Struggling Entrepreneur

 

 75- Jon Gillespie-Brown and his book [41:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How can you determine if you have what it takes to become a successful Entrepreneur?

Well, in this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we are pleased to bring you an interview with Jon Gillespie-Brown, the author of the book that is titled So You Want to be an Entrepreneur? How to Decide if starting a business is really for you.

This book is published by Capstone (A Wiley Company) and has recently been released.

The elements that make this book different from others that claim to lead you to the holy grail of launching your business confidently are:

- the profits from this book will be going to the Grameen Foundation, which is a non-governmental organization that provides assistance for disadvantaged people worldwide in starting their own businesses and becoming entrepreneurs;

- instead of lots of theory and description, this book is filled with thought-provoking worksheets and templates that can help you prepare, analyze and determine if the path of the entrepreneur  is really for you; and

- these worksheets and templates also include samples from an individual character in the book called Jane. These samples will help you see what your potential peers would be thinking, as well as give you a roadmap for what might work for others–and then, of course, might work for you.

As you will hear in this podcast episode, Jon Gillespie-Brown has a rich history in the academic environment with some of the top universities, as well as experience in the corporate world, as well as launching several of his own ventures. One of his latest firms is Digital Ventures. 

He also has most of the information about his book at the link of:  http://www.tobeanentrepreneur.com

Jon’s interview can be a learning experience for those aspiring entrepreneurs, as he describes the resources to explore carefully whether or not you should launch your own business and attempt to become an Entrepreneur.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 74A- Hints for the freelancer and SoloPreneur [16:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is a bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series. It deals with hints and tips and recommendations given by several blog posts by Raj Dash, who is known as the Internet UltraGeek.

These posts deal with the challenges of being a “Solo-Preneur” (that is, an entrepreneur who has no one other than his own self to run and manage the business). Raj Dash also deals with Freelancers –as a matter of fact, his home page web site offers an ebook Guide for Freelancing.

In addition to these challenges, Raj offers some hints and tips go get you through the obstacles (both mental and emotional) when you are by yourself. These include socialization, client management and the need for social interaction.

Raj also gives some productivity hints and tips for the Freelancer and Solo-Preneur.

Thanks to Raj Dash for delivering these blog posts, which are narrated by the host of The Struggling Entrepreneur.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and also www.rajdash.com. All Rights Reserved.

 

 74- Rogue CFO helps Entrepreneurs [44:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview a small business owner and consultant in financial matters that help startup entrepreneurs. Chris Benjamin calls himself The Rogue CFO — no, not “rogue” in the sense of negativity or scoundrel, but in the positive sense of a wandering CFO. That is correct–he wanders into your business to help you avoid the financial pitfalls (and he will even be a temporary CFO, if you need), and then he will depart at the appropriate time: when your business is stable.

In this interview with Chris Benjamin, we see an entrepreneur who is motivated, passionate about the world of finance and business plans that help other aspiring entrepreneurs. He assists them with the correct and necessary tools to launch their business successfully, and then keep the business going well financially–especially when he is in the role of a CFO.

As you will see, Chris exploits his strengths in the area of funding, finance and business planning–but yet, he has had to go down the road of a solo entrepreneur, and thus has had to do the sales, the marketing, the promotion, the networking, the service and support and all else that goes into providing the value to his customers.

 What is particularly interesting is the list of the free resources that he provides in his web site and blog. Among them are:

- A Primer for Raising Capital;

- The Path to Launching a Successful Startup;

- Why You Don’t Need a full-time CFO; and

- White Papers on Valuation and Financial Projections for the startups and entrepreneurs.

The above deliverables are easily located in his blog and web site, which are simply done and easy in which to navigate.

With the enthusiasm, passion, culture and affinity with other startup entrepreneurs, it is easy to see how Chris has obtained plenty of referrals through word-of-mouth marketing to grow his business.

The lessons learned and “words of wisdom” he gives during this interview are gems that are simple, yet crucial, for the entrepreneur’s success. He also gives us his direction of how he can outsource those areas in which he is not as strong as his passion–financial success for the entrepreneur.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.

 

 73- Go for No! Interview with Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton [53:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we explore the themes of (1) failure and (2) getting “NO!” as a response when entrepreneurs ask for the business. In most discussions with entrepreneurs, these two themes have negative meaning and evoke shudders and feelings from which to stay away.

However, if we take a look more closely at the refusals we get as entrepreneurs –especially if we compound them together collectively when we think of failure– we can change our mindset about them to the point of even looking at them as stepping-stones to success.

The 2 people interviewed in this episode — Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton of the firm Courage Crafters — guide us through the book which they authored that deals with this topic. The book is called Go for No! YES is the destination; NO is how you get there. In addition, their training program of the same name offers tools and techniques to help implement the mindset shift.

In the book and training, Andrea and Richard developed a change to the failure-success model, in which the road to success in business is via failures.

They have also defined the FIVE FAILURE LEVELS (which take you from the Ability to fail to Failing bigger and  Faster, and even Failing Exponentially) “and what it takes to Progress Through Them.”

However, what was new and most interesting to me was their Science of Setting “No” Goals.  As you will hear in this episode, a direct and positive impact on your business results can be achieved with this methodology.

Their training program (also called GO for No!) is based on several CDs and discs. And thanks to Andrea and Richard– as a special bonus for the listeners of this podcast series, you may want to use the coupon code given in the discussion to get nearly a 50 per cent discount for it. Here are the details:

The Go for No Great Package is offered for the listeners of The Struggling Entrepreneur Podcast. You can go to the site at:  http://tiny.cc/Pd38v

And the code for $52 off is SE1 and it is functioning now.

In addition, there are several free resources available, including a free ezine now titled Go for No!.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 72- IT Consultant and Author to Entrepreneur- Anil Desai [51:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we take a closer look into the transition from being a technical specialist in the IT (Information Technology) industry to becoming a successful Entrepreneur from the background and point of view of Anil Desai.

Even if you are not an IT Specialist, but perhaps you are in a field that requires technical skills or in an area of complex products or problem-solving, this interview will be of value to you for its related scenarios.

As you may remember, we had received permission from CS Techcast to publish an 11-minute overview interview with Anil Desai in our earlier episode 67.

However, in this episode, we take a detailed look at the preparation, planning and move from a full-time IT specialist in a day-job to becoming a full-time Entrepreneur. Also, you will hear the 3 bullets of success that Anil Desai gives us from his experience–and you will be surprised that super-technical skills are not the main keys to this future.

Anil shares with us the obstacles he encountered, as well as how he himself tackles the administrative responsibilities of running his own business–including income taxes and other back-office tasks that many structured IT specialists dread.

Anil also discusses how his skills in communication–especially in technical writing–have added to the success of creating himself as a known Brand. In addition, Anil is also an author of several books and a speaker, as well as a consultant that delivers the right solutions to the customers to solve business problems. He will tell you in this episode about his multiple certifications and the technical skills that he keeps current–but at very little or no cost!

However, Anil also shares with us his creative background–as a part-time musician and fictional writer.

We do apologize for the ambient noise that suddenly sprung in the background as we started the interview (it had been relatively quiet in the comfortable dining area until the lunch crowd suddenly appeared). But the noise did die down toward the second part of the interview.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 71- Social Entrepreneur- Andy Fluke of the NCDD [20:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Andy Fluke, one of the founders of the NCDD (National Coalition of Dialog and Deliberation).

Andy has progressed from a full-time day-job to the point where the organization that he is working with now (the NCDD) has become his “passion” and is now consuming him in a full-time role. Andy, thus, has been able to migrate from a full-time day-job to a full-time role as an Entrepreneur in running a business–but it is a business that is really a non-profit organization. Thus, Andy considers himself to be a SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR.

In this episode you will hear how Andy has obtained funding to operate the organization through grants from Philantropic organizations. Also, Andy has provided value for his community via the vehicle of establishing a schedule of conferences (and thus, fund and run the business).

Although this Business Model is one route that few people may eventually take, it does fulfill Andy’s dream for the subject of which he is passionate, while allowing him to use his past experience to run a business (which is now going to be a non-profit entity).

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 70- Chris Heuer, founder of the Social Media Club Chapters [1:01:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we bring a detailed account of entrepreneurial success from someone who is using a different business model to reach his objectives.

Chris Heuer had the technical background and expertise, as well as experience in managing both Technical Businesses in the Private Sector and the Public Sector (e.g., the US Mint). However, he chose to pursue a passion of his — Social Media and communication.

By creating the foundation of the Social Media Club chapters and developing this idea into a growing fever of new chapters springing up in the US and overseas, Chris Heuer has seen his revenue model come from his expertise in delivering value to Enterprises to form their social media strategies, while working on the promotion of the chapters.

This new business model of funding the business via customer engagements while promoting the passion is a success story that can serve as an interesting case study for us today.

This interview was recorded inbetween sessions at a conference in which Chris was presenting (the NCDD, the National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation).

Chis has a web site of http://www.chrisheuer.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 69- Dave Evans, author of SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING- An hour a Day [54:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we are very honored to present an interview with Dave Evans, the author of the new book titled Social Media Marketing - an Hour a Day (Wiley, 2008). This book was just released last month and it is available at your bookstores like Amazon.com.

As you will hear in this audio podcast, Dave Evans  goes into his very technical background to explain how the desire to control his lifestyle and spend more time with his family led him to fulfill his desire to be on his own as a small business owner and a successful entrepreneur–first as a consultant, and now as a thought leader, subject matter expert and author in the area of Social Media Marketing.

Dave has a rich background with varied experience in the area of business and social media consulting. His clients range among some of the biggest enterprises and organizations in the world.

Dave’s latest endeavor is to help the business enterprise and the entrepreneur or small business owner to understand what social media marketing is and how to create a strategy, develop a plan and execute a successful Social Media implementation in the business. Dave’s desire is to help the entrepreneurs with a “practical step-by-step guide … to expand their skills and tap the Social Web the right way.”

You can also get more detailed information about the book, as well as video conversations by Dave at the web site of:

http://www.readthis.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 68A- Social Networks for Entrepreneurs- a blogpost from www.blogtrepreneur.com [11:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we bring you the news of a post in the blog at www.blogtrepreneur.com. I was made aware of this by Dave Jackson (who is “your personal podcast coach” at the School of Podcasting) which was in one of his podcasts called Weekly Web Tools.

This post had to do with the 10 Social Networks for Entrepreneurs. It is at:

http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/2008/05/13/10-social-networks-for-entrepreneurs/

This blog post covers the top ten social networks (from the author’s point of view–from LinkedIn to Xing, and 8 more inbetween.

Although the post in the blog is from May of 2008, it is still a good starting place for us to look at the Social Networks and the Social Media Niche Networks every six months. As you will hear in the episode, we plan to get authority figures and thought leaders in the world of Social Media Marketing (such as Dave Evans, who is the subject of the interview in episode 69 of The Struggling Entrepreneur podcast series and is the author of the book Social Media Marketing- An Hour a Day)–and we plan to compare, contrast and review the social media networks that would be of value to the entrepreneur.

Also included in this audio episode is the related post to this article on the same blog, which is called “5 Alternatives to Social Media Marketing” (which is at

http://www.blogtrepreneur.com/2008/06/10/5-alternatives-to-social-media-marketing/.

We look forward to our next bonus episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur that will update you in December on the Social Networks and Social Media Niche Networks for the entrepreneur. This is one of the ways we can bring value to you, especially with the popular topic of Social Media Marketing for the Small Business and Entrepreneur.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 68- Challenges in re-branding yourself as an Entrepreneur- Interview with Charles Knickerbocker of www.samepageresults.com [54:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we take a look at the challenges of re-branding yourself as a small business owner or entrepreneur. In our interview with Charles Knickerbocker, who is the owner of the firm SamePageResults, we explore how an individual can move from one area of expertise to another that is more niche-focused. Now, as you can imagine, it can be filled with challenges and obstacles.

However, with his background and experience in running many organizations in the past as businesses, Charles Knickerbocker has used the flexibility of his technical and project-management expertise in moving from the public sector and private sector enterprises as an employee to the world of small business and his entrepreneurial ventures.

In this audio podcast, you will hear how his drive for questioning authority and always being a mobile self-starter has given to him the benefit of knowing what it takes to succeed in a small business environment.

And you may ask yourself “What is this ‘visual thinking‘ approach?” It is really a concept that is being used more frequently by enterprises today.

Charles is also a very technically competent entrepreneur who dedicates his time in supporting organizations like the NCDD (National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation), especially in the area of social media online tools and techniques (e.g., FriendFeed).

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.