Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

Marquesa Pettway, CSP, a designation awarded to less than 700 speakers in the world, DTM, a Business Reinvention Expert, Professional Speaker, Author of The Reinvention Roadmap, SpeakerTalk Radio host (on itunes) and the founder and chief coach of The National Center for Speaker Training. She helps entrepreneurs attract clients and earn income by using their voice to grow their business. She’s coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals to profitable businesses since 2005. Marquesa provides the "how" in her Reinvention Roadmap™ and SpeakerBlueprint Roadmap and many other business boosting programs via THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPEAKER TRAINING. She's recognized an as expert by New York Newsday. Les Brown, the internationally renowned motivational speaker, calls her a brilliant speaker and business coach. Associate Producer for CNN small business show, "Managing with Lou Dobbs" turned Biz Reinvention Coach to hundreds of entrepreneurs and hundreds of organizations since 1993. The New York Daily News q

Mark Hunter is "The Sales Hunter." He helps companies and salespeople find and retain better customers. He is also the author of the best-selling book, High-Profit Selling. He is recognized as one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Sales and Marketing Leaders." All of this has him traveling globally nearly 230 days per year, working with companies to help them grow their top-line sales and bottom-line profits. He is known for his sales growth strategies and consultative selling approach to business. Mark Hunter is frequently quoted in the media and is a keynote speaker at major conferences on the subject of sales and sales leadership. His sales techniques are in use today by salespeople on 5 continents and in more than 100 different countries. Be sure to read Mark's latest best-selling book "High-Profit Selling - Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price" by AMACOM. In the book Mark shares proven strategies to maximize price and minimize discounts. The book contains a step by step process with how to increas

Joe Zente is the President/CEO of Z3 Performance Development, Inc. He founded Z/Three in 1999 with a singular vision -- to help forward-thinking entrepreneurs to exceed their personal and business goals. Joe is the developer of the UnCommon Sense© Formula for Success, a process that has been used by hundreds of CEOs and presidents to transform their culture and to create consistent, predictable, scalable, sales organizations The Formula has also been deployed internationally by thousands of managers, salespeople, service providers and subject matter experts to dramatically improve their selling effectiveness and results. His approach is practical and no-nonsense. Joe speaks nationally on Building World Class Sales Organizations, has written hundreds of articles and eBooks, and blogs monthly at http://www.zthree.com Joe understands business. He has directed Fortune 500 divisions, led nine companies, founded six and sold two. His experience includes more than 30 years leading international firms involved in a

Garrison Wynn has presented to some of the world's most effective leaders and business developers, from multibillion-dollar manufacturers and national associations to top New York Stock Exchange wire houses. He has a background in manufacturing, telecomm, and financial services and toured as a professional stand-up comedian. In his teens, Garrison worked with Magnavox and baseball legend Hank Aaron to promote the world's first video gaming system, and by age 27 he became the youngest department head in a Fortune 500 company's history. He researched and designed processes for 38 locations nationwide and developed and marketed products still being sold in 30 countries. He is the author of the Amazon.com bestseller The REAL Truth About Success, has contributed weekly to The Washington Post, and has coauthored with Stephen Covey. His award-winning success tools receive high praise, but his greatest strength is a magnetic live performance that keeps him in high demand, with more than 600 inquiries and 100 speaking

Melissa J Nixon wants you to live a courageous life. She is an Executive Leadership Coach, Courageous Life Mentor and more! She is excited to be living out her dream and fulfilling her life’s mission of helping women to live and lead courageously. As a result, women around the world are being inspired and taking action toward their own passion and purpose. She is a professional speaker, trainer, & leadership coach who spends her days connecting with the hearts of women and pushing them past their perceived boundaries to achieve goals that were once just a thought. She is in total belief that there is so much more beyond where we are currently! However, we have to be willing to take risks and go after it. We have to be willing to do it again. Even as successful women can sometimes allow fear and/or complacency to creep in to prevent them from take that next power move. It happens to the women with masters degrees, Phd’s, 6 figure businesses, and even 7 figure businesses. Dealing with fear, complacency, and s

Jon Petz is a motivational keynote speaker and master of ceremonies who uses humor engaged audiences. Clients invite him back again and again – and audience members can’t wait to transform his ideas and strategies into real-world change in their lives and careers. Ever meet one of those people born to be on a stage? That’s Jon – and that’s why he left a highly successful career as a Vice President of sales to return to his real passion as a professional speaker & corporate magician. After that? There was no turning back. With a unique skillset, a purposeful presence, and the kind of energy that seems to transform a room – he gets audiences on their feet, and to the edge of their seats hungry for the innovative insights and game-changing solutions he shares. As a funny motivational speaker, event or conference emcee or corporate magician, he wow’s the crowd. He uses his magic and inspiring stories to bring home the very real belief that we all have the opportunity to be significant each day, and that small m

Manley Feinberg is a mountain adventurer turned professional speaker. After 18 years of business leadership, adventures around the world, and professional speaking, Manley is ready to help you reach your next summit. Manley is recognized as an award winning speaker and Information Technology leader, business expert and author, published outdoor adventure photographer, and professional musician. During Manley’s eleven years with Build-A-Bear Workshop, his leadership direction helped take the revolutionary retail concept from 40 stores to over 400 worldwide, realizing revenue growth from 55 million to over 474 million. He built an award winning reputation for implementing technology solutions and support that produced results for the business every day. Manley’s inspirational keynotes are brought to life through his exceptional photography and riveting stories culminating from a lifetime of adventure through 25 countries, to over 400 outdoor destinations. Manley vividly shares compelling lessons from his ad

Sometimes entrepreneurs feels stuck. They work hard and yet they feel they cannot get their career or business to the next level. Part of this is that we are never satisfied and we fail to see our own successes for what they are, and we move the goal farther out all the time. In this episode Thom Singer shares his own story of feeling stuck, even with a successful business and he shares ideas that may inspire you if you can relate to that desire to get to the next level (without a clear path on how to get there).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Christa Tuttle takes on a task, she goes in 100%. On September 10, 2001 she made a decision to start her own marketing company, and the next day the whole world changed with 9/11. In the face of a changing world, she pushed forward and started her business. Fifteen years later she has a team of 15 people and leads a fast growing boutique marketing firm focused on high tech companies. Prior to founding Launch Marketing, Christa worked for Austin venture capital firm TL Ventures, where she managed marketing in-house and lent her expertise to its portfolio companies, helping them develop marketing plans and bring their first products to market. Before that, she led a marketing team at enterprise software company Trilogy, where her team successfully drove more than 50% of the lead generation. Christa is an active member of the Austin community, where she regularly mentors a tightly knit group of entrepreneurs, and has served on the board for the Technology Entrepreneurs’ eXchange. She has contributed time

Marcus Segui is the Founder of Tintico, a new luggage company. Marcus started his career in finance in New York City, then quit to take a year off to travel and learn Spanish. He settled in Bogota, Colombia and ultimately launched a real estate company there that was backed by the Colombia's largest private equity company. He's an entrepreneur well versed in international business and what it takes to launch a company abroad. His current venture involved leaving behind 10 years of real estate to start a luggage company because, as he said, “I like travel bags, the suitcase is the hardest one, international business is fun for me, and I want to build a travel brand that inspires authentic, purposeful, boundary-pushing travelers.” He’s starting a company on Kickstarter – http://www.tinti.co/ – I was intrigued by the business model, and also his back story and knew he would be a great guest for the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over a drink with a new friend he asked "What makes you belly laugh?" and "What makes you cry?" These were not questions I expected, and I could not easily answer them. We live in a world where most people engage in a superficial manner and we rarely ask question that get to the heart and soul. It is also hard to make friends as we get older as we are not always exposed to knowing about other people. These questions asked by my new friend stirred my thinking. I was impressed with how open this person was to sharing his own story, which had ups and downs. His life had some hard times, and he was open about these, which allowed me to connect with him, as we all face tragic experiences in business, personal life, in our communities, etc... In this episode I talk about my struggles to answer these questions and why that makes me wonder if I am being true to my own self and letting my human feelings inter my business dealings. I also challenge you, the listener to ponder these questions and let me know if you

Mark Black was born with a heart problem and had surgery while only days old. While he does not remember that, his life was full of health issues that culminated with a heart and lung transplant at age 23. He had planned to have a career as a teacher, but after recovering from his transplant he found professional speaking and has never looked back. Mark is the founder of The Purpose Program and CEO of Adversus Consulting, Mark Black has done a lot in 35 yrs. A professional speaker, best-selling author and success coach, Mark doesn’t just talk about overcoming adversity, he lives it. Mark’s experience with adversity began early in his life. By age 2 Mark had already survived more than many deal with in a lifetime. The lessons Mark learned in the year that followed that news he needed a transplant form the basis of his award-winning presentations, and the best-selling book “Live Life from the Heart. Mark has inspired nearly 100,000 people across North America with his unique brand of humor blended with a g

Jerome Wade is the Chief Epic Officer of The Epic Advantage, a global leadership development company that helps top tier professionals lead high performing people, teams and organizations. His expertise is in Leadership Development, Performance, and Motivation. He is committed to helping people Unleash Greatness, Accelerate Opportunity, and Maximize Performance. His company, The Epic Advantage provides solutions to the #1 challenge in business and organizational leadership as well as personal and professional performance. He is a Keynote Speaker | Corporate Trainer | Executive Coach: and he leverages the power of story to deliver extraordinary results by masterfully designing moments that create leadership momentum. Jerome is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and an international conference and corporate speaker. Jerome makes his home in Albuquerque, NM and is an adventurist who loves white water kayaking, motocross, mtn. biking, snow boarding, climbing, scuba diving, sailing, and global

Mike Domitrz was always an entrepreneur. He was the kid selling lemonade or teaching swim lessons (or break dancing lessons). He became a mobile DJ, and eventually a professional speaker and leading expert on dating and sexuality. His company has grown over two decades from a one-man show to a larger organization with several employees. Today he continues to expand and is seeking the right people to execute the roles of running his business. In this episode Mike Domitrz shares his experiences from his first hire (his sister), to virtual assistants, to assembling a growing staff. This topic is important for all business professionals. How we find the right people to help us matters, and most people make mistakes. Mike made plenty of mistakes, and has lots of tips on how to avoid the same pitfalls. After 20+ years in business, Mike knows his own strengths and weaknesses, and is now getting better at putting the right people in the right seats on his bus. This episode is a valuable resource for everyone, as

A conversation in the "Cool Things Project" mastermind coaching program lead to a discussion about how taking action that pushes a person out of their comfort zone can lead to "Imposter Syndrome". Imposter Syndrome is a term coined in the 1970s that refers to high achieving individuals who are marked by the inability to internalize their accomplishments and who have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. Many people who chase their dreams fall prey to these feeling of not deserving their success. It is not uncommon for those who are starting to achieve new levels to question if they are legitimately qualified to be a leader in their area of expertise. Plus in a world where "Fake it til you make it" is preached all over the place, many people are uncomfortable once they go out and start to take actions. Thom Singer is not a fan of "fake it til you make it", as that sets people up for imposter syndrome. Instead he thinks people should push their limits but be realistic (to themselves and others) abou

Thom Singer turns 50 and in the episode he shares why that is a great thing. He covers several of the topics he wrote about on his blog in a post called "50 Things I Learned by 50” http://thomsinger.blogspot.com/2016/06/50-things-i-learned-by-50-by-thom-singer.html 35. Say "please" and "thank you". It will make you stand out from the crowd. 34. When you need help, ask someone. 33. Having written goals is an important step you achieving your dreams and remain focused. 32. Over using credit cards will stall your financial future. 31. A supportive spouse is so important. Be one and honor the one you have. 30. A true friend is excited for you about any event that makes you happy. Show that high level of excitement when those around you have positive events. 29. True friends are rare and should be cherished. Those people who are "Forever Friends" (the ones that never judge you too harshly or fire you over minor things) are worth their weight in gold. 28. No job is secure. Have a "plan B" and don't be surprised if

Danny O'Connell is a partner at Benefits Resources Group (BRG) in Texas. Serving businesses and individuals with regard to their benefit, insurance, and personal planning needs, he has had a successful career for more than 10 years. One of his new ventures is in major fund-raising for organizations such as universities and other organizations. They have developed several niche programs which can save small and medium size companies tremendously while maintaining their benefits. One of the most important pieces of his job is educating those he works with and keeping his clients abreast of changes in the laws and policies. Danny is dedicated member of many associations in his industry, including Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). He is a husband, father, and active member of his community. Download this episode to hear Danny O'Connell's career journey and his advice for others who want to have a successful career in insurance (or any industry). http://www.brg-tx.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

With a background in marketing and event planning, Jessica Levin, who is a bit of a futurist, is best known as a connector of people. She has a reputation as the “Go To” person regarding marketing, meeting and event design and anything involving trends in technology. Jessica uses social networking tools to build and strengthen both personal and business relationships and teaches others how to embrace social media as a way to create both corporate and personal brands. Jessica’s professional background includes experience in the professional services, association management and industrial marketing. Her strategic approach to marketing includes a mix of both traditional marketing channels and web 2.0 tactics. She focuses on creating, strengthening and maintaining relationships for business and for the people that drive them. When it comes to events, she considers herself an event re-imaginer and helps organizations change the way they look at the typical meeting or convention. From a technology perspective, Je

Matt Wolski jumped right from college into being an entrepreneur. Now over three years later he has hit his stride with several ventures in both the marketing / branding space and the restaurant / bar world. Found Media Group is a full service marketing and public relations firm focused on providing a one-stop solution for the entrepreneurial community. Our services range through the areas of web presence, graphic design, social media, multimedia, messaging and public relations. Matt found a niche serving solopreneurs and small business owners providing big-firm services to those who cannot afford the rates of giant agencies. He also owns Parlor & Yard, an Austin, Texas bar in the popular West 6th Street area and will soon be opening a seafood restaurant called Coast. Download this episode for a good view of how an aggressive entrepreneurial millennial has created his own path in the world and is inspiring others (including his own 59 year old father) to take the leap to a self-directed career. http://www

When an "expert" tells you your idea won't work, that might be good advice... or it might be crap. Sometimes you have to follow your heart if you want to find real success in your career and life. Lucille Ball was told by acting coaches to find a different line of work, Oprah's boss in a local television market said she did not have what it took to make it in TV. The list of successful people who were told by experts that they could never reach their goals is long. When someone gives you council to abandon your dream you need to make sure you understand what they are really saying. They are telling you that in their own experience they have not seen success in the path you are going, but they are not God. Only you will know if your journey is the right one. In this episode Thom Singer talks about this topic of being steered off track by well meaning experts. He also shares the details of his own latest project, a One Man Show, and how there are people who roll their eyes at his project. But he is pushing f