Authentic Business Adventures Podcast

Denise Hanson, founder of Root 2 Rise, shares how a Madison Spanish teacher turned struggling high school juniors and seniors into paid tutor mentors for elementary classrooms, and how she built a nonprofit around it.

Michael Wedaa of Augmentus Business Solutions explains how trusts and LLCs keep your name off your assets, so you are a less tempting lawsuit target. Michael is back for a third visit to talk about his new book, Business Rogue.

Glenn Broder of Human Judgment in the Age of AI shows small-business owners how to keep a human in charge of AI, so you get better results and fewer confident mistakes. Here is the plain-English version.

Stuart Faught, founder of Mini Horse, reveals how he builds tiny SaaS companies, hits $100K ARR in 90 days, and sells them for half?a?million, plus his playbook for first?time founders to acquire and scale software assets. He walks through the "mini?horse" concept, the power of reputation?software…

Terence Leclere, founder of Metaforyou, reveals how immersive experiences and human interactive touch points can dramatically boost guest engagement at live events. He walks us through his journey from actor to experiential consultant, explains the secret sauce behind "hits" – the organic moments…

Every business has a story, and Carolina Coops has a great one. Matthew DuBoise From childhood memories of hatching chicks to selling his first homemade coop on Craigslist in under half an hour, Matthew Duboise traces his wild entrepreneurial ride—through moments of personal struggle, lessons in…

Jason DeSouza - DeSouza Injury Lawyers On the Good, Bad and Shady in the Injury Law World: "There are lots of very, very good, very aggressive injury lawyers that know how to treat clients properly. Unfortunately, there's a lot of mills that do everything they can do to just get as many clients as possible. Stick them through the apple press, get whatever juice they can, and move on to the next one." We've all seen the billboards.  Every big city has the advertisements for injury attorneys plaguing the landscape.  But what is the business of injury law all about? Jason DeSouza of DeSouza Injury Lawyers shares an unfiltered look at the business side of personal injury law. From his law school days and early work with a tough-as-nails tax attorney, to battling insurance companies and adapting to a world filled with AI and self-driving cars, Jason brings humor, candor, and real stories from the frontlines. We dive deep into everything from the ethics (and sometimes antics) of industry marketing, to navigating medical malpractice cases in today’s harsh legal climate. Learn how lawyers use AI as a tool for high-level strategy, why most injury cases never see a courtroom, what it takes to hire (and keep) a great lawyer, and what you should always ask before signing on with an attorney. Listen as Jason explains the role injury lawyers play to keep the world safe, and how you can protect yourself from frivolous lawsuits, as well as what to do if you are ever injured. Enjoy! Visit Jason at: https://jfdlawfirm.com/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Transitioning from law school to practice 07:04 Challenges in Collecting Judgments 10:54 Negotiating Insurance Settlements 19:44 Importance of Personal Insurance 26:27 Blaming tech, not the driver 31:20 The risks of tech innovation 32:26 Investor interest in Waymo's future 38:40 AI's impact on legal work 43:48 Optimizing Fable with Opus 5 50:38 Discussing medical malpractice cases 59:19 Choosing an Injury Lawyer 01:01:12 Evaluating Injury Lawyer Options 01:07:58 Handling lawsuits with insurance 01:14:16 Judges influencing case outcomes

Travis Spicer - Spotbookr On Sneaky, and a Bit Creepy But Effective, Advertising: "And then now you're seeing it and you're like, oh, how convenient. And then we get to turn you into this zombie to go and buy something." Where should you advertise your business?  You have a great product or service and you need to get the word out to the masses.  But how?  Where do you spend your marketing dollars to turn ad spend into a multiplier of revenue? Spotbookr founder Travis took his marketing experience and started Spotbookr, a tool used to find where your competitors are advertising, so you can learn from them and either duplicate their success, or avoid their failures. Listen as Travis explains how to learn from your competitors about what is working and what is not so you can spend your advertising dollars intelligently. Enjoy! Visit Travis at: https://spotbookr.com/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Analyzing consumer sentiment data 05:05 Helping international brands target youth 08:51 Choosing Brands Based on Ads 12:33 Understanding your brand's identity 15:21 Knowing Your Brand and Audience 18:03 Creating a unified ad platform during COVID 22:24 Challenges for small business marketing 26:05 Social media's influence on consumers 29:59 How online algorithms personalize ads 31:35 Understanding modern ad tracking 36:13 Understanding Digital Impressions 41:01 Brand recognition vs conversion goals 43:55 The importance of targeted advertising 46:23 Understanding your client's brand 51:59 Understanding Brand Identity Challenges 53:18 Trusting your team and vision

Mark Hartmann - Mergers and Acquisitions On the Value of Purpose: "Either you'll exit it vertically, maybe on your own terms, or you'll exit horizontally, maybe not on your own terms. You will exit your business, right?" What happens when a psychotherapist, a negotiator, and a business dealmaker all walk into the same room—and they're all the same person?  Mark Hartmann of Hartmann Rhodes, a specialist in mergers and acquisitions offers stories, strategies, and the kind of hard-earned wisdom you only get from years in the trenches of small business sales. You'll hear why Mark Hartmann warns entrepreneurs not to let “your cousin Vinny” handle their business sale, how blue-collar businesses like HVAC companies are suddenly sizzling hot investments (think tech-level multiples!), and the art of negotiating like a terrorist—but in a good way. We’ll dive into what really determines the value of your business, how to play the tricky game of deal terms, why clean books and owner independence are non-negotiable, and the emotional rollercoaster awaiting every founder ready to exit. You'll get Mark’s top nuggets from his Amazon best-selling book, "Sweat Equity Payday," honest talk about seller’s and buyer’s remorse, and practical advice for buyers, sellers, and anyone thinking about their company’s future. Whether you want to sell, buy, or simply understand the market forces reshaping entrepreneurship, this episode delivers the real stories and insights you won’t get in a business school classroom. Listen as Mark details how to prepare your business for sale and to execute the sale to make sure you get the best price and the best terms. Enjoy! Visit Mark at: https://www.hartmannrhodes.com/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) 05:03 Valuing a Business for Sale 09:50 Generational shifts in DIY skills 10:50 Electricians' high demand and salaries 14:25 Explaining business market segments 18:36 Evaluating financials and dependencies 20:31 Evaluating business worth 24:08 Negotiating business exit strategies 29:08 Discussing buy-side engagements 31:49 Negotiation strategies with sellers 34:45 Challenges with inexperienced attorneys 39:32 Not the right dealmaker for the job 41:49 Being on the Inc. 5000 list 45:18 Preparing for Business Exit 47:39 Attending the Value Builder Summit 53:12 Advice for buyers and sellers 57:00 Show intro and sponsor shoutout

Felica Ray Diny - Felicia's Donation Closet On the Value of Purpose: "We're not just bringing a kitchen table, we're bringing it so she can sit down with her children to have a meal together." Sometimes people need a little help, and sometimes people need a lot.  Imagine being an abused woman, with children, trying to escape an abusive relationship with very little, if any, money, and the need to keep your children safe, fed and happy.  That can be a tall order, and the need for help is strong. Felicia Ray Diny saw this need and is doing something about it.  She started Felicia's Donation Closet, a non-profit that collects houses, and distributes furniture and household products to victims of abuse.  Felicia and her amazing team work to collect things like beds, couches, dressers, pots and pans, and the things that most of us have and take for granted.  They then deliver, and often setup, this items for the families that need them most. It is so great to hear about business, it is much greater to hear about people doing good and making the world a better place. Listen as Felicia details her struggles and success in building Felicia's Donation Closet and how this idea has gained a lot of momentum in such a short time.  Truly an inspiring guest. Enjoy! Visit Felicia at: https://feliciasdonationcloset.org/ Sponsors: Calls On Call Extraordinary Answering Service, phone answering for small businesses: https://callsoncall.com Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan   Podcast Overview: 00:00 Helping Families Move to New Homes 03:27 Lessons from a food donation 08:25 Learning about a new industry 10:19 Donating furniture to a family in need 15:29 Application paperwork process 18:00 Selecting personalized gifts 22:30 Managing product turnover 25:47 Organizing move day logistics 29:13 Seeking sponsors and warehouse help 32:02 Dealing with public speaking anxiety 36:04 Meeting at the fundraiser event 39:05 Providing furniture and essentials 41:42 Inspiration and starting the company 44:16 Poker tournament at tasting room 46:59 Helping a mom with support 50:15 Business reality vs. student expectations