The Entrepreneurial You

Rich Brooks is the Founder and President of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been around for over 20 years. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media.  He is the “tech guru” on the evening news show, 207, which airs on the NBC affiliate in Maine. Show  Notes: Who remembers back in the day when small business owners would just look through the Yellow Pages and cold-call other businesses in an attempt to pitch their services? That seems quite antiquated now with the advent of marketing that's delivered either online or through a mobile device. And in this week’s episode of the Entrepreneurial You Podcast, Rich Brooks details digital marketing and its benefits compared to other means like cold-calling, printing newsletters and placing advertisements in print media. These benefits include being more cost effective, more trackable, easier to automate processes and easier to work with people remotely. He also shares his concept of

Alex Ihama is a certified speaking professional, management consultant, an executive coach and bestselling author. For over 2 decades, he has been instigating the transformation of people, organizations and even nations with his compelling life stories and thought-provoking experiences which he gained from critical roles in over a billion dollars’ worth of projects in 3 of Canada’s biggest banks. Show  Notes: You’ve heard over again discussions about Entrepreneurship and Leadership. What is usually few and far in-between is the connection between the two, is a topic you rarely hear people talk about according to this week’s guest, Alex Ihama. As a Certified Speaking Professional, Management Consultant, Executive Coach and Best-Selling Author, Alex has a wealth of knowledge and experience in both areas and has an appreciation for their interconnection. Entrepreneurship, according to Alex, is the art of building a business interlinked with your purpose in life. Leadership, on the other hand, is the spirit

Atiya Brown is an Accounting expert, The Savvy Accountant, CPA, CA, Certified Financial Educator Instructor and the creator of the Live Financially Savvy Podcast where she enlists the stories of experts and amazing individuals who are living their best financial lives. She is credited with increasing her own credit score by over 110 points in under 1 year and paying off approx. $32k in consumer debt. Show  Notes: Stop robbing your future self, you deserve to live financially savvy. One of the first steps to living financially savvy is to create your healthy money menu. On this episode of The Entrepreneurial You, Atiya Brown breaks it all down on how you can track your spending and more. Listen to this episode of The Entrepreneurial you podcast for how you can become financially savvy and stay that way. RESOURCES TO PEAK YOUR PERFORMANCE Nurture your finances Connect with Atiya Brown Website Twitter Instagram Visit our Sponsor: Jamaica Stock Exchange

Lorraine Sanders is a media entrepreneur and podcast producer with a special interest in the intersection of fashion, entrepreneurship, sustainability and tech. It's a space she coined FEST. She is the founder of the Spirit of 608 (www.spiritof608.com).  In her former life as a journalist covering the business of fashion, her work appeared in Women’s Wear Daily, San Francisco Chronicle, FastCompany.com, etc. Show  Notes: “They’re so many different ways that you can approach sustainability.” We zone in on some of these ways. Though nothing can be considered 100% sustainability because the fashion industry hasn’t quite found out to get rid of waste, we cannot discount that attempts are being made to get as close as is humanly possible. Listen to this episode of The Entrepreneurial you podcast for more on the business of fashion and being ethical while at it. RESOURCES TO PEAK YOUR PERFORMANCE FREE one-on-one media strategy session Connect with Lorraine Sanders Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Visit our

Nadia Gibbs has worked in the hotel industry for twenty-four (24) years, gaining valuable experience and exposure to a vibrant and, ever changing industry. She believes in high standards, resourcefulness, production, resolutions, and is result oriented, executing her role with determination. She is the Operations Manager at Couples Sans Souci Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Show  Notes: “Empower those around you so that you can allow yourself space and time to go on breaks…when you are able to relax and to get away from it all you are able to think quicker…your creative juices flow a lot better when you are not as exhausted. The rejuvenation process helps with, not just your work life but your personal life.” This is the essence of what Nadia Gibbs, Operations Manager at Couples Sans Souci, and I spoke about on this episode of The Entrepreneurial You. But that is easier said than done. Taking breaks from our daily routines can be a challenge. At the end of this episode, you’ll be compelled to do just that.

Meredith Davis is a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a single focus on helping women grow personally and professionally. Through branding photography, business mentoring, her podcast The Merrily Show, and hosting networking events in Atlanta, her business Merrily Creative Company helps female entrepreneurs grow their business and gain confidence and clarity while doing so. Show  Notes: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then leveraging images in growing your brand is priceless. That’s the sentiments expressed in this podcast episode of The Entrepreneurial You by Meredith Davis. Merging her love for branding and photography, Meredith is making brands stand out through the lens of the camera. Speaking of picture, I totally loved the picturesque view that I had whilst I was at Couples San Souci in Ocho Rios, Jamaica recording podcast episodes. Anyway, as Meredith pointed out, there is stock photography that you can pay for but know that 4,000 other people are also using those photos. That is why she

Kate Erickson is an engager and implementer over at Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award winning podcast where John Lee Dumas interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs every Monday and drops value bombs every Thursday. She is also the host of the podcast Kate's Take and co-author of The Podcast Journal: Idea to Launch in 50 Days. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs create freedom in their business and life through developing systems and processes that can help their business scale and grow. Show  Notes: It can be overwhelming just thinking about getting all the things on our ‘to-do’ list done on a daily basis, let alone actually doing them. In this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast that was recorded at Couples San Souci in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, I spoke with Kate Erickson about systemizing businesses to scale and grow (see below to access special discounts being offered by Couples Resorts). Kate, the systems ‘boss lady’, quickly pointed out that “it is a beautiful thing about setting up systems in b

Valrie Grant is the founder and Managing Director of GeoTechVision and Executive Chairman of Marlie Technology Park Ltd. As an Entrepreneur, she has received several recognitions and awards including most recently, The Leader Worth Following Award from Leadercast Kingston, 2018 in association with Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. Show  Notes: In this current age, geospatial technology comprises a broad range of tools including map making, Geographical Information Systems software for data analysis, remote sensing imagery Global Position Systems, and Internet mapping applications such as Google Earth and satellites for precise location and positioning. Operating in a male dominated space within the sphere of geospatial technology, Founder and Managing Director of GeoTechVision, Valrie Grant, is a shining example for entrepreneurs within the region particularly, women entrepreneurs. As she blazes the trail in the area of what we can dub the 4th industrial revolution, the first woman in the region to operate wi

Marlon Hill is a partner in Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel Miami office. He is an experienced corporate, intellectual property and government transactions lawyer of over 22 years in an array of areas. He has been featured in the Daily Business Review as one of the “outstanding members of the emerging generation of South Florida business and professional leaders.” Show  Notes: Believe me when I say our interview wasn’t about stewed peas, the ubiquitous meal on every Jamaican menu. But I couldn’t help but salivate as I listened to my guest, Marlon Hill, speak so passionately about the meal, complimented with a slice of pear and fried ripe plantains to accompany such delight. Anyhoo, let’s talk about the meat of the matter, no pun intended. Marlon is a son of the Jamaican soil who is shining his light to the world from the platform that he has been given. Now based in the US, this Attorney is practicing law in a variety of areas. In addition to that, providing great leadership as part of the body of the Jamai

Krystal Tomlinson is a Communications Consultant, Internationally Ranked Speaker, Digital Brand Management Coach and Social Researcher. She is one of the most requested speakers in Jamaica, host of an internationally syndicated television show – Nyammings – and is passionately in love with music, Jamaican cuisine and her spouse, Moses aka Beenie Man. Show  Notes: “It is never a dull moment dating Beenie Man”, this Krystal revealed after I got nosy and went all up in her business. After all, she is dating the King of the Dancehall so I was naturally curious about what it is like to be with the internationally acclaimed Jamaican icon. But certainly, that isn’t the most notably thing about this 27-year-old Brand Management Coach (among other things). Krystal is all about self-management and she shared lots of insight with me on this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast. Krystal highlighted 4 truths to be guided by to lead yourself: Mindset: Life must be assessed from a position of abundance, not s

Patrick J McGinnis is a venture capitalist and private equity investor who has invested in leading companies in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. He is also the author of the international bestseller The 10% Entrepreneur, a guide to becoming an entrepreneur without quitting your day job, (Penguin Portfolio 2016). He is credited by Boston Magazine with coining the term “FOMO” or “fear of missing out.” Show  Notes: “Before you quit your job and jump in full time try it on the side first and see what you think. People who start a business on the side are going to be about statistically 50% more likely to succeed.” As I spoke to the 10% Entrepreneur author, Patrick J McGinnis, it became translucently clear that the regular run of the mill business advise that you generally hear, to make that 100% dive into your business, was never going to hold much weight during our conversation on this recent episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast. Patrick encourages those with ideas to become a 10% entrep

Royce Gomez is a recognized as a leading authority for coaching and training entrepreneurs and executives. She has been published in the Huffington Post, Unlimited Woman, Charity Magazine, and is co-author of The Stories and Daily Habits of Highly Successful Women and international best seller Discover Your Destiny, Live Your Dreams, Love Your Life. She effectively helps business owners develop strategies, their personal brand, and marketing initiatives to take their business to the next level of success. Show  Notes: “Stay on the court and know that you and your business are important enough to get back up; experience the failure but don’t let it stop you”. I’m sure you’d agree with me that this is some sound advice coming from Business Coach, Royce Gomez, on this recent episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast. Royce is a magnet for people going through struggles, she herself, is no stranger to difficult times. Having re-invented herself about 5 times, she coaches women who are in transition and want

Travis Chappell is a direct sales expert who has built teams for several sales organizations over a few different industries and is also active in the real estate market. More recently he decided to pursue his passion of helping others and founded Build Your Network, a podcast dedicated to helping professionals grow their inner circle. Show  Notes: “Imagine going to your Facebook profile timeline and thinking If I were a person who has never met me before, does this look good enough for me to continue connecting with me?” This is a powerful introspective question posed by Theological student turned Direct Sales Expert and podcaster, Travis Chappell, on this recent episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast. There are so many ways to leverage Facebook to grow your business. There is much power in free marketing. Many people are stretching their budget for Facebook ads. It makes more sense to spend more time on Facebook than more money. The way to do that is through Facebook groups. Write a list of persons

Sandi Eveleth is a Digital Marketing Strategist, Business Development Consultant, and WordPress Consultant. Sandi founded KISS your Web, LLC in 2009 as a web design and digital marketing firm after owning successful optometric practices for 19 years. She holds a Doctor of Optometry degree and a Bachelor of Science degree and is also a WP Elevation Certified Digital Business Consultant. Show  Notes: “The first thing you need to know is what your ideal client typically types into Google…make sure you put those words on your website.” This strong piece of advice comes from Digital Marketing Strategist, Dr. Sandi Eleveth. “It is becoming more important to have a website that is optimized so that others can find you on the internet, and that they know what you are selling and what action to take when the go to your website”, she added further. Getting to know who your ideal customers are is necessary to optimize your website to serve them. It is important to know that Google is the number 1 search engine and

Sumit Gulati has an MBA in Finance and more than 10 years' experience in industry and academics. He is the author of the book on Financial Management published by one of the leading academic publishers, McGraw Hill Education. Show  Notes: Who remembers Lotus 1-2-3? If you are under 35 perhaps your first reaction is ‘huh?’ Fast forward to 2018 and the only spreadsheet tool you know might be Microsoft Excel. “If you look around, almost every company in the world will be using Excel at some point in time” says Sumit Gulati. Merging his love for finance and Excel, this extremely knowledgeable Author and business owner shares how we can leverage this Microsoft tool to generate growth. “Data is coming from everywhere. We need to put it in structured formats so that information can be had from it. This is the age of data. When you swipe a credit card or got to any shop, data is collected…Excel helps a lot in data analysis; it is about getting the specific questions for specific situations answered. The decisio

Nathaniel Peat is A Multi-Award-Winning Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Business Coach, Engineer, Youth Advocate, Pilot and man of many talents and achievements. He is the co-founder of Gennex a fledgling solar energy company which operates in Africa, UK and the Caribbean. He is also the founder of Multi Award winning enterprise The Safety Box. He is currently listed on the 2017 Black Power List and 2017 Financial Times 100 Ethnic Minority Power List  measure across U.K., Ireland and the USA. Show  Notes: “The greatest significance is found through service.” These are not just words but the very mantra on which Nathaniel Peat lives his life. As a black child, Nathaniel faced racial prejudice, violence and other issues could have easily waned his need to achieve. Wanting to become a pilot – without the required grades – it was sheer determination and drive that has enabled him to be the person he is today. He has learnt that when someone says no, you have to go above, beyond and around it to get ahea

Monique Russell is the managing partner of Clear Communication Solutions LLC, a communications coaching and consulting firm focused on helping women leaders go from good to great as confident communicators. As a certified DiSC trainer and Professional Coach with graduate degrees in Communications, she helps leaders strengthen their personal and professional relationships by using practical tools to harness their emotional intelligence. Show  Notes: “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” -Theodore Roosevelt. Implicit in this statement is the idea that emotional intelligence is a necessary trait for anyone with leadership aspirations. Further, it is said, Intelligence Quotient gets you hired but Emotional Quotient (EQ) gets you promoted. As someone who, over a series of events, had lost her confidence, Leadercast Host Site Leader, Monique Russell is now on a path to help others regain their self-belief through a series of experiences by practicing tools to harness emotional in

Pamela Wagner heads Ajala Digital, a global boutique marketing agency focused on Google and Facebook advertising for businesses. Her travels to 70 countries have given her a better understanding of people around the world. In 2017, she was honored as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 list makers for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. She has been featured on media outlets such as ABC News, Yahoo, Mashable, MSN, the Washington Times, and more, and now on The Entrepreneurial You podcast. Show  Notes: One of the best ways to connect and build rapport with people of other cultures is to speak their language. Pamela Wagner, who speaks several languages including German, English, Spanish, Russian, Swahili, Mandarin and more, shares her inspiring story on this episode of The Entrepreneurial You Podcast.  “It allows me to connect with others and get a better view of the world other than that which is presented on TV”, Pamela mused. As someone who was bullied a lot in High School and never had friends until university ye

Seth Godin is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Marketing Seminar, online workshops that have transformed thousands of people. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything. You might be familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow. Show  Notes: On this episode of The Entrepreneurial You podcast, I spoke with Seth Godin on matters of idea generation, leadership and his best-selling book, ‘Purple Cow’. On the matter of leadership, he made it clear that “The time to start becoming a leader, is not the day you have a job or you have people reporting to you - that’s the day you become a manager.” Manager and leaders are not one and the same. “managers have a job to get people to do things faster and cheaper than they did it yesterday. Without managers, we wouldn’t hav

Gila is a successful serial entrepreneur who found her deepest passion in working with dogs and their people. She co-founded and co-owns Dog is Good, an award-winning lifestyle brand for dog lovers. Gila has turned her love for dogs into a 7 figure a year business by growing revenues through wholesale to retailers, online e-commerce, and licensing to other manufacturers. She is the author of Fur Covered Wisdom...A Dog Can Change the Way You See the World. Show  Notes: To break the ice, I asked Gila “If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?” Her response, “That’s a great question. I’m going to have to say Action Film because I’m always on the go and am an active person”. Sounds a bit like me, I must say. We went on to talking about the Dog business, ‘Life Is Good’ and the inspiration behind it. Some questions I asked Gila throughout the interview are: What is ‘Dog is Good’? When did the business begin? What inspired you