There are many areas to address during the first month of owning a small business. Brian Gross joins us today to discuss what he's experienced since recently taking over an established State Farm Agency. We cover a lot of topics such as how he's made the transition for himself, his staff, and his customers in a short amount of time.

iring skilled employees is a difficult task for most small business owners. That's why Metropolitan Community College offers valuable resources to both local businesses and to individuals seekers. The MCC Workforce Innovation Division bridges the gap between what businesses need and what skills are necessary for employees to learn.

Two weeks ago I discussed how it's dangerous to associate your brand with a negative message. Today the proof of that theory is alive and well as I drove past the billboard in question from episode 86. This marketing message is so terrible I had to make a follow up episode to discuss two more points about what we can do in our small businesses to avoid this type of issue.

Today's topic is small business lessons learned from the musical Hamilton! This show tells the life story of Alexander Hamilton who is a complex man that played an important role in the birth of our nation. We discuss several themes from the show that relate to small business including taking our best shot, battling against large competitors, and taking action to build our legacy.

The travel industry has changed dramatically over the years and it continues to evolve. Ralph Williams of Cruise Planners joins us to share his story about starting a tech business from scratch, exiting tech and starting OVER again from scratch, and what it takes to become a top 5 producer in an ultra competitive industry.

LinkedIn is a platform designed to help those in small businesses connect. Unfortunately, many of us don't understand how to make connections, engage with others, and use LinkedIn as a proper tool to grow our businesses. David Alto joins us to discuss how he grew his following to over 15,000 connections in just a few short months and how he found his passion by using LinkedIn

As small business owners, it's easy to get caught in the trap of comparing ourselves with others. But this is a futile exercise that will never lead us to the results we want. No matter where you are in your business you are never the worst and never the best at anything so stop comparing! In this episode we discuss how to work on simply getting yourself to the next level needed to achieve your goals.

This week we are going biblical and discussing Luke Chapter 6 Verses 6-11. Whether you are religious or not we can take valuable insight from the Bible into our lives and our business. This passage relays a story of when the scribes of the time wanted to catch Jesus in the act of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus decided to help a man even though it was the Sabbath because His mission was to help. We can look at various areas of our business and decide if the actions are in line with the purpose of our business

Social enterprise businesses are a unique challenge for entrepreneurs. You must balance the mission of making a difference in the lives of those you serve along with operating a successful small business. Miah Sommer of The Bike Union and Coffee joins us to discuss his journey of leaving a traditional job to start his non-profit that serves young adults impacted by foster care. It's an amazing story that will inspire anyone that listens!

Many small business owners talk about having a vision, but how do we make sure it is more than just talk? Tim Moore of VIsionwriters joins the podcast today to discuss how to use your vision as a lens, as a guide, and more inside your life and business.