Savage to Sage

Passion. Purpose. Belief. These are the internal drivers that push the entrepreneur to build something they believe in. That compelling inspiration of recognizing a problem you know you can solve, setting out to do just that, and pushing through limitations  – long before the dollars prove you right. In this podcast episode, I (Kyle) discuss the staying power of belief with Anton Shmakov. For...

To power through business issues takes two. Whether it’s the two customer bookends (the initial sale and delivering on promises) or the two-some of you and a co-founder, balance is power. By navigating relationships and using each other’s strengths, you can sustain the passion to build a business. In this episode, I (Daniel) discuss balance in both leadership and your team with Jim Goldman, the Co...

All successful businesses take hard work and devotion, and they seek to meet a need. But building a business that strengthens your roots has a special layer of significance and attachment, it feeds the lifeblood of your soul.  In this episode, I (Daniel) talk with John Dockery, Founder and CEO of What’s Up 24/7 about building a business based on your roots. John shares his passion both for hi...

Focusing on outputs and productivity, in and of themselves is insufficient. For the growth of a business to be maintained long term, the humanity aspect cannot be overlooked or downplayed. Understanding how people can work together, utilizing each other’s strengths, shoring up each other’s weaknesses, is necessary for both the business and its people to thrive. To discuss the humanity of long game...

Without the right people surrounding you, the already demanding and difficult aspects of business only become more so. That's why developing and maintaining good interpersonal relationships within business is much more critical than it may appear on the surface. The concept that nothing within business is personal is simply not true. Some things are and thus need to be approached accordingly. I (K...

Enabling your team to carry out the vision of your company is paramount. You simply can’t do everything yourself. But how do you effectively share the processes that execute the vision? For that matter, how do you find the right people to join you in your vision in the first place? In this episode, I (Kyle) talk with Chadwick Rose, the Co-Founder and CEO of Insight Out ™ and a Co-Founder and Manag...

Entrepreneurs are often sold the myth that, in order to be successful, you have to have it all together, to not need any help. We’re encouraged to hide our flaws and our questions. But this myth simply isn’t true.  It’s in our nature as humans to both need help ourselves and to want to help others. And it's when you embrace this truth you can move your business forward in ways you may have th...

Entrepreneurs have a spark, a drive that propels them to move forward, to make whatever they envision a reality. Throughout that drive, especially during the savage days, confidence is crucial. Without it, your business will never grow, especially in the area of bringing on the right team members. And without the right team members and instilling proper confidence in them, you'll never obtain that...

Love of serving can be the drive you need to create momentum in the savage days. But timing and needs play a  huge role as well. You may have a wonderful idea but if the market is not ready for it, it won’t matter. Along with that, you personally need to be ready. The good news is, there are currently nearly limitless needs and niches. Much of what existed even 10 years ago has changed, while...

Most people are resistant to change. We simply don’t like it. We want things to be how they’ve been and disruptions and difficulties are viewed as setbacks. But what if change and pivoting are opportunities in disguise? What if they are the very catalyst needed to prompt your next great thing? To talk about his experiences with change I (Daniel) invited Jeff Boller, owner of Vision One Real Estate...

No matter the stage of your business, having someone who has the knowledge, wisdom and experience to advise you can save an untold amount of time and grief. They have walked through both success and failure, failure often being the greater teacher of the two. To discuss the value of sage mentorship and admitting failure, I (Daniel) have with me Doug Edge, COO of Reproduction Specialty Group and ow...

Opportunities can come with uncertainties. You may encounter differing cultures, differing expectations, and differing approaches. But when you take things on with a savage mindset – that you can make success happen – you do. And age has nothing to do with it. You may be young or older, but if you’re ready to learn, make genuine relationships, and keep them, you will make it. For more about all th...

When what’s burning inside of you to do is undeniable, it’s time to start making your own business a reality. Continuing to put it off only creates misery and denies the world of what you have to offer. Timing is all about when it’s right for you. That said, even when it is right, that doesn’t mean it won’t have challenges. In this therapeutic episode, I (Daniel) talk with Justin Fortier, Founder,...

Recently, I had a near death experience and I was extremely grateful to not be alone. We’re not meant to do most things alone, even as entrepreneurs. In spite of this truth, for many years we’ve had a culture of believing, and thus doing, everything alone. But this is beginning to shift. And I'm here with this podcast to encourage you in that shift, and to announce that I’m no longer the sole host...

You can be very successful but still feel like you want something different, something more. You may even feel stifled. But leveraging your skills and experience can open doors to finding work that is more within your passion. The energy of passion cannot be understated.  To explore this more, I interviewed Robert Christman, CEO of Fastek . Speaking from personal experience, Rob stressed that...

Whether you’re starting something completely new or rebuilding something that needs restructuring, it’s not perfect all the time. But that's okay. As savages, we tackle problems and look internally for courage and grit. We push through the hard and ugly, potentially even eating some humble pie, and we make it work. In this episode, I talk with Darren Reese, President and CEO of SESCO Group , about...

You never really drop being a savage in business but as you move toward sage, you learn to recognize when your business is a good fit and when it’s not. You learn when to say yes and when to say no. You begin to lead with wisdom and lean into the uncomfortable, and it moves you into an authenticity people gravitate towards. And this beautiful balance of savage and sage can grow a business exponent...

Since the pandemic, the business and employment landscape has created unprecedented opportunities in the evolution of self for entrepreneurs. As people are more accustomed to working remotely for and with businesses, fertile ground abounds for entrepreneurs to start their own business, no matter where they live. In doing so, entrepreneurs find themselves learning and evolving with the times to acc...

Over the past couple of years, recruiting and hiring has drastically changed. As business leaders, if we want to potentially have great people work for us in the future, we need to adjust how we interview and identify the best fit for our organizations. In this episode, I talk with Amy Oviedo, the founder and CEO of Recruiting Experiences , about all this. We discuss the power of taking a sabbatic...

Some entrepreneurs never really set out to lead a team. They find themselves backing into leading. Others set out with the goal of building a team. Regardless of the catalyst, the best entrepreneurs are not passionate about the technicality of their solution, but rather about the problem they are trying to solve in the world. Without both passion for the solution and for people and their growth, a...

A root of many frustrations in building a business lies in understanding people. It is common to fail to see people for who they truly are and, instead, see them for who you hope them to be. This misunderstanding of people results in poor hiring choices, confusing expectations with expectancy, and muddling morale with company culture. Startups and entrepreneurs often are unaware of their tendency...

Building a company to the point of acquisition, especially acquisition by a large corporation, takes a high level of savagery. In particular, core values and company culture need intentionality. Following that time of savage building comes a time of sage reflection, both about how things worked throughout the years, and how all of it shaped and impacted you, individually.  In today’s episode,...

Hitting singles and doubles, rather than grand slams, is often the way a business builds. And incremental growth happens as you remain humble. Sometimes you’ll strike out but when you try various sales efforts, are open to feedback, and simply do the next faithful step, you’ll eventually score. In this episode, I chat with Patrick Burke, co-founder and CEO of BoxScore , all about this. We discuss...

As our lives and businesses change, so often our approach does as well. Savage to Sage was started to explore the topics of self-care, self-awareness and multiplication as business owners. In this episode, I chat with Mike Kelly about what it means to remain savage while going through sage evolution both as business owners and individuals. For the first half of this podcast, I interview Mike and t...

Aaron Kopel is the founder and CEO at Project Brilliant, an agile training, coaching, and consulting company, working to help large organizations become more agile and be able to function more like a startup. Project Brilliant is Aaron’s third startup, and as such, he has learned a lot about his personal strengths and how to apply them within the role of CEO. In my conversation with Aaron, we talk...