I met my latest interview guest in the green room at MSNBC, and I was drawn to her confidence and high energy. As it turns out, Dawn Dickson, the founder and CEO of Flat Out of Heels and Solutions Vending International, exhibits many of the characteristics I see in successful hustlers: namely, she is...
Getting a product-based business off the ground has unique challenges compared to service-based businesses. Not only do you have to deal with marketing, branding, finding leads, and growing customers, but you also have to handle the designing and manufacturing of a physical product. Not knowing how to convert the idea into a mass-produced product...
If there is one thing that my Smart Hustle interview series proves, it’s that entrepreneurs can come from all walks of life. Can an artist be an entrepreneur? Yes! Can a personal finance expert be an entrepreneur? Yes! Can a nurse be an entrepreneur? Yes! For proof on that last point, let me introduce you to my...
Growing up, most of us heard from our parents, “go to college and get a good job!” Sounds like a good plan, right? However, have you ever wondered if there was a better way? Alternatively, have you been curious how the greats like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Mark Zuckerberg created their empires –...
For most people in the creative industries, business doesn’t come naturally. Their passion lies in their artwork, whether it is a beautiful painting, a stunning sculpture or a piece of decorative jewelry. That said, for artists to make it in today’s competitive environment, they must be able to create and run a successful business....
What makes you better than the competition? Why should a customer choose you instead of another company in your industry? Learning how to differentiate your business is important for all small business owners because not only are you competing against other small businesses, but you also have to fight well-known national and global companies...
To whom do you owe your success? While some business owners credit mentors, advisors, or their own hard work, others say they have triumphed thanks to competent and trusted team members. As I was going through my personal interview archives, I rediscovered this interview with Erin Walter of Nuphoriq, who thanks her team for...
Marcos Orozco has been busy. He’s a celebrated public speaker, a best-selling author and a public face for the Gentepreneur Movement – an organization that focuses on leadership as well as personal and business development for the Latino community. He’s also a dedicated father and family man, and is working on a new book called “Leadership...
“Be yourself, give the world what you have and people will find you.” That’s the main piece of advice from my latest interview, a chat with Gustav Reyes of Simply Wood Rings. The full audio interview is below. This is a summary of our discusion and what he shared with me. Gustav shared that when...
ROI, or return on investment, is a well-known abbreviation in the small business world. ROI is the dollars and cents factor that drives most companies’ actions and decisions. A related abbreviation, one which may be new to you, is ROR. ROR stands for return on relationships, and it was the topic up for discussion...
