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Welcome to another WIN podcast featuring an EY Entrepreneur of the Year nominee!

Ali Dirul is the founder and CEO of Ryter Cooperative Industries.  They are an L3C corporation - and if you don't know what that is, you're not alone!  Not all state recognize low profit limited liability corporations.  Tune in to learn more about this unique business status!

One of Ali's most recent achievements is the development of the first climate resilient community hub in Michigan.  Ryter Cooperative Industries is creating resilient community spaces with solar power, helping residents in emergencies find shelter that is climate controlled and connected, using spaces they're already familiar with.

Ryter Cooperative was awarded the Michigan Business of the Year award on behalf Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2022.

Join us and learn how Ali is helping to build his business and his community.

Hosted by Carrie Richardson, partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting.

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to another podcast from our EY Entrepreneur of the Year interview series. 

At the age of 15, war forced Maria Marin to flee from her home in Nicaragua.  She immigrated to the US alone, she did not speak English, and she had $200 to her name.

Fast forward many years, Maria is the founder and CEO of Unlimited Recycling and this year, was nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year. 

In this interview, Maria shares how a petite Latina woman who is expecting her first child quits her job and starts a business in the male-dominated waste disposal industry. 

Maria is passionate about her family, the environment, and the Small Business Administration.  Learn how each of these passions played an important role in the growth of her multimillion dollar business. 

Ms. Marin is a successful entrepreneur, a keynote speaker, a leader in her community and industry, and a delightful podcast guest. 

Learn more about Maria's EY Nomination here.

This episode of WIN - What's Important Now is hosted by Carrie Richardson, Partner, Richardson & Richardson Consulting.

Have you got a founder story to share with the world?   We'd love to hear from you!
Schedule time to chat with Carrie here:  https://randr.consulting/connect

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

This is the first interview in our EY Entrepreneur of the Year series.

We're beginning with regional finalists in our local area - Michigan/Ohio.

And it's an incredible story of triumph, resilience and innovation. 

I'm fortunate enough to have Carla Ejaz (and in subsequent interviews, both of her business partners) featured on WIN this week.   

I'm very excited for them to all see how three versions of the stories differ -each partner agreed to chat with me separately, without coordinating stories. The three partners have different roles and responsibilities at their business, I expect they'll all have a different viewpoint on the challenges and opportunities they're working on.

Carla and her partners acquired Lasting Impressions Promotional Marketing in 2017. 

The business was founded in 1976.  The story begins with Farrah Fawcett and it's not ending anytime soon.  In this interview we touch on the dynamics of a family business, the importance of "staying in your lane", fast pivots, high growth, being prepared for emergencies, and the importance of fostering a powerful culture and great relationships with your competitors.  

Whether you're just starting your entrepreneur journey or nearing the end, you'll be as enamored with this success story as I was.  I don't even want to outline what we're talking about, because the story is truly the things they make movies out of.

Without further adieu, let's get into it. 

Hosted by Carrie Richardson, partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

You're in for a treat this week! 

An extra ten minutes of WINning! 

Joe Cardillo is the founder of The Early Manager, a coaching firm that supports job seekers and new managers. 

My interview with Joe went long.  Really long.   I learned so much about diversity, power, accountability, transparency and alignment that it was almost impossible to edit it into 20 minutes.  It was almost impossible getting it down to 30 minutes, but it's definitely worth the extra time!

Joe's background is scaling high performing SaaS startups.  They launched their coaching practice in 2020 - a good time to focus on supporting those who found themselves changing industries!

If you're wondering how power and capital - all kinds of each - impacts a business that is trying to create a diverse team (and not just checking boxes), this would be a great episode for you.  Trying to attract and build the next generation of leaders for your business?  Don't miss this one.  If you're looking to change careers, or you're currently unemployed and searching for a new opportunity I encourage you to reach out to Joe to discuss your job search.  If you're wondering how to build teams that are truly inclusive and diverse, a conversation with Joe should be on your to-do list. 

Hosted by Carrie Richardson, partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting, this is a must-listen episode!

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

In 2008, Kathryn Rose went from Wall Street power broker to being an unemployed new mother and a caregiver for a sick parent almost overnight.

Unable to take on a full time role, she reached out to her large network and asked what they needed help with.   Someone asked her if she could help them rank on the front page of Google.

Like a boss, Kathryn said of course - then set out to learn what SEO was.  She didn't have time to read books or take courses, she needed an answer faster than that.  She found an expert and paid them for their time.   Two weeks later she had a new marketing practice and a happy first client. 

In this episode of WIN, Kathryn shares how that idea fueled her latest business venture - a platform that connects business experts in different disciplines to business owners who need a bit of advice from an expert. 

One of the things fueling Kathryn's passion for her new business is the fact that over 80% of women business owners are solopreneurs with less than 100,000 in revenue.   With a lack of time and resources, there aren't many ways to get reliable advice at reasonable prices - enter getWise and channelWise - find an expert and "pick their brain" for an hour. 

Get ready to laugh and learn today on WIN!  Carrie Richardson, partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting, hosts.  Ignore the part where the Yeti microphone and extension arm falls on the floor.  

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Ben Chappell has had a long career in the technology space, working with both Solutions Granted (you can see Michael Crean, CEO of Solutions Granted on a previous episode of WIN) and Ingram Micro.

Ben took on a new challenge, working with international technology security software application firm We Bridge.

We Bridge focused on bringing new, internationally founded firms to the North American market.  At the beginning of the year, We Bridge made the decision to focus on one solution - and that solution was Apona Security.

Learn how and why Ben narrowed his focus, and what he learned along the way!

Join Carrie Richardson, Partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting, as she asks Ben that important question:  "What's Important Now?"

Want to be a guest on WIN?  Apply here!

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Chris Johnson is a cybersecurity compliance strategist at heart. 

As a former MSP, Johnson focused on helping small to mid-size businesses make the strategic IT decisions and technology implementations that improved their cybersecurity posture. 

He is currently CompTIA’s senior director of cybersecurity programs and ex-officio chairperson of the CompTIA Security Community. In this role, he champions the abilities of MSPs looking to focus more on cybersecurity.

Chris joins Carrie Richardson on WIN to talk about the new Comptia Trustmark certification program, and how this new certification will help security-focused MSPs WIN!

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Scott Cooley started his business at the age of 13.  He installed some of the first wired networks in Honolulu.  Indevtech was founded in 2010, and was recently honored by Pacific Business News as one of the fastest growing companies in Hawaii.

Indevtech has been growing aggressively, focused on adding new team members while maintaining the Aloha Spirit that they are known for. 

In this episode of WIN, Scott shares some of the pros (hard for competitors to enter the space) and the cons (limited target accounts) of running a small business on an island, and shares what they're focused on next:  building their first defined sales process and making their first dedicated sales hire.

One thing Scott credits to his accelerated success over the last few years is participation in the TruMethods TruPeer peer group.  Learn why he decided to join, and why the impact to his business was so significant.

Scott has two ten-year-old daughters, and was born and raised in Hawai'i.  Both of his parents were entrepreneurs, so Scott was surrounded with business process his whole life!

Hosted by Carrie Richardson, Partner at Richardson & Richardson Consulting, this is a great episode for anyone else focused on growing a business from the 2MM mark to the 5MM mark.  

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Carrie Richardson, partner at Richardson & Richardson consulting as she asks Ryan Grimes, CEO of My IT Indy; "What's Important Now?"

Ryan started in technology back in the early 80’s when he got an Apple II with 64K of memory. No hard drive. No user interface. No operating system. He played games he built himself, spent the next decade taking apart computers, rebuilding them, and learning all about them. 
 
Mr. Grimes has a degree in education, and he worked for several school districts and Apple before he started his business – My IT Indy – in 2004.

 
Ryan built My IT Indy to help businesses use technology to increase their productivity, while remaining secure. "Working From Home" was something they helped businesses do before it became popular in 2020.

Today Ryan shares about:

Growing gracefully:  How My IT Indy is managing high growth with maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction

Sales maturity: The sales discovery technique that is helping him demonstrate more value to prospects, resulting in winning larger deals with more favorable pricing.

Learning from peers:  Ryan collaborates with his peers - competitors, too - to learn how to adopt things that are working for the companies he admires.

Don't miss this one, and if you'd like to join us as a guest on W.I.N. we'd love to hear how you're WINning!   Apply to be a guest here:  https://randr.consulting/connect

Richardson & Richardson helps entrepreneurs realize and achieve their visions.  If you're interested in creating a strategic plan for your growing business, we'd love to learn more about you.  Book a complimentary assessment here!

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to W.I.N. (what's important now?) - the entrepreneurial podcast where we dive into business challenges, achievements, and opportunities!

Join your host, Ian Richardson, from Richardson & Richardson Consulting as he explores what entrepreneurs care about and focus on. This week, Ian dives into the types of growth every MSP should focus on.

Carrie Richardson and Ian Richardson host the WIN Podcast - What's Important Now?

They are the co-founders of Fox & Crow Group, a software development company building growth platforms for MSP and IT channel businesses.

Learn more at:

Fox & Crow Group - the MSP Sales Process platform and all-in-one CRM solution 

Fox & Crow Instinct - the MSP Decision Intelligence Platform for IT Channel Vendors

Fox & Crow Jackdaw - Competitive Intelligence Reports on Demand for MSP businesses

 
Book time with Carrie here!

Be a guest on WIN!  We host MSP channel founders, executives and sales and marketing leaders who are willing to share advice with other IT channel firms on how to build, grow or sell a business using examples from their own experience.