LIVELIHOOD

When you build your own business for the first time, the business often becomes an extension of yourself. Many entrepreneurs find that their company becomes an integral and often central part of their lives; they cannot imagine what they’d do if they lost the business they’d worked so hard to create and scale. But sometimes, we do not have control over whether or not our business remains under our control. Losing control of the company you created makes an entrepreneur reach deep inside to redefine their unique competitive advantage. Deborah Richman joins us on ENTREPRENEURradio to discuss what she learned to do-- and stop doing-- in order to remain resilient in the face of this kind of crisis. Deborah Richman’s early success was as the CEO and founder of Deborah International, but in a fallout with her partner, she lost control of the company she had invested so much personal capital to build. “You just have to reinvent yourself and move on,” she says in her interview on Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind  “You have to just dust yourself off, brush yourself off and get up.” Deborah threw herself into new projects, building on the product, client and distributor base she knew so well. Following the advice of a mentor, an artist who encouraged her to create a product of her own, she designed the successful Lady In Red fragrance line and rebuilt her company as DKUSA. Resilience is a core competency for an entrepreneur. “You can always move on past mistakes or crises, no matter how bleak your prospects may seem,” she affirms. For more on Deborah’s insights and experience, click on her episode of “Inside The Entrepreneurial Mind,” on ENTREPRENEURradio.org.

Losing your job can be one of the most terrifying experiences in a person’s life. For corporations, the process of employee lay-offs is also painful and they risk  a backlash against the company's products and services from consumers who have friends and family affected by the decision. Entrepreneur Tom Shea, founder and CEO of Right Management outplacement services, saw an opportunity to provide companies with a service that could be offered to their employees. Outplacement services turned the focus from what was lost to what was possible. “Someone has to keep them inspired,”  he explains in his interview with “Inside The Entrepreneurial Mind” on ENTREPRENEURradio. Tom Shea first got involved in the outplacement business after leaving his job as a Human Resources professional for a Florida hospital. Tom started Right Management with some coaxing from his wife, who now co-owns the business with him. He says he’s not looked back since. “Here we are 36 years later and I haven’t had to get a real job yet,” he jokes in his interview. Leaving a steady job for an uncertain marketplace was stressful, and Tom brings his sensitivity about those challenges to his work with  companies and eployees grappling with change and uncertainty. Tom found satisfaction in nurturing his entrepreneurial  spirit, and he encourages people to explore  that path as well as the employee- for- hire route.  “I wanted to do something that would be of value,” he says, and at Right Management, he helps other turn endings into new beginnings. For more on Tom’s insights on turning a personal experience into a business concept, listen to his interview streaming now on ENTREPRENEURradio.org.

Verne Harnish, the CEO and founder of Gazelles.com, teaches more than business management. He’s the go-to guy for entrepreneurial companies who want to know the tactics for launching and growing organizations that redefine their marketplaces.  This week, in his interview with ENTREPRENEURradio he shares his roadmap for success- what he calls the Rockefeller Habits- for flourishing in highly competitive marketplaces. Verne Harnish is in high demand as a speaker, and educator. His personal entrepreneurial journey drives his insight regarding the risks, strategies and mindsets that are essential tools for entrepreneurs  shared inside a classroom. Today, Verne Harnish fosters the spirit of entrepreneurship in people and companies worldwide around the country through his learning platform, which includes books, conferences, and other learning resources that are available at his website Gazelles.com. To hear more of Verne Harnish’s story and the philosophy behind Gazelles, listen to his featured interview streaming this week on ENTREPRENEURradio.    

Marc Ganzi is a respected and powerful business leader in the communications field. He’s the sole founder and CEO of Global Tower Partners, the largest privately-owned tower operator in the United States for many years. He’s also co-founder of Eureka Broadband Corporation, a leading provider of high-speed data services. All this, while earning quite a reputation as a world-class amateur polo player: Marc and his team won the U. S. Open Polo Championship in 2009, and he has teamed-up with the British Royal Family in the field. In his insightful interview with ENTREPRENEURradio, Marc discusses the values and strategies that have served him well throughout the years. He witnessed the nearly unprecedented growth of the wireless communications field, and is one of the few investors to emerge successfully from the Dot-Com Crash of the late 90s. Listeners will get an insider’s perspective on the shifts that have changed the financial landscape globally, and on the growth and development of Marc’s own career. Marc also shares insights on how to keep the tricky balance between risk and cautiousness; between leadership and teamwork; between openness to change and commitment to a vision. Ultimately, listeners of ENTREPRENEURradio.org will walk away with insights of their own - and quite a few valuable tips on the future of entrepreneurship from one of the visionaries of the modern business world.  

Jack Daly’s life-long love affair with entrepreneurship led him to his current role as a celebrated professional speaker, whose high-octane presentations on sales management have inspired individuals from companies of all sizes, trade associations, conventions, non-profits and schools. Jack is the CEO (“Chief Energizing Officer”) of Professional Sales Coach Inc. Jack’s workshops are based on his real-world experience as CEO/entrepreneur: he’s taken six different start-ups to the national level. In his conversation with ENTREPRENEURradio, Jack gives the listener an inside tour of the entrepreneurial mind-set. He emphasizes what he sees as the essential tools for success: goal-setting, accountability to others, and, of course, passion. His most recent book, “Hyper Sales Growth,” was the #1 best-selling business book on Amazon in seven countries, and his website is a great source for companies looking to reenergize their sales organization. A prolific author, he’s currently working on five new books, including a series called “I’m No Kid; I’m an Entrepreneur,” which aims to motivate young people. He relates an anecdote from early in his career, when he took up a senior-level position in which he had little emotional investment – a mistake against which he cautions his audience. He says: “If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you should quit and go find something you’re passionate about.”Are you passionate about what you’re doing, or are you just fulfilling expectations?    

Tere Blanca is the president, CEO and owner of Blanca Commercial Real Estate Inc. (a leading Miami-based commercial property real estate advisory services and brokerage firm). Among her many distinctions, she was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Real Estate” in 2013 by Commercial Property Executive. Blanca’s career in the real estate field has deep roots. Entrepreneurial inspiration can be traced back to her grandfather (who was a prominent banker in Cuba before leaving that country in the 60s), and both her parents, (who were involved in real estate ventures in Puerto Rico). She has worked for over twenty years with some of to the top real estate firms in South Florida, which makes it even more remarkable that one day she decided to break away from the corporate world to establish her own company. In her revealing interview with ENTREPRENEURradio, Blanca talks to us about the tragic accident that suddenly took her mother’s life. It caused Blanca to reconsider her career and ask herself a question every entrepreneur should consider: “If you think you’re going to be doing something five years from now, what’s keeping you from doing it today?” She discusses how she managed to start her own company while keeping the good will of her former employers, and the tactics that helped Blanca Commercial Real Estate Inc. flourish during the 2008 real estate crisis. Tere Blanca is a perfect example of how a successful businessperson can daringly transition away from the corporate world into their own exciting territory, while keeping their connections intact and even collaborating with their former companies. What motivations and strategies do you have to smoothly break away from the corporate pack? Download this podcast at ENTREPRENEURradio.org for more.

When Roger Duarte (a former investment banker from Monterrey, Mexico) decided it was time to create his own Miami-based business at the age of 24, he did his research. He became interested in the South Florida stone crab market, which has been dominated by Joe’s Stone Crab for 100 years. Roger embraced the chance to challenge the established leader. Using a “blue ocean” strategy, he founded George Stone Crab in 2009, with the aim to offer fast, fresh delivery of stone crabs. Roger’s entrepreneurial instinct thrives in challenging the status-quo. That instinct has quickly turned his company into the largest distributor of Florida stone crabs to Latin America. It also got Roger noticed by Forbes. In 2012, they picked him as a top entrepreneur for their annual list of “30 Under 30.” Roger’s new venture, the seafood restaurant chain My Ceviche, even hopes to dethrone sushi as your raw seafood of choice. Roger’s hiring policy also defies conventions. He famously hires two top candidates for a position, and has them compete against each other for two weeks. The best worker gets to keep the job. Competition is ultimately about forcing entrepreneurs (and the people who work with them) to become the best version of themselves. Are you embracing the competitive nature of your business in ways that make you challenge the status quo?

“In life as in football, hit the line hard. And then hit the line hard again.” This is John Offerdahl’s mantra, one that inspired the ex-Miami Dolphin in his transition from the football field to the equally competitive entrepreneurship field. John and his wife Lynn own and run Offerdahl’s Café Grill, a fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in healthy, just-grilled chicken, steak, and seafood. It’s not the first successful restaurant venture in the life of the five-time NFL Pro Bowl player.. During his legendary 8-year career as a linebacker with the Dolphins (playing for coach Don Shula and alongside Dan Marino), John designed, launched and operated Offerdahl’s Bagel Gourmet. It might seem that a bagel store is an unlikely concept for an athlete, especially a Wisconsin native of Norwegian background, but John’s persistence and canny branding made a local favorite with his unique interpretation of the breakfast staple. He expanded to ten stores that he eventually sold to Boston Market and merged into Einstein Bros. Bagels. John was drawn back to the entrepreneurial game with his next idea: healthy protein, freshly grilled.  Offerdahl’s Café Grill opened in 2000, and now operates in seven locations. In his candid interview with ENTREPRENEURradio, John discusses the importance of resilience and persistence, as well as the initial marketing challenges that came with the transition from bagels to an entirely different dining experience. John is always ready to tackle obstacles: “Don’t let the risk prevent you from taking the first step. That first step will create some momentum, and before you know it, you’ll be tackling your dreams.” ENTREPRENEURradio provides you with what you need to know to envision, build, grow and scale your business. Jump in the conversation and join us in spreading the word; “Like” us onFacebook, “Follow” us on Twitter, and add us on Google+.

In order to build a successful and satisfying personal career path, we need to be paying attention.  What’s going on around me?  How am I doing? What do I want?I This week, our guest is Adam Liss, and he has some very useful skills for figuring out “what’s next”.  Adam teaches the skills of mindfulness, which has been defined as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. In the tumult of economic and organizational upheaval, it’s hard to pay attention. So many things distract us: worries about money and job security;  endlessly expanding to do lists; “what if” analyses as we try to predict, prepare or prevent something in the future. Techniques for mindfulness are more important during changes in our lives than ever before. Adam, Director of Cape Stress Reduction and Optimal Health in Cape Cod Massachusetts, understands that the mind is known to be a factor in stress and stress-related disorders, and that mindfulness meditation exercises can  positively effect a range of autonomic physiological processes, lowering blood pressure and reducing overall arousal and emotional re-activity (that "fight or flight" response). Adam Liss graduated from of Amherst College with a BA degree in Cultural Anthropology. He established a personal meditation practice back in 1975, when “meditation” had a reputation of being  “far out" of the mainstream practices of health and wellness. His center offers workshops and classes in weight management, stress reduction and smoking cessation. He partners with Cape Cod Youth Suicide Prevention Project,  teaching mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and an Inner Resilience training class for students, teachers and school-based staff members. Adam  trained at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's Stress Reduction Clinic founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Take a listen to our in-depth audio interview and discover how awareness of your breath, and paying attention to to your emotions, can give you a trustworthy compass for navigating your personal career path.

BEVERLY RAPHAEL: BARRIER BREAKER, CULTURE BUILDER Beverly Raphael is the President and CEO of RCC Associates Inc, a general contracting firm. She is also the first woman to gain recognition as “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Wharton Club of South Florida. It is one of the most prestigious awards in our business community. Beverly has earned it. When a sudden tragedy claimed the life of her late husband, she decided the best way to honor his legacy was by continuing his work and leading his construction company. There were many skeptics in the male-dominated construction business, but Beverly quickly defied expectations and earned the respect of her peers. She proved herself by solidifying RCC’s company culture. In the process, she expanded its customer base and tripled its revenue: RCC is now a 100+ million-per-year company. Beverly turned her initial unfamiliarity with the construction business into an incentive for learning more, and surrounding herself with an experienced, supportive staff. “Company culture is key,” she tells us. “That’s why people stay.” Some of her core staff has been with RCC for over 27 years. How do entrepreneurs push forward through times of adversity? How do they turn apparent disadvantages into powerful assets? Listen to Beverly’s revealing conversation with ENTREPRENEURradio for more insights.    

The Livelihood show has been bringing you what’s next in your career path for many years.  We are proud to announce our partnership with “Entrepreneur radio: What you need to know” – going inside the entrepreneurs mind to seek answers and gain insight on how to build a successful world class business. Twice a month Livelihood will welcome a new CEO interview in conjunction with Entrepreneur Radio. The rest of the month we will continue to bring you’re the interviews that define what’s next on your career path as we always have. In our inaugural launch we are proud to bring you Bruce Turkel, CEO of Turkel Brands. Bruce uses a unique combination of creativity and business acumen to help companies build their businesses by making their brands more valuable. His Seven Steps to Building Brand Value have guided countless clients (including Hasbro, Nike, American Express, Charles Schwab, Citicorp, Discovery Networks, Bacardi, Sol Melia Hotels, Azamara Club Cruises ) to greatness.  He is a serial entrepreneur, currently focused on his brand management agency - Turkel Brands - headquartered in Miami, Florida and his blog Turkel Talks. A captivating speaker and author, Bruce has spoken at MIT, Harvard, TEDx, and hundreds of corporate and industry conferences. Bruce appears regularly on FOX Business and has been on CNN, ABC, CBS, and NPR. He has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Communication Arts, and AdWeek.  Designer, speaker, dad, husband, musician, doodler, runner and Miamian to the core, he talks with ENTREPRENEURradio about the importance of inventing your own life. Click here to see everything ENTREPRENEURradio has to offer and subscribe to the Livelihood show to be a part of our fantastic future!

Trisha Torrey identified a need for a new role in health care. Some call it a navigator; some call it a patient advocate. Tricia is a pathfinder in the emerging field of professional health care advocacy. When a medical crisis happens to us, to or to someone we love, we find ourselves literally in a fight for our lives with little time for preparation or negotiation. We struggle to come up to speed on a disturbing new vocabulary, a complex set of decisions with unpredictable outcomes, decisions about he costs of health care that can bankrupt a family. Trisha Torrey realized that we need trusted advocates for health care issues just as we do for issues related to financial planning and legal issues. Health care advocates, she says, “are knowledgeable about medical issues, and health care rules and regulations; their role is to help extend the quality and the quantity of life by helping a patient and their family ask the right questions.” Professionals in health care advocacy demonstrate a deep body of knowledge about medical conditions, treatments, protocols and resources—not as medical experts but as an experienced guide in this unwanted journey. They balance skills of empathy and objectivity to help patients understand the new world of medical information; understand the choices available; and how to approach decision making from a perspective of personal values and priorities. Trisha Torrey wasn't a health care provider when she began this journey- she was a patient, struggling for survival. She learned, the hard way, that knowing the right questions makes all the difference. She leveraged her skills as an educator and a marketing specialist to help establish a new professional identity not only for herself, but for hundreds of people who see people as more than patients, but as educated and knowledgeable consumers and partners in the health care process. You can listen to the show here or subscribe in iTunes!

Here’s how today’s guest Jody Johnson, caught my attention:  she sent me  a marketing email which reads: Have you planned your summer vacation yet? Why not? Is it because business is keeping you busy? Being a business owner is more than owning your own business. It's having the freedom to go on vacation with your family and having your business run without you. Jody Johnson is Founder and Co-Owner of Action Coach, a business coaching program designed to help smaller businesses achieve significant growth by understanding and managing  people, strategy, execution and cash flow.  By helping businesses identify these points of leverage, clients routinely double or triple their revenues – even during economic downturns. Together with her partner, Douglas Barra, Jody has a vision for her organization– to transform the economic landscape of Florida by helping small businesses succeed – and dedicates her time, energy, and passion to helping business owners prosper. Do you have the freedom to go on vacation and have you business run without you? Jody has some ideas…

Don't miss PhilanthroFest this weekend in Miami!  In honor of the grand event, we present our interview with Estrellita, creator or PhilanthroFest. PhilanthoFest Saturday, April 12, 2014 Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus 12 pm to 6 pm 300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33132 What do you get when you combine philanthropy with a festival? Philanthro-fest. Philanthrofest is an all day outdoor Miami street festival promoting over 100 organizations, with causes ranging from Guitars over Guns Organization, also known as G.O.G.O. to Americans for Immigrant Justice to urban gardens producing fresh produce in the inner city. How did PhilanthroFest Start? How did volunteerism and social justice achieve rock star status? It started when attorney, Estrellita Sibila, brought her passion for Miami along with her considerable planning skills together with a list of the most interesting people she knows. Estrellita has the skills and abilities to take something from an idea to an event. She knows how to build alliances across interests and organizations so that everyone feels ownership of the idea. From Philanthrofest Website: PhilanthroFest is a volunteer based organization that connects people, passion and philanthropy in South Florida.  The PhilanthroFest team celebrates the South Florida arts community, philanthropic organizations and community resources in a yearly, large scale community event. The event, now in its second year, connects 1000’s of South Florida residents to valuable resources and services in the areas of Business & Economic Development, City/County Services, Civic Engagement/Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Cultural/Arts/Humanities, Educational, Environmental, Health/Human Services/Disease Prevention, Poverty/Welfare, Animal Related, Food/Agriculture/Nutrition, Recreation & Sports, and Youth Development & Services. PhilanthroFest features more than 100 South Florida non-profits and community agencies, art, music and dance entertainment, a kid’s zone, a community stage, healthy living section, and other family friendly attractions. The event takes place annually in April and is free and open to the public with the goal of connecting potential volunteers and donors to not-for-profit organizations while creating an environment that promotes civic engagement, deepens community connections and sparks the philanthropic spirit of South Florida. PhilanthroFest’s goal includes providing educational resources to non-profits in the areas of social media and on-line engagement, digital marketing and web development.  PhilanthroFest creates collaborations between public/private partners and industry experts to create the PhilanthroFest Non-Profit Community Engagement Institutes, educational workshops and hands-on learning opportunities that help strengthen non-profits’ communications strategy, donor loyalty and volunteer engagement.  PhilanthroFest helps non-profits excel while connecting the community to their cause. Learn how you too can gain this skill set and more: Join us for our conversation with Estrellita Sibila on Livelihood Show!

What happens when you realize that you’re the bottleneck inhibiting your business’s growth and profitability? Nina Kaufman is a business attorney and small business champion who caught my attention with her Checklist for Small Business Owners. Here are the first few questions: Ever feel like you can’t take time off – even one day a week seems unrealistic Ever miss time from a family vacation because you were back in the office fighting fires Are you fed up not making the kind of money that can support the life you want to lead Are you working way too hard for way too little money to show for it Do you feel constrained and frustrated by your inability to make a greater impact in the world If your business is based on your knowledge and expertise, you’re a professional services business. And the trap that many professional services businesses fall into, says Nina, is you can only sell the number of hours you have available to give to clients.  Suddenly you’re a slave to your own business, and the vision of “being your own boss” is distressingly like working for a terrible boss. When Nina found herself in that trap, in your small law practice, she took it as a challenge: what are the essential elements for building a million dollar road map where you leverage, rather than sell, your expertise. When Nina Kaufman asks: when would it be a good time to think about redesigning your business model so that it’s more self-sustaining and less dependent on you? She’s really wondering : When would the answer be it be “NOW”?  Nina Kaufman, owner of Ask The Business Lawyer Nina L. Kaufman, Esq., owner of Ask The Business Lawyer, is an award-winning small business attorney, speaker, and Entrepreneur Magazine online contributor. Nina has a personal mission of offering “straight-talk legal to bolster your business.” Companies in the consulting, creative, and professional services  arena save time, money, and aggravation with the foundation of contracts, agreements they need for success. -- the legal bedrock they need to build self-sustaining companies. Her creative approaches to serving the small business community garnered her the SBA’s 2011 regional Women in Business Champion of the Year Award. Her multi-faceted business model, developed from over 15 years of small business legal experience guides “knowledge economy” firms through the legal issues they face in starting and running their own companies. Her humorous, practical understanding  of the issues that cause deer-in-the-headlights paralysis is reflected in the titles of some of her programs: What is the solution to small business slavery? How do we choose business partners who won’t [BLEEP] us? How can we train our clients to pay us? Do you know where you intellectual property is tonight?and she has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Crain’s NY, Forbes.com, SmallBusinessComputing.com, PINK magazine, The New York Law Journal, the American Bar Association Journal, and Entrepreneur magazine and has appeared on MSNBC and Fox Channel 5′s Good Day NY program. Nina is an educator at heart, which is reflected in her approach to legal services and pricing models, her writing, her professional speaking, and the online resources she has created for entrepreneurs at askthebusinesslawyer.com. I’m taking her up on her offer to Livelihood listeners  for her Million Dollar Map program. http://askthebusinesslawyer.com/