Business Wingmen Podcast

Digital marketing refers to all the usual marketing activities and initiatives served up through digial channels like your website, Google search, email, mobile apps, etc. We'll discuss the most common ones and give you our perspective on why you would choose any of these and what to expect from utilizing each.

Business owners have a lot on their minds. Journaling serves many purposes, one of which is a mind dump. But how do we do it in the digital age? Paper and pen, ipad and pen, computer and keyboard, or sticky notes? Any business owner, manager or employee benefits with journaling but it takes time and experience to get good at it. Everyone benefits when it’s done right.

There are many types of business and professional development methods to choose from. Knowing how each works and which one will help you achieve the improve you want is critical. Professional or business development is a $164 billion annual industry. The main types of development include, training, coaching, mentoring, formal learning, on-the-job and static programs. What’s the key difference and...

The economy has been strong for a while, so it might seem like the right time to start your own business. Before you do, be aware of the pitfalls that could sink your dream before you get off the ground. In this episode, we’ll cover many business development stats from an article in Small Business Trends written by Matt Mansfield.

Many times, you can greatly improve your management practices by learning from other occupations. Today, we discuss how to manage your business like a pilot by focusing on 4 key elements of piloting a plane: planning, aviating, navigating and communicating. Each of these principles has application in the business environment so stick with us as we help you learn some new ways to address old manage...

Twenty-five percent of all new managers today admit they are not ready to manage what they are responsible for. As a result, they struggle to gain respect, authority and demonstrate the ability to be effective in their role. In business today, effective managers must understand the importance of ‘what to do’ as much as ‘how to do’ it. Understanding how to be resourceful, knowing where to go for so...

If you do too many tasks and work at the grass roots level, you are working in your business. Successful owners learn to work on their business by incorporating specific leadership and management techniques to optimize their own resources and free themselves up to be more strategic.

Financial management is an important part of every business operation. Understanding your own financial management needs and who best can handle them for your business is an equally important decision. In this episode, your Business Wingmen Steve Smith and Will Robertson interview the CEO of Ingenio Solutions, Jean Latu. Jean is an experienced accountant and CFO and explains the different roles an...

With unemployment at an all-time low and outside hires generally costing more, business owners should begin developing their key employees to take on greater roles. When you promote from within, you are walking your talk about employees working hard and getting opportunities to advance. Few things will motivate the entire workforce more than seeing the best amoung them get promoted.

Today, we dive into the universal problem of focus and concentration as it relates to running and building your business. This is a worldwide epidemic and it's largely self induced! Businesses lose billions of dollars each year from lack of productivity, low energy, poor decision making and short attention spans all do to lack of focus. Listen in as Steve Smith and Will Robertson discuss ways to i...

In this episode, your business wingmen interview Bill Black, the first certified exit planner in the US and the host of the Exit Coach Radio Show. Bill explains why exit planning is so critical for business owners planning to leave their business' at some point. Many do not consider the need for advance planning and suffer the consequences of selling or transferring their business to people who wi...

In today's episode, we take on the best ways to solve problems. Being a great problem solver is at the heart of being a successful entrepreneur. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson all consider themselves to be great problem solvers. Business owners, entrepreneurs, managers and executives face and deal with problems daily. Eliminating problems from occurring is not possible but solving...

In this episode, we interview executive coach, Lisa Walker to find out some of the things that make her clients successful. Lisa gives us a new perspective on the power of taking full responsibility. She walks us through how to improve results & success, become more open to ideas, and improve quality of life. Lisa Walker is not only an experienced coach but a seven-time world record holder and Nat...

In this episode we interview our guest, Richard Franzi, of Critical Mass for Business. Richard is a 3 time author and CEO peer group leader. His newest book, 'Killing Cats Leads to Rats' is a facinating look at the unintended consequences of business decisions. Richard takes us through is SECURE Methodology, which helps business owners avoid, reduce or mitigate the potential negative impact of uni...

Too many business owners and operators focus on managing for normal everyday occurances without considering events that could cause real harm or alter the course of the business. The goal of management is to insure that resources are coordinated so that the flow and efficiency of the business will be consistent and profitable. Unfortuneately, many inexperiened or ineffective managers don't prepare...

Achieving unpresidented results means learning how to increase your effectiveness at what you do and how you work with those around you. At the top of the list of ways to achieve this level of results is by building your integrity. On today's show, your business wingmen interview Joan Smith- executive coach with Leadership Consultants International. Joan walks us through the process for increasing...

Business partnerships have a notoriously high rate of failure because not enough is done up front to properly vet the person being considered. Lots of business owners look at partnering as a way to expand or sometimes survive. They believe that bringing someone else in will help them grow because of what the other person is perceived to be bringing to the partnership. This and a whole host of othe...

Business owners must inspect what they expect. KPI's are the ideal way to accomplish this. Guest speaker Jay McDowell covers this topic from his 30 plus years in corporate American Business. W're going to discuss a subject every business owner needs to pay attention to - called Key Productivity Indicators otherwise known as KPI's. Lots of business owners think they can measure the success of their...

Many businesses, big and small struggle to figure out how to grow once they've established themselves and started making money. Our discussion today deals with a few key strategies for advancing your business once it's become stable but minimally profitable.

If procrastinating is a problem for you, take heart. There's a reason you do it and a way to train yourself not to do it. Procrastion effects all of us and it's most damaging when really important projects are on the line. Get control of your desire to avoid the things that matter.

Many small business owners have a hard time making decisions for a number of reasons… we look at the most common. Once business owners understand the COST of NOT making a decision the incentive to make one becomes more motivating. Learn where you might be getting stuck making your most important decisions.

Many times, business people avoid having important conversations because they involve difficult topics or people. Avoiding these stressful interactions only compounds the situation to be resolved. Once a business owner or leader understands how to approach a potentially difficult topic with an employee, peer, colleague, client or boss, their ability to influence situations and gain respect goes wa...

Today, we're headed for the land of customer services. That place where many business owners hope and pray that what they offer and how they offer it will win them a 5 star review rather than some scorched earth comments on the internet. We're going to dive into customer service from the customer's POV as well as the owner's perspective in hopes that you will see how best to create or improve your...

This episode discusses what 'closing' actually is. It's about gaining customer agreement. This is not another step in the selling process but the end of the value agreement process. Listen, take notes and improve your closing skills!

Dr. Bob Adamik, PhD. (Dr. Bob) is a highly experienced, energetic and motivated ‘Fortune 500 corporate executive who rose from Assistant Manager to Senior Vice President of Human Resources. During his career he gained the respect and confidence of virtually thousands of employees in financial services (wholesale and retail lending and servicing), banking, mortgage, insurance, real estate, and Heal...