taking advantage of the digital communities online and to keep a level head through all of this. Jeremiah takes one last call before ending the show.

John Busso is the newest owner to join the small business community in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace.

His venture, Space Station Prospect, offers a unique place for students to explore the best of digital and physical gaming while learning from the design decisions that drive the experience.

He also just opened his doors, so this week's show is a great opportunity to catch an entrepreneurial testimony just after take-off

Segment 1

Jeremiah introduces the guest, John Busso, who talks growing up in the Bensonhurst and Kensington neighborhoods of Brooklyn, initially studying English at Binghamton University and being involved in the school’s musical culture, abandoning his path as a writer and transitioning into studying digital technology and becoming qualified to teach, all leading to now, Busso having three Master’s degrees to his name.

Segment 2

Jeremiah reflects on the vacant spot that Busso’s business now occupies and Busso continues his story, being an English teacher for twenty years at the defunct Bishop Ford High School, getting certified to teach to teach at public schools for a little while after it closed, overseeing the tech’s department being leaving and getting the incentive to leave the educational system and operating outside of it, leading to where he is now. Busso details his journey from leaving formal education and getting his program off of the ground.

Segment 3 

Busso talks about his business, Space Station Prospect, how video games worked their way into the forefront of his teaching during his days at Bishop Ford, gaining his tech degree, seeing what appealed to his students to make the program more fun and exciting, watching the growth and development of his ideas and giving his current perspective on operating the month-old business.

Segment 4 

Busso gets into detail about what the program offers people, the setup of the building, the different types of games available (which has a variety from being from purely digital), hoping one day expanding towards an outdoor space, the decisions he made to push the program into a more socially-based atmosphere through non-competitive multiplayer gameplay. The show closes with Busso getting a plug-in with the current hours of operations and all the different programs available including Dungeons & Dragons and an upcoming game-design program, and noting an after-hours time for adult gamers.

A career managing rock bands was the impetus to giving Staten Island its own soundtrack, where Kristen Wallace brought the borough its first community internet radio station dedicated to providing free music and live arts programming across all genres.

Segment 1

The show opens with Jeremiah’s message of the week, a quote from Casey Kasem: “Anytime in radio that you can reach someone on an emotional level, you’re really connecting.” and introduces the guest, Kristen Wallace. Kristen places her origins in Trenton, bouncing around between Germany and San Francisco, and her past as a booking rock bands in clubs, including Flipper and Helmet, transitioning into becoming a tour manager for eight years, and afterwards getting a job booking agency. She goes into a few touring experiences for several music acts and DJs and names a few of her responsibilities in the middle of the chaotic lifestyle on the road. 

Segment 2

Kristen talks about creating Maker Park Radio, the first and only internet radio show in SI, her initial experience moving to Staten Island to raise her children, volunteering for handling the music production at a local arts festival and how being a mother affects how she approaches her work, as well as her motivations for starting the radio station. 

Segment 3

This segment begins with Kristen speaking to how she got the radio station off of the ground, how she got an FCC license and applied to become a host through her sister who had a station at Trenton University, which started her love of radio, and, while DJing at a wedding, with her aim to connect the art communities of Staten Island, she was offered an opportunity at the Staten Island Makerspace used to kickstart the radio station, hiring local DJs, operating out of a closet, speaking to the turbulent start to how it got to where it is today.

Segment 4

Kristen and Jeremiah talk to the steep learning curve that comes with new technology and the Kristen talks her current responsibilities and experiences running the show, curating events, getting out of her comfort zone, finding new hosts and DJs, and then goes into the growing variety of the network with new talk and music shows with amateur hires and the openness of their selections. The segment closes with Kristen giving the location of their headquarters and their website.

LinkedIn Guest Series - Lisa Gus is the CEO of WishKnish, a blockchain company providing the framework for financial inclusion, transparency and impact space. She's also one of the managing directors of VeeSee, a nonprofit offering legal and mental health aid, support framework, actionable data to affect policy change & due diligence into VC space to underserved entrepreneurs, especially women and people of color.

Recently, she had been made the Investment Lead for a Government Blockchain Association, a global nonprofit working to promote blockchain use in the public sector.

Segment 1

The show begins with the message of the week, “In a world of algorithms, hashtags and followers, know the importance of human connection.” Jeremiah introduces the guest, Alisa Gus, the first guest of the new LinkedIn Guest series. Alisa talks about her background, first coming to the United States from Uzbekistan twenty-seven years ago at twelve years old, growing up in Kentucky and moving to DC to raise her children, particularly for its stellar educational opportunities, which transitions into the two discussing raising their children in today’s scholastic systems.

Segment 2

This segment begins with Alisa speaking more on her education in Kentucky, getting her associates and shifting her focus to business, starting her career in marketing and meeting her husband, a developer, and becoming a producer on a show, moving into publication in 2011, and ended how she started working in the blockchain space. She talks about how she first got her start in publication in Virginia through savings and investments and the extended process of getting a book published and put into physical stores and online. She talks about the challenges of being a small business going against Amazon and how this led to the start of her blockchain business.

Segment 3

Elisa explains the concept of ‘blockchain’, going into how she started her business in 2016, learning the ins-and-outs of Reddit , how it was initially created to cut down on banking fees, and its purpose cutting out middlemen like Amazon, explaining ICOs, how it all comes down to who you choose to trust, and explaining how Bitcoin and cryptocurrency fits into the big picture with the process. She also speaks on why banks decided to stay out of this arena. Elisa then goes into how blockchaining can help burgeoning business minds and how its beneficial for people looking to do business internationally, and how the automation of WishKnish makes the sharing of data amongst traders much more proficient. 

Segment 4

The final segment of the show begins with how blockchaining can potentially replace big fish like Amazon and Google and how their existing technology will be integrated gradually to make the shift between that technology and blockchaining much smoother for the average consumer. Elisa then talks about being the Manager Partner at the nonprofit, VeeSee, which supports female entrepreneurs in many areas like legally and mentally, Gus going into learning from an experience of getting hurt by trusting the wrong people, which gave her the initiative to support the cause in the first place, as well as the especially high rates of mental health issues reported from female entrepreneurs in particular. 

This week will get intimate with Craig Selinger, owner of an online linguistics tutoring service, but also a specialist in all things SEO.

Craig will help you discover ways to show your business and brand some love by being able to better represent yourself digitally!

Segment 1

Message of the day, “You're not lazy, you just don’t love what you do”, Gary V. Jeremiah introduces his guest, Craig Selinger. Craig begins by talking about what he does professionally. Crais is a licensed speech language pathologist and entrepreneur. He explains how his businesses are completely digital. For Craig, having his business digital is cost efficient, and easy to do. Both guys begin to discuss how having real life hands on training/experience is extremely beneficial for aspiring business owners. Jeremiah says an interesting quote: “Wake up everyday expecting chaos.” in regards to aspiring entrepreneurs. The segment with the guys discussing how you have to be grounded in all your endeavours. 

Segment 2

The segment opens with Craig talking about what led him to open his businesses and how he got started. Craig talks of how he started his first business at the age of 10! As a kid, Craig was proud that he was able to make money to purchase baseball cards. He talks of how he had several bad jobs throughout the years. Craig says, “It’s great to have shitty jobs.” They begin chatting about bad jobs and how you should experience them in order to become great. Jeremiah says, “You may not know what you want to do, but know what you don’t want to do.” Craig explains how having bad jobs made him who he is today, and he wants to carry that lesson on to his kids. Craig shares a story of how in college he turned a bad situation into a job opportunity! Criag ends this segment by talking about his college years and all the opportunities that he received while attending. Craig believes, “It is important for people to take breaks”.

Segment 3

The segment continues with Craig discussing his career path after college. He took a break and traveled for a bit. He believes traveling gives you clarity. Craig always knew he wanted to work for himself. Jeremiah says as an entrepreneur, “You are the boss of many but become the subject of many.” Jeremiah shares with the audience how he doesn’t have a television in his home, and hasn’t had one for 20 years. The gentlemen discuss how there are so many opportunities during the day, that you will miss by watching tv all day. The conversation transitions into all things SEO and how Craig specializes in it. Jeremiah talks of how he knows very successful business owners, that do not use SEO; which brings him back to Gary V’s quote. Jeremiah agrees that these business owners are not lazy, they just don’t love SEO. Craig mentions Kobe Bryant’s passing and his Mamba mentality. He says Kobe loved doing what most professional basketball players hated; and he wants to be more like that within his business. He ends the segment by explaining what SEO is and how it is important for business owners to use. 

Segment 4

The final segment opens up with the guys talking about showing your business self-love. Jeremiah mentions how SEO is unpaid but SMO is a paid service. Using these services can only do good for your business. Jeremiah mentions the quotes, “If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it really make a sound?” and “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Craig explains how if you have a product/service that helps customers and you have SEO, you will do fine; it’ll lead to more opportunities. Craig shares a story of how he obtained a new client through SEO and from a current client’s referral . He says there is no harm in using SEO. Craig ends the segment by saying you should be true to yourself, love what you do, and create opportunities for yourself. 

Kevin Herson is the owner & founder of Doc's Spirits, an NYC-based distillery highlighting artisanal absinthe, among other things.

As you can imagine, he's also an avid creator - constantly tinkering with things - with a penchant for innovation and growth.

Tune in this Friday at noon to learn more about the essence of an entrepreneur!

Segment 1

Jeremiah starts the show off with a question for the week, “What is behind the spirit of an entrepreneur?”. The guest of the week is Kevin Herson; he owns a NYC based distillery. Kevin begins by talking about his background. He was born in South Africa, and has been in NY for about 11 years. He mentions how he and his wife started the business about 8 years ago. Kevin talks about where his interest/passion in spirits began. He talks of how he has been in and out of the restaurant industry for a while now. His first gig was as a busboy. He explains how he boldly asked his boss about getting into the wine industry because he was tired of being a busboy. He actually bought a ticket to Napa Valley so he could learn more about the wine industry! He developed a hobby of distilling. The guys both discuss how it is extremely beneficial to go after what you want, instead of “waiting” on an opportunity. The segment concludes with Kevin discussing how he got the job as a Wine Captain after learning so much in Napa. 

Segment 2

Kevin delves into how he got into the distillery business and the obstacles he faced. He is grateful that laws changed in New York where it would let a normal everyday person get into the distillery business. He started his business with only $5,200. Kevin talks of how he started off his business in his basement in Harlem. The gentlemen then discuss how different types of ingredients can go into spirit in the distillery process. They talk about how the spirit industry started to blow up in New York state. Although Kevin legally distilled his first product in mid-2014, he was selling his product before then. The gentlemen agree that sometimes you have to “get the ball rollin’” and get boots on the ground before everything comes together legally. Kevin ends the segment by telling the audience how building relationships is important. 

Segment 3

Kevin begins this segment by talking about his education. He has a chemistry background, which helps him with his current career. Kevin reveals that his first career was actually a chiropractor! Kevin believes that even though chemistry was a great building block for his current career, creativity and passion play major roles in it as well. He talks about the several other jobs that he had before becoming an entrepreneur. Even though he has had several careers, he came back to the distillery industry. Kevin uses his experiences in past careers to help him be successful in his current entrepreneurial career. He learned how to “pound the pavement”, and develop thick skin. Kevin then talks about the sales part of his business. The segment concludes with the guys agreeing on how an entrepreneur should not waste his/her time trying to convince someone to buy their product.

Segment 4

The last segment opens with Kevin talking about the other things that have helped him get to where he is now. He then talks about how he is selling his product in California as well as New York. He is looking to expand his company, but slowly. He says besides social media, and knocking on doors, the community of guys who started the distillery business a long time ago helped him tremendously. He talks of how he makes his product from scratch. Kevin believes legitimacy of his product, made that core group of original distilleries always refer business to him. Kevin talks about how his path to entrepreneurship was extremely hard, but with his passion and determination he was able to make it through. Kevin informs the audience of where you can find information about his distillery. Kevin believes that the spirit of an entrepreneur is being completely nuts and working really hard. 

David Medina has taken a simple love of music and spun it into a full-fledged, self-sustaining business via his DJ talents.

Tune in this Friday to learn how he was able to spin all the pieces together for a record breaking service.

Segment 1

In this opening segment, Jeremiah talks to David about his background, from his ethnic roots to his rough upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. David discusses the impact his father has had in his life, outlining his father’s journey as an Dominican immigrant. He speaks of the early influence music has had on his life from the Latin music playing in his own home to watching the rise of Hip-Hop in New York as a child. David goes into his formal education at Alfred University, where he studied art and sculpture. He zips back to his junior high and high school years when music started to really become an important part of his life as well as what it was like growing up a Latino kid who was into punk and alternative.

Segment 2

In this segment, David continues with his experiences in college studying sculpture. He talks about getting his start as a DJ through friend he met in college, usurping a college radio program and transforming it into a Latin music station, mixed in with his wide-range of music sensibilities. He details his journey through graduating college and leaving for New York to pursue an art career, getting a job working at Irving Glass and infusing his art with Afro-Latin influence, and his moderate success in the industry. Around this time he began transitioning his career, working as a DJ with small gigs in bars and birthday parties sharing his reluctance for a typical nine-to-five work grind. He talks about getting first noticed and his first major gigs as a professional.

Segment 3

David opens up with a story about starting up a Latin organization at his college in order to bring in more Latin influence into the small community, how his niche in Cuban music helped create a name for himself and pushed his DJ career forward, transitioning from clubs to focusing on weddings and how he feels music can be an integral part of those experiences, learning to put the needs of the customers first. David gaining a love for those gigs because of his role in creating memorable moments for others, his business growing and gaining a reputation for his varied taste and personalized sets. He shares a few stories about the impactful interactions he’s had with bookers over the years.

Segment 4

The final segment begins with Jeremiah and David discussing the factors in creating a successful independent business. David showcases his advertising strategies and the process of getting hired for his gigs. He goes into the importance of selling an ‘experience’ over just a product, putting a lot of love into what you do and that showing through your work. David talks about his reluctance for using social media, Jeremiah countering with a few perspectives on how social media can promote a positive image and could lead to further growth for a business. The show closes with David throwing in a few plugs including his website and a few upcoming gigs.