EntreLeadership

What does it take to start a successful business from the ground up? The answer: a few hundred bucks, a mild obsession and the American spirit. At least that’s what worked for Lucas Botkin, the 27-year-old who started T.REX ARMS , a rapidly growing company—with a massive fan following—that specializes in manufacturing gun holsters and other firearms equipment. The young CEO shares his start-up exp...

Gather ‘round the fire for a very candid conversation with the Academy Award-winning actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey. In this winding discussion, Matthew talks about his creative process, why leaders need to take more risks, and how focusing on adding value to the lives of others will get you what you really want out of life.   entreleadership.com...

Ideas are great, but they’ll only take you so far. When it comes down to it, success in business depends on your ability to execute. Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Life. Church, grew his organization over the course of 25 years from just a service in a two-car garage to 36 church locations across America. His strategy? Empowering great people to create effective systems that accomplish a clear...

Can your business outgrow your ability to lead? Maybe—if you’re not intentional! Suzanne Simms, senior executive vice president of business to consumer global at Ramsey Solutions, had to make sure this didn’t happen to her. Over the course of 20 years, she went from working as a part-time assistant to becoming one of the company’s most influential leaders. And as the company grew, she was challeng...

Eight years ago, Russ Perry, CEO of Design Pickle, would have described himself as moderately successful—and extraordinarily unhappy. On paper, things looked good: Russ had founded two creative agencies in his early 20s and was the man in charge. But his marriage and his mental health were headed toward a breakdown as he struggled to handle the stress of work. In this honest conversation, Russ des...

If you’re a go-getter, there’s a good chance you like to be busy. If you get to the bottom of your to-do list, you’re eager to fill it back up. But be careful, you can be so productive that you miss your whole life. Christy Wright, author and Certified Business Coach, challenges leaders to get a life outside of their business (right now, not once things slow down). Listen as she breaks down work-l...

Aaron Witt is the dirt-obsessed millennial behind BuildWitt, a fast-growing media company on a mission to reform the mining and construction industries. In just three years, the 25-year-old (yes, you read that right) has grown his company from just a single, self-proclaimed dirt nerd with a camera to a 20-person team serving top blue-collar businesses across the country—and changing the game. In t...

Dave Ramsey reflects on the highs and the lows of 2020 and shares what he learned about himself, his leaders and his team. You’ll hear why courage and principles are the cornerstone of being a small-business owner, and how going against convention and taking a stand in your community can inspire others. This full-throttle conversation will get you fired up to make a solid plan for 2021 so you can...

What a year! You laughed, you probably cried, and most importantly—you never gave up. You kept growing and pushing through, even on the hard days. How do we know? Because this year you guys downloaded over 12 million episodes of The EntreLeadership Podcast, learning from leadership experts like Seth Godin, Patrick Lencioni and more. So, here’s to you! Thank you for listening and for never giving u...

Everyone’s entrepreneurial journey is different, but super successful people tend to have had one thing in common: They had a mentor. Kevin Harrington, entrepreneur and one of the original sharks from Shark Tank, and Mark Timm, serial entrepreneur, share stories from their own mentorship journey—and explain why everyone needs a mentor to achieve wild success, not only in business but in every area...

Who would’ve thought a little fast-food restaurant serving chicken sandwiches would become a global, industry-leading powerhouse known for its customer service? That’s right, Chick-fil-A’s success isn’t just a result of their delicious food. David Salyers, creator of Spark and former vice president of marketing, growth and hospitality at Chick-fil-A, reveals the company’s competitive advantage: th...

Have you ever noticed there are some things that just drain all of your energy and others that supercharge you? Speaking at an event may fire you up, while bringing together the details of a large project feels like death by a thousand cuts. What’s that about? Organizational health expert and author Patrick Lencioni says the difference between work that’s draining and work that’s energizing comes...

Businesses put a lot of energy into the chase—you know, wooing and winning over potential customers with emails, paid ads and fancy landing pages. They work hard toward that sweet moment of victory when their customers finally decide to purchase. But then what? That’s where a lot of businesses fall short. They’re really good at acquiring customers, but not so good at keeping them and making them c...

The decisions you make determine the direction and quality of your business. But being the one calling the shots isn’t always easy. It can actually feel really scary—after all, you’re the one who has to live with the choices you make. But decision-making doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. In this episode, communicator, author and pastor Andy Stanley offers five critical questions that will h...

If your marketing strategy is all about showing off the features of your product or service, you might want to rethink it! Online marketing expert Amy Porterfield unpacks what makes businesses succeed at marketing—good storytelling. From posting on social media to starting an email list to building a lead magnet, Amy will show you how to nurture your customers over the invisible bridge. These tips...

It’s been an unimaginable year: a pandemic, hurricanes, tornadoes, economic implosion, deaths, loss and lots of “new normals” to navigate. Especially for business owners. If you’ve felt anxious—or feel anxious just reading about the chaos—it just means you’re normal. Yep, you read that right. Dr. John Delony, mental health expert and Ramsey Personality, breaks down what anxiety really is, what it’...

Most people wouldn’t consider HVAC companies, occupational therapists or construction contractors to be creatives. Seth Godin, bestselling author of leadership staples like Linchpin and Tribes, disagrees. He joins EntreLeadership to talk about the essential practice of shipping creative work and inventing the future—even if you aren’t conventionally “creative” and there are no guarantees the idea...

How do you create a brand people rave about? Turns out, there’s more to it than just fancy fonts and packaging. Tim Newton, senior creative officer at Ramsey Solutions, argues that truly amazing brands dig deeper. They use what they value to influence every touchpoint they have with customers. Does it really make a difference? Yes. Because over 53% of people say they connect emotionally to a brand...

Time is a limited resource. And somehow it seems to be extra precious to come by when you’re running a business. It’s actually one of your most valuable assets as a leader and should be protected. But how? Tricia Sciortino, CEO of Belay, shows us how finding a passionate, high-performing assistant (who thinks like a leader) can help business owners take back their time and focus on the bigger pict...

Once a successful attorney, Shawn Askinosie had it all—security, a winning track record, and good money. So why did he find himself struck by a panic attack as he left the courtroom one day? Shawn took a hard look in the mirror and discovered he was completely unfulfilled by his job and his life. And so, his search for meaningful work began, leading him from the courtroom to cocoa beans, and event...

Fear, anger and shame are generally NOT the emotions we get excited about using in our leadership toolkits (or in life). In fact, leaders are trained to leave emotions at the door or to believe that emotions are a sign of weakness. But Dr. Chip Dodd, author of The Voice of the Heart, says these “weaknesses” are actually tools for strength in business and in life. Tune in as he shares the true valu...

Have you ever been confused by the difference between purpose, vision and mission? A lot of business owners use these words interchangeably. But while they’re highly interconnected, they’re actually not the same. Ramsey Personality Ken Coleman clarifies the purpose of these three important concepts and how they work together to keep you and your company charging ahead, even in times of crisis. Plu...

Between coming up with your initial business concept and building your company into what it is today, you probably had to wade through a good bit of learning how not to do a few (or 100) things. That’s certainly what happened for former Special Forces Sergeant Jason McCarthy on his journey of starting the GORUCK brand a decade ago. What started as an idea to create and sell no-frills, tough-as-nai...

Author and podcast host Guy Raz has interviewed thousands of leaders. Between working on his new book, How I Built This, and his day-to-day role hosting the popular NPR podcast of the same name, he’s heard the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to how some of the top names in business say they’ve gotten it right (or really wrong) in their leadership journey. Over time, Guy has found similar...

Some days it's not easy to connect the dots between your day-to-day and what drove you to start your business in the first place. But a strong sense of purpose is the very thing that will get you and your team through whatever life throws at you. Jimmy Mellado, President and CEO of Compassion International, draws from his experience leading all sizes and types of organizations to share how a deep...