Henry is a serial entrepreneur and business coach, with over 34 years of diverse business experience, including successful careers in the information technology industry, sales, sales training and business ownership. His current business ventures include: co-founder of Levante Business Group (supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners), co-owner of iTopIt (a self-serve frozen desserts restaurant in Colorado Springs), co-owner of Wild Blue Car Wash (an exterior-express car wash in Colorado), Mojave Systems (offering Task & Maintenance Management software solutions for the car wash industry), and L3 Destinations (a Travel Agency co-founded with his wife). Henry is also the co-host of The How of Business podcast, and The How of Carwashing podcast.   Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Podcast Click Here to Tweet to Henry & Nicole Working With Family in Business - Is It Right For You? In this episode, I talk with multi-business owner Henry Lopez, a serial entrepreneur and business coach, with over 34 years of diverse business experience as the creator over 5 seperate businesses including Levante Business Group which supports entrepreneurs and small business owners, about finding your passion project (or projects) and how to make being a multi-franchise owner work for you. For Henry, it’s all about the creation process and enjoying the journey of creating a business from the ground up. As he tells me, “Enjoy the journey of creating a business. What we’re all subject to as business owners are these arbitrary and external measures of success. Enjoy the creation. It’s about creating.” Henry shares the lessons he’s learned about business creation, transitioning from a corporate job to being an entrepreneur, how to choose the right partners in business that will help you grow not slow you down, the importance of developing the unique details that represent you and set you apart in your business, how to stay focused and true to yourself when setting business goals, how to handle competition within your chosen field and many more nuggets of wisdom. In This Episode You Will Learn Lessons Learned As A Multi-Franchise Owner - How to Make It Work For You Finding Your Passion Areas In Business and Life How to Successfully Transition From a Corporate Job to Being Your Own Boss The 2 Types of Business Owners - Making the Most of Your Personal Style Why You Need to Be Methodical About Who You Choose to Do Business With Learning From Disney - How to Develop the Details In Your Business That   Represent You Enjoying the Journey and Freedom of Creating Your Own Business Keeping Your Focus and Being True to Yourself in Your Business Goals Continue the Conversation with Henry You can find Henry’s podcast and schedule a free business coaching consultation here Click Here to Tweet to Henry & Nicole

Yann Ilunga is a podcaster, communication specialist, international speaker and podcasting consultant. He helps entrepreneurs and businesses plan and create podcasts that leave a mark and he helps podcasters with growing, marketing and monetizing their shows. The host of 4 podcasts, Yann teaches podcasting with a brand new format, experiments and special effects on his latest show, The Podcaster Lab. Last, but not least, he's the founder of the world's largest podcasting virtual summit (the Podcast Success Summit) and the creator of what Forbes dubbed 'Podcast Community to Join': the Podcast Growth Mastermind.   Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Podcast Click Here to Tweet to Yann & Nicole Creating Your Own Podcast Marketing Strategy Made Simple In this episode, I talk with Yann Ilunga, a podcaster, podcasting consultant and creator of the Podcast Lab, what Forbes has dubbed the 'Podcast Community to Join,' about creating a podcast marketing plan that's not "generic" but that's specific to your show, your podcasting goals and your unique target audience. While Yann encourages the use of and shares various tools to automate your podcast marketing efforts, he knows marketing is always a dynamic process. As he tells me, “A marketing plan is never finished. There’s always going to be growth opportunities.” We also discuss how to take your podcast to the next level using a simple marketing blueprint, how to turn listeners in to leads, mistakes you’re making that are hurting your growth, why the number of downloads you get is not the best marker of success and strategies you can use to ensure continual growth in your business. Save yourself time and frustration by using Yann’s tips before you start your own podcast. In This Episode You Will Learn The Marketing Blueprint to Take Your Podcast to the Next Level The 4 W’s That Are Critical to Developing Your Podcast  How to Find and Target Your Ideal Audience 3 Things That Help You Leverage Your Marketing to the Fullest How to Turn Listeners Into Leads and Leads Into Sales Mistakes You’re Making in Your Podcast That Are Stunting Your Growth Continue the Conversation with Yann Find all the resources mentioned in this episode and sign up for Yann’s Podcast Mastermind at https://yannilunga.com/nicoleshow Click Here to Tweet to Yann & Nicole

Jason Hsiao is the co-founder and Chief Video Officer of Animoto, an award-winning online video maker that makes it easy for anyone to create professional-quality marketing videos, even if they have no technical skills and have never created a video before. With the mission of empowering everyone to create powerful videos regardless of age or experience, Jason founded Animoto with his high school and Dartmouth College friends back in 2006. Animoto’s certified partnerships with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the Small Business Administration give it unique insight into the changing social media and business landscape -- which may be why more than 1-million businesses around the world are already using Animoto to create marketing videos. Prior to founding Animoto, Jason was a producer for MTV Networks and Comedy Central. Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Jason & Nicole How to Make a Video in Minutes Even If You Have Zero Experience No doubt you’ve noticed that videos are everywhere, from Facebook lives, to IGTV, to YouTube, to short fun videos that pop up as we’re surfing our favorite social media app. People love videos! Gone are the days where only the big businesses with even bigger budgets could create promotional videos and share them with the masses. Anyone with a smart phone and access to video editing software is capable of creating videos and using them in their marketing strategy. Social media has also leveled the playing field when it comes to reach. We can literally connect and share our message with hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. So how can you leverage this power and weave videos into your marketing? Jason Hsiao of Animoto shares ninja video tips to get more visibility, leads and engagement with your videos, and how to easily get started even if you have zero video editing experience.     Why Videos Trump Other Forms of Online Content  There have been many interesting studies done in the last couple of years about the results you can achieve when you include videos in your marketing strategy. These tests tell us: People tend to remember six times the amount of information in video than from text Video gets shared 12 times more often than text 64% of people tend to make a purchase decision after watching a video Using videos in your marketing leads to tangible results. Video is compelling, it's visual, it's moving, it connects to people emotionally. But sometimes, with all the other constant changes taking place in the online marketing space, the idea of making videos can be daunting for small business owners. We have to ask ourselves if this is really worth investing in. But what the statistics bear out is that video is only growing in importance. We can safely assume that no matter how things continue to evolve, the video is wave isn’t coming, it’s here.   Anyone and everyone (including you!) is capable of creating videos even if they don’t consider themselves tech savvy. Now is the time to jump on the video wave! How to Use Videos to Amplify Your Current Marketing Strategy  For small business owners, we’re not referring to the big budget ad commercials you see on TV. We're talking about the short videos you see on social media. Video should be used as a regular form of communication with your audience. We're not just talking about one-off videos here. This isn’t a one and done strategy where you simply put together an introductory video and call it good. Just as you regularly email your followers or create posts on social media or blog content, videos should also be created and shared either as a stand alone piece of content or to enhance other forms of communication.   The Easiest Way to Get Started Making Videos  To get started with video, Jason suggests taking inventory of all the things -- blog content, products, services, testimonials, success stories, cast studies -- that already work in your business....

To say Tom has been through a few things in his 30+ years of being an entrepreneur is an understatement. He’s definitely had more failures than successes, but wouldn’t have it any other way. He sold His fitness business which he owned for 9 years a year ago to become the Impact Pilot, helping entrepreneurs generate more income through better sales strategy and using stories to sell. Tom has a BFA Degree in Theatre from DePaul University in Chicago, and holds his private pilot license for single engine airplanes, which was a lifelong dream he achieved in 2013. He’s been a contributor to CBS Radio in Houston, a guest on Great Day Houston television show, Univision Television, Fox 26 News, KPRC Channel 2 and The CW Houston.  He is also a presenter at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Houston.   Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Tom & Nicole How to Use Personal Stories to Make Your Sales More Successful In this episode, I talk with Tom Jakobs, founder of the Impact Pilot, which helps entrepreneurs generate more income through better sales strategy by using stories to sell. With a BFA Degree in Theatre from DePaul University in Chicago, Tom understands the impact of a compelling story and has mastered the art of crafting powerful stories that allow business owners to better connect with their audience for more successful sales. In his 30-some years as an entrepreneur, Tom has seen his fair share of failures and disappointments. As he shares his personal story of hitting rock-bottom in his business, we learn the ultimate lesson he took away from those struggles and how this shaped his business into the success it is today. He tells me, “We’re told [as entrepreneurs] we can do anything. Just hustle, hustle, hustle and everything will be ok. Well that’s complete BS . . . We need to ask for help from others.” Through having the courage to ask for help Tom eventually developed what he calls Dramatic Impact Storytelling, a dynamic way of sharing your own personal story for better sales in your business. How do we know what story we should tell? According to Tom, “Look at the impact moments of your life and why they’re important to you . . . The ones that make you say, ‘I’m not sure I can share that,’ that’s exactly why you have to share it. If you can’t, you must.” We also talk about why storytelling works, how introverts can overcome their fear of sales, how to work through the emotion of telling your personal stories with others, how to design a business that support you and your vision of the future, and many more insights. In This Episode You Will Learn Overcoming Failures As An Entrepreneur The Dramatic Impact Storytelling Academy Having the Courage to Ask For Help When You’re Floundering In Your Business How to Shift the Way You View Making Sales Why When People Know You Better, They’re More Likely To Buy From You How Introverts Can Overcome Their Fear Of Sales Crafting Your Own Impactful Signature Story Continue the Conversation with Tom Claim you free gift, 7 Steps to Creating Your Own Story That Sells at https://tomjakobs.com/storybook You can also follow Tom on instagram at https://instagram.com/impactpilot Click Here to Tweet to Tom & Nicole

Ron is the Founder and CEO of Generosity Feeds – a national for-purpose organization that mobilizes thousands of volunteers in cities around America to address the local needs of hungry children through meal creation events. Generosity Feeds is igniting a movement of generosity. As a sought out speaker, trainer, and consultant Ron advocates generosity while equipping organizations and leaders to engage in a mission that brings peace and prosperity to their cities. He specializes in assisting businesses and non-profits in community engagement, social innovation, and inspiring higher purpose.   Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Ron & Nicole How to Use Your Influence to Be a Force for Good   In this episode, I talk with Ron Klabunde, Founder and CEO of Generosity Feeds, a national non-profit organization that addresses the local needs of hungry children across America through meal creation events, about the difference between simply “doing good” and being a FORCE for good in a way that benefits both communities and businesses alike. Ron knows that at the heart of it all, each one of us has the desire to make a difference and know that what we do in the world day in and day out ultimately has a higher purpose. Whether it’s through feeding the hungry or some other force-for-good mission that finds us, Ron believes everything we do should meet a human need. He tells me, “Regardless of where any one of us is in life, we all want to make a difference, we want to serve and be generous.” Ron and I deep dive into how we can leverage the social impact of our business or influence to BE that force, how to unite people around shared values for a common cause, why we need to build generous deeds into the DNA of our business from the very start and many more gems of wisdom. In This Episode You Will Learn The Difference Between Doing Good and Being a FORCE for Good Allowing Our Mission in Life to Find Us How to Inspire Generosity Within Your Business for Greater Impact Leveraging Social Impact for the Benefit of Business AND Community Why When Employees Know Their Job Has a Higher Purpose, They’re Easier to Retain The Power of Uniting People Around Shared Values for a Common Cause Being Leaders of Integrity in Our Business to Meet the Needs of Others How to Build Impactful Good Deeds into the DNA of Your Business from the Very Beginning (And Why You Should Sooner Rather Than Later!) Continue the Conversation with Ron Learn more about Ron and his mission here or talk with him personally about ideas for serving YOUR community at [email protected] Click Here to Tweet to Ron & Nicole

With over 20 years of experience, Stephanie Hayes helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and corporate executives who have plateaued or reached the edge of their comfort level to excel. Sought out because of her knack for being able to see the big picture and her expertise to design, plan, and implement the next phase of their business, Stephanie thrives in transforming the fears and struggles of her clients into opportunities and successes. Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Stephanie & Nicole Building a Better Business Model with Stephanie Hayes Meet Stephanie: full-time mom, business coach and strategist who shares with me the power of building your business on a solid foundational model and how to truly create balance between your personal and professional life. Stephanie has been working with startups in the online business space for over 20 years and has been in business for herself for the past 15. It’s through this work that she’s discovered where many businesses fail: they’re built on shaky foundations. Building a better business model and leveling up is the essence of what Stephanie does for her clients. In addition, Stephanie has learned how to fully align her business to what she wants in life -- not the other way around. Read on for the full interview.   What is your business and what do you do?  I am a business coach and strategist. I work with experienced entrepreneurs who are looking to level up their business and mature the way that they are working with their own clients. I work with them usually in a one on one capacity sometimes in a group. We’re building a framework for them to have a sustainable business that can grow. How long have you been in business?  Formally in my coaching business for about five years. Informally I've been working with small businesses and startups for the last 20 years. It's been really fun to have my feet in both the small business and the corporate camp because I get to see how we can marry both together to give small business owners what they really need. When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur and how did you get started? I have been an entrepreneur at heart since I was a young child and I always knew that I wanted to own my own business. It took me a little while but I was able to finally make that happen about 15 years ago. Before that, I've been working in startups my entire life in the technology space. And so I got a lot of exposure to seeing how small businesses and startups grow, and all the things that they need to do. When you're in that kind of environment, you have to do all the things, you have to play all the roles and you have to get all of that experience. So by the time I started up my own business, I already had a lot of that under my belt. But I've always had that entrepreneurial spirit along the way. I moved into being an entrepreneur mentor at the University of British Columbia and worked with small businesses and startups who wanted to become funded for the the ideas that they had. It all kind of all progress naturally. Eventually people started asking me, can you help me with my business? Can you help me figure out what's wrong? Can you help me get to that next stage of growth? It became really obvious that what I wanted to do was not do the work within the business itself, but help these businesses see the forest for the trees. So it gradually evolved to the point where I recognize what I was really good at is that bigger picture of the strategy and being able to see all the pieces working together. A few years ago, I actually formalized that capacity, and now I work as a coach and a strategist helping all of these different businesses, whether they're a product business or service business or something in between, establish their strategy, their business model and realign their businesses so that they can implement.

Zach Smith is a serial entrepreneur, having never had a “real” job his life. He’s always starting, selling, running, and managing businesses. One of his companies, Funded Today, which has raised over $200 Million for fellow entrepreneurs, just ranked #27 on the INC. 500 List.  At his core, Zach loves helping others turn their dreams, ideas, and inspirations into successful companies.   Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Zach & Nicole Transforming An Idea to a Finished, Money-Making Product Using Crowdfunding In this episode Zach Smith of Funded Today shares all about the power of crowdfunding. Zach takes us step-by-step through his proven 7-P formula for creating a successful crowdfunding campaign that can transform almost any innovative idea into a finished, money-making product in just 3-months. Zach deeply understands the product creation process, the critical steps to get you there, and the importance of avoiding the trappings of simply offering a “me-too” product. As he says, “The first to market, or even second or third, those do the best. After that it becomes overused, so you’d really better innovate if you’re going to penetrate those sectors.” If you’ve been wanting to crowdfund your idea or project, don’t miss this episode where you’ll learn how to develop your unique selling point, how to determine if your product is innovative enough (and what to do if it isn’t), the best crowdfunding platforms to use (and the secrets to using them effectively), why product presentation always trumps product promotion,Zach’s powerful pre-launch strategy that will get you noticed faster, and even more steps that will ensure you have a viable, successful product launch. In This Episode You Will Learn The 7 P’s Of Crowdfunding Success (And Why You Can’t Skip a Single Step!) Developing Your Unique Selling Point - What Is Your Story? Determining If Your Product Is “Cool” Enough (If It’s Not, It Won’t Sell) How to Turn Ubiquitous Items Into Innovative Must-Have Products The Best Marketing Platforms For Selling Your New Product (And The Secrets To Using Them) Why Product Presentation Always Trumps Promotion The 3-F Pre-Launch Strategy to Boost Your Success How to Use Anchor Pricing to Sell Your Product Faster Factors That Affect The Probability Your Product Will Actually Sell Continue the Conversation with Zach Email him [email protected] Watch the Triple F Training Video here Access Your Triple F Google Sheet here  Click Here to Tweet to Zach & Nicole

An entrepreneur of 16 years, Erin Pheil is the founder of The MindFix Group and THE to go-to expert for entrepreneurs and high achievers who want to rapidly and permanently eliminate the mental roadblocks holding them back from achieving the success they KNOW they're capable of. Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Click Here to Tweet to Erin & Nicole How to reset your mindset with Erin Pheil of Mind Fix As entrepreneurs going through our busy days, we often run into mindset . . .  stuff  to put it mildly. Moods, mental roadblocks, frustrations, self-doubt; little hiccups and things that just aren’t supposed to happen. And we get triggered. You probably know the feelings: frustration, anger, anxiety, sadness, fear. All things that can easily derail you if you don’t know how to handle these emotions on the spot. Because the fact remains, we run businesses and we have to keep going. No serious entrepreneur can just go, ‘You know what, I'm just going to call it a day again, I'm done. I just, I can't deal with this. I'm too angry.’ Or at least we can’t if we ever hope to get anywhere with our business. That’s why the tools Erin Pheil of Mind Fix teaches her clients are so powerful. They’re easy “tricks” to keep in your back pocket for when you get triggered or overrun with an emotion, and need to get back to calm . . . fast. So you can get on with your day and your work without being pulled off course. The two techniques Erin teaches below are effective, powerful ways to bring yourself back to a more balanced mental state in just 90 seconds or less. Yes, you read that right. Intrigued? Read on to learn these techniques for yourself and put them into practice today.   How to get unstuck with two simple techniques  Before we begin it’s important to note that Erin will be the first to tell you these techniques are quick fixes. She herself describes them as “bandaid” approaches. However, that’s what they’re meant to be. These tactics are a simple, yet elegant tool for you to add to your mindset “toolbox” that you can pull out anytime you need to get through negative thoughts and emotions quickly so you can move on and be productive. If you would like further help and support to get at the root causes of your thoughts and emotions, visit Erin’s website at MindFixGoup.com. What do you do if you have a mental block?  What do you do when you’re triggered and come up against a mental block? If you’re like most people you ruminate. You become obsessed with the issue in your mind and begin telling yourself a “story.” “This always happens to me!” “I can’t believe they did that . . .” “Nothing I do ever works. Like that time I . . .” What accompanies these negative thoughts are in turn negative emotions. As Erin explains, our emotions are simply chemical reactions. When we experience an emotion, there's a release of neuro chemicals that happens in our brain and they flood into our our system. But what's interesting is if we don't feed the story, the chemicals will stop and the emotion will literally die. Dry up, dissolve and go away. The only thing that keeps these neuro chemicals pumping out, that is, what is actually causing us to feel the emotion, is our continuing to tell the story. It's almost like a little fire in our minds that we keep feeding oxygen with our story. But if we can go for 90 seconds without repeating that story, then the chemicals will stop pumping, and the “fire” will burn out. We’ll literally not experience the emotions that are practically taking over our lives and stopping our day. Mindset reset technique number one  So how do we do this? Erin calls this first technique “The 90 Second and It’s Gone Tactic.” Here’s how it works: First, notice you’re telling a story and note what emotions you’re feeling. Put a name to them and acknowledge them. Next, bring your focus to something else nearby: a tree out the windo...

Jon Schumacher founded Marketing Mastery Media INC, a digital marketing agency focused on helping coaches, consultants, and service providers attract and enroll high-end clients using automation and organic marketing systems. As a revenue growth strategist, webinar specialist and online marketing consultant, Jon’s helped his clients earn million of dollars in sales. He’s been featured in publications such as the Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Fox News, and the Good Men Project and was interview number   Website Facebook Twitter Click Here to Tweet to Jon & Nicole The Expert’s Explosion Strategy for Attracting More of Your Ideal Clients In this episode I chat in depth with online marketing consultant Jon Schumacher. Jon is the founder of Marketing Mastery Media INC, a digital marketing agency, and has been featured on the Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Fox News, and the Good Men Project. We talk about his 4- Step Expert’s Explosion Strategy for optimizing your high end offer and attracting your ideal clients. Jon knows it’s not as hard as you think to level up as an expert and sell your high end service when you have a solid offer and get it in front of the right people. He shares why everything comes down to your offer, the hidden revenue potential within your existing network, three areas to fix that can explode your sales, setting up your high conversion funnel, the anatomy of a successful discovery call and much, much more. If you’re ready to sell your own high end service, you won’t want to miss this episode. In This Episode You Will Learn Why EVERYTHING Comes Down to Your Offer 4 Steps to Optimizing Your High End Offer 3 Areas to Fix In Your Marketing That Can Explode Your Business How to Utilize Facebook Groups to Attract Ideal Clients How to Re-Engage a Stagnant Email List to Boost Your Sales Setting Up Your High Converting TTFF - Top Ten Filter Funnel The Proven Dual Automation + Organic System for Selling High End Services The Anatomy of a Successful Discovery Call (And How to Book Them) Why What Happens Before a Discovery Call Can Make or Break Your Conversions Continue the Conversation with Jon Learn more about Jon’s process and grab his 27 Best Webinar Conversion Strategies at https://jonschumacher.com/conversion You can also find him on YouTube for free training videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/jschumacher1213 Click Here to Tweet to Jon & Nicole