Good Business with Clay Vaughan

With the recession on everyone’s mind and interest rates on the rise, already over 7%., I’m constantly getting questions about how to ensure you’re pivoting your business well.  Well, I have been dealing with the struggle of building our forever home out in the Austin area, and interest rates are absolutely killing me; at least, that’s how it feels. So I gave my friend, John Weston, a call. He run...

Today I’m calling an audible and deviating from our normal rhythm of having a special guest. With the fed proposing yet another rate hike and inflation running out of control, the recession is ever present on our minds as business owners. Since I’ve been out for a few weeks, I figured the best way to bring you value is to share a glimpse into the coaching I do for small businesses. A few weeks ago...

I met Christian Collins on the front porch of my house, and we got to know each other simply because we both shared the same passions. From there, it’s been a whirlwind. We’ve worked together on his congressional campaign along with the Texas Youth Summit, which is on a mission to help today's youth recognize the need to uphold the strong values our country was built upon. I’m excited to shar...

We’re talking about the future of marketing and how entrepreneurs can stay grounded with Aric Berquist. Aric is the Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Revenue at the Ardent Group, an advertising technology platform that is essentially a very real competitor to Google Ads.  This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate...

I love how Todd Henry, author of Herding Tigers , defined Integrity. He said, "Integrity means very simply that your life is integrated. What is on the inside is plainly visible on the outside." When you live by integrity, you will be able to navigate every challenge much easier by simply being who you say you are, no matter where, whatever the cost.  In this episode, I invited a long-te...

Despite his inability to recognize a good cup of coffee, I’ve still chosen to invite the tea-loving Englishman, Mike Thakur, onto the show today. Mike is the founder and CEO of The Worklodge, a Texas-based co-working space.  Their team is on a mission far greater than having the coolest new swag or local beer on tap. They’re on a greater mission to change the world and be the hands and feet of Jes...

We’re talking about the work-life balance myth with Jay Owen, who manages to juggle running a 7-figure agency while also supporting his church full-time.   Support the show This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing slips through the cracks and their top-line capacity can grow. Try it ris...

Our season kicks off next Wednesday, so subscribe now and in the meantime, check out last season if you missed it! Our most downloaded episode to date was with my dear friend, Michael Green, as we dove into how you can forecast your growth despite the looming, and now very present, recession.  Look, the stakes are high in small business. And what we want to do is learn from one another’s mistakes...

If any service company has its act together, it's Chick-Fil-A. Their processes are pristine and their product has been marketed so well that many Bible-believing Christians will adamantly proclaim that the food comes "pre-blessed". But even this massively successful company that Truett Cathy built with such fervor still needs support. And that's where it's business and lea...

The divorce rate for entrepreneurs is 48%.  That means that nearly half of all marriages fail when put under the pressure of starting a company. Building a business from scratch, and bootstrapping it for that matter, is one of the most difficult challenges that you will ever face in business because the risk is real and it's all on the line. Your career, your reputation, your relationships......

What do cryptocurrencies and the metaverse have to do with running a good business? I believe that if you are a business owner who plans on staying in business for more than the next 5 years, this episode is one you should listen to. In the mid-2010s, I invested in Ethereum and Bitcoin and did so well with crypto that I was able to buy my first home after seeing nearly a 4000% ROI. Earlier on in m...

In March 2022, we saw the highest inflation spike since the 70s at nearly 9%. The economic outlook for most of the country is not bright, so how should we respond as business owners?  I hired Michael Green to join my team because I needed someone I could trust to help me manage the finances and people of my company as we grew. Since joining the team, we have nearly doubled in profitability and Mic...

Are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of your values? What does that look like for a business owner?  Meet seasoned investor, highly-successful entrepreneur, and now recently published children's book author, Robert Roark.  When Robert and I first met, I had no idea who he was and he had no desire to tell me. He said, "I'm Just a Guy." But before too long I realized he had...

In March of 2020, the covid lockdowns were merely days away. Business owners were feeling a range of gut-wrenching emotions - some froze, and some innovated. For Alex Barker, owner of District Coffee Roasters, the lockdowns gave him a chance to let his values lead his company. As a wholesale coffee roaster, District was primed to fail. They primarily sold to churches, coffee shops, and small busin...

Hard work and strong integrity are the keys to unlocking an incredible career. Whether you are running your own business or you work for someone else as a leader in their organization, this episode is for you. Tyler Matcek, recently announced President of Reverent Wedding Films, shares his journey from working two full-time jobs, including active duty in the military, while still in school, to lea...

When I first started in business, I wanted it to maintain my integrity, regardless of the cost. For me, that meant seeing the world in black and white. It didn’t take me long to realize that there had to be room for gray area, and the real test of my integrity came when I had to live in that gray area when the decisions weren’t clear cut. In today’s episode, I asked commercial real estate broker,...

Today, you'll meet with one of the most successful and influential chiropractors in the country. From the humble beginnings of digging ditches to internationally acclaimed chiropractic influencer, Dr. Tabor Smith is an entrepreneur, medical practitioner, and executive producer of the feature-length documentary, A Better Way!  Main things we'll be talking about:  Rapid growth is bad witho...

It was such a privilege to sit down with John Boriack , President of Veritas Equity, to discuss how he built out such an incredible, nationally recognized, team culture in his business.  Main things we'll be talking about:  The benefits of bootstrapping your business Why money is a terrible goal How to build and nurture your team Support the show This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM th...

Your organization's core values shouldn't be just a set of nice words you put on the wall of your office foyer or on the back of a brochure. You will be prepared for successful growth by setting the right core values!  Support the show This show is sponsored by Rocketfuel, a CRM that has helped thousands of small business owners organize and automate their communications so that nothing...

The stakes are high in small businesses and simply listening to the mega billionaires talk about how they gambled other people's money on a startup won't give you all the tools you need to be successful. As an entrepreneur and after sitting in C-level executive roles of seven-figure businesses for the better part of two decades, I thought it was time to share my wins and losses. And over...