NWFA Real Answers

Elliot Eisenberg, the Bowtie Economist , joins Michael Martin and Chris Zizza to discuss the state of the economy, labor and supply chain issues, inflation, and advice on reducing risk and staying ahead of the financial curve more.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza chat with Dan Pratt, co-founder and CRO of Broadlume, about the importance of having a good website for your hardwood flooring business.  They discuss do's, don'ts, what a good website should contain, and when is it time to update.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza record on location at SVB Wood Floors in Kansas City.  A trio of special guests joins them to discuss balancing marriage with building a successful wood flooring business. 

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza chat with Dan Gorsegner of Gorsegner Brothers Hardwood Floors about the importance of following up on estimates, modern customer expectations,   prioritizing customers, handling scheduling mishaps, margins, sustainable growth considerations, and more. 

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza have an in-depth conversation on costs, margin, and building profitable long-term customer relationships with Sam Cobb from RW Supply+Design.  

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza sit down with Sprigg Lynn from Universal Floors, to explore the ins and outs of running a thriving hardwood flooring business. They delve into the secrets of success, offering valuable insights on avoiding common pitfalls, building effective systems, optimizing cash flow, and much more. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out in the industry,...

Join Michael Martin and Chris Zizza in this episode as they share insights on finding and developing a list of necessary business contacts in your community. Discover how to leverage your network to expand your reach, save money, prepare for the unexpected, and grow your business. 

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza are joined by Jonathan Benner, CFP,  Financial Planner, from LPL Financial.   They discuss guiding principles for your business, saving money and paying yourself first, renting versus owning your building, planning for your business versus your personal life, and more.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss gaining a renewed sense of focus in 2023, the significance of a positive attitude, making a positive impression, finding inspiration on the road, the importance of follow-ups, and other related topics.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza share their end-of-the-year perspective on the economy, adjusting to the changing economy, setting personal goals, creating an annual personal financial statement,  time management skills, plans for the Real Answers podcast in 2023, and more. 

Why you should attend industry trade shows, tips to grow your business, trade show do and don'ts, and how to maximize your time.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss setting yourself up for more custom work, being more competitive in your market, creating a showroom, and taking advantage of business opportunities for 2023.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss staying busy with a potential recession looming, what to do if you see a slowdown in business, keeping a schedule, standing out from the competition, holiday-based marketing advice, remembering to read the labels, and more.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss preparing for uncertain times, planning for an economic downturn, the importance of protecting your businesses' operating cash, staying organized, identifying hidden costs, reviewing client lists, characteristics of top customers, and more. 

Sergey Shlyapintokh, Sales Manager of Thermosoft, Joins Chris Zizza and Michael Martin at the 2022 NWFA Expo to discuss radiant heat and hardwood flooring installation and why you should consider offering it to your customers. 

Elizabeth Baldwin, Environmental Compliance Officer for Metropolitan Hardwood Floors, discusses wood trade compliance issues, and why you should consider attending the upcoming IWPA Due Care Week, being held in St. Louis, MO on June 20-24. https://web.nwfa.org/events/IWPADue%20Care%20Week-433/details

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza are joined by Matt Casey of Bona US to discuss the future direction of the NWFA Certified Professionals program, the importance of being certified, separating yourself from competition, and more.   

Elliot Eisenberg, the Bowtie Economist , joins Chris Zizza just before his keynote presentation at the 2022 NWFA Expo Opening Session to discuss the state of the economy, surviving and thriving during a recession, and more. (Recorded April 12, 2022)

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza are joined by Craig Leary, a consultant for Certified Contractors Network.  They cover the importance of having a business plan, what it consists of, and how you can create one for yourself.  They also discuss details of the upcoming Business Plan Workshop at this year's NWFA Expo. https://www.nwfaexpo.org/NWFA2022/Public/SessionDetails.aspx? FromPage=Sessions.a...

NWFA Expo Preview - Succession Planning & Combatting New Tax Proposals: Assuring Your Company Remains Successful Michael Martin and Chris Zizza chat with Leon B. Resnick about his upcoming presentation at the 2022 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo - Succession Planning & Combating New Tax Proposals: Assuring the Successful Continuation of Your Company, being held Tuesday, April 12 from 1:00 p.m. - 3...

Recorded at Surfaces 2022, Emily Morrow Finkell and Michael Martin discuss design and flooring trends she sees in the early part of 2022, colors of the year, women in the floor covering industry, and more.

Michael Martin is joined by John Hammel, Senior Director Hardwood and Laminate for Mannington at The International Surface Event (TISE) 2022.  They talk about Hammel's new role at Mannington, new products, coping with supply issues, and more. 

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza close out 2021 discussing the resurgence of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, and its impact on business.  

When is it acceptable to say 'no' to a customer's request?  Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss what can sometimes be a delicate but necessary part of doing business, not only to protect the customer but to protect yourself from bad outcomes.

Michael Martin and Chris Zizza discuss financial housekeeping for your business and how some simple steps today can help you gain financial independence in the future.