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If you think the public accounting is too large to disrupt, think again. Chase Birky finds that the accounting space is ripe for disruption with an aging workforce, an archaic structure, and general resistance to new technologies. And he's making it happen. Chase Birky joins Mike Fusco in this episode of the Team Business podcast to talk about his firm, Dark Horse CPAs, and how they're helping CPAs grow and manage their businesses. Dark Horse CPAs will successfully disrupt the accounting space with Chase in the lead. Thank you again for listening! Episode Highlights:  Chase describes Dark Horse CPA as a platform-style accounting firm (1:29) Chase discusses what inspired him to start the Dark Horse CPA. (2:35) Chase mentions that the accounting industry as a whole is in an interesting position because fewer people are getting accounting degrees and CPA license, and those that do have degrees are approaching retirment. (9:21) Chase mentions that they have a great inbound lead funnel which has become much better over time as they’ve become more sophisticated and committed more deeply to it. (15:12) Chase discusses how he has learned the most by osmosis; from mentors and people he has worked with at a higher level that have allowed him to absorb some of the greatest components of what they do. (17:00) Chase believes that wisdom is not something you can’t just hear and understand, it must be experienced in order for the piece of wisdom to sink in. (18:10) Chase highlights the most common misperception in leadership and entrepreneurship. (19:44) According to Chase, the quality and caliber of those you lead is the mark of a good leader. (22:29) Chase talks about being reactive vs. proactive as managers and leaders. (25:39) Chase explains that Dark Horse CPA will soon establish a financial advisory practice because there are several overlaps between CPAs and investment advisory. (27:43) Key Quotes: “Learning by osmosis is really, I think what I have benefited most from I've had some really great mentors, and folks that I've gotten to work with at a higher level that has allowed me to, you know, kind of absorb some of the best parts of what they do, you know, almost in a subconscious way.” - Chase Birky “Wisdom is something that I think is not something you can just hear and learn, you have to go through an experience for that piece of wisdom to actually settle.” - Chase Birky “We had a great inbound lead funnel. And it's gotten a lot better over time, as we've gotten more sophisticated and invested more deeply into that.” - Chase Birky Resources Mentioned:   Chase Birky LinkedIn Dark Horse CPA Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn

"We Provide The Light, So You Can Shine." Pro-Cal Lightning, Inc. is an electrical contracting firm in San Diego County. Since we first spoke to Brian Morales at the onset of the COVID pandemic, a lot has changed in the business world, including with his firm. Listen in to learn about Pro-Cal Lightning's slogan, "We Provide The Light, So You Can Shine." Brian provides excellent insight into the ever-changing labor market and economy and where his focus lies when building his team for success. Thank you for listening! Episode Highlights: Brian explains that Pro-Cal is an electrical contracting company at heart and have grown in the industry, taking on EB charging stations and system integrations. (1:24) Brian explains how the slogan "We Provide The Light, So You Can Shine." was created and what it means to them. (3:55) Brian shares how the pandemic, although difficult, led them to find good talent and was a reminder of how we should be treating our employees all of the time. (6:00) Brian explains why he hopes the “great resignation” is followed by the “great realization” of employees realizing that moving to bigger companies may not have been the right decision for them. (8:00) Brian mentions that his favorite time of day was the end of his workday and when their team gets a win. (10:00) Brian discusses the significance of knowing your end goal and the importance of failure. (15:41) Brian believes that they will be the fastest-growing EV charging company in California over the next two or three years. (20:30) Brian discusses his involvement in the National Electrical Contractors Association and the National Small Business Association. (23:03) Brian and Mike sahre their NBA finals predictions. (26:03) Key Quotes: “A big part of our success has been just in being able to pivot and adapt.” - Brian Morales “We're probably going to be the fastest-growing EV charging company in California over the next two or three years, just because of the contacts we're starting to make and the contracts that we're gaining.” - Brian Morales “It's only through failure that you could actually become dominant in your market, you could actually become a great company.” - Brian Morales Resources Mentioned:   Brian Morales LinkedIn Pro-Cal Lightning Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn

Tommy Gaffney has served in the benefits industry for several years. His knowledge and passion for the industry led to his current role as Vice President of National Sales at Evolved Benefits. Tommy joins this episode of the Team Business podcast to speak about the employee benefits marketplace. He educates our audience on Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) plans and the value they add to employees and employers across the nation. Listen in for a fun and informative episode with Tommy Gaffney!  Episode Highlights: Tommy explains what Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) is and what they are doing at Evolved Benefits to bring value and help employers meet that requirement. (02:05) Tommy believes that the focus should always be on the end-user, the employee experience. (5:32) Tommy shares that 4:00 AM is his favorite time of the day. (7:16) Tommy mentions LinkedIn as a platform that should never leave you stating, "I don't have any leads." (9:19) Tommy mentions that in their niche, they work with industries that employ hundreds of people, such as staffing, cannabis, trucking, home, health care, assisted living, and janitorial companies. (14:38) Tommy explains that their products are very lucrative which is a wonderful strategy to boost your agency's revenue. (15:15) Tommy goes over the Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) plans in greater detail. (16:54) Tommy suggests that everybody who has opted out of the major medical plan be given the opportunity to review the Evolved Benefits plan. (22:18) Tommy explains that one of the most common misconceptions about their sector is that MEC plans are a fraud, as well as the commission. (25:27) Tommy expresses his excitement at the numerous opportunities he has to be of maximum usefulness to people. (30:46) Tommy discusses his favorite sport and the team he supports. (36:19) Key Quotes: “The more successful we can be, the more resources we can bring on and reinvest and bring them back out and add even more value to our current clients and bring more value to our new clients that we're looking to win.” - Tommy Gaffney “Our products are very lucrative. And it's a great way to increase your agency revenue.” - Tommy Gaffney “I think fear is generated from lack of preparation. And I’ll tell you, there is such thing as luck and luck happens when you have preparation met with opportunity.” - Tommy Gaffney Resources Mentioned:   Tommy Gaffney LinkedIn Evolved Benefits Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn

Dan Kolosowski serves as Regional Vice President of 401(k) Markets for Transamerica.  In this episode of the Team Business podcast, Dan joins the show to speak about ERC (Employee Retention Credit) and provides valuable information that all employers should understand. Episode Highlights: Dan discusses how CalSavers has led to a flood of new business to Transamerica. (2:02) Dan explains the importance of having a top down approach in encouraging employees to save for retirement. (5:27) Dan mentions that he just published a news article on some of the top retirement articles. (6:46) Dan discusses the differences between doing CalSavers versus a traditional plan and the credits that you can get as an employer when choosing a traditional plan. (8:05) Dan explains that if your company has filed for PPP, it is automatically pre-qualified for ERC. (12:37) Dan expresses his desire to learn about and apply everything that will assist a company owner, particularly a small business. (13:58) Dan talks about the ERC tax credits. (16:28) Dan explains that one caveat to the ERC is that not like the PPP where you have to ask for forgiveness, but it is considered earned income. (22:08) Dan mentions that the next time they chat, he will address R&D tax credits, which he thinks is even more exciting. (24:57) Key Quotes: “I always try to stay in the know with anything that's happening in the marketplace…And I just want to get anything that can help a business owner out, especially small businesses” - Dan Kolosowski  “When I start referring clients over and I know they're in good hands, we're good. It just leads to more business.” - Dan Kolosowski “The one thing the one caveat with ERC. It's It is not like PPP where you have to ask for forgiveness. Okay, you don't have to ask for and never apologize for your passion. So you don't have to qualify forgiveness. It is though, considered earned income.” - Dan Kolosowski Resources Mentioned:   Dan Kolosowski LinkedIn Transamerica Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn

Julie Brown is an experienced business owner of 27 years and serves as a strategic talent advisor to the insurance industry. Whether you're in the insurance industry or not, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Julie provides excellent insight into the ever-changing hiring, recruiting, and talent acquisition landscape. How can your company evolve to meet the growing demands of the remote/hybrid workforce? Listen in to learn! Episode Highlights: Julie believes that being underpaid is not the primary cause for individuals leaving their jobs. (4:15) Julie talks about her favorite time of day as a business owner. (5:49) Julie mentions that the best part of her company is her team. (8:29) Julie shares the best business advice she's ever received. (10:21) Julie discusses what she believes to be the most common misperception regarding the insurance sector. (14:00) Julie explains the process involved in her recruitment. (22:19) Julie gives an explanation of what it takes to be an effective leader. (24:05) Julie mentions that she is now reading the book: Good to Great, which she finds to be quite inspiring. (27:32) Julie discusses her thoughts on the book Crucial Conversation and what she has learned from it. (27:55) Julie points out that they really publish pay information, which is very essential for people to be aware of. (30:58) Key Quotes: “Everybody gets a piece of the business, everybody gets a share in the rewards. And so I definitely think my team is a huge, huge factor for this company.” - Julie Brown “I just hope people start feeling more comfortable and that people are willing to, maybe, as far as candidates are concerned, be a little more open to the hybrid role, a lot of clients really want to kind of push towards that.” - Julie Brown “We're doing ourselves a disservice by not being creative and or training and looking at, you know, bringing people up the up ladder, because that's going to be, if you're going to ask me, what the next challenge is.” - Julie Brown Resources Mentioned:   Julie Brown  LinkedIn SDI Staffing Insurance Book: Good to Great Book: Crucial Conversation Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn

In this episode of the Team Business podcast, host Mike Fusco interviews April Enriquez, an award-winning public relations and brand messaging expert, and WordPop Public Relations founder. April will help you clarify your message so clients can more easily discover, trust, and choose you. A 12-year PR veteran and StoryBrand Certified Guide, April teach companies how to communicate their value to the press and the public. Episode Highlights: April explains how she drinks her coffee and why the mornings are her favorite time of day. (4:44) April talks about how the most important thing she learned was to take the time to readjust now and again. (5:26) April shares that she has always been an entrepreneur. (7:05) April elaborates on her background and how she started in the public relations field. (9:17) April shares a few things she cannot live without. (10:55) April explains that her main responsibility in public relations is to connect the business with its target audience. (13:00) April discusses how working with technology instead of against it is one of the challenges that her industry will be facing in a couple of years. (14:31) April believes that helping your team to unveil their innate strengths, and plugging those strengths into the company is what makes a great leader. (17:53) April shares that she has currently migrated to Google Drive for most of the tasks she is doing. (24:35) April shares her appreciation for the way her daughter is at this stage in her life. (27:27) Key Quotes: "I think that we started our companies with a clear vision, and we're in alignment with what we want to build, and we're in alignment with ourselves, and then you can get into this cycle of grinding it out." - April Enriquez "I think we should work with technology and not against it. There's the human touch, which is undeniable, and so I think there's always going to be space for both." - April Enriquez "There was a point where people wanted to get flowery and creative with messaging, which is okay, but so much so that you lose the audience." - April Enriquez Resources Mentioned:  April Enriquez LinkedIn WordPop Public Relations Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn 

In this episode of the Insurance Haus podcast, host Mike Fusco is joined by Gwendolyn Larkin, Gwendolyn has an extensive and impressive career working in the insurance industry, specifically in carrier claims departments. Gwendolyn currently serves as Enterprise Claims Technical Consulting Director and American Family Insurance. Gwendolyn and Mike discuss the following topics surrounding insurance claims: 1 - Helpful documentation when submitting a claim 2 - Considerations when claims arise 3 - Early reporting of claims Episode Highlights: Gwen shares her background and how she started in the industry. (1:15) Gwen explains the importance of providing the necessary documentation to support a claim. (3:00) Gwen shares the things people should keep in mind when a claim occurs. (5:57) Gwen discusses the importance of early reporting of claims and where people tend to get lost in the process. (10:42) Gwen provides examples of contractor liability claims that she has seen. (15:14)  Gwen explains that situations may differ but that most carriers are looking to protect the insured. (19:00) Gwen shares her advice that can help small business owners deal with a claim. (21:29) Gwen discusses how important subcontractors are for agreements and indemnification. (23:42) Gwen offers her insight into trends that people might want to look out for to protect their business. (25:10) Key Quotes: "Trying to build a rapport and relationship with the adjuster, understanding what they need, what documentation they need, and things of that nature certainly helped to go a long way, when filing a claim and getting a claim paid." - Gwen Larkin “Having the documentation and having all of that information, gathering it on the front end is 1000 times more helpful on the backend when we're having to defend the claim.” - Gwen Larkin “I think one of the key things to understand is that the claims adjuster is really there to help, right? Our job, as the insurance company, is to help the insured in their time of need.” - Gwen Larkin Resources Mentioned:   Gwendolyn Larkin LinkedIn American Family Insurance Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn 

In this solo episode of the Team Business podcast, Mike Fusco provides three quick and easy tips to improve your company culture for remote workers.  Episode Highlights: Mike reveals that some of the people they work with have had a difficult time adapting to this new hybrid, long-term remote type of work. (1:24) Mike mentions that they had people working remotely for a long time prior to the pandemic. (2:34) Mike discusses the advantages of implementing a chat or messaging system to help your team stay connected in a remote/hybrid work environment. (3:02) Mike explains why you should do something fun, do something out of the box with your team. (4:45) Mike mentions that it is also important to hold some get-togethers outside of work. (5:34) Key Quotes: “How do you continue your company culture, your working culture, your camaraderie in the office, your teamwork, you know, getting to know people when you know, maybe half or a third, or maybe nobody is in the same office environment working together on a day to day basis?” - Mike Fusco “Have regular meetings. It helps people feel like they're still connected. It helps those that are not in the office, see people that are in the office or vice versa.” Mike Fusco “Hold some get togethers outside of work, of course if safe for you and comfortable for everybody, for team bonding or team building experiences, even if it's once a quarter, twice a year, or maybe even now during the holidays, something where everyone can get together and feel part of the team.” Mike Fusco Resources Mentioned:   Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn 

Mike and Ray are thrilled to welcome Dan Kolosowski, Regional Vice President of Transamerica to The Insurance Haus podcast. Dan brings over 15 years of experience to our show and will discuss retirement planning with our audience. We hope to see you soon! Episode Highlights: Dan starts by explaining what CalSavers is. (2:47) Dan explains the shortfalls of retirement in America. (8:48) Dan provides options for retirement plans and their pros and cons. (11:29) Dan shares what he thinks about a company's liability regarding retirement plans. (18:30)  Dan talks about the employer plans and the innovative exchange that Transamerica has created. (21:01) Dan explains the shift in the marketplace towards pooled employment. (24:33) Dan talks about different PEOs and their differences. (25:55) Dan shares some tips on where to get started and how to get in touch with him. (30:04) Key Quotes: “I'm dealing with hundreds of people throughout the year, I haven't seen one business owner yet that said, I want to go CalSavers. So, I think a lot of it is just education. ​​They just don't know that there's another option.” - Dan Kolosowski “When you take a look at cost and efficiencies and kind of everything with what's happening in this market, the market moves so fast. And if you don't keep pace, you just end up losing.” - Dan Kolosowski “If a company out there has an existing plan, and they haven't looked at the retirement plan in a while, have them reach out to you. That's my first step.” - Dan Kolosowski Resources Mentioned:   Dan Kolosowski LinkedIn Transamerica Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn  Ray Ramirez LinkedIn

In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez interview Kevin Snow, Founder and Chief Sales Strategist of Time On Target. Kevin helps businesses close more sales by better understanding their sales process and identifying how to make the process more effective and faster.  If your CRM and Email Automation aren't helping you close more sales or shorten your sales cycle, you need to listen in and connect with Kevin. Episode Highlights: Kevin shares his story and how he started his company. (4:36) Kevin talks about his insights regarding the BNI model and business networking. (8:59) Kevin talks about the reason behind his passion to start his career. (12:00) Mike asks Kevin what his advice would be to people who are always switching to the newest technology. (14:55) Kevin shares his favorite CRM platforms. (16:25) Kevin talks about the industries that he is currently focusing on. (18:22) Kevin explains where he thinks the future of communication is going. (19:53) Kevin talks about the services that he is able to deliver to his clients. (25:09) Kevin shares his thoughts on the development of chatbots. (27:55) Kevin answers the question of what his ideal customer looks like. (32:13) Key Quotes: “I want my marketing automation, my process tool, to be really good at automating processes. Give me cool tools to keep those workflows going.” - Kevin Snow “My ideal client is a business owner that is working 80 hours a week, and needs to figure out how to start offloading stuff.” - Kevin Snow “Start small, just get one thing, you know, a lot of business owners will go and they'll have these grandiose visions of what they're going to do.” - Kevin Snow Resources Mentioned:   Kevin Snow LinkedIn Time On Target Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn  Ray Ramirez LinkedIn

In this episode of the Team Business podcast, co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez discuss the growing trend known as "THE GREAT RESHUFFLE," which is the movement of employees and laborers to new employers. How does a business owner combat this and keep their key people? Listen in for tips! Episode Highlights: Mike and Ray share their experience over the weekend. (0:41) Mike and Ray talk about the struggles that clients are dealing with now as employees and laborers move to new employers. (1:30) Mike talks about working conditions and how they are changing. (3:04) Ray talks about a hybrid work environment. (4:42) Mike talks about Key Performance Indicator (KPI’s). (8:16) Mike shares more about Team Business. (12:58) Mike shares the advantage of using LinkedIn to attract new employees. (14:26) Key Quotes: “What we did is I kind of played a reactive role and realized that, hey, we have to give people the option and the opportunity to work where they want to work.” - Mike Fusco “I mean, speaking for myself, as a consultant, and what I do, I've been doing this for a little while, it's like, I guess that I like that little old school method of being in the office, getting up in the morning, getting ready to be somewhere.” - Ray Ramirez Resources Mentioned:   Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn  Ray Ramirez LinkedIn

In this episode of the Team Business podcast, Emily Williams joins co-hosts Mike Fusco and Ray Ramirez to speak about her desire to help female entrepreneurs in their business journeys. As a Money Mindset Expert, Emily talks about creating a mindset to make money and not feel guilty about it. Listen to learn more great information from an experienced podcaster, author, CEO, and success coach. Episode Highlights: How did Emily get started as a mindset expert and a success coach? (1:28) What made Emily focus on female entrepreneurship? (6:45) Emily discusses how she identifies a potential client. (9:21) Emily shares how The I Heart My Life Show Podcast turned into a lifestyle. (12:10) Emily explains how she helps her clients overcome some of the challenges from the pandemic. (18:22) Why should you work with Emily? (21:41) Emily shares more about her The I Heart My Life Show Podcast and her book. (23:33) Emily talks about the mindset blocks or limiting beliefs business owners have to move through in order to make money in their business. (26:43) Emily mentions that one of the core concepts that they talk about with their clients is that money is actually the coach. (31:03) Key Quotes: “What I help people do is uncover what's stopping them from creating wealth.” - Emily Williams “Create a life better than your dreams.” - Emily Williams “We always have a choice, and I feel like so often we think we're stuck, but we don't have to be.” - Emily Williams Resources Mentioned:   Emily Williams LinkedIn The I Heart My Life Show Podcast Fusco & Orsini Insurance Services Mike Fusco LinkedIn  Ray Ramirez LinkedIn