The Pollinator Podcast

SHOW LESS A $52,000 analogy?  When what you do is complex, it can be difficult to explain it in under a minute.  That's where analogies come in.  They don't "simplify" complexity, they help increase people's capacity for the complexity by tapping into what they already understand.  A lot of powerful, and useful storytelling in this episode.  Connect with Zac here: https://...

Everybody wants to beat the Google Algorithm and get on page one.  But as soon as the algorithm changes, it's like the marketing world is coming to an end.  My friend James Schulman, however, has an "unbeatable" hack for consistently generating quality traffic to your website... and it's something that you can do for yourself.  It's not necessarily easy, but it is simple.  &nbs...

Automation is amazing. When it works.  But the promise of simplifying our days can quickly be lost in the complications of multiple systems. Carlos Garcia is a sales workflow and process consultant with a long background in business banking.    We talk about a lot of the pitfalls when trying to implement technology and automation in your business, and how to get the most out of...

What can a former competitive coffee barista teach you about marketing?  A lot.  Probably one of the greatest conversations I've had mixing business and marketing philosophy with practical action.  Having your messaging defined and aligned is not just beneficial, it's vital.  Without it, your business will suffer.  But we dive into so much more than why having your messagi...

Maybe you have no plan to take your business to a billion dollars in revenue, but that doesn't mean you can't learn lessons from a man that has.    Robert Hacker is the director of StartUp FIU at Florida International University, an instructor with the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses, a former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Business, and helped found and build a massive ret...

How do go from a stressed-out math tutor making just a bit more than a math teacher to charging $250 an hour?  Don't be afraid to grow.    Renan De Souza is an Ivy League grad that took a detour to become a math teacher.  Then a math tutor.    He was doing well, working 80 hours a week.  Now he has a team of tutors and leads classes of 70+ students - an...

Is your business like a girl penguin or a boy penguin?   If you don't know the difference between the two, just consider that there's a good chance people can't tell the difference between your business (your offer, the value you provide) and your competitors.   But your story?   That can be all the difference in the world.   Jennifer Filzen is a musician turned marketer that l...

You can always make more money, but you can never get more time. Unless...  You start delegating.  No, there will always be 24 hours in a day, but what if you got rid of an hour's worth of monotony and routine tasks?    What would you do with that newfound hour?  Enrique Fernandez is an Air Force Veteran turned Real Estate Attorney that found himself running out of ti...

.Folks are familiar with ROI - Return on Investment, but ROAS - Return on Ad Spend - is a little more nuanced. Emilio Yepez has spent years working with huge companies and huge marketing budgets (like 7 and 8 figure marketing budgets) and now works with small and medium-sized companies using those same insights. And one of the things that makes him a true professional - being able and willing to s...

Everyone has repetitive tasks in their businesses that suck hours of potentially productive time out every week.  Fortunately, tools to automate those tasks have become prevalent and inexpensive...  Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming, especially for the small business owner that is already drowning in those tasks.    But Carlos Vasquez, The Miami Marketer, is an expert...

Maybe you should give up your expectations. Kevin Tacher, The Title King, is a former firefighter that went from being $750,000 in debt to owning one of the largest title companies in Florida. One of his key strategies? Networking. But not regular networking. Networking with the intention of giving without expectations. That is something that is often talked about but not often executed, so we get...

Video is NOT an option. Not any more. But good grief. It's a lot. And it's easy for business owners to get caught up and overwhelmed with things like the production quality, technology, and tools, and "looking good" on-camera... and then completely miss the most important aspects. Jimbo Marshall is a fellow former school teacher turned video producer that has helped thousands of business owners cr...

Diane Snider brings a true artist's perspective to digital marketing. We dove into a lot of topics, like what to expect with fast and cheap marketing, what marketing always costs, the value of a team, and how to avoid getting ripped off by a marketer. An awesome conversation! Connect with Diane here: LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/diane-snider-b73322122/ Instagram -www.instagram.com/diane.snider.m...

There are companies out there that put more effort into their marketing and sales than they do in the delivery of the promises they make through those processes. This is ultimately unsustainable because EVERYTHING affects revenue.    Jose Palomino has worked with companies of all sizes, and some of the most profound things he has helped them do to turn things around and get on a growth t...

Jessica Stellwagen and I started with SalesPartners around the same time over 11 years ago.   Her journey has taken her down different paths, from working with attorneys with a former mentor to the point that she now co-owns —with her sister— Bodify, the #1 Cool Sculpting center in Arizona, and the #4 in all of the US.    Her secret?  Mastering the Mundane.   We primarily...

What does it take to actually drive action with your copy?  It's not talking about how great you are. Gregg Havass has written copy for some of the biggest brands out there, across all kinds of industries, the military, and non-profits.   And as different as they are, the principle Gregg and I discuss remains the same.   Connect with Gregg here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-hav...

Social Media can be infuriating for small business owners.     There are sooooooo many options.  Soooooo many variables.  Sooooo many platforms.   Then there's the matter of what you're going to post... when... and how often...   It can easily become a full-time job.   Fortunately, there are folks like my friend Misty Buck and her team at Miss-Ink that can h...

I love Simon Sinek's work.  His Ted Talk "How Great Leaders Inspire Action," and book "Start With Why," were foundational to the development of our business and education philosophies. And then THIS guy shows up saying it's wrong. It turned into a great discussion, though, so I invited him on the podcast to discuss some different frameworks for thinking about adding value. We also continue ou...

Podcasts Suck... if you don't have one, and Sebastian Rusk helps fix that problem.     We go over a lot of the stumbling blocks that keep people from getting started with their podcasts including:   What equipment do you REALLY need to get going, and what do you not? How do you come up with content, even if you're not in a knowledge business, like manufacturing. Where you use t...

There's an old saying about assumptions - when you assume, you make an a-- of u and me.   And when you're dealing in enterprise-level sales, where the contracts can be huge, but the sales cycles can be exceptionally long, assumptions can be deadly.   I've known Ayman Elyasin for over 15 years and seen him grow into a top consultant and operator in sales across multiple industries from HR...

I met Pablo Gonzalez years ago in the Leadership Miami program. At the time, he was coordinating LEED certifications for sustainable buildings. But now he's building brands with sustainable content, and that all comes down to building relationships. Pablo takes an excellent project management approach in how to develop meaningful, impactful content in a way that is not overwhelming to business own...

The website for a company is really the anchor of your brand these days.  It is going to be a key, if not THE key to building trust and credibility online. However, the standard "Home | About | Services | Contact" framework may not be doing your business justice these days. Kaitlyn Study has built multiple websites and online brands and offers some key insights into common mistakes small busi...

In some circles, a "small business" is one with less than $2 Billion (Billion with a B) valuation... However, when it comes right down to the human element, a lot of the problems in a $200,000,000 company and a $200,000 company are very much the same. Sergey offers some awesome perspectives on the perceptions that often keep founders and owners stuck, and what they can do about it.    Co...

A natural-born entrepreneur, Gianna Cambria has mastered the art of delegation and understanding that you don't have to do everything yourself - and shouldn't. Buuuuut...  when you get the idea to delegate, you shouldn't always be looking for the cheapest solution. Her company, Upperhand Creative, provides an outsourced graphic design team for a flat monthly fee, including unlimited revisions...

Michelle Villalobos isn't just a Superstar herself, she's an activator of hundreds of other superstars in their fields. She teaches how to get the most out of your "Big Back End," an ongoing sales propagation model, but we also talk a lot about how to stay authentic while building your business. Michelle has been one of my mentors, and I give her special props for the launch of The Pollinator Podc...