New Business Jump Start Show

Janine Avila is an experienced Business & Life Coach and Motivational Speaker. With expertise in both corporate executive roles and home-based business management, she specializes in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs excel in their businesses. Focusing on time management strategies, Janine discussed the importance of making time rather than finding it, emphasizing the need to pro...

Mike DeJong is a multi-business owner, keynote speaker, and author of "Grow Smart: Your Path to Freedom - Mastering the Transformation from Operator to Owner." He shared his journey from corporate America to franchise ownership, highlighting the challenges of transitioning from being an operator to a business owner. He emphasized the importance of building systems and processes rather than just hu...

Cammy Lawlor is a Speech-language Pathologist and owner of Idaho Speech & Swallow Services, discussed her journey of starting a private practice dedicated to providing patient-centered speech, voice and swallowing therapy. Cammy shared her career journey, explaining that she initially studied communication and worked in sales and marketing. Inspired by a family member's stroke recovery, she pu...

Steve Turner is a public relations expert and co-owner of Solomon Turner PR and author of the book, PR That Works . He discussed the fundamentals of public relations for small businesses, emphasizing that the foundational approach is similar regardless of company size. He outlined a five-step process: defining objectives, identifying the target audience, creating key messaging, determining the del...

Beth Mazza is a three-time entrepreneur and author of the book, Entrepreneur Like a Mother , coming out in September. Beth discussed her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting two successful service businesses in financial communications. She emphasized the mindset shift needed in entrepreneurship, particularly encouraging taking calculated risks and reframing failures as learning opportunities. Th...

Christopher Carter is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Approyo Inc.   Additionally, he is a 4x best selling author of his mastering SAP series (Systems Applications and Products) as well as a minority owner of an Irish football (soccer) team. Chris shared his extensive experience in tech engineering and entrepreneurship, discussing tech tools and strategies for small businesses. This show is...

Kate Assaraf is the founder of DIP, a sustainability-forward haircare company that makes salon-quality shampoo and conditioner bars that are plastic-free, travel-ready, and built to last. She was named NJ Mompreneur of the Year, a member of the Forbes Business Council, and a former marketing and design agency executive. She is a a fierce advocate for small business, honest marketing, and conscious...

Chip Higgins is a best-selling author, speaker, business coach and mentor. He’s a former commercial banker with 35 years of experience and author of The Bizzics Way, a book that applies physics principles to business momentum. Chip shared his journey from traditional banking to entrepreneurship, a transition that took him from working directly with business owners to focusing on strategy and execu...

Mat Lawlor is a General Contractor and the owner of Timberline Paint & Contracting, LLC in Boise, Idaho.   He discussed his transition from the maritime industry and law enforcement to starting a general contracting business. From his business’ early beginnings, Mat has emphasized a priority of work-life balance. His is a success story of organic growth as he initially gained clients thro...

Kasey Devine is the founder and CEO of Entravia, a software company that helps small businesses shop for the right Professional Employer Organization. A PEO is a third-party company that partners with small to mid-sized businesses to handle HR functions like payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and risk management. The term AI gets spread around liberally these days without any discussion...

Sierra Smargon is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Rose Wellness, a group practice in Santa Barbara, CA that focuses on marginalized communities. Sierra explains how she transitioned from working with children at nonprofits to starting her own business during the pandemic, initially launching as a sole proprietor and later expanding to include multiple therapists. Sierra discu...

Carolyn Haeler is the founder and CEO of Mightylicious Gluten-Free, a company that offers delicious gluten-free cookies and flour blends. With a background in business and finance, Carolyn worked in private banking and wealth management on Wall Street for a decade at the intersection of economics and personal wealth management. In 2011, Carolyn was diagnosed with celiac disease. She described the...

Amy Donaldson is an ICF Certified Elite-Level Sales and Leadership Coach at Southwestern Consulting. She returned to the NBJS Podcast to challenge the myth that you have to be extroverted in order to excel in sales. Amy emphasizes that introverts can excel in sales by focusing on listening skills and building genuine connections rather than being overly sales-focused. She highlights that introvert...

Eric Counts is the owner, founder, and CEO of CreditNerds.com, a leading credit repair and financial services website. In addition to his extensive experience helping people improve their personal and business credit profiles, Eric is also the founder of Real Deal Network, a collaborative real estate investing community. Eric did a deep-dive into the seven elements (from a book called Ho...

Diane and Marco Rodriguez are business owners, entrepreneurs, and occupational therapists, as well as a co-founders of Transformations Rehab in El Paso, TX . They joined the podcast to talk about their experiences in their direct sales company, drawing comparisons to traditional brick & mortar businesses as well as the key areas of focus that are necessary to be successful. Diane and Marc...

David Newman is a Certified Speaking Professional®, a popular keynote speaker, and author of the new book, Market Eminence: 22 Strategies to Build a Bold Personal Brand, Become a Business Celebrity, and Drive Unstoppable Growth . He works with founders, mid-market CEOs, and professional services firms who want to play bigger, grow faster, and become a category of one. David is also the host of the...

Sophia Auster is the founder of the Auster Agency and is a renowned event planning expert who, for over 25 years, has been THE event planner of New York City. She shared her experience in creating and growing events as well as her career evolution and insights on marketing strategies, networking, and professional growth. Building on her expertise in "placemaking," Sophia's career continues to...

Jodi Scott is the CEO of Spry Life, a company specializing in plant-based skincare and first aid products including the Green Goo brand. What started out as a small, family hobby grew organically to become a 10,000+ strong business minded community and over 100,000 wellness customers. She shared what it truly looks like to build a mission-first business from scratch, to keep your purpose alive thr...

Summer Morris is a Certified Public Accountant and Quickbooks online expert with her own accounting firm in Northern California. She explored the transition points for business owners when moving from self-managed QuickBooks to hiring bookkeepers and CPAs, while emphasizing the need for accurate financial records and proper transaction categorization. Addressing the question of, “Do I hire a CPA o...

Ed Diaz is a senior mortgage advisor and loan officer with 25 years of experience in the San Francisco Bay Area and founder of the Bay Networking Group in San Francisco that has grown organically to 91 members. Networking is critical for new entrepreneurs and Ed emphasizing the value of making genuine connections rather than focusing solely on business transactions. He highlighted the shift in his...

Steve Gatlin is the host of "Steve Cook's Stuff" on Eat This TV, a streaming platform with millions of viewers.   Despite having no formal culinary training, Steve’s passion for food developed through his military service and personal experiences, leading to private catering during the COVID-19 pandemic. His journey from posting a picture of food, to cooking for a dinner event, to answering a...

Alina Schenk is the founder of TheOpsArchitect.io, specializing in helping businesses find the right technology to streamline workflows and use CRM (customer relationship management) software to make their lives easier.   She made the case for implementing a CRM system sooner rather than later, sharing examples of how young businesses can start with basic CRM features and...

Stacey Hylen is a globally recognized business coach and 2016 International Coach of the Year. She is a growth strategist and speaker with over two decades of experience helping entrepreneurs achieve significant revenue growth without excessive effort. Stacey shared her journey of working with Chet Holmes and Tony Robbins, highlighting how she became the second person Chet hired as a coach and lat...

Marco Rodriguez is an Occupational Therapist and is the CEO of Transformations Rehabiltation Services in El Paso, TX which he founded in 2013. Marco shared his career journey from graduating in occupational therapy to becoming a successful healthcare administrator and entrepreneur, all leading to his establishing of a rehabilitation practice. Marco shared his personal journey of discover...

Jeremy Bower is the CEO and founder of Givr Packaging which provides sustainable custom packaging solutions for businesses. Jeremy shared his experience transitioning from being an employee to starting his own business, highlighting the challenges and doubts he faced along the way. An internship in high school led Jeremy to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Paper Science and Engineering at Syracuse...