Listen Now!

Business Talk 24-7

Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Business Writers Radio





Brandon Wright with Wright Stuff Radio

Brandon Wright / Wright Stuff Radio
Host

Brandon WrightBrandon has been self-employed since he was 5 years old. His first business was raising turkeys to sell for Thanksgiving. His parents helped to finance the operation while he did the work. During his early years growing up in northern Vermont, Brandon had several seasonal business ventures and jobs. Brandon also loved logging which prompted him to obtain a degree in Forest Technology from Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York.

While on a road trip with his buddy Abe, they both ended up in Boise Idaho. After working a few jobs, and a little convincing from a customer, Brandon opened UltraClean. He started the company the first week of January, which was the worst time to start a cleaning business. To complicate matters further, he had only his last paycheck of $472 and no equipment. Brandon asked every bank he could find about financing equipment, and they all said no. He was lucky enough to find another company that was calling it quits and he assumed their debt, at a cost of course. From that day on Brandon has continued to grow his business and reputation, and to build a brand that stands strong as the premier go-to cleaning and water damage repair company in the Boise area. It hasn’t been easy for him, and at several points throughout his career it almost seemed like it wasn’t going to work.

During those tough times, Brandon had a few things that kept him moving forward. His network of friends, mentors, and a solid family carried him through tough times. Of course, hard work, perseverance, and dedication has played a major role in his longevity in business. The lessons Brandon has learned over the years are shared with those he can help, as he continues to grow through his own success and failures.

Now, after 18 years of business, Brandon has dialed in a winning formula and sold his restoration business above the valuation price. He created a simple business model that requires a small number of people to run the company while still making money, and is able to take off 8 weeks a year. With the many personal achievements and awards Brandon has won, what matters most is what the company has become.

His company has a very unique business model, with over two million dollars in revenue, without any insurance programs (which is very rare in the industry), he built a culture that is strong, with engaged and happy employees that desire to work there. The company in total grossed over $2.1 million with a net profit of 21% in 2015. This business model has allowed him to become a specialist in his area.

Brandon has authored three books, hosts a weekly radio show for small business, and created the SmokeOut Networking Group. The SmokeOut is a popular monthly networking event that is held in a warehouse with smoked foods, and helps small businesses and contractors with coaching and consulting. Brandon has made a name for himself with a purpose-driven business that has helped improve his community in the Boise area.

Twitter   Facebook   Amazon   Amazon

Fauzia Burke with FSB Associates

 

Fauzia Burke / FSB Associates
Founder and President

Fauzia BurkeFauzia Burke is the Founder and President of FSB Associates, an online publicity and marketing firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors.

She’s the author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors. A nationally recognized speaker and online branding expert, Fauzia writes for Huffington Post, MariaShriver.com and MindBodyGreen.

LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook

 

 

Michelle Mazur with Communication Rebel

 

Michelle Mazur / Communication Rebel

Dr. Michelle Mazur is the CEO of Communication Rebel where she helps speakers and entrepreneurs make a bigger impact with their signature talk while building a business on their own terms.

Her Ph.D. is in Communication (so she KNOWS how people process messages and what gets them to a yes) and she has 29 years of speaking experience.

After working with her, clients have gone on to book $10,000 speaking gigs, become international speakers (they even speak in front of First Ladies!), and negotiate their highest speaking fees ever!

LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook

 

Author and Social Media Instructor Mindy Halleck with Literary Liaisons

 

Mindy Halleck / Literary Liaisons
Author and Social Media Instructor

Mindy Halleck is an award winning fiction writer, novelist, and social media and writing instructor. In 2014, after many years as a non-fiction author she released her debut novel, Return To Sender, a literary thriller set on the Oregon Coast in the 1950’s. Halleck also blogs at Literary Liaisons and is an active member of the Pacific Northwest writing community. In addition to being a writer, Halleck is a happily married, globe-trotting beachcomber and three-time cancer survivor.

Twitter   Facebook   Amazon

 

Best-Selling Author and Entrepreneur Klyn Elsbury

 

Klyn Elsbury / I AM _: The Untold Story of Success
Best-Selling Author & Entrepreneur

 

Klyn ElsburyIn 2014, after being forced to quit her professional recruiting career due to excessive hospitalizations from complications of Cystic Fibrosis, Klyn Elsbury was confined to a wheelchair with her lung function plummeting below 40%. It was after a two-week hospital stay (just one of 5 that year) she set off on a six week road trip across the United States to visit friends and family she wasn’t sure she would live to see again. I AM _: The Untold Story of Success is a blend of raw emotion and inspiring wisdom. It draws a parallel between what it means to live as if every day is your last and what it means to create a highly impactful legacy through entrepreneurship and athleticism.

Through gripping interviews with influential entrepreneurs and athletes such as Boomer Esiason, Sharon Lechter, the co-founder of Netflix, and many others; the reader is taken on a journey of what success is, what success is not, and how you can live a powerful life while creating change in the world. She has since regained 30% of her lungs and currently lives in California with the love of her life. Together, they are the co-owners of Landmark Makers, a recruiting services firm dedicated to high-growth companies that offer workshops and recruitment services nationwide. Her story has been featured in numerous publications including Manifest Station, Zumba blog, and she has appeared on several shows including KPBS, NPR, Connected Women of Influence, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. She is a nationally recognized speaker who will be presenting for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization at Alchemy in 2017.

LinkedIn   Twitter

 

How To Kickstart Your Book Featuring Jack Phillips

Jack Phillips
In today’s episode, Jack Phillips shares a wealth of information on Kickstarting your book — and exactly what to expect from the upcoming Second Annual Business Writers Conference held at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, Alabama (April 19-21, 2017).

Download The Conference Brochure

Learn About The Pre-Conference Boot Camp

 

Jack Phillips HeadshotJack J. Phillips, Ph.D., Chairman of ROI Institute, Inc. the leading provider of services for measurement, evaluation, metrics, and analytics. He is the developer of the ROI Methodology, the most used evaluation system in the world. A world-renowned expert on measurement and evaluation, Phillips provides consulting services for more than half of the Fortune 100 companies and workshops for major conference providers worldwide. A former bank president, Phillips has served as head of HR for three organizations, including a Fortune 500 company for eight years and has over 27 years of corporate experience in the aerospace, banking, construction, metals, and textile industries. Author of the first book on training evaluation in the United States in 1983, Phillips has authored or edited more than 75 books in evaluation, metrics, and analytics. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, and on CNN.