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As businesses and individuals struggle with an uncertain future from the coronavirus pandemic, aviation entrepreneur Barry Alexander, founder of Hartford, Connecticut-based Aquiline Drones, has a clear vision for success.Through his latest innovative endeavor, Alexander has created a full-service drone manufacturing and cloud technology company that's poised to change the global landscape as it takes drone technology to the next level. He's also helping others learn a skill and create companies of their own.A native of St. Lucia, Alexander is a veteran aerospace professional who has more than 25 years of experience as an aviator. A licensed aircraft technician for both airplanes and helicopters operating at the highest technical levels, Alexander has more than 20,000 hours of flight time logged in global commercial aviation. He spent most of his aviation career as an airline captain, but he's also served stints as a flight instructor, chief pilot, and director of operations and transport pilot of a Boeing 747 aircraft globally.Alexander migrated to the U.S. as a teenager to pursue his interest in flying. After receiving airplane and helicopter certifications, he returned to the Carribean to establish Aquiline Air Ambulance, an air ambulance transportation network, in concert with the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Ministers of Health, the Caribbean Common Market, and regional Governments to help implement a regional project known at the time as Health Sector Reform.A serial entrepreneur, Alexander has owned several businesses over the years in the fields of construction, digital media, and electronic payment services.RESOURCESEpisode Transcript:https://interrobangsolutions.com/drones-provide-flight-path-to-entrepreneurship/Flight to the Future Registration and Details:ADflight.to/futureCONNECT WITH BARRY ALEXANDER & AQUILINE DRONESFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aquiline-Drones-104820991044367/?modal=admin_todo_tourTwitter: https://twitter.com/AquilineDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/51706826/admin/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacia Guzzo, founder of SmartyPits, a manufacturer of aluminum-free deodorant, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, including the practical growth strategies that allowed the company to evolve from a kitchen sink and sales at farmers markets endeavor to having a retail presence in more than a 1,000 stores nationally.Inspired to create an aluminum-free deodorant after her mother's breast cancer diagnosis, Guzzo began making the formula in her kitchen sink in 2014, used herself as the guinea pig to test its effectivness and started selling the hand-poured and labeled product at farmers markets. Before long, she attracted the attention of major retailers, including HEB, TJ Maxx, Marshall's and others, as she attended national gift shows. Tune in as Guzzo shares her journey from classroom teacher to deodorant manufacturer and her insights into achieving steady, sustainable business growth, including: How to gradually scale so product orders don't overwhelm the stability of the company. Why it's important to look ahead and make important decisions about staffing, warehousing, etc., before you actually may need those resources. How she came up with the SmartyPits name. Balancing "gut" decisions with data and strategic planning. Focusing the company's product line. Doing your due diligence as you choose a "cause marketing" partner. RESOURCESEpisode TranscriptCONNECT WITH STACIA GUZZO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartypitsdeo/ Twitter: @smartypits LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciaguzzo/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Schutte, a software developer, was out of work and studying for his MBA; he and his wife were expecting a baby; and they had their house up for sale. Oh, and it was also 2008.What's the logical thing to add to that mix?Launching a new company.But Schutte saw an opportunity. He had started to question the standard approach to software development that resulted in scope creep, projects being over budget, missed deadlines and "solutions" to business problems that didn't solve anything. He was tired of hearing clients being told, "no, it's not possible." He wanted to be in the business of saying "yes" to developing innovative solutions for business challenges.Schutte started Unstoppable Software to provide clients with ready-to-go software development "factory" that brought the people, processes, tools and resources to the partnership.Listen in as Schutte joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share: His journey to becoming an entrepreneur. His approach and philosophy to serving clients and solving problems—and how it evolved. Technology innovations many business owners don't have on their radar but should—because they are having an impact anyway. Why technology makes it possible for a company in a different industry to become your competitor. RESOURCESEpisode TranscriptSam Schutte's Unstoppable Talk PodcastCONNECT WITH SAM SCHUTTE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unstoppablesoftware Twitter: @UnstoppableSoft LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unstoppable-software-inc./ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elyse Dickerson, co-founder and CEO of biotech company Eosera, which develops ear care products, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss entrepreneurship, lessons learned and women in bioscience.Tune in as Dickerson shares her experiences on: Listening to the market before launching a product. Being "the only woman in the room" and how being a CEO now gives her a platform for opening doors for other aspiring women. The importance of developing a strong relationship with investors—and tips for doing that. Working with major retailers, including understanding your cash flow and when to recognize a deal you should say "no" to. Why it's important to stay true to your product niche as your company expands. Making a personal and company commitment to practice conscious capitalism. ABOUT ELYSE DICKERSONElyse Dickerson has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Before founding Eosera, she managed portfolios with annual revenues of $1.7 billion and drove product innovation and the commercialization of numerous technologies.As a female CEO in the biotech industry, Dickerson uses her position to empower other women in the industry and is recognized as a champion for women’s equality in the workforce. In 2019, Drug Store News named her the Top Women in Health, Wellness, and Beauty. D CEO honored her on the 2019 Dallas 500 list and named her Most Admired CEO. The Fort Worth Business Press recognized her among the Great Women of Texas. Fort Worth Magazine named Dickerson a Fort Worthian to Watch, and FW Inc named her to its list of Top 400 Most Influential People.CONNECT WITH ELYSE DICKERSON Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarwaxMD Twitter: https://twitter.com/EoseraInc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eosera-inc./ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rosabeth Moss Kanter joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about her latest book "Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time" and how experienced leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs can apply their knowledge to some of the world's most pressing social, economic and environmental problems.Professor Kanter is one of the foremost names in leadership and business. The former chief editor of Harvard Business Review, Kanter has authored or co-authored 20 books. She holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation and leadership for change. She works with leaders around the world through her teaching, writing and speaking. She is also a consultant to major corporations, governments and start-up ventures.More than 10 years ago, Kanter co-founded Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, which became an international model for a new stage of higher education that works with successful top leaders to apply their skills to national and global challenges.Tune in to discover: What it means to "think outside the building"—and why it's so powerful for overcoming establishment paralysis and producing significant innovation for a better world. How to identify the right allies, lead through persuasion, and influence without authority. Why it's important to tell inspiring stories. How to tune into and awaken your purpose and passion for social change. Techniques for noticing gaps that can be filled by new approaches. Resources "Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time" is available for purchase through Amazon and other outlets. Read the full transcript of this episode. Connect with Rosabeth Moss Kanter Facebook: Rosabeth Moss Kanter Twitter: @RosabethKanter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gino Wickman joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his latest book "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?" and how entrepreneurs can realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live.At the age of 25, Wickman took over the family business. Seven years later, after turning the company around, he successfully sold it. An award-winning author and speaker, Wickman has delivered more than 1,800 full-day sessions for more than 130 companies.He is also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" as well as "Get a Grip," "Rocket Fuel," "How to Be a Great Boss" and "What the Heck is EOS?" Wickman now spends his time and energy helping prospective entrepreneurs get a huge leap on their entrepreneurial journey.Tune in to discover: How Wickman came to realize during his early entrepreneurial ventures that he was “born” to be an entrepreneur. Why Wickman is convinced that "nature" wins the nature vs. nurture argument of entrpreneurship. The six key traits would-be entrepreneurs must possess to be successful: Visionary, Passion, Problem Solver, Drive, Risk-Taker and Responsible. What entrepreneurs can do to increase their odds of success. Tips for starting a business in the midst of a crisis such as a recession or pandemic. Resources "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?" is available for purchase through Amazon, all major retailers and many local bookstores. Visit e-leap.com to take the free Entrepreneur-in-the-Making Assessment. Get a sneak peek! Download a free chapter of "Entrepreneurial Leap." Read the full transcript of this episode. Connect with Gino Wickman Twitter: @readLeap Facebook: readLeap Linkedin: readLeap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Laiben, founder and CEO of The Culinary Center of Kansas City, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon, to discuss doing business during the coronavirus pandemic.Laura, like all of us, is trying to cope with the extraordinary challenges that each new day brings. But the particular reason I asked Laura to join me is that although the coronavirus is a challenge on a scale none of us has dealt with before, she has experienced long-term business interruption due to a fire as well as a serious health crisis. Laura is drawing on the lessons she learned in both situations to provide guidance for analyzing and dealing with our current crisis.Tune in to find out why it's important to: For the moment, at least, to let anger about the situation go and not second-guess the decisions you've made. Find your inner cowboy/cowgirl—and ride! Assess honestly where your business is—financially and in other key areas—and why you'll need to do this every day during the crisis. Communicate, communicate, communicate with transparency with employees and customers. Get creative about how to generate cash—now! Continue to embrace community—even if it's from a distance. CONNECT WITH LAURA LAIBENLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-laiben-90893912/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcculinary/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcculinary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Farrow, the two-time Guinness World Record Holder for Greatest Memory, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to achieve better sales and marketing results by using memory techniques.Tune in to learn: How Dave developed the "Farrow Memory Method" to deal with his own dyslexia, how he used it to set two Guinness World Records for Greatest Memory, and how he teaches his clients at Farrow Communications to use it in business to improve sales and marketing results. Memory techniques you can use in your advertising to connect with potential customers and make your ads more memorable. Memory tips you can use with your sales teams to remember customer names, product details and other important information that can make or break a sale. CONNECT WITH DAVE FARROWFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/farrowmemory/ https://www.facebook.com/farrowcomms/Twitter : https://twitter.com/FarrowCommsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefarrowmemory/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Serial entrepreneur Carl Gould, the founder of 7 Stage Advisors and the 7 Stage Growth Academy, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share five key business lessons he's learned on his entrepreneurial journey.By the age of 40, Gould had built three multimillion dollar companies. He started his first—a landscaping business—while he was still in college and working at UPS. His next business was a construction company. Along the way, he's learned a lot about himself, about entrepreneurship and about business in general. In fact, he's written nine books on those topics.Gould has helped mentor the launch of more than 5,000 companies, and his methodologies are used in 35 countries.Tune in to discover what Gould has to say about these six areas that mean the difference between a company's success or failure: Do's and don'ts for setting your pricing strategy Why passion for your business isn't always necessary for success Understanding when it's time to relinquish control of some parts of your business Knowing how to use your competitors for leverage How to survive the "winter" of your business Why it's important to "keep your foot on the gas" when it comes to your marketing efforts CONNECT WITH CARL GOULDFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecarlgouldTwitter: https://twitter.com/carlgould Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inspired by her mother Lillian and drawing on her experiences as a company founder and journalist, Jan Sokoloff Harness, has written a new book "Look Up: Your Unexpected Guide to Good." Her central message is that if we'd only take the time to "look up," we'll find good that's right in front of us.Harness embraces the broad meaning of "look up." Tune in to this episode of Talking Business Now to be reminded of often overlooked ways to "look up" in business—and life, in general—to discover the good when you do so. The time management lesson Harness learned from a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The importance of being fully present. The types of good you can discover when you really focus on listening. How looking up can help us return to the too-often lost basics of communication. Why the physical act of looking up can spark new ideas The question that prompted Harness to "look up" and start her own company 12 years ago—and that she encourages you to ask many times in your own life. Why "looking up" creates more cohesive and productive teams. "Looking up" tools, tips and techniques for jumpstarting your creativity and rekindling your passion. Harness is the founder of Sokoloff Harness Communications, an international agency she launched in Kansas City in 2002. Jan is an award-winning writer, poet and communications coach whose career has run the gamut from agency creative director to radio news director to working with clients of Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits.CONNECT WITH JAN SOKOLOFF HARNESSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MayYouLookUp/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SokoloffHarness  @SokoloffHarnessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-sokoloff-harness/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill George has seen a lot of change during his many decades in the ground transportation industry—he's owned cab companies since 1984. But his journey started even earlier than that, when he grew up working in his dad's Chrysler dealership. Now, George is the one driving the change.The CEO of Kansas City Transportation Group and owner of WHC Worldwide, George joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how he's capitalized on shifting consumer expectations and introduced a disruptive new model to the on-demand transportation sector—and ridden it to success. "Our mission is to use mobility to enhance the lives of our customers, driver partners and employees," George says.Listen in to discover how he: Honed his skills working with his father—and how the father-son duo managed to maintain a strong relationship despite some "knock-down dragout fights." Applied the lessons he learned after selling two businesses—and then buying one of them back. Observed a gap in the cab business—and introduced a solution that exploded company growth. Capitalized on the disruption created by Uber and others in the on-demand transportation industry. Created zTrip to combine the best taxi service model with the best technology to introduce a new hybrid brand of on-demand transportation.  George also offers practical advice on expanding market share, carving out a niche, defining customers, and working with family—including the thunder, wonder and blunder theory of multi-generational family businesses. As the CEO of KCTG, George sets the strategic direction of the country’s largest private passenger ground transportation company. KCTG has grown to include several well-known industry brands and operates in multiple U.S. cities and through affiliates around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when you've spent your entire career in one industry, and then in an instant, it's over?Such was the case for Scott Ringlein. In 2008, he was a chief engineer for a Fortune 500 auto supplier and was responsible for global product development and launches. In addition to the U.S., he had staff in Europe, Asia and South America.But one Monday morning in June when he arrived at work, Ringlein and thousand of others were told it would be their last day. The Million Mile Flyer was jolted to Earth by the news. He did not have a chance to clean out his office or say goodbye to employees.Instead, the single father of two children, ages 13 and 8, who had two mortgages, was suddenly without a car, computer, phone or job.Ringlein joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to explain how the end of his career in the automotive industry was actually the beginning of the greatest experiences he's had, including founding five different companies.Ringlein, who was raised as a farmer and educated as an engineer, founded his most recent company, The Energy Alliance Group of North America, in 2011. EAG develops and deploys solutions to global energy, waste and environmental challenges, including helping businesses find innovative financing solutions so they can implement energy efficiency upgrades. Ringlein is also a technical advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy and conducts technical reviews of applications for technology innovation and commercialization.Listen in as Ringlein talks about how he's grown his business and shares the lessons he's learned from his experiences as a serial entrepreneur, including: The power of networking. The importance of having a mentor Why you must accept the fact you can't do everything if you wish to be truly successful Being ready to change your business plan. The importance of developing and documenting processes in order to scale—and learning how to adapt them on the fly as your business grows. Why collaborating with competitors is a better strategy than competing directly with them. Diversifying income streams. Don't give up! Taking pride in doing good while doing well. CONNECT WITH SCOTT RINGLEINTwitter: @NRGAllianceGrpLinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-energy-alliance-group-of-michiganLinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-energy-alliance-group-of-michigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever wonder whether your brand's message is breaking through the noise that inundates consumers every day? And, just as important, do they trust it once they finally hear it?Ron Tite, the founder of content marketing agency Church+State, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to offer a simple philosophy for accomplishing just that.Tune in to understand the basics of the gimmick-free and jargon-free approach Tite presents in his book "Think. Do. Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy, Busy World.": Why having access to so much information can be a bad thing Overcoming the tendency to bombard prospects and customers with "pitch slaps" What Think. Do. Say. is—and how to implement it Why the model focuses on everyone in the organization—not just management or the CEO How to avoid "integrity gaps" Why consumers should experience your values rather than just reading or hearing them Tite is a former stand-up comedian who was trained at Second City. After working with such major brands as Microsoft, Kraft, intel, Hershey, Volvo and many others, he made the entrepreneurial leap and founded Church+State. He's also a speaker on creativity, innovation, branding and corporate strategy who commands audiences around the globe.An accomplished author, Tite has written a children's book, a comedy book and a hit play. He was also the executive producer and host of the award-winning comedy show Monkey Toast.CONNECT WITH RON TITEFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rontiteTwitter: https://twitter.com/rontiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rontite/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this humorous but candid interview, entrepreneur and author Lee Caraher talks about how she epically failed but ultimately succeeded with her 15-year-old PR and digital marketing firm Double Forte because she didn't know how to work with millennials. She hired six, but lost them all within three months, which created a major disruption for her business.Determined to buck the negative reporting about that age cohort, Caraher did her own research on multiple generations in the workplace, combined it with her own practical experience, and started creating a culture in which all age groups could thrive and learn from one another. The effort paid off, resulting in higher-than-average retention rates, personal satisfaction for employees and a more productive and profitable business. Currently, more than half her staff is under the age of 32.Tune in to discover how Caraher became an expert on creating great multigenerational workplace teams, including: The steps she took to recover from the "body blow" she and her company endured hiring and then losing six millennials within three months. The four questions you must evaluate to ensure your employees are in a good workplace state of mind: Do I have a role that's important in this company? Am I contributing:? Am I appreciated? Am I doing something good? How the expression of appreciation is perceived and accepted differently among various generations—and how to leverage those differences to create a harmonious workplace environment. Why specific communication is a must in any office. Why "command and control" leadership doesn't work to get things done in most instances—and what approach to use instead. The new definition of employee loyalty that encourages long-term relationships—even after an employee has left your company. MORE ABOUT LEE CARAHERLee Caraher is the CEO of Double Forte, a public relations and digital marketing firm she founded in 2002. She's known for her practicality, her big laughs, being a straight talker and the ability to find practical solutions to big problems. She started Double Forte in 2002 as a new kind of communications firm designed to work with great people, doing good work for good companies that make a positive difference in the world.Caraher's first book Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide To Making It Work At Work is based on her own experience building a successful intergenerational workplace. It also contains insights from more than 100 managers, leaders and employees of all ages in different industries across the country. The book is a practical and entertaining guide to breaking down the misconceptions between Gen Y, GenX and the baby boomer generations and explains how to build a work environment that builds business, loyalty and strategic advantage. Her second book is The Boomerang Principle: Inspire Lifetime Loyalty from Your Employees.CONNECT WITH LEE CARAHERTwitter: https://twitter.com/LeeCaraherLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecaraher/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeCaraher1/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Moyer, serial entrepreneur and author of Slicing Pie Handbook: Perfectly Fair Equity Splits for Bootstrapped Startups, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss fair equity models for startups and early-stage companies.Tune in to find out: The basics of the Slicing Pie model. Whether the person who has the most risk in the startup always has the controlling interest. The pitfalls of equity being used as compensation. What pre-revenue equity allocation is. Why allocating equity must be based on a set of rules. Why allocating equity is a "rolling" endeavor, not a static one. Moyer is a serial entrepreneur who has started several companies from scratch, including Cappex.com. He's joined start-up companies, helped others start companies, raised millions of dollars of start-up capital and helped sell start-up companies.Mike shares his entrepreneurial experience by teaching Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessCONNECT WITH MIKE MOYERFacebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/SlicingPie Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/GruntFundsLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slicingpie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this holiday season, I hope you enjoy a replay of my popular Elf on the Shelf episode. I recorded this several years ago on the Smart Companies Thinking Bigger Network.Elf on the Shelf co-founder Chanda Bell gives us the behind-the-scenes story on how she, along with her twin sister Christa Pitts and her mother Carol Aebersold, transformed a cherished family tradition into a best-selling and enduring holiday brand. Listen in as Bell shares: The inspiration behind the story—and how they built it into an enduring brand. What they had to do to finally get the idea to market. The touching stories they hear from their customers. Words of encouragement for entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Talking Business Now welcomes back Frank Fiume. He is the founder of i9 Sports, the nation’s leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. He’s also the author of a recently released, best-selling book called Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose.This is the third in a series of episodes we’ve done with Fiume, who grew i9 Sports to more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities in 30 states. In the first episode, we talked with him about his entrepreneurial journey, his lessons learned and the mindset that’s necessary for becoming a successful entrepreneur.In the second episode, we discussed how he used the franchising model to attain such phenomenal growth, and he shares tips and insights for those of you who may be considering franchising as a growth model.And what does an entrepreneur do to complete the cycle? Exit the business successfully! In this episode of Talking Business Now, Frank shares with us his exit strategy, what he wished he would have known as he prepared to sell, and what every entrepreneur must do to successfully transition to life beyond the business they founded.i9 Sports is the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. The business earned Fiume national recognition. Entrepreneur magazine ranked the company as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in numerous publications and national news media, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal.Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors.CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second of a three-part series, serial entrepreneur Frank Fiume, a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share tips and insights into using franchising as a way to grow your business—including the lessons he learned from his mistakes. (Listen to the first episode on the entrepreneurial mindset needed to run a successful business and remain a healthy person.)i9 Sports is the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. It has generated more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide. The business catapulted Fiume to national recognition, and Entrepreneur magazine ranked i9 Sports as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in dozens of publications and national news media outlets, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal.Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors.Fiume recently released his first book, "Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose."In this episode, we talk with Fiume about using franchising as a strategy for growing a business. Among the insights he shares: The most important criteria necessary for determining if your business is a candidate for franchising. The importance of infrastructure. How the founder's role changes. How to find great franchisees. Who you need on your team to guide you through the process. The role of marketing. CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is serial entrepreneur Frank Fiume, a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports—the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps.The company has generated more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide. The business catapulted Fiume to national recognition, and Entrepreneur magazine ranked i9 Sports as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in dozens of publications and national news media outlets, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and The Wall Street Journal.Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors.Fiume recently released his first book, "Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose."In this episode, we talk with Frank about how his boyhood fascination with baseball while living in a tenement apartment in Queens led him to create an adult softball league on Long Island that eventually led him to found i9 Sports.Tune in as Fiume shares many of the lessons he learned about himself and business throughout the years, including: The Entrepreneur Identity Crisis The Lonely at the Top Syndrome The Executive Burnout Phase The Affluenza Affair Handling Critics and Crisis The Influence of Family and Friends Achieving Spiritual Awakening CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Talking Business Now, Oscar Trimboli, a former marketing director at Microsoft, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk with us about what deep listening is, how to master it and how to use it to increase productivity, improve processes and grow your business.Trimboli says that despite spending 55% of our time listening, only 2% of people really grasp the skill. But the stakes for not listening are high, ranging from miscommunication to job turnover to lost sales.At Microsoft, Tribmoli and his teams were renowned for their ability to deep listen to customers in the call center as well as their market research summaries. Trimboli brought his passion for Deep Listening to next-generation leaders at Microsoft by rebuilding the company's graduate leadership program, which was eventually implemented in 26 countries.As a deep listening expert, Trimboli is on a quest to create 100 million Deep Listeners in the world. In this episode, discover: What Deep Listening is, including how it differs from active listening Why Deep Listening matters in leadership more than ever The difference between a good listener and a great listener The four villains of listening The 125-400 rule—and why mastering it is the key to unlocking Deep Listening How to listen to what’s unsaid Relational versus contextual listening The true costs of not listening CONNECT WITH OSCAR TRIMBOLITake the Deep Listening Survey: www.ListeningQuiz.comLinkedIn: Oscar TrimboliTwitter: @OscarTrimboliFacebook: Oscar Trimboli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices