AmiSights: Financing the Future For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Jennifer Walzer Berkowitz ,   Managing Director of R&J Advisory Group , which helps CEOs and executive teams scale up. Tune in as Jennifer explains her motivation in helping others achieve success. "I'm in a good place in my life. I don't have to be doing this. I could be on the tennis court every day. But the reality is that my whole pur...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Deb Gabor ,   founder and CEO of Sol Marketing , a strategy-led marketing firm. Deb talks to us about cultivating your human authority to create irrational loyalty. "I'm in the business of creating the condition that I call irrational loyalty – when people are so indelibly bonded to a brand, they feel like they were cheating on it if they...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Jay Sidhu ,   Chairman and CEO of Customers Bancorp, Inc. and Executive Chairman of Customers Bank . He is also author of " Never, Ever, Ever Give Up , " which started as a book for his grandchildren about being a first-generation immigrant from India, but evolved into a guideline for young entrepreneurs needing inspiration "I was very bl...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Jana Franklin,   founder of the CEO Concierge Virtual Assistant company, a business dedicated to providing virtual assistant services exclusively tailored to the needs of CEOs. She also franchises several Jimmy Johns and Fantastic Sams locations in the St. Louis area. She explains how her businesses are intertwined. "The best thing I've d...

In today's podcast, we talk to Matthew Pollard ,   founder of Rapid Growth® Coach , and author of " The Introverts Edge, " a book laying out the steps on how a shy and quiet person can outsell anyone without changing their personality.  "What makes me tick right now is helping people realize that introverts aren't second-class citizens; their path to success is just different to that of an extrove...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to  Stacee Mandeville ,   founder of The Mandeville Method , a three-pillar soft skills approach that helps teams communicate with clarity and authority, use emotional intelligence to reduce stress, and develop personal influence to build relationships.  "Everything the Mandeville Method does is concrete, actionable, practical. We talk about...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Kira Wissman, CAS Controller of the client advisory services department at KWC CPAs, based in Alexandria, Virginia. She explains how she has tried to change perceptions about the accounting world. "The owner of the company I worked for initially was very passionate about people and really taught me the importance of motivation and how to...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Amy Power , founder and CEO of The Power Group , a  PR, social media and influencer relations firm in Dallas, where she is also president of the EO chapter. Amy tells us how she was inspired by her grandmother at a young age to become an entrepreneur.  "My grandmother, in hindsight, was an entrepreneur. She had her own seamstress shop in...

In this weeks edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Jim Jacobs , CEO and Founder of Focus Insite , a nationwide market research firm. He explains how making a business plan and starting right away is the best path for entrepreneurs rather than waiting for the perfect conditions.  "You're gonna do half the revenue, and your expenses are going to be three times what you project on any spreads...

In today's podcast, we talk to Ben Herman , co-founder and CEO of Mad Fish Digital , a digital marketing agency and certified B Corporation with its roots in Portland, Oregon. He explains how watching the stress of having investors at his previous company made him take slow and deliberate growth in his own company. "It's my wife's and my company, and that feels really good," he said. "It feels lik...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Keith Roberts, a transformational speaker, expert on leadership, and founder of the OAKJournal. He explains his journey to becoming a bodhisattva – a Buddhist whose purpose in life is to help others reach nirvana or enlightenment. "It is my goal in this life; I wouldn't say I've reached that yet," he said. "It really aligns with much more...

In today's podcast, we talk to Ryan Tansom, founder of Arkona, and the Intentional Growth™ Framework, which helps owners view and run their company like a financial asset through educational training and fractional CFO services. He developed the program after selling his family business with the goal of helping others avoid the same mistakes he made. "I think the blind trust, we can't do that anym...

In today's podcast, we talk to Len Bruskiewitz, owner of FocalPoint, where he helps small businesses, owners and entrepreneurs be more successful by coaching them to optimize their four key levers in their lives and companies – time, money, team and strategy. "I think one of the biggest things that small business owners don't realize is that you can't wake up one day and decide to sell your busine...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Jeff Silbert, co-founder and president of Silbert Partners, which operates 10 locations of Hand & Stone Massage, and Facial Spa and Moxie Salon and Beauty Bar. He explains how he prefers franchising to starting a business from scratch.  "Actually, franchising was new to me. It works out well because I like getting in kind of early, but I...

In today's podcast, Lynn talks to Cassandra Bailey, the founder, president, and CEO of Slice Communications. She tells us how she made the transition from employee to employer when social media was just emerging about 15 years ago. "I had been doing media relations, and I recognized that social media was going to be this new emerging way for companies to interact with people," she said. "So, Slice...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Vik Thapar, managing director of Cypress Growth Capital, where he oversees all aspects of the firm's investment process and provides ongoing support to portfolio companies. He tells us what he looks for when acquiring venture capital. "We're looking to learn about the business in general, which includes technology, but at the end of the d...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights podcast , we talk to Michael Brady. Michael is a consultant with LPL Financial and the managing partner of Independent Advisor Group , where he mentors approximately 35 advisors and oversees the books of business owned by IAG, which total more than $200 million in assets. He tells us how he grew his business from the ground up, starting with a bunch of small...

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, I found myself as the LIVE case study when an unexpected branding exercise unfolded in this episode with our guest, Deb Gabor. Deb Gabor is the founder and CEO of Sol Marketing , a strategy-led marketing firm. Known as the "branding queen," Deb and I talk about what companies should do, if anything at all, to respond to difficult topics such as the...

In today's podcast, we talk to Miguel Leal, who is widely regarded as the "Godfather of Mexican Cheese" in the United States. Miguel tells us how he moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was a teen for an apprenticeship at a Wisconsin cheese factory. Although he didn't know the language, had no money, and had little education with a learning disability, his hard work and determination pushed him t...

In today's podcast, we talk to Dr. Laura Sicola, founder of Vocal Impact Productions and host of the podcast, "Speaking to Influence: Communication Secrets of the C-Suite." She explains why clear communication is vital, no matter who you are talking to or the situation. "To me, the definition of public speaking is anytime you're talking to somebody other than yourself," she says. "So, it could be...

In today's podcast, we talk to Dr. Jeff Cornwall , co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneurial Mind , LLC, and Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship at Belmont University, where he founded its entrepreneurship program in 2003. Shortly after retiring, Jeff was diagnosed with cancer last year, which changed his outlook on life. "I wasn't sure I was going to retire, but between COVID and Generation Z, I d...

In today's podcast, we talk to Winnie Hart, founder and Chief Strategic Engine of TwinEngine, a brand growth agency fueled by purpose, and best-selling author of the new release, "Stand Out as a Thought Leader." She tells us why she wrote this book and how it differs from other business books. "We have such a massive opportunity to, especially as entrepreneurs and as business leaders in this world...

In today's podcast, we talk to Gabe Abshire , founder and CEO of Utility Concierge , a one-stop-shop for setting up utilities and home services—such as electricity, cable, internet, phone, and smart security—when moving into a new home. Gabe explains how he came up with the idea for the company and why it is of value to customers, real estate professionals, and service providers. "We're going to s...

In today's podcast, we talk to Mac Lackey , a former professional soccer player and an entrepreneur who has built and sold six companies. Currently, Mac is mentoring entrepreneurs via ExitDNA , his exclusive program for founders and entrepreneurs who want confidence and clarity on the exact steps they need to take now to create the option for a successful exit in the future. He explains how his ex...

In today's podcast, we talk to Wendy Lieber , Co-Founder and CEO of ContentBacon , a subscription-based company that works with companies to help tell their story through all different types of tasty custom content. She explains how her company's niche is content storytelling. "The best customers for us are companies that know who they are, know who they're trying to target, and utilize us to help...