The Liquid Lunch Project

Every tax strategy works until it's audited. This is why having an expert in your corner who knows what they're talking about is critical.    And one such expert is on the show today. Meet Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions. His mission is to equip high-net-worth individuals with the Deferred Sales Trust (DST) tool to help them defer capital gains tax on the sale of their assets....

If you've got a case of the Processes-Blues, the Doctor is in, and he will see you now.   Dr. Zach Schaefer (dubbed the Process Expert by Luigi) is a management consultant, leadership coach, and award-winning professional speaker who advises companies on strategy execution and communication. Through his consulting firm, Spark The Discussion, he and his team of expert coaches and consultants have p...

Raise your hand if you've ever made a purchase because of an ad you saw online.   (Don't lie; we know you have.)   When it comes to social media marketing and advertising, there is a LOT of money to be made. But it's not always as simple as creating an eye-catching graphic, adding a Buy Me CTA, and then sitting back and waiting for the sales to roll in. When you consider industry limitations, algo...

Picture it: It's 2005 and you've just been laid off from your corporate banking job. You're recently married, have a brand new car, a mortgage, and are six figures in debt with $100 left in your pocket.   What now?   Today's guest doesn't have to picture it - he lived it, and came out the other side with an amazing story to tell. Meet Matt Shoup: Author, keynote speaker, serial entrepreneur, Brazi...

Albert Einstein once remarked that "the measure of intelligence is the ability to change," and we can't think of a better way to sum up this week's episode with Aaron Bare.    A Change Agent, Strategic Educator, and a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and #1 Amazon best-selling author, Aaron is one of the top facilitators in the world and has worked with (just to name a few) NASA, Coa-Cola, Facebook...

"If you build it, they will come."   While that might work for a baseball field in the middle of Iowa, most business owners know that the building part is just the beginning.    If you want to stay ahead of the competition, increase your profits, and keep the lights on and the employees paid, you can't just open a business and wait for the customers to start streaming in; you need a plan to scale...

There are only two things in life we have complete control over: Our attitude and our activity. And if you're struggling with managing one (or both) of these, this episode is for you.   Today's guest is JM Ryerson, creator of the Let's Go Win process. He helps high-performing leaders define and execute their own individual leadership styles to grow and scale their businesses. And that's something...

It's no secret that nearly everything is getting outsourced today. From house cleaning to car maintenance to food delivery, the convenience and accessibility of hiring someone else to do a task you A) Don't know how to do or B) Have no interest in doing has become big business.    This is particularly true in the world of home improvement and renovations; while a good percentage of the population...

Here's a sobering statistic:    Over 50% of businesses that get ransomware close up shop in two years.   That is a significant number.    And yet, cybersecurity continues to be something often overlooked by small to medium-sized business owners. It's considered to be a problem for big corporations, like Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, not the Mom & Pop Tire shop on Main Street. But the unfortunate tru...

Remember when The Jetsons seemed like a fun, far-fetched fantasy of what the future would (or could) look like? Nowadays, it doesn't seem so crazy. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, with everyone racing to stay ahead.    We've said it before on the show (and it's 1000% likely we'll say it again), but your business, regardless of industry, must be partnering closely with technology. Of cours...

In the words of the illustrious British pop group sensation, The Spice Girls, "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want."   Why TF are we bringing up a 90s girl group on The Liquid Lunch Project podcast? Because that's the theme of today's episode. (Plus, it's a banger of a hit.)   Chris Hood, digital strategist, speaker, and former Head of Business Innovation and Strategy at Google,...

There's a lot more to growing and scaling a business than wishful thinking or taking shots in the dark; it requires an intentional and sustainable strategy. After all, the average lifespan of a company is only 8 years. If you don't want to be one of the 185,000 businesses that disappear each year, you'll want to listen to this episode.   Steve Preda is a bestselling author and Leadership Team Coac...

Drumroll, please!   Cue the champagne and the confetti because THIS is the 100th episode of The Liquid Lunch Project Podcast!   On today's show, Matt and Luigi reflect back on how this all got started (thanks, COVID), discuss some of their most memorable guests (don't worry, they love all their children equally), and the future of The LLP (hint - they're just getting started!).   They're also cove...

Business is in a constant state of evolution. And how you share your message, promote your product, or sell your service changes with it. TV killed the radio star, and Google ads killed the Yellow Pages. This is why you must remain flexible and fluid and be willing to adopt new mediums of communication.    Podcasting is one such medium that has seen enormous success over the last several years. No...

Every business needs a story. Not just a product. Not just a service. It's the story you tell that can ultimately differentiate you from your competitors and connect with your customers. And who better than to teach us how than THE corporate storyteller himself, Steve Multer.   Steve is a veteran corporate spokesman and trainer for over 100 global brands, including Cisco, Splunk, Panasonic, Fujifi...

Dealing with technology and IT issues is far too often a thorn in the side of small business owners who - quite frankly - have enough on their plate already without worrying about security updates and malware issues. Enter today's guest: Orrin Klopper is on a mission to enable and empower entrepreneurs and small biz owners with honest, predictable tech and IT support. He's the CEO of Netsurit, an...

How does someone go from a school dropout on probation with a felony charge to an Amazon #1 best seller, speaker, and real estate trainer who has transacted over $59 million in real estate across seven states? It all started with a book.  And a lot of work. Our guest today is Victor Bell, CEO of Bell Capital. His San Diego-based company acquires and manages real estate properties, focusing on both...

Do you know your IQ level? How about your emotional IQ level? How would you rank your empathy and assertiveness? And would you be surprised to learn that finding the magic balance between the two can do wonders for your business? If you don't think emotional intelligence plays a significant role in your operations, stop what you're doing for the next 30 minutes and listen in; today's guest might c...

The only thing The Liquid Lunch Project likes more than an actual "liquid lunch" is an industry disrupter in the small business space. And not only is today's guest doing just that, he's disrupting the dinosaur of industries: Real Estate. Mike Kaeding is the CEO of Norhart, a $200 million apartment developer building high-quality housing. He believes real estate housing and development can be a sm...

How do you stay top of mind with your clients? It's an age-old question and one that every business owner struggles with within a competitive market. If everybody is doing a different version of the same thing, how do you stand out?  Today's guest is here to solve that problem. Steve Buzogany, Founder and CEO of The Appreciation Advocate, is helping small business owners increase their income thro...

Passive income. Generational wealth. Increased cash flow. Accelerated retirement. Sounds pretty good, right? We all want to achieve each of those things, but for the majority of individuals and small business owners, our assets are tied up in more "traditional" or qualified plans, like a 401k or IRA. Not only are we facing the stock market's volatility, but we are also placing our trust in financi...

What does it take to succeed in business?  Why am I not further along in my career as I want to be? Entrepreneurship is too difficult, I'm ready to throw in the towel.   If any of these questions or thoughts have crossed your mind, today's episode will be especially helpful. Matt's flying solo, and he's sitting down with friend and fellow Apex member Jacob Stahler. From starting and dropping out o...

Small business owners are faced with a myriad of decisions every day - and one of the most challenging decisions is how to price products and services. Is this price too low? Is this price too high? How do we know we're getting what we're worth?   Today's guest is going to pull back the curtain on the mystery that is price-setting. Per Sjofors, aka The Price Whisperer, spent years running companie...

Do you have an idea for a book that's just itching to get put onto paper, but the whole process has you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start? Then this is the podcast episode you've been waiting for.    Our guest today is two-time author, business strategist, and public speaker Malene Bendsten, aka "The Book Coach." She's giving us a peek behind the proverbial publishing curtain and ho...

To say that Amazon has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success would be the understatement of the century. But it was no happy accident or cosmic fluke that took Jeff Bezos from boxing books in his garage to running a billion-dollar operation. It was hard work, a lot of failures, and a very specific set of principles.    And today's guest is giving us a look at what those principles are.   Meet Joh...