Troublemakers

When I imagine the Security Services sector, I think of tough guys with muscles bulging through their black suits. The reality of the industry is quite different. Statista reports that the North American Security Services market is $32 Billion Dollars.

Martin Randolph is a serial entrepreneur. Interviewing him led me to think that staring into money-making ventures as children or teens might be common amongst troublemakers. Martin started his first business at age 11 with an aftermarket skateboard business. That drive led him to many different ventures. 

Osmond was started to solve a major gap in the sector. There's a hole in the Managed Security Services Industry – and Osmond is solving it with a more preventative, prepared approach versus a passive approach. They're signing up SMBs, especially those who need both physical and digital protection. And that's the big difference for the security sector. 

Keep your eyes on Martin Randolph and Osmond.

In this podcast, Ralf Kaiser CEO of Integrated Compliance Solutions and their subsidiary Greenlight Payments will provide a different perspective on hemp and cannabis – the business side, especially as regards helping cannabis companies succeed in full compliance with the law.

Hemp cultivation for fibre was recorded in China as early as 2800 years ago and was practiced in the Mediterranean countries of Europe early in the Christian era, spreading throughout the rest of Europe during the Middle Ages.

 The first “businesses” cultivating hemp were in China as early as 2800 years ago. The fibers from the plant were worked into clothing, baskets, rope, paper, and a medicine. The seeds were a food source. 

 Cannabis was criminalized in various countries beginning in the 19th century. The U.S. first restricted the sale of cannabis in 1906 in Washington DC. In 1970, federal law has classified cannabis as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. 

 "To date, a total of 47 states have reformed their cannabis laws, with 36 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam now permitting legal access to cannabis for medical purposes; and 15 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands having adopted laws legalizing cannabis for adult use. Legal cannabis (marijuana) sales are projected to reach $23 billion by 2022."   Source

Greg Kerber has been a troublemaker pretty much since birth. He started off in the world of finance, solving complex problems. Then, when the Internet started, he was one of the early innovators, building the first block chain on a peer-to-peer network. After that, he helped his family launch a company called Rad Soap, selling all kinds of natural body care products. His ex-wife and two sons run the company. The sons got Greg's DNA for aggressive marketing. 

The latest highly disruptive adventure is Greg's Gnome Serum – full spectrum hemp extract.
Like many companies, their website differentiates the company by talking about the products. Check out my blog post about Gnome Serum and you'll see what I think the real differentiators are. 

In the podcast, Greg explains the shakeups happening in the hemp industry. Barriers to entry are low, so naturally the market if flooded with products. But Greg is busy differentiating his company and positioning to win. 

Software companies have had an easy ride for decades. They come up with good solutions. The companies who subscribe get almost all of the expected benefits. But the Internet turns just about everything into a commodity, and after that it's just a matter of who lowers their prices  faster. 

Phil Newmoyer, CEO of PROVOSO, has a refreshingly different approach. The best way I can sum it up is his very strong EQ. For those companies who haven't heard of EQ, it's Emotional Quotiant.

As you look through the PROVOSO website, you’ll agree they've developed an impressive solution. Most tech companies would stop there. What makes Phil and PROVOSO different is their focus on more than the tech side.

I advise my listeners to start at PROVOSO.com first and get a sense of how even software companies can differentiate themselves by adopting a more service-oriented approach.

This paragraph from Appalachian Investors Alliance (AIA) perfectly clarifies how they are bringing hope to the determined ingenious, and gritty entrepreneurs in small towns all over this part of the country.

"The Appalachian region is known for tough, blue collar people who for generations have beaten the odds to overcome unforgiving landscapes and harsh conditions using grit, determination, and ingenuity. As it looks to re-invent for the next chapter of the region, Appalachia is collectively harnessing the power of the entrepreneurial mindset to re-imagine the future while paying homage to its rich history."

My guest, Scott Ewing, Co-Founder and Principal Business Analyst at Appalachian Investors Alliance, talks through the opportunities and challenges of operating this unique angel investing group. 

The AIA has applied serious best practices and deep business acumen to the process to give Appalachian innovators an edge up. 

As you will hear, this one is near and dear to my heart.

In this episode you'll meet Tommy and Gwen Mitchell, Founders of LogHeads Home Center and stars on the DIY and GAC networks' show LogHeads for two years. The show had top 3 viewership on these networks, and if you get to know Tommy and Gwen you'll understand why. They're honest, trusting, hard-working, and brilliant at their careers.

I think the theme to this episode is perseverance. The team was at the top of their game, with EBITDA in the 7 figures. The TV show was a great marketing vehicle. And then their main wood shop, a huge building, burned down. That didn't stop Tommy and Gwen. 

They began building back and are now on course with renewed energy, new furniture designs coming out, several huge building opportunities on the horizon, and an aggressive marketing approach that's brand new.

There are certain sectors who are often late to embrace technologies that could make their lives easier and their bank accounts more bloated. Retail is one of them. There are several areas in retail that have needed re-thinking as far back as 40 years. My guest for this podcast has tackled one of the most critical ones.

John Ricci of Danavation is re-inventing signage on shelves and throughout stores using the IoT. 

Danavation Technologies Corp.™ is a leading provider of micro e-paper messaging in North America.  Their Digital Smart Labels™ give companies the ability to automate labeling, pricing, product information, and promotions in seconds – and that's just the retail sector. 

Danavation is moving into many other companies as John explains on the podcast. The industries they can streamline with this technology are wide ranging.

John's 25+ years of experience in retail gives him a high-level view of the industry; and it  gave me a lot of great quotes. Here's my favorite: 

“What defines you as a company is not what you brag about. It’s what happens when something goes wrong. Are you able to fix it? Are you willing to fix it? And are you there to support your customer?”

Pam Gunther of Fit and Fun Playscapes wanted to build a business selling inventive active learning solutions into schools. She didn’t rush the launch of Fit and Fun Playscapes. Instead, she used the time to embed herself into the education world, talking to physical educators, principals, teachers, occupational therapists and health professionals, learning about their struggles and the important multi-faceted connections between physical activity, the brain and learning. 

 10 years later, Pam credits that scientific approach as a major factor of Fit and Fun’s success.  Anyone can produce stencils or stickers and sell them into school systems; and plenty do. However, most of Pam’s competitors don’t build science into their products.

 Then COVID-19 hit and school buildings were off limits. Being an entrepreneur is tough enough but, as you’ll learn in this podcast, using difficult times to re-focus and execute careful pivots will position you for future success.

 There are lessons in this podcast for any size business owner.

In this podcast, I was surprised to learn so much about the mental health industry and those trying to navigate it. Then again, I was learning from someone accustomed to dropping boldly clear statements like this -

The mental healthcare system is broken.
Trusst is how we start fixing it.

As you'll learn in the podcast, Dr. Bill Hudenko is CEO of Trusst, a company that's going to greatly improve delivery of mental healthcare. 

Mental disorders are an overlooked part of the medical sector, in part because they have a long history of being misunderstood.  A glaring example - in 2008 (merely 13 years ago) a law was passed because health insurance issuers and group health plans were imposing less favorable benefit limitations on mental health patients than they were on medical/surgical patients. In other words, mental disorders had been "all in your head" for a very long time. That stigma still lingers.

One of the major obstacles for those needing care is the difficulty in getting appointments, mostly because there's an alarming shortage of psychiatrists. Between 2003 and 2013 there was a 10% decline in the number of practicing psychiatrists in the U.S.

Now, finally some good news: Trusst is here. Learn more about their brilliant solution on this Troublemakers podcast episode featuring Dr. Bill Hudenko.

Where most people put their job title on their LinkedIn profile, Candice Crane has this - "People Strategist, Transformation Leader, Speaker. "  Her focus is on strategic organizational development. She can reduce turnover and engage employees in challenging environments. 

The retail side of the auto industry is certainly challenging. As you'll hear in the podcast, many of the leaders in dealerships came to the industry straight out of college, or worked their way up from the Sales side. Most were never around best practice in professional business environments. 

Candice Crane is looking to change her industry from the inside out. While she's doing that, some of the more aware auto retailers are beginning to accept certain changes. 

Selling process - buying a car can take an entire day. That's not consumer friendly.

Technology - the smart dealers realize that parts of the car buying process can happen before they come to a dealership, if they have to come to the dealership at all. 

Generational changes for employees - Auto Dealers who started their career in the “Go-Go 80s” must adapt to the changing views of work/life balance.