Making It Work

We're back for a second season, and we're feeling festive. For most small businesses the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas is crucial for driving sales, but what's happening behind the scenes? In Season 2 Episode 1 of Making It Work we speak to Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats, Mayra Hernandez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Ebun Olaloye of Live Breathe Futbol and Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle....

Six months ago, the world changed forever. Coronavirus has changed the way we live and work, and small businesses have had to adapt to this dramatic shift. In the third part of this Making It Work special, we catch up with the four entrepreneurs to see how their companies are looking a few months down the line. From $8 million investments to 'kind of' maternity leave, we discuss the ways this pand...

How exactly do you run a business during lockdown? From Zoom meetings to pandemic-proofing warehouses, it seems this crisis has kick-started a brand new way of working. In the second part of this Making It Work special, we ask our entrepreneurs how their teams have adapted during this global crisis and what they think the future will hold for their businesses. In this episode we speak to Danny Cat...

How does a small business survive a global health crisis? From changing the company strategy overnight to making difficult decisions on employees, the coronavirus is teaching plenty of hard business lessons. In this Making It Work special across two new episodes, we check in with four entrepreneurs from our first season to learn how they're coping amid the economic fallout of COVID-19. For this fi...

90% of startups fail, so why do we only hear from the 10%? Let's tackle the topic of failure in business. In the tenth and final episode of Making It Work, we speak to Tivan Amour of Save My Sales, Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity, Rahim Diallo of Ginjan Bros, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of Suitshop, Heidi Hale of Heidi J. Hale Designs, Brian Munoz of Penny Luck Shoes, David P...

Scaling your business is no longer a choice, it's survival. Whether it's to protect your market share from deep-pocketed competitors or to satisfy your investors, the pressure for small businesses to replicate their model has never been greater. In the ninth episode of Making It Work, we speak to Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, David Patrick of Shark Wheel and Diana Ganz and...

Competitors can be crucial motivation in getting your business to the next level. But what do you do when once friendly competition turns into knock offs and misleading marketing? In the eighth episode of Making It Work, we speak to Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of SuitShop, Rahim Diallo of Ginjan Bros, Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity and Dana Donofree of AnaOno. Whether you're first-to-market or an in...

If health insurance and employee pension plans would blow your startup budget, there are plenty of other affordable ways to cultivate employee loyalty. Our panel of entrepreneurs explain how simple perks such as trust, flexibility and good old-fashioned fun can sometimes count more than anything flashy. In the seventh episode of Making It Work we speak to Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of SuitShop, L...

Think getting investment is like Shark Tank? Think again. After experiencing failed pitches, interfering investors and pressure to scale, scale, scale, a new generation of entrepreneurs is ditching venture capital and pursuing crowd funding. In the sixth episode of Making It Work, we speak to Rahim Diallo of Ginjan Bros, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, David Patrick of Shark Wheel and Liz Powers of Artli...

Facebook ads, influencers, blogs, emails, organic reviews, sweepstakes... the range of marketing options available today is staggering. From this epic menu, who knows what works best for your business? From paying Instagrammers to good old-fashioned word of mouth, our panel of entrepreneurs discuss their favourite ways to promote their products in the 21st century. In this fifth episode of Making...

Finding a factory to make your product is a bit like dating. Seduction, quality time, being stood up... it's all part of the game. Our panel of entrepreneurs share their stories and advice on maintaining a manufacturing relationship that is often long distance and cross cultural. In the fourth episode of Making It Work we speak to Brian Munoz of Penny Luck Shoes, Tivan Amour of SaveMySales, Dana D...

Whether you start a business with your BFF, or call your dad "boss", working with friends and relatives often walks the fine line between great times and disaster. We hear from our panel of entrepreneurs if they think it's worth turning your business into a family affair. In the third episode of Making It Work we speak to Danny Catullo of Catullo Prime Meats, David Patrick of Shark Wheel, Aqila Au...

It's one thing to lose your job. It's a whole other ball game to be the one doing the firing, especially if you're running a small business with a close team. Far from fun, more than one of our entrepreneurs describes terminating an employee as the worst part of the job. In the second episode of Making It Work we speak to David Patrick of Shark Wheel, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Heidi Hale of Heidi J...

From living off savings and instant ramen, to carving a minimal salary out of the company budget, we meet five entrepreneurs and get their sound advice on the delicate matter of paying yourself as a new business founder. In the first episode of Making It Work we speak to Dana Donofree of AnaOno, David Patrick of Shark Wheel, Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity Hair Care and Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of...

Want to know what it's really like to run your own business? Making It Work puts you in a room with entrepreneurs who want to kick out conventional wisdom and take you through the highs and lows of starting a company from scratch. This is not a podcast about success stories. So if you're a self-starter and want it straight, this is the series for you.