The Entrepreneurial You

  The multi-award-winning Yoni is the Founding Chairman & CEO at itelbpo — the region’s largest homegrown BPO with 8 sites in 4 countries and a large network of at-home subject matter experts. Ranked among the 50 most influential executives for the Latin American & the Caribbean region, Yoni’s efforts have helped to enhance the region’s global positioning, while establishing itelbpo’s diversified geographic footprint.    Show Notes   “If you deprive yourself of outsourcing and your competitors do not, you're putting yourself out of business.” Lee Kuan Yew   Overnight success is typically 10 years in the making. Yoni knows all too well what it means to start an outsourcing business from the ground up. This episode of The Entrepreneurial You looks at iTelBPO and the work Yoni and his team has put in to make it a success. Among the highs are some low lows such as losing a client after making a heavy investment to secure them.   Here is a snippet of what Yoni shared:   “In 2014 we won an account that w

  Marlene Street Forrest is the Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) and Director of both its subsidiaries. Under her stewardship, the JSE became demutualized and the US Denominated Market and the Junior Market were launched. She also spearheaded the Registrar Division of the Jamaica Central Depository (JCSD) when she served as General Manager for this subsidiary of the JSE.   In 2016, Mrs Street Forrest was conferred with the honour of the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD) in recognition of her outstanding leadership in the growth of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. In that same year, she also received the Afroglobal Excellence Award for Global Impact from Canada for exhibiting great leadership, vision, integrity, and commitment to excellence.    Show Notes   “I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head.” -- Princess Diana   It’s nothing short of amazing how Marlene Street-Forrest has led the Jamaica Stock Exchange, making Jamaicans at home and in th

  Kat is the creator of Pinpoint Your Perfect Business: *the* proven framework for pinpointing your perfect niche for a high profit, high purpose, and high pleasure business while staying MOM first. Kat helped SEX WORKERS transition OUT of the Adult Industry into HIGH PROFIT ENTREPRENEURSHIP 13 years ago...  AND that’s how she developed the PROFIT AND PURPOSE FRAMEWORK which has since been refined and is now designed specifically for Busy Moms. She started her first multiple 6 figure business 20 years ago, and hasn’t slowed down since — not even after having her son.   Show Notes   “Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation.” —Robert A. Heinlein   Sex sells! When I read about Kat McLead helping sex workers transitioning out of the industry, I was intrigued enough to invite her onto the podcast to hear the story behind that move an how she is helping women now. Kat hadn’t failed to deliver value as she shared her inspiring story of helping stay at home moms start profitable businesses.

  Paul is an international bestselling author, podcast host and mastermind leader. Husband, father and combat veteran. Paul connect young men in the worlds of software, tech and digital entrepreneurship to find their warrior tribes for personal and professional development.   Show Notes   “You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson   Let’s face it, we constantly hear about winning at all cost and very little about being generous. On this episode of The Entrepreneurial You, Paul Edwards share with me about doing business beyond business.   Here is a snippet of what he shared:   “I went from being a pushy salesperson, you know, stereotypical American insurance salesman. You can see it in the movie Groundhog Day if you want. I went from that to creating this magnetic pole that brought people towards me because I was a value adder and a generous giver and thoughtful and engaging and interesting to be around and to learn about.”   ----

Heneka Watkis-Porter is an entrepreneur, coach, 4x author, international speaker and host of The Entrepreneurial You Podcast who has interviewed Richard Branson, John Lee Dumas, Paul Carrick Brunson, Seth Godin and many other influencers . She is founder and CEO of Patwa Apparel. Heneka is also creator of the Caribbean’s first virtual conference and expo: The Entrepreneurial You Virtual SME Conference & Expo.   Heneka hosts Leadercast events in Jamaica and writes for the Leadercast blog and Thrive Global.   Show Notes “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” —Melody Beattie   At the end of 2018 I dedicated my journal to 2019. I wrote that It would be the most epic year of my life. In it I said I will do things I have never done go places I've never gone and on income that I've never before, and I would go deeper in God, have more meaningful relationships and avoid people who are toxic. I also wrote that 2019 is the year of discipline, focus and accomplishment, M

  Bill is the co-founder of PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs, a charity that is committed to empowering young people with an entrepreneurial mindset. For over 20 years, he has specialized in designing K-12 curriculum-based resources related to financial literacy, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Bill works with education and business leaders throughout the country to create community partnerships that are scalable and have an impact.   Show Notes   “If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn’t have been able to think of a good idea. You just have to find the solution for a problem in your own life." -Brian Chesky, Co-founder of Airbnb   Going to school to get a decent job is how we have been brainwashed in the Western world to think. This kind of mindset only hinders true creativity, innovation and growth. When we are placed in an environment that allows us to be ourselves, we realize that we are taken on a path of self-discovery. That what’s entrepreneurship does, allows you to be you, to

Nicole is a business strategist who helps women entrepreneurs scale their businesses and create consistent income growth. Nicole’s first business was a counseling private practice but she quickly added in multiple income streams so that she could travel more while still running her business. Nicole has contributed to Forbes, Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, and more.   Show Notes "Ninety nine percent of the time it's not urgent and to create a culture where you are constantly plugged in and expected to be always-on is to create a culture of burnout." --Arianna Huffington   If we follow the entrepreneurial hype then we will be all about the grind. But is this really healthy? Can we scale without the grind and avoid burnout? Do we have to neglect our need for self-care to move our businesses forward? Nicole is all for scale without the almost inevitable ‘pop-down/pop-dung’ (this is a Jamaican term for being burnout).   What's your style for change? Here is a snippet of what she shared on this episode o

Scott’s leadership journey started when he was young and had the drive to take control of everything that needed to be planned. Transferring these skills to the Canadian Army, Scott enrolled as a Logistics Officer in 2001 when he was selected to attend the prestigious Royal Military College of Canada. At the age of 24, Scott commanded an Army transport platoon comprising of over 80 soldiers. At 33, he was selected to command a Logistics Squadron of 200 members. In 2009, Scott was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan where he was selected to help train, mentor, and coach members of the Afghan National Army.     Show Notes "Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership." --James Humes   Leadership matters and in this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast, Scott McCarthy tells us why. There are so many important elements to being an effective leader; it just doesn’t happen by chance.    Communication Here is a snippet of what she shared on this episode of the podcast:   "Communicatio

As both a Pure Barre owner and coach, Jenna leads with intuition, uses fear as fuel to grow, and believes that failure is our greatest teacher. She feels the most alive and connected to her why when she is holding space for others to step into all that they are. Show Notes   Opportunities don't happen. You create them." - -- Chris Grosser   Stepping into your greatness requires intentional action. Pure Barre owner, Jenna Irvin, shares her journey of being intentional in starting a business from the ground up, in this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast.    Here is a snippet of what she shared on this episode of the podcast:   Space for connection “I think that it's really important to open the space for connection. Because when our insecurities and our limiting beliefs are speaking loudly, we're unapproachable. And so I think when you're entering into a new community or a new space or  trying a workout for the first time or really doing anything in a space, it is not familiar. You have to ope

Richard is the CEO and co-founder of consumer, small business and enterprise SaaS accounting-tech company Taxfyle, founded in 2015. Prior to this, Richard worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor, so he has much accounting experience. Show Notes "The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is the thickness of a prison wall." - Denis Healey   It is said,'there are two things in life that are certain, death and taxation" so there is no getting around taxes. Although it sometimes appears to be a curse word, taxation is necessary and contributes in a big way to the functioning of society.   Richard Lavina is an accounting expert and shared his expertise on The Entrepreneurial You podcast.   Incorporation “It all starts with your type of incorporation. If you want to get into business, you want to make sure you incorporate, that way you have an entity with some protection in terms of liability from yourself. You could go out into the world and start your own business as an independent cont

Matt is a multi 7-figure real estate investor, business coach, speaker and philanthropist. He is the Founder and CEO of The Rich Life, a personal development and accountability based e-learning company that helps high achievers create more wealth, freedom, and fulfillment in their life and business through real estate investing. Show Notes   “It’s simple arithmetic: Your income can grow only to the extent that you do.” —T. Harv Eker   What are the pillars on which your life is built? Do you value community, health and relationships or is it all about money.   When Matt Aitchison awoke to being a millionaire and didn’t feel any differently, he decided to be intentional about creating the type of life that he can be proud of.   Here is a snippet of what Matt shared on The Entrepreneurial You podcast.   “I remember the day that I looked into my bank account and financially I was a millionaire and I didn't feel any different. Mentally I didn't feel any different. Emotionally I didn't feel any differe

Swish Goswami, the CEO of Trufan, a social intelligence platform that helps over eighty of the world’s biggest brands and celebrities sell directly to their top fans. Trufan has raised over $1M to date (from several NBA players and venture firms) and has clientele that notably includes Visionary Music Group, Hootsuite, and Dwayne Wade. Before running Trufan, Swish consulted for Fortune 500 companies like Western Union and worked at JB Fitzgerald Venture Capital.  For his entrepreneurial and philanthropic achievements, Swish has been published in over one hundred national and international publications and has been inducted into Plan Canada's Top 20 under 20, recognized as Startup Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year and awarded the United Nation’s Outstanding Youth Leadership award.  Show Notes   "I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful."   Raising capital for your startup can be a daunting task for many who have the

Patrice is an award-winning author, transformational speaker, hope-restoring coach, and media personality. Patrice got her start as your favorite personal finance expert, “America’s Money Maven”, having tremendous success with her “mindset approach” to personal finance. She has since expanded her brand and mission, encouraging women to chase purpose, not money.  Show Notes "Today, the greatest single source of wealth is between your ears" - Brian Tracey   Purpose? We have been taught to go to school, get a good education so that you may get a good job and earn a good salary. This is a purpose inhibiting idea.   In this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast, Patrice shares a lot on what redefining wealth really means - she’s experienced having it all - and losing it, so she speaks with passion from a place of experience. Here is a snippet of what she shared on this episode of the podcast:   Sick and tired of being sick and tired “I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was tired of ev

Amanda is the founder and CEO of She Did It Her Way. Shortly after two years in Corporate America, Amanda took a leap, moved from West Des Moines, IA to Chicago, IL and became a full-time freelancer. Amanda's podcast, She Did It Her Way launched in January 2015 has consistently been ranked as one of the top-resources for female entrepreneurs by Inc.com, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, Huffington Post and many others.   Show Notes “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined!”– Thoreau   Who are you consulting with? What are they saying to you and are you allowing their opinions of you to matter more than what you think about yourself?   Choosing Your Tribe It is important to associate with the right people because small minds really kill big dreams.    In this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast, Amanda shares a lot on this subject. Here is a snippet:   “Anytime we get in an uncomfortable scary situation, it really is our it's our thoughts that will drive the out

Mark is CEO and co-founder of Rebel Base Media, one of the UK's leading podcast companies and was the visionary behind its suite of products including Captivate.fm and Podcast Websites.  Show Notes   A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard to reach people - Tim Paige   Mark did not mince words during our conversation. He laid his card flat out on the table as he spoke about podcasting bad practices and shared best practices to follow when trying to grow your podcast. Here is a part of what Mark shared on The Entrepreneurial You podcast: Podcast Best Practices “Let's get into the other stuff, you know and then I'm going to probably come back to you and said you know what, let's do a workshop. Let's expose Heneka watkis-Porter’s podcast to our audience via the academy because you did such a good job of interviewing me. So let's talk about how podcasters can be better interviewers to assist chain reaction, you know, you've got to set a chain reaction of, and the way to do that is to no

Kelsey is creative and marketing strategist who is passionate about equipping entrepreneurs to build their business, grow their platform and steward their influence.   Show Notes “Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” —Hermann Hesse   We live in a society that seems to value go, go, go so the word slow almost seem like a curse word. The reality is, our stress level affects our productivity. We are most productive when we get adequate rest.   Business Pivot Kelsey Chapman shared her story of how she took the necessary step to reset even after her business crashed and led her into a pivot.   Here is a snippet of what Kelsey shared on The Entrepreneurial You podcast.   “At the beginning of the year, I was like I'm really committed to managing my stress in a healthy way. The cortisol pumping through my veins are going to kill me and I'm 29. This is not healthy and so I really wanted to get a handle on that from a health perspective by g

  Survivor of Stage IV cancer, a product of Jackson State University, Lidsey is the Founder of Walker + Associates Media Group. Working with brands such as 135th Street Agency, BET and securing press in today's top tier publications, TV Networks and more, Lindsey has established herself as an expert in the world of PR, branding and entrepreneurship.    Show Notes   Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture. Allen Ginsberg   Ever wondered why some people are seemingly always present  in the media? It could be safe to say there is a science to it.  PR expert Lindsey gives some insight:   “I tell people all the time when it comes to getting publicity, when it comes to getting your story heard, it starts with you. It starts where we are as entrepreneurs, as women, as people. It starts with where we are on the inside. Before you begin to write anything down; before you begin to think about who you need to connect with, you first need to realize and understand that you are pitchable and

Darrell started podcasting in 2008 and has been consulting and producing podcasts for other podcasters since 2012. In 2014 Darrell established Pro Podcast Solutions as a full-service company to help podcasters with production, voiceovers, custom artwork, show notes, publishing, and more.   Show Notes "Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better." - Jim Rohn   Thinking of starting a podcast production company? This episode is a must listen. Here is a piece of what Darrell shares: Communication is the bottom line “You need to embrace the reality of firing someone and that can be someone that you are working with as a part of your team or it can be your clients. When each of these situations present themselves, I approach it the way that I did my old corporate job. I was in the corporate world for almost 20 years and supervised teams ranging from 30 to 40 people at a peak. My main core  that I had was around 8 people. My approach to

Aaron Walker is a veteran entrepreneur. Having started over a dozen businesses during his four decade journey has been pretty awesome. Beginning at 18 years old and selling to a Fortune 500 company just nine years later set Aaron on an adventure of a lifetime. Show Notes "None of us is as smart as all of us." --Ken Blanchard   It is a fact! Participants in Mastermind groups get stuff done, overcome obstacles, and gain confidence that their actions will move their business ahead.   Aaron Walker shares what made him rethink his legacy to become not only successful but has IMPACT. This episode will change your life.   Here is just a snippet of what Aaron talks about: Turning Point “We were very successful early on and when I turned 40 years old we had just completed our second business and I was on my way to the office. This was August 1, 2001 so it has been eighteen (18) years ago now that this happened.    On my way to the office, a pedestrian was crossing the street to catch a local bus and didn’t

Evan Roberts is the CEO and founder of Visually Sold, a US based Real Estate Photography Company. Show Notes “In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” - Alfred Stieglitz   Evan Roberts had his haha moment looking at the visuals for houses listed on the real estate market. He says:   “I was looking at houses online and I found that some houses have a really good photo as the front photo and I found myself clicking on those. I notice that some of them didn’t have it. As soon as I noticed that some of them did, I said there might be a market for this. I did some research and I found that there is a market for it. I was surprised at the amount of houses that didn’t have professional photography taken of them seen as it is the most expensive asset that people sell in their lifetimes so you would think that visual marketing would be a necessity for everybody.”   ---- Hot Point: As soon as you can drop the ego and be vulnerable you grow something greater than yo