Episode #47: Goal Setting

We are joined by local business owner Lashaun Crawford, founder of Girl With a Grill Restaurants and the non-profit, Staying the Course. In business, there is something we referred to as the magical 2 H's, Heart and Hustle. Hustle is self explanatory, its about that unreal effort focused on the highest leveraged activities to maximize progress. Heart is different however, it's about the greater purpose, its about a dream that goes beyond dollars and cents. Its about a greater purpose, its about caring, its about a dream. It may not generate dollars and cents, but it drives energy back into the business. Lashaun is the living embodiment of these 2 H's.

A build on our last episode with Paver Pete & Ryan Ravalli from Techo-Bloc, we dive deep into the world of outdoor living. In particular, both PAVERART & Techo Bloc have something in common: 100% of our manufactured products are installed by contractors. And what is the #2 most failed business segment in America? Contracting. So we talk about this, how contractors can improve, and how a growing outdoor living market is dependent on contractors and manufacturers investing in education, sound relationships and a focus on growth. We hope you pick up a nugget or two, we sure did. If you like what you hear, drop us a line with some feedback, and be sure to subscribe.

Episode 50: 10k Hours Or Bust For a couple of guys running a small growth business, putting out a podcast can be challenging! Nevertheless, we look up and see a mini milestone, episode 50! We revisit maybe one of the most important concepts we covered as it relates to successfully building a business: THE 10k Hour Rule. What is the 10k hour rule: * Popularized by the great Malcolm Gladwell- developing true expertise in any skill is a matter of disciplined, DEFINED Practice. 10k hours worth. To do this, people need to define their career as a craft. A Journey Something you will aim to master over the long haul. For over 12 years I've written a blog, and now a podcast called HUSTLE or Bust. I can make a pretty good case that the secret is not HUSTLE or Bust, It's 10k hours or bust. And that's the title of episode 50! We hope you enjoy.

In June of 1925, the NY yankees have a first baseman by the name of Wally Pipp. He asks out of the lineup due to a head ache. Who replaces him? Lou Gherig. 2,130 consecutive games later, the Iron horse becomes an all-time great. Sometimes you need just one shot to prove you belong. On episode 49 of the Hustle or Bust Podcast, we introduce you to Brian McNulty, PAVERART’s plant manager. We go through a number of themes, persistence to simply get the job, training, learning and the anxiety of filling the shoes of a founder while doing everything yourself. And maybe the most challenging? Transitioning from Doer, to leader as PAVERART moves out of survival mode to growth mode.

It’s a fact in America: EVERYBODY loves a comeback story. The person that is down and out, and finds a way forward to a better life. This episode we have an inspiring, courageous Guest. Jimmy Ruddy is one of our team members at PAVERART. He tells his story with a brutal, raw honesty that is bound to inspire many from Similar backgrounds. And what background would that be? Years of Crime. Incarceration. Experiencing family tragedy from drug addiction. HIMSELF become addicted. And most important, The long, dedicated path to recovery. Building a better future. Jimmy paints a very clear picture on his first 36 some odd years. But what we are excited about? His FUTURE. Small business owners that can see opportunity in unconventional places will gain an edge. It’s a fact. People with something to prove, the proverbial chip on their shoulder have a built In advantage. A fire in the belly. We hope this story gives people hope that may be going through their own struggle. And we hope business owners look for those people with something To prove.

Napolean Hill famously declared:  A goal is a dream with a deadline!  Like most areas of business, it says easy, and does hard.  We dive deep into the practice of goal setting, with some war stories, current challenges and ways to think through this process.  Getting this right throughout the organization is one of the great unlocks to building a stronger, more sustainable business. 

Episode #46 we dive into the world of interviewing. More specifically, the disturbing trend of businesses of all sizes to act like Greek Life: "Pledging" or competing for acceptance into an organization with a variety of odd, de-humanizing activities and long, drawn out processes that don't map to the real world job. It's unprofessional, and becoming all too common. We shine a spot light on this, and offer some alternatives for candidates that find themselves caught in this cycle.

A spur-of-the-moment podcast with zero preparation: Mike corners Mark and said "I'm in charge!" On Mark's 5 year anniversary of owning PAVERART, Mike decided to go through a deep dive of: * Why did you buy PAVERART? What did you see? Why? And why 5 more times. Naturally, this got us deep into the world of building a business with Heart, not just Hustle. None of what is required to successfully build a business is easy. It's hard, time-consuming and requires skill and sacrifice. PAVERART has been operating for 20 years, and it's clear that it still operates with a day one philosophy, and where the best days are still ahead of us.

Every business needs a health check-up, and what better time of year than the halfway mark? We critically evaluate and grade ourselves on this episode. In someway, this felt like the small business rectal exam! Drop us a line with any key areas we have missed.

Leading the Sales & Marketing function for multiple decades is no small feat. Mark Fuss joins to take a look back at his career, what makes a great salesperson, building and protecting a reputation, and what life looks like being recently retired. Check out our website for more blogs, podcasts, and business insights: https://www.hustleorbust.com/