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Meridth Hammer tried hard to be a good employee, but when she was laid off during the 2007 crash, she ultimately decided it was time to open her own law firm.  She set up the Hammer Legal Group in Indianoplis, and was successful for several years. Then she got an offer she couldn't refuse at the Cook County Clerk's Office, but eventually knew she wanted to get back to running her own firm, so she started the firm back up from scratch in Chicago.  Her practice focuses on wills, trusts, probate, and real estate. Along the way, she learned a lot -- about setting up and maintaining a business, about what works and what doesn't, about real estate shenanigans, and most importantly, about herself.  She also shares stories of some of the strong women in her life that have been an inspiration to her along the way. She candidly shares with The Savvy Entrepreneur some of the challenges along the way, with humility, humor, and absolutely a "can-do" attitude. Click on the arrow to listen and be inspired!  Or, click here if you'd/ prefer to read a transcript of our chat.  Either way, it's well worth your time!

Some people have their best singing moments in the shower.  For Qeepsake founder Jeff McNeil, he thought of the idea for the company one morning while showering.  After kicking around the idea with his co-founder and wife, they started the company as a way to more easily keep track of and document key events in their five kids' lives. The idea was to prompt Qeepsake subscribers with occasional text questions, like "What is you child's favorite outfit these days?" And Qeepsake then would file all those memories of that child all together. These days, Qeepsake has expanded to lots more questions, more customized questions, the capacity to uptake photos with captions, and even to produce a Sample Qeepsake Memory Book memory book. It currently has several tens of thousands of subscribers, an investor, and a successful appearance on Shark Tank. The journey wasn't easy -- there were lots of technology issues, and funding was a real challenge.  Jeff candidly shares with The Savvy Entrepreneur many of the speedbumps and joys of founding and growing Qeepsake. Click on the arrow to listen to this inspiring story!

The ecosystem for startups has been steadily growing in Traverse City, Michigan and the entire Northern Michigan region.  It's a lovely, affordable place to live, and as remote work grows, more and more skilled workers have gravitated to the area. And Michigan, and particularly Northern Michigan, have done a great job of supporting the ecosystem for those who want to create their own businesses.  Traverse City has steadily created more and more resources for startups and entrepreneurs, in spite of the pandemic. And that has led to an outpouring of enthusiasm and events in the form of an inaugural Norther Michigan Startup Week.  Two of the organizers are 20 Fathoms, a co-working space, and TCNewTech, an organization helping startups with training and connections and other support. Keri Amlotte, from 20 Fathoms, and Jennifer Szunko, from TCNewTech, join The Savvy Entrepreneur to talk about some of the key activities surrounding Northern Michigan Startup Week.  They also share their thoughts on how to successfully build a startup ecosystem. Click on the arrow to the left and listen to how Northern Michigan is steadily growing its entrepreneurial community.

Monika Joshi, Founder of Art of Pure, shares with The Savvy Entrepreneur her quest to source and sell sustainable health and beauty products. A former New York City investment banker, she grew tired of the long hours and time away from her young family.  When she and her family moved back to Chicago, Monika knew it was time to do something different, When her daughter began struggling with eczema and other skin issues, the dermatologist suggested putting her on steroids.  Monika felt there must be other, more natural alternatives to try first. That led her on a journey to find truly natural products but all types and health and beauty needs --something that sounds like it should be easy, but definitely is not!  And at that point, Art of Pure was born. Click on the arrow to take a listen to Monika's story and some of the bumps and challenges she's faced along the way creating and growing Art of Pure.  Or you can read a transcript of the interview here.

Jesse Byrd has already accomplished amazing things.  From a college basketball scholarship player, to authoring and publishing childrens' books, to starting his own publishing house, with stops in Dubai and Silicon Valley along the way, it's clear Jesse's mind is always working.  He joins The Savvy Entrepreneur show to talk about his journey to create Jesse B. Creative, a publishing house featuring under-represented children's book authors and illustrators.  He shares a little bit about what it's like inside the children's book publishing world, as well as lots of tips for budding entrepreneurs and aspiring book authors. Click on the arrow to take a listen!  Or if you prefer, you can read a transcript of the interview here!

It's clear that Elaine Frei, Founder & President of Luft Balloon, delights in the sheer joy of sharing colorful balloon bursts and balloon art. She creates balloon art for her customers, but also loves giving back to her Chicago community.  The company frequently "balloon bombs" first responders, front-line workers, and small businesses that have gone above and beyond, just because they want to spread that joy. Luft Balloon prides itself on the enormous range of colors of its balloons.  Elaine likens most balloon colors to the old, original Crayon box.  She "double stuffs" her balloons, and uses high-quality latex and messaging on the balloons.  She also adds her flair for color and design by creating jaw-dropping art with her balloons. Here are just a few examples, but check out her website for a few of her amazing creations:  Elaine shares with The Savvy Entrepreneur her interesting journey from landscape architect to CEO of a fast-growing startup focused on balloons.  And she candidly shares some of the challenges of growing so fast. It's a delightful listen, and will leave you smiling and wanting to balloon bomb someone tomorrow!  Click on the arrow to listen, or go here to read a transcript of the interview.

Stacey Kohler, Founder & CEO of Kiddy Crawler, was a new grandmother.  And she was on a mission to find the Crawligator for her new granddaughter.  Stacey remembered the Crawligator from her childhood and how it helped kids develop mobility and core strength. She found an old one on ebay, and bought it.  But that lead her to wonder what happened to this amazing toy.  It turns out, it ended up in the dust bin, sort of like the toys in the movie Toy Story.  Stacey revived the toy, found a way to manufacture it to today's standards, and is rapidly growing her company. Her story is one of persistence, determination, taking one step at a time, and asking for and finding help in many places.  She shares her story on The Savvy Entrepreneur, and offers plenty of lessons learned for others starting out. It's a wonderful story, with a completely relatable founder, and one helping kids' development.  Click on the arrow to listen, or go here for a transcript of the interview.

The Julie O'Brien Design Group has been a successful Indiana-based interior design company for residential and restaurants for many years.  So you know the owner and founder, Julie O'Brien, is doing a lot of things right. She joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to talk about her journey:  how she got started, how she self-funded her business, and tips for other women entrepreneurs that she's learned along the way.  She also shares some of the challenges of the interior design business, and how it continues to change and challenge small business people in the business. Julie is candid, and shares some of the joys and the speed bumps, while giving us a glimpse into the world of interior design.  Here are a few examples of the work done by the Julie O'Brien Design Group:  Click on the arrow to the left to listen, or you can go here to read a transcript of our chat. It's a fun listen --  Enjoy!

When you ask business people what public relations is, some may think of press releases.  On the other end of the spectrum, many think public relations today is mostly about social media postings and engagement.  Or maybe they think of movie trailers and TV interviews for rock and movie stars. Jennifer Fortney, President of Cascade Communications, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Show to talk about what public relations (PR) is, and what it isn't.  And who should consider doing more PR, and when. Jennifer has more than 20 years in the business, and is the author of “Pitched:  A Simple DIY Guide to Public Relations for Small Business," available on Amazon.com, or directly from Jennifer's site. In her view, public relations is the image of your company, and what people think of you.  She's a big fan of refining your story, your why, and making sure this is absolutely consistent across various media that you use.  She's also adamant about making sure you know your audience, which will drive which media channels are most impactful for your business. Click on the arrow to listen to some great, actionable advice about public relations, or go here to read a transcript of the interview. And if you'd like to learn more, here are some helpful resources Jennifer has provided: "Do These 6 Things to Improve Your Digital Marketing" "Is Your Business Really Ready for PR? This Checklist Will Save You Time & Money"

Erika Lacroix has successfully built EZ Breathe Home Solutions, a construction-related business.  She is a kind of unicorn, thriving in what is still traditionally a man's world. She says she was always more of a tomboy, which no doubt helped prepare her for her role with EZ Breathe.  And her down-to-earth, funny, no-nonsense approach probably did as well. She shares the story of her journey with me on The Savvy Entrepreneur.  She also shares plenty of tips for other women entrepreneurs operating in this world.  She has navigated bumps along the way, but is fiercely dedicated to her customers, as you'll hear in my interview with her. Click on the arrow to the left to listen, or click here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of the show.  It's well worth the listen!

Dr. Phillip Meade is passionate about business culture change and his company's Missing Links culture change model.  He joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Show to talk about how humans naturally resist change, but also how Gallaher Edge's Missing Links culture change model can help organizations create and follow an effective blueprint. The Missing Links model has four strands:  Maturity, Diversity, Community, and Unity.  The Maturity piece is particularly interesting, as it deals with our many human defense mechanisms that resist change.  Phillip points out how an entrepreneur or owner's attachment to their business as "their baby" directly leads to challenges in scaling the organization.  It's a fascinating look inside the human psyche, and the things we often hide from ourselves! Meade also talks about the upcoming book that he authored, entitled "The Missing Links:  Launching a High Performing Company Culture," available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  The book, he says, is intended to both be an overview of business culture, as well as a resource for those who want to attempt culture change on their own. Click on the arrow to the left to listen.  Or, go here to read a transcript of the show.

Lisa Brown, host of the popular live show Side Hustle Saturday, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur show to talk about growing her platform for black entrepreneurs, and some of the challenges of doing regular live shows. Side Hustle Saturday is a live show that features black entrepreneurs.  Lisa started the show during COVID.  She says she knew many people were hurting, and many felt isolated.  She wanted to bring together black entrepreneurs into a community where they could share their stories with others. Her show started on Facebook live, then migrated to Instagram live.  But her show is poised to make the next big jump as a television segment.  She's clearly tapped into something important. Along with the telling of her journey, we compared notes about how to find great guests, build a community, and ways to monetize a live show or podcast.  We share a lot of laughs.  Even though our missions and platforms are slightly different, there are lots of tips here for anyone thinking about live blogging, podcasting, or doing a radio show. It's a fun listen -- Lisa's warm, down-to-earth and engaging personality makes this a great listen! Or, if you prefer, you can read a transcript of our chat here.

Dr. Sherry Benton, Founder of TAO Connect, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to share how her platform provides alternative ways to support mental health and wellness. TAO Connect was first created to help support college students who needed mental health support but struggled to get it.  Student need for support is significant, but is woefully underfunded and under-supported on campuses of all sizes. TAO Connect is a robust digital platform, consisting of more than 175 modules addressing all aspects of mental health and wellness. It also includes various assessments and exercises.  The material can be combined in a variety of ways: to guide those seeking self-help, to aid therapists, or to create or enhance courses. Mental health issues are chronically underaddressed in most Western countries, and TAO Connect is offering creative, cost-effective ways to meet those needs. The company has grown rapidly, serving more than 200 colleges and universities.  It has now branched out to offer its non-traditional mental health and wellness support to supplement small companies with their employee benefits.  TAO Connect has also partnered with Canada as part of that country's mental health offerings. Click on the arrow to take a listen -- the issues are important, and TAO Connect's offerings are a creative way to tackle them.  If you'd prefer, you can read a transcript of my chat with Dr. Benton here.

People appreciate art in its various forms, but they probably don't think about the business of art itself.  Constance Scopelitas, Founder & Owner of Constance Art, has been a successful artist for many years. She joins The Savvy Entrepreneur Show to talk about the business of art and her journey as a self-employed visual artist. Everyone knows it's a difficult path to make a living as a musician or artist. But it bothers Constance -- a lot -- that art and music schools and universities continue to crank out graduates, yet never include in their curriculum how to actually start and grow a business around their art. Constance shares the story of how she built Constance Art through luck, trial and error, persistence, and a lot of hard work. And she offers some valuable pieces of advice for others starting out -- things she wishes someone had told her. Click on the arrow to the left to listen to hear more about the business of art! Or, go here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of our chat. And take a look at a couple of Constance's works while you're here!  They're amazing!       

mHub Chicago is an award-winning startup business ecosytem for manufacturing .  Its goal to help ensure that the manufacturing industry which has been so important in Illinois and the Midwest over the years continues to accelerate, grow and thrive.  Although it's a nonprofit, it probably best is described as a public-private partnership, funded with both public money and corporate sponsorships. Melissa Lederer, Chief Experience Officer at mHub, joined The Savvy Entrepreneur show recently to talk about the mHub community and some of its programs and accomplishments. The mHub community includes over 350 active and alumni startups, supported by a deep talent pool of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers and a host of other experts designed to help support commercialization of new manufacturing related businesses, resulting in intellectual property growth, along with revenue and job creation Since launching in 2017, it has helped companies launch more than 1200 products new products, hired more than 2100 employees, and raised nearly 702 million in capital.  mHub's close partnerships with area manufacturing companies offers more rapid go-to-market opportunities, real-time mentoring and feedback, and expedited exit strategies to its member startup companies. It has also recently branched out to create a formal accelerator program, offering startup seed funding to innovative manufacturing startups in exchange for equity.  The new offering has attracted startups not only from the Midwest, but from across the U.S. and internationally as well. The mHub community is thriving and vibrant, and Melissa shares some of the ecosytem's successes.  Having seen lots of companies come through the program and drawing upon her past experience with 1871 and Matter in Chicago, she offers some advice to help startup businesses increase their chances of success. It's a great listen -- Melissa's enthusiasm for mHub and what they are doing there shines through!  Click on the arrow to the left to listen.  Or, go here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of the show.

Franchising is an option that many people should consider if they want to own their own business -- especially if they are not sure how to get started.  And franchising & women are a particularly good combination. Tamika Franklyn, Founder of Precision Franchise, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur show to talk about some of the many advantages of franchising. She also shares why franchising may be a particularly good option for women entrepreneurs. She dispels the notion that you need brick and mortar to build a successful franchise. Similarly, there are franchises that require far less than 20 hours a week, and can be built on your timeline. It's a great listen, and chockful of great advice and insights! Click on the arrow to the left to listen.  Or, if you'd prefer to read a transcript of our chat, click here.

Dr. Asha Parekh, Co-Founder and CEO of Frontline Medical Technologies joined The Savvy Entrepreneur recently to chat about her company's journey and about how to encourage more women in STEM, entrepreneurship, and especially healthcare startups. Asha is a first-time CEO -- no small feat in the medical device world.  She and her partner have also largely boostrapped their way through regulatory approval, and are nearly ready for commercialization. The device they've invented and are bringing to market through Frontline Medical Technologies is the world's smallest REBOA device.  It's designed to stem traumatic bleeding to allow critically injured patients a better shot at getting to the operating room before they lose too much blood. Currently, 90% of trauma patients with significant internal bleeding never even make it to the OR. Asha candidly shares some of the many challenges she and the company have faced.  She offers several pieces of advice that she's learned along the way. She also is passionate and devotes time to helping girls and young women consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine) careers.  She shares her thoughts on how to encourage more women -- not only in technology careers, but also to have the courage and vision to become entrepreneurs and leaders.  On average, only 19% of leadership roles in the MedTech industry are held by women. Similarly, only 10% of healthcare startups are owned and/or founded by women. Click on the arrow to the left to take a listen!  Or, if you prefer, read a transcript of the interview.

Shaniqua Davis was tired of not landing jobs she felt qualified for.  So she woke up one day and decided to do something about it.  She founded Noirefy, a platform that helps match diverse tech talent with companies interested in finding those resources.  The platform is free for job seekers, and revenue for the company comes in the form of finders' fees.  Revenue also comes in the form of coaching and consulting with companies to foster more diverse and inclusive workplaces, so that they become a more attractive workplace to hire and retain that talent. Shaniqua joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to share the story of how she founded the company, some of the challenges of mostly bootstrapping a startup, and dealing with the sensitive issues surrounding diversity and inclusion.  It's an inspiring story, showing how people like Shaniqua are helping our world change and improve, one step at a time. Click on the arrow to the left to listen to Noirefy and Shaniqua's inspiring story!  Or, if you prefer, read the show transcript here.

Matrix4 was originally Patricia' Miller's grandfather's company. It made plastic parts. And when he turned over the business to Patricia, it was struggling. She completely turned the company around.  In the process, she created what she calls the first product design and manufacturing "house."  The house combines all four key production phases:  design, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing.  The goal was to drive industry growth and innovation, and usher in a new era of culture, leadership and sophistication. Patricia, the CEO of Matrix4, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur radio show to share her journey and how she rebuilt Matrix4, mixing the best of the old and the new. The story of the "House of M4" is inspiring, full of great insights on taking on a turnaround situation, building a culture, and revitalizing American manufacturing! Click on the arrow to listen in!  Or, if you prefer, you can read a transcript of the show here!