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Paul Higgins is a high-performance business mentor, podcaster, and author who helps service-based business owners struggling to strike a balance between life and work adopt a hands-off management approach and improve profits to fund their lifestyles. To aid other service-based business owners like himself who have come to the conclusion that having a business so reliant on them is just not going to work, Paul developed a mentoring program—Build Live Give—that helps such business owners take control and implement an end-to-end sales and operations system that can easily generate profits.   Top of FormBottom of Form In this episode, we discuss: Paul’s start in the hardcore sales world working for Coca-Cola and what he learned to bring to his own business. How he builds business on a smaller, more diverse scale. How to study the numbers of buying and selling a business so you know what you’re getting into. The importance of helping businesses give back to their communities and employees. Never being afraid to ask an expert for advice.     I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Paul was so generous to share his better business practices regarding striking the best work/life balance to succeed.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Paul Higgins:   Website: https://www.buildlivegive.com/    Connect with Steve Eschbach   Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tristan Bond is an entrepreneur, business owner, consultant, and marketing specialist. As CEO and Founder of Practice Acceleration, a business coaching company, he shows business owners how to create predictable, profitable, and scalable businesses by utilizing his Market.Rebook.Manage™ system.    The step-by-step framework shows businesses how to double their profits, halve their hours and build a practice that doesn’t depend on you. The system has been implemented by solo startup businesses to clients doing over $20 million in annual revenue. Tristan Bond is also the author of The Practice Acceleration Method, an international best-seller in four business categories in six countries.   In this episode, we discuss: An entrepreneurial journey from healthcare, to business owner, to coaching Pitfalls to growth for small businesses Moving from hands-on operator to efficient administrator Scaling your business with marketing   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Please let me know your thoughts!     Connect with Tristan Website:  https://practiceacceleration.com/   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/practiceacceleration/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/practiceacceleration/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/healthcare-business-coach/         Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/  https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George is the CEO of Taxhub. He has a Master’s degree in taxation from Webster University and began his career in public accounting. Twelve years in, he transitioned to controllership for an engineering firm in New York City. As a controller, he learned a lot about the business side of finance and tax, and the idea for Taxhub took shape. Determined to bring customers a better tax experience, George began assembling a team that could help bring his idea to fruition to serve a broad segment of the private tax-payer market, which then became Taxhub.   In this episode, we discuss: ·      Looking at a business from an accountant’s point of view ·      Fulfilling areas of need with your business ·      Working with small businesses on a digital platform ·      Creating tax advantages for your business   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. George’s platform TaxHub is a real asset for small business owners and contractors to keep track of their financials and tax information.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with George Birrell Website: https://www.gettaxhub.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-birrell-867845a/   Top of FormBottom of FormConnect with Steve Eschbach: Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrea Pereira started Rocket Science Branding in 2019 to help organizations cultivate their communities through branded merchandise. Having observed many organizations purchasing swag because that's what their competitors did, selecting the wrong items because it's what was trending, or simply struggling to communicate their ethos to their community, Andrea decided it was time to step in and step up.  Her team takes a true marketing approach to understand an organization's goals, people, and purpose and then translates this into the tangible touchpoints to develop their community and brand love. A team of marketers for marketers, the Rocket Science Branding folks thrive on telling a brand's story through strategic ideas and creative design to create lasting engagement.    In this episode, we discuss: ·      How Andrea turned an interest in connection into a brand marketing company. ·      Why having a set brand – colors, words, logo – is important for new customers and returning ones. ·      Creating a community with your brand. ·      How to think of branded products as a gift to employees or customers so you don’t purchase the wrong product. I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Andrea knows it’s better to purchase no swag than to purchase the wrong swag. Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Andrea Pereira Website: https://www.rocketsciencebranding.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/rocketsciencebranding Facebook: http://facebook.com/rocketsciencebranding LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocketsciencebranding/   Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaclyn Poole is the Founder and President of MOD Assistants, a fractional assistant company for busy entrepreneurs. Their services are designed to help small business owners as they are preparing for, or already experiencing, a growth phase. Their trained virtual assistants work with professionals to delegate responsibilities and move tasks off their plate so that they can concentrate on the bigger picture items. MOD Assistant’s virtual assistant services include calendar management, email organization, client communication, online research, digital marketing, social media marketing, data entry, bookkeeping, and other administrative tasks.   Mod Assistants is a company that is owned by amazing women who care about their employees and offer a purpose for the communities to assist in household needs as well as executive work.   In this episode, we discuss: ·      Entrepreneurship as an unexpected path ·      Taking the experience of personal assistants to the virtual world ·      A strong relationship with business brokers to fulfill their needs ·      Finding a self-motivated staff to work remotely ·      Creating a team environment in a virtual world ·      The importance of sharing as much information with your assistant as you can ·      Creating efficiency with the wealth of technology available today ·      The importance of knowing your worth and not selling yourself short ·      The wealth of tasks a personal assistant, even a virtual one, can do for you ·      An empowered team of women     I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Jaclyn was so generous to share her better business practices regarding what a virtual assistant can do for you.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Jaclyn Poole:   Website: www.modassistants.com                http://www.hiremod.com/ Email: [email protected] Connect with Steve Eschbach: Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maren Rosenberg is the owner of Escape Artistry. She’s a Chicago based actor, playwright, and producer who has been ‘locked’ in the Room Escape/Exit Games industry as a producer and designer since 2013 (with no intentions of escaping any time soon). Maren has a BFA in Acting and Theatre Arts from University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She is the former Executive Producer for Room Escape Adventures which produces ‘Trapped in a Room with a Zombie’ and ‘Trapped in a Room with a Zombie II: Still Hungry’.   In this episode, we discuss: ·      A career path in the arts and acting ·      A surprise transition from acting to entrepreneurship ·      The team it takes to start a business ·      Going from a supply and demand business with two competitors to a differentiation business with 17 competitors ·      The wild world of escape rooms ·      Being able to provide employment to artists who may not always find artistic work ·      Team building exercises that escape rooms can provide ·      The importance of trust in a business relationship ·      Hiring for fit and not for skill ·      Making an exit strategy part of your long term business plans   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Maren was so generous to share her better business practices regarding learning the ropes of artistic entrepreneurship.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Maren Rosenberg:   Website: www.escape-artistry.com                www.marenrosenberg.com   Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean founded Managed Solution in 2002, after receiving his degree from the University of San Diego, because he believed there was a better way to provide IT talent to help businesses with their exponential growth of data, technology needs and business challenges as it relates to IT. Sean is equally passionate about both people and technology, and truly believes it’s about finding the right people to empower the right technology solutions that can take your business to where it needs to go. When Sean isn’t discussing business objectives or learning about the latest and greatest technology, he enjoys travelling, spending time with his family, and fishing. In this episode, we discuss: ·      The social impact of the internet ·      Putting yourself in other people’s shoes to better serve them ·      Access to data as critical to success ·      Creating a roadmap to success through a technological lens ·      How IT can improve customer experience ·      Finding the right tool to solve the problems that need solving   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Sean was so generous to share his better business practices regarding how technology can help your business.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Sean Ferrel: Website: www.managedsolution.com Managed Solution LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/managedsolution Sean’s LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-ferrel-6427a45/       Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Sanfillipo   – Building Better Businesses with Steve Eschbach   Episode 073 Joe Sanfillipo   Joe Sanfillipo is a digital marketer, entrepreneur, investor, executive producer, and talent manager. He is the Manager of Growth & Partnerships at Today’s Business, a full-service digital marketing agency. As manager of growth and Partnerships, Joe oversees multiple departments including business development, affiliate marketing, and influencer marketing. In addition to that, Joe has started multiple new business ventures and has become a trusted partner to e-commerce brands and professional athletes / influencers.   In this episode, we discuss: -Developing your interests and finding the best career fit in college -Tailoring your digital marketing to what you offer and what you are looking for -Analytics and tracking your marketing efforts as the key to success -Identifying your business challenges, resources, and target audience to develop the best marketing strategy -Why SEO is important for your marketing and the steps needed to maximize it -The two types of landing pages and which one is best for you -Retargeting with cookies to generate more leads -Not wasting time and getting an early start   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Joe was so generous to share his better business practices regarding digital marketing.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Joe Sanfillipo:   Website: www.tbsmo.com                      www.undraftedventures.com   Instagram @joesanfillipo LinkedIn: @joesanfillipo   Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Fialkovich   – Building Better Businesses with Steve Eschbach   Episode 072 Jessica Fialkovich   Jessica Fialkovich is the Founder of Exit Factor, an innovative firm that teaches entrepreneurs how to buy and sell businesses through programs, courses, and consulting. Jessica founded the firm after building the fastest growing and most successful business brokerage practice in the United States. She is the Co-Owner of Transworld Business Advisors in the Rocky Mountain and Dallas Downtown locations. Jessica is an entrepreneur at heart and has successfully built and sold two startups alongside her husband and business partner, Al. She is an active board member for entrepreneurial groups including serving as President for Entrepreneur's Organization in Colorado. In this episode, we discuss: -Owning your own business as the best way to secure your future -Giving your client a roadmap to sell their business within a short time frame -Revisiting with those who have sold their business and seeing the positive impact on their lives -The difference between an exit plan and an exit option -Creating more competition for your business with exit options -Preparing to sell your business and acquiring businesses instead -Jessica’s Exit Factor program to increase value to the business sale community -Taking your business from unsellable to sellable in less than twelve months -Strategies to increase your business’ value in less than six months -Changes in how business is done post-Covid -The different micro-cultures in the US and how they affect the deal making process   I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Jessica was so generous to share her better business practices regarding getting the best return possible when selling a business.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Jessica Fialkovich: website: www.exitfactor.com email: [email protected]       Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Cagnetta   – Building Better Businesses with Steve Eschbach   Episode 071 Andy Cagnetta   Andy Cagnetta is the CEO of Transworld Commercial Real Estate Florida. He began his career in commercial real estate and business sales in 1995 when he joined Transworld Business Brokers. Now over 40 years old, Transworld Business Advisors is the number one business brokerage, commercial Real estate and an international Franchisor through a partnership with United Franchise Group. They have currently over 500 business brokers in the organization and have over 5,000 businesses for sale. They also have 200+ franchisees in the US and several internationally. Andy is a recognized speaker and trainer in the subject of business sales, commercial real estate, valuation and negotiations. He has taught his self-authored negotiations class to associations, construction companies, media sales teams, government agencies, high school & university students. He is a member of several non-profit boards, but he is partial to his signature charity event “Andy’s Family Pasta Dinner” is in its 20h year and has raised nearly $2M. He is father to two. Rachel, Lauren and his wife, Allison are Hollywood residents (Allison since 1970, Andy since 1994).  In this episode, we discuss: -A brief history of Transworld -The effects of the Great Recession on buying and selling businesses -The Great Resignation as a catalyst to make more people consider business ownership -Why it is one of the best times ever to sell your business -Why overpricing your business hurts the marketplace -How a cashless society helps business owners capture revenue -Why educated buyers and sellers are the best customers -How the quality and quantity of a business’s earnings drive multiples -The time it takes to sell your business -Projected trends and data vs. real data when evaluating a business I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Andy was so generous to share his better business practices regarding buying or selling a business.   Please let me know your thoughts!   Connect with Andy Cagnetta:   Website: www.tworld.com Email: [email protected]     Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/ https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Founder of The Change Coaches and author of Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You, LaTonya Wilkins specializes in coaching executives on leading “below the surface” to build psychologically safe relationships with their teams across differences. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and has inspired audiences all over the world. Through highly customized coaching, culture academies, and human-centered design services, LaTonya and her team work with executives, upwardly mobile professionals, and teams to create cultures of belonging, motivating environments, and amplify the “only ones” at work so they feel more valued, heard, and engaged at work.    LaTonya has worked with leaders at many well-known companies including Google, GE, The New York Times, and several nonprofits. She built her career working in HR, talent management, and learning & development at Fortune 500 companies before teaching and taking on progressive leadership roles at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business. LaTonya was rated an “excellent” teacher by her undergraduate business students, and she is also a board member of the LGBTQ+ Alumni Association at Indiana University. She is currently the President of the True Star Youth Foundation board, which is a digital marketing social entrepreneurship company that recently received a Google Impact Award.    LaTonya has been featured in publications such as Fast Company, Well+ Good, and Inc Magazine. She also gained global recognition when she was recognized on the most inclusive HR influencer list in 2019.  In this episode, we discuss: Discovering your entrepreneurial spirit at a young age collecting golf balls Trusting yourself and proving the naysayers wrong Intrinsic motivation as a better change maker than extrinsic motivation Creating psychologically safe realtionships in the workplace Empathy as an important leadership quality The long game required to create diversity in your workplace I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. LaTonya was so generous to share her better business practices regarding connecting better to lead better and thrive. Please let me know your thoughts! Connect with LaTonya Wilkins:  Website: www.leadingbelowthesurface.com LinkedIn:  @latonyawilkins Instagram: @latonyacoaching Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/  https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meghan Lynch is the CEO of Six-Point Creative, a brand strategy agency that helps family businesses double their business without losing their existing customers or values. As part of her mission to help family businesses breakthrough growth plateaus, Meghan has served as an expert advisor to clients in a wide range of industries, from fast-casual restaurants to industrial manufacturers. Meghan was named an Enterprising Women of the Year in 2019 and enjoys testing her limits as an endurance runner.  In this episode, we discuss: - Combining your values with the purpose of your business - How to efficiently initiate a growth plan for your business - Moving past the fears that hold you back from growth - Placing your brand and story front and center  - Focusing on the frequent touch points of your business - Talking to those that your business serves to learn how to create more growth I hope you will find this episode as exciting and informative as I have. Meghan was so generous to share her better business practices regarding aligning your values with your brand. Please let me know your thoughts! Connect with Meghan Lynch:  Website: https://sixpointcreative.com Connect with Steve Eschbach Websites: https://www.tworld.com/locations/naperville/  https://eschbachassoc.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqgICqaSI8xE2GRYY1HWJA  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speschbach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveeschbach/  Twitter: @ SteveEschbach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices