The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Best-Selling Author, Founder and Chair of NextChapter, Faisal Hoque. Faisal briefly talks about his best-selling book, Everything Connects, and gives the main takeaways readers should look for. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how humanity, science and technology, and how this understanding can help leaders to be more creative and make a bigger impact.Faisal believes that the secret to making a lasting impact as an entrepreneur is rooted in self-kindness and empathy. He emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself both physically and emotionally and being attuned to the needs of the world and to those they are trying to serve. By doing so, leaders can not only avoid burnout but also be better equipped to handle the pressures and responsibilities of being a leader. Key points from the Episode:Overview on Faisal Hoque’s Work of ExpertiseKeyTakeaways on Faisal’s best selling book “Everything Connects”How to Stay in Your Zone of Genius as LeadersTips on How to Stay in the Zone of Genius as Leaders About Faisal Hoque: Faisal  is an accomplished entrepreneur, noted thought leader, technology innovator, advisor to CEOs, BODs, and the US federal government, and an author with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies. They focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes. He is a 3 times winning Founder and CEO of Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ awards.Throughout his career, he has developed over 20 commercial business and technology platforms and worked with public and private sector giants such as US Department of Defense (DoD), GE, MasterCard, American Express, Northrop Grumman, CACI, PepsiCo, IBM, Home Depot, Netscape, Infosys, French Social Security Services, Gartner, Cambridge Technology Partners, JP Morgan Chase, CSC, and others. What sets Faisal apart is the unique position and perspective he has always maintained, which is grounded in hardcore technology with deep roots in leading-edge management science.His broad areas of expertise include innovation, leadership, management, sustainable growth, transformation, strategy, governance, M&A, frameworks, and digital platforms. He holds a strong belief that it is through knowledge sharing that we may provide the greatest clarity on how to improve our collective future. As a globetrotter, he is passionate about nature, people, culture, music, and design, and he loves to cook. About NextChapter: NextChapter is a research organization that focuses on sustainable and transformational changes. The organization brings together experts from a variety of disciplines to collaborate on research projects aimed at creating a more sustainable future. The organization's multidisciplinary approach allows it to address complex issues from multiple perspectives, and its focus on sustainable and transformational changes means that it is dedicated to finding solutions that not only address immediate problems, but also create long-term positive change.About Shadoka: The Bengali word ‘SHADOKA‘ is derived from the sanskrit word sādhaka. A sādhaka is a practitioner of a particular sādhanā. A sādhaka, or practitioner, is one who skillfully applies… mind and intelligence in practice towards a goal. Sanskrit word sādhanā, literally translates to “a means of accomplishing something”.Their ultimate goal is to generate various fresh ideas, dynamic breakthroughs, long-term prospects, and techniques for monitoring them. As a result, their clients' financial success is a byproduct of what they do. Tweetable Moments:6:03 - “Accept the change and the adversity that comes along with doing the work that you love, try to make an impact, and be patient with whatever you're trying to do.”12:50 - “Because when people are struggling with work or life, often enough, it's not because they want to know how to solve the problem. They want to know that there is a shoulder they can lean on and that the person they're talking to is with them.” Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Shadoka website at https://shadoka.com/Check out Shadoka on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/shadoka/Check out NextChapter on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextchapterorg/Check out the NextChapter website at https://nextchapter.org/Check out Faisal Hoque on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/faisalhoque/Check out Faisal Hoque on his website at https://faisalhoque.com/Check out Faisal Hoque on Twitter at https://twitter.com/faisal_hoqueDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time! More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Podcast Host, Strategic Consultant of Expert In You , Ann Carden. Ann is a consultant and coach who specializes in helping people turn their expertise into a successful consulting business. Her unique top-down approach allows her clients to earn six figures by leveraging their suite of services. Her approach has helped many of her clients earn six figures by leveraging their expertise and turning it into a successful consulting business. Her clients have achieved this by having a clear value proposition, a robust suite of services, and effective marketing and business development strategies. Ann's top-down approach has proven to be highly effective in helping her clients turn their expertise into a successful consulting business. Her clients can tap into their expertise's full potential and earn a significant income by doing what they love.Ann pointed out that one of the challenges many business consultants face is the sudden shift from employee to business owner. Starting a business requires a wide range of skills and knowledge. Many individuals with an employee mindset may need to gain the necessary experience to take on these responsibilities. She also gave crucial tips to help coaches and consultants position themselves for business growth and success. On top of that, she emphasized understanding the buying behaviour of high-ticket clients and the steps coaches and consultants can take to convert these individuals into sales. Key points from the Episode:How to shift from an employee mindset to a business owner?What are the tent poles of business growth for coaches and consultants?The Fastest Path Into Creating a Full Time IncomeLeveraging Suite of Services for Revenue GrowthWhere to Look for Bigger Ticket Clients? About Ann Carden: Ann is an interactive motivational speaker, strategic business coach/consultant, 3x author & #1 bestselling author, CEO of A. Carden Inc., and current business owner of Carden Business Consulting/Coaching Solutions and Expert In Your Marketing & Media Agency. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals, have  greater success in their business and lives, through strategic business growth, powerful marketing & sales strategies, and success principles.Ann’s expertise is derived from more than forty-one years in business, marketing, and sales success. Thirteen years in corporate business management, and over thirty years as an entrepreneur and business owner - building and selling five previous businesses. She has educated, influenced, and impacted hundreds of thousands of professionals through keynote speaking, podcasts, virtual stages, workshops, seminars, programs, coaching, and digital platforms.Ann has been featured on ABC, NBC, CW, and FOX, as well as many other online media outlets. Her articles have been published in multiple media sources, such as Small Business Trendsetters and Business Innovators Magazine. She was also chosen by the Six Figure Coach Magazine as one of the top 125 business coaches in the world. She has recently been inducted into Who’s Who In America for Entrepreneurship and Who’s Who In America for Professional Women. About Expert In You: Expert In You is a company that specializes in helping individuals and businesses build expert authority brands that stand out in their industry. The company's strategic approach is designed to help clients get noticed, establish themselves as thought leaders, and ultimately grow their business. In addition to brand development and thought leadership, Expert In You also helps clients with business development. The company works with clients to identify potential clients and develop strategies to convert them into paying customers. This includes training and support for networking, sales, and marketing activities.Expert In You's strategic approach is designed to help clients build an expert authority brand that stands out in their industry. Clients can get noticed and grow their business by developing a solid brand, establishing themselves as thought leaders, and supporting business development. Tweetable Moments:00:48 - “The impact I have is I want to help people turn their expertise, their knowledge, their skills, everything that they come with into a coaching and consulting business to help other people.”02:14 - “And I think that's where a lot of coaches' and consultants' hearts come from. They want to help others not make the same mistakes and fast forward their success.” Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Expert In You website at http://expertinyou.us/, annlcarden.com Check out Ann Carden on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncarden-business-consultant-coach/Check out Ann Carden on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ann.carden.509/Check out Ann Carden on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ann_cardenCheck out Ann Carden on Instagram https://instagram.com/anncardenconsultingDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time! More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the CoFounder of Riverbend Consulting, Lesley Hensell. Riverbend Consulting provides services to assist sellers in navigating the complex rules and regulations of the Amazon marketplace. They may offer guidance on product listing optimization, account management, and compliance with Amazon's policies.   Lesley shares that having a presence on Amazon is crucial for brands as it is one of the biggest platforms for e-commerce and offers a built-in audience of millions of potential customers. Being on Amazon can also help brands grow their business through its powerful e-commerce features, such as search optimization and customer reviews. The platform can also be seen as a small business incubator, providing resources and support for small businesses to reach and grow their customer base.   Key points from the Episode: Overview About Riverbend Consulting 2 Reasons Why Amazon Sellers Get Suspended Tips on Becoming an Amazon Choice Amazon SEO versus Google SEO 2023 Insights About Amazon   About Lesley Hensell: Lesley is co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, whose 85+ employees solve critical problems and offer effective growth strategies for sellers on Amazon and other ecommerce platforms. Lesley oversees Riverbend’s client services team. She has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their suspended Amazon accounts and ASINs back up and running.   Lesley leverages two decades as a small business consultant to solve the underlying business issues in online retail businesses, resulting in improved operations and profitability. She has been an Amazon seller for a decade, thanks to her boys (ages 20 and 15) who do most of the heavy lifting.   A lifelong Longhorns fan, Lesley earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and volunteering for A Wish With Wings, a wish-granting organization for little Texans with life-threatening conditions.   About Riverbend Consulting: Their team comprises ex-Amazon employees and Amazon professionals who will guide you through the tedious Amazon reinstatement process. They help thousands of Amazon sellers in reactivating their accounts and ASINs following a suspension, deactivation, or ban.   With thousands of accounts have been reinstated due to inauthenticity, review manipulation, product quality, policy violations, and other reasons. They provide excellent ongoing services like account maintenance, seller account protection, FBA reimbursements, and Amazon account and ASIN reinstatement.   Their clients come for the appeals but stay for the continuous services, which include:   Reimbursements, ensure that FBA sellers receive every dollar owed to them by Amazon. Account management includes bad feedback removal and customer service communications across several platforms. Seller Account Protection, in which we monitor and respond to performance notifications to ensure the account remains healthy - Account audits for potential acquisitions Project-based consulting services include pick-and-pack engineering, warehouse management audits, and customer service audits, among others.   Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out the Riverbend Consulting website at https://riverbendconsulting.com/about/ Check out Riverbend Consulting on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/riverbend-consulting-amz/ Check out Riverbend Consulting on  Twitter at https://twitter.com/RiverbendConsul Check out Riverbend Consulting on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/riverbendconsulting/ Check out Lesley Hensell on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleyhensell/ Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the CEO and Founder of Ignition, Derek Osgood. Ignition is a platform that helps companies create structured launch plans by providing tools and resources tailored to the launch process's specific communication needs. Derek advises businesses that treating each launch as a smaller version of future launches can help owners establish a defined process for launching new products or services. This approach helps ensure that each launch is well-planned and executed, and helps identify areas for improvement that can be applied to future launches.Additionally, having a tiered launch process that can adapt to different types of launches can be beneficial, as it allows the company to tailor its approach to the specific needs of each launch. Key points from the Episode:What is Launching?Insights on the Launching ProcessDisadvantages in Using Simple PlatformsIgnition versus Project Management Tool About Derek Osgood: Derek is a former marketing exec turned founder, building Ignition – the collaborative GTM platform helping Product and Marketing teams to get new products to market faster and more effectively. Prior to founding Ignition, he was an early hire at Rippling where he stood up the Product Marketing function and helped scale the company to $20M in ARR. As a Product Marketing leader everywhere from startups to major brands like PlayStation, Derek has launched over 100 products and his products have generated over $1B in revenue. Now he’s building the platform he wished he had along the way.He's an executive with broad marketing knowledge and talents. His skill set was polished while running massive P&Ls at PlayStation and constantly performing at startups. It includes all aspects of marketing, such as go-to-market, segmentation, product positioning, user acquisition and engagement, integrated offline marketing, digital performance marketing, creative development, and product management. About Ignition:  It's a collaborative center designed with Product Marketing Alliance to manage GTM activities from start to finish. It assists Product Marketing and Product teams in increasing internal alignment by centralizing launch plans, assets, and execution in a single, visible source of truth, which automates internal communications and predicts whether products will ship on time or not.Ignition has embedded tools to help you execute tasks such as conducting pricing research, monitoring competition intelligence, and recommending planning modifications based on your goals, allowing you to produce better plans faster. Ignition is backed by some of the best investors in the valley, including Bling Capital, Hiten Shah, Jack and Max Altman, and executives from Uber, Opendoor, TechCrunch, Sentry and others. Our founding team has extensive experience building at high-growth, industry-leading companies like Rippling, Facebook, Craft and PlayStation. Tweetable Moments:02:33 - "You need to understand who your competitive landscape looks like, why the thing that you're building is better or different from that."10:14 - "It's never going to be perfect. But ideally what you have is you have frameworks where you have a tiered launch process where you're able to adapt to different shapes and sizes and types of launches with different objectives." Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Ignition website at https://www.haveignition.com/Check out Ignition on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/haveignition/Check out Derek Osgood on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekosgood3/Check out Derek Osgood on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ozbad03?lang=enDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time! More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the Brand Champion and CEO of Brand Iron, Michael Doyle. Michael is an expert in building great brands and Brand Iron helps its clients achieve their desired results. His company, Brand Iron, works with clients to develop a strategic brand plan, make brands quantifiable, trackable and produce desired outcomes.  According to Michael, their team tackles the branding issue from every angle because he strongly believes that a great brand is more than just having a great message and a great persona.   Michael advises business owners to first identify their interests and desired outcomes before seeking help from a branding or marketing company. By having a clear understanding of what they want to achieve, business owners can better evaluate which company will be the best fit to help them reach their goals. He suggests that this understanding will guide them to the right company to collaborate with, and ultimately lead to their desired outcome.   Key points from the Episode: Insight on the 2023 Graphic Design trends Understanding the difference between Brand Strategist and Web Designer Engagement & Consultation   About Michael Doyle: For almost two decades, Michael has been transforming the face of Brand Marketing. He grew DNA Advertising, a tech-based advertising business, into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. In 2000, Michael sold the company as part of a nationwide IPO. Michael launched Brand Iron in 2002 and has since advised hundreds of other companies in a variety of industries throughout the world.   He also loves actively participating in community events and public speaking to educate others on the power and importance of branding and business development. Michael enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for what can be achieved when branding and strategy are aligned. He wants to help others by sharing his network and expertise.   Michael has:  • Built a Denver-based advertising agency into a multi-million dollar company and sold it to a national integrated services provider in 2000. • Served as a National Brand Director for a National Dotcom in preparation for going public. • Has more than 25 years of branding, marketing and advertising experience. • Michael has led more than 450 signature BrandStorm sessions & lead more than 500 brands being developed, has helped companies raise more than 5 billion dollars in capital and helped more than 40 companies get acquired. • Serves on various boards - Return to Prosperity, The Dealmakers Conference, Halen Technology. • Michael facilitates several CEO Groups including the The Dealmakers Conference (PE, RE and Tech networking group) & Emerging Companies Group.   About Brand Iron: Brand Iron is a multi-faceted branding and marketing agency passionate about changing businesses and altering brands. They're a group of independent thinkers, artists, and doers dedicated to producing unparalleled results for our clients.   They have years of experience in creating real-world results for companies in different industries, and know what it takes to make your business stand out.They propel their clients and organizations to new heights by utilizing tried and tested marketing strategies, inspired design, and integrated technological solutions.   Since 2002, Brand Iron has been inventing, defining, and reshaping brands, partnering with businesses seeking to achieve specific goals through their brand. They've worked with over 200 clients around Denver, Colorado, and the country, to build brands and increase revenue.   Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out the Brand Iron website at https://brandiron.net/ Check out Brand Iron on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-iron/ Check out Brand Iron on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brand.iron/ Check out Michael Doyle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandiron/ Check out Michael Doyle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/michael.doyle.731 Check out Michael Doyle on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MichaelSDoyle Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Sigjun Gudjonsdottir, Europe’s #1 Online Best Mentor, Award Winning Business Coach, International Speaker and Bestselling Author of Kickstart Your Online Business: Create an Online Course and Start to Make Sales. Sigjun shares her mission to use online business to accelerate gender equality for female entrepreneurs. She reveals that more than 90% of businesses founded by women generate less than 6 figures per year, which means that they are not contributing to the economy in the way expected of them. Her goal? Increase the contribution of women-owned businesses to overall turnover, which is only 4% at the moment.   She believes women entrepreneurs need to see more role models of women doing what they want to do. She helps women gain self-confidence so they can unleash their full potential. She also shares the best process she discovered when launching a new program. She recommends providing FREE transformation programs so you can convert about 5-50% of customers afterward.   Key Points from the Episode: How to Accelerate Gender Equality for Women Entrepreneurs? How to Manage Risk When Launching a New Program? Guiding Principles for Running a Program   About Sigjun Gudjonsdottir: Sigrun Gudjonsdottir is founder and CEO of Sigrun GmbH, a company that focuses on helping female entrepreneurs turn their passion into a profitable business.   She has combined her unique background in personal development, architecture, software engineering, and business, to offer result-driven online programs and high-impact coaching.   During her 10 years as a CEO, she also consulted numerous startups before she became an entrepreneur herself. Sigrun has trained thousands of entrepreneurs with her live online training and mentored hundreds of passionate entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level. Icelandic by origin but global citizen by heart, she splits her time between Switzerland and Iceland while also traveling the world.   Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out Sigjun Gudjonsdottir’s website at https://www.sigrun.com/ Check out Sigjun Gudjonsdottir on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sigruncom/ Check out Sigjun Gudjonsdottir on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sigruncom Check out Sigjun Gudjonsdottir on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sigruncom/ Check out Sigjun Gudjonsdottir on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sigruncom   Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

1447 - Creating a Course for Success with Nancy Giere

Unlocking Success by Rewriting Subconscious Programming: Insights from Elite Performance Coach Alaina Schwartz On a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, we had the privilege of hosting Alaina Schwartz, Elite Performance Coach and founder of Alaina Schwartz Enterprises. With years of experience empowering small business owners to reach their highest potential, Alaina shared transformative strategies for breaking free from limiting beliefs, working smarter, and finding alignment in business and life. Understanding the Role of Subconscious Programming Alaina explained how subconscious beliefs—often formed during early childhood—can hinder success and fulfillment. These “programs” might make us feel unworthy or demand perfection, leading to overwork, burnout, and self-sabotage. As Alaina says, "Beliefs themselves are just untruths we’ve come to accept as true." By addressing these beliefs, entrepreneurs can unlock their full potential and align with their vision. Alaina shared her unique method of helping clients directly access their subconscious mind to clear these limiting beliefs. This approach empowers her clients to interrupt negative patterns and foster a deeper connection to intuition and creativity, which she identifies as key drivers of success. From Hard Work to Working Smart Drawing from her own experience in the demanding world of music law, Alaina emphasized the importance of shifting from overwork to efficiency. She challenges the deeply ingrained notion that success requires struggle, showing entrepreneurs how to shave 20-30 hours off their workweeks while increasing revenue. Her free four-video mini-course, available at alainaschwartz.com/time, offers actionable steps to implement this change. Self-Love and Its Impact on Business For Alaina, self-love is foundational to both personal well-being and professional success. She teaches her clients that prioritizing their own growth and happiness creates a ripple effect, benefiting their businesses, teams, and relationships. As she notes, "When we fuel our own tanks, spectacular results happen in our business." If you’re ready to perform at your highest level, break free from self-sabotaging patterns, and build a life aligned with your values, visit alainaschwartz.com to explore Alaina’s resources and coaching programs.   Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest   Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Find Alaina at: https://www.alainaschwartz.com/ On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainaschwartz/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alaina.schwartz7 On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alaina.schwartz/   Want to know more about subconscious programming? Read more on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-wellness-awareness/201212/affirmations How to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs: https://www.integritycoaching.co.uk/blog/overcoming-the-challenges-of-headship/self-limiting-beliefs/ Self-love for Entrepreneurs: https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/i-found-success-with-these-5-critical-self-care-habits/480697 Boost Productivity for Entrepreneurs: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/06/16/10-ways-entrepreneurs-can-boost-productivity-and-work-smarter/   Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence:   We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.  

In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Carly Cais, Founder and CEO of RevvSpark. Carly shares her passion for helping B2B companies succeed by producing full funnel content and copywriting for them to increase retention and sales. She explains the importance of providing a great onboarding experience with their customers - onboarding scripts, email sequences, PDFs, anything that can add value to the customer. Their objective? Ensure that the content their customers post is aligned with how their audience wants to interact with their business. Carly says things have changed a lot in B2B since the Internet exploded. She says many B2B buyers no longer want a full sales process where they have to deal with a salesperson. They want to self-educate and get as much information online from your website or other digital touchpoints for legitimacy. She says their mission at RevvSpark is to ensure that their clients have a very robust digital library that people can tap into and self-educate to get to the point where all sales calls close around 50% or more.   Key Points from the Episode: How Can Content Increase Customer Retention for B2B? What are Customers Looking for Today More Than 5-10 Years Ago? Understanding the Modern B2B Buyer   About Carly Cais:  Carly J. Cais (Founder and CEO, RevvSpark) started in marketing over 20 years ago, first in B2C and then B2B. Author of the upcoming book “Startup to Scaleup '' and CEO of content marketing agency RevvSpark, she is on a mission to grow businesses with creative “Conversion Content” that enhances internal teams and drives demand.   About RevvSpark:  RevvSpark is a content and copywriting agency that provides Conversion Content for demand generation, content marketing and sales enablement. It was launched in 2021, originally as a sales and marketing consultancy, then rebranded as an agency. Their team spans the globe with B2B content and copywriting experts. Founder and CEO Carly J. Cais brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, revenue operations, and sales enablement for SaaS organizations. RevvSpark focuses on B2B businesses, primarily SaaS and services. They typically work with Growth Managers, VPs of Marketing, CMOs, CMOs, and CROs to amplify their efforts and help the business get to the next level. They create words, layout and images that convince and convert. They also help accelerate the growth of mid-stage businesses by complementing what internal teams can accomplish. They provide marketing content to generate demand in the market, encourage prospects to take the next step in the buyer's journey and convert visitors into buyers (MoFu/ToFu content). RevvSpark's focus on excellence in the middle and bottom of the funnel. They delve into buyer psychology and buyer pain points, product expertise, long-tail keyword research, and leverage research and interviews with SMBs to create content that speaks to the target audience, exactly at their stage of the buying journey. They also create internal enablement content for sales teams to convert sales reps into seasoned professionals, reduce ramp-up time, document internal processes, and upgrade skill sets.   Tweetable Moments: 1:04 - "PDFs or any product documentation and anything that can add value to the customer, like providing them more information about the industry segment that they're in, that you get from your product and services so you can be the expert and the authority in your field and give more value to your customers." 01:42 - "We want to make sure that the content you're putting out there is always going to align with how your customer wants to interact with you, how they want to buy from you, and how they want to buy more from you."   Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out RevvSpark’s website at https://www.revvspark.com/ Check out RevvSpark on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/revvspark/ Check out Carly Cais on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyjcais/ Check out RevvSpark on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/revvspark Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.

In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Greg Edwards, CEO of Canauri. Greg shares the process by which Canauri could protect, detect and stop ransomware caused by cybercriminals. He says their system could recognize it, kill it and isolate the machine running the ransomware attacks. He adds that ransomware happens all the time - every 11 seconds every day on average - hitting a business or government entity in the United States. He explains that what the ransomware does is devastating to businesses because it locks down all files, so the owner can no longer access them - without paying the ransom or paying for the backup in full. Greg says the majority of vulnerability, about 50% of ransomware, occurs through email. He says that now, the mass majority of malware that gets through is ransomware. He also says that cyber criminals these days are now financially motivated and their mode of payment is in the form of ransomware. Greg provides a few best practices that users can proactively apply to reduce their risk of being attacked: multiple layers of protection, knowing how many assets you have, ensuring network computers are updated with the latest software and security, good password management, multi-factor authentication, advanced antivirus and endpoint detection and response, and security operations centers. He also recommends working with a cybersecurity expert.   Key Points from the Episode: Why Ransomware Should be a Concern for Business Owners? The Most Common Way of Ransomware Attacks Best Practices That Users Can Proactively Apply to Reduce Risk of Ransomware   About Greg Edwards:  Greg is the CEO of Canauri (formerly Cryptostopper), a ransomware protection service that automatically detects and stops active ransomware attacks. He has been a technology entrepreneur since 1998 and has founded numerous companies, including Axis Backup, a backup and disaster recovery company for the insurance industry, which he founded a few years before CryptoStopper. He specializes in disaster recovery, cloud computing, and network security, to name a few.   About Canauri:  At Canauri, their goal is to make ransomware protection straightforward and successful – that means faster time-to-detection and fewer false positives. In the pursuit of creating advanced next generation systems, companies have overcomplicated their security solutions and excluded tried and true methods.  Ransomware protection should be easy to implement and offer more than just defense; it should give you the upper hand. Canauri gives businesses an advantage over their attackers. By using proven systems which emphasize the essentials, they allow businesses to withstand an attack, even after it’s reached the internal network. Their system of traps and decoys lowers the time-to-discovery and safeguards one of the most critical elements of a business, its data.   Tweetable Moments: 02:24 - "It's happening all the time. Every 11 seconds of every day, a ransomware attack hits a business or a government entity in the US. And so what that means for small businesses is that they are a target." 07:00 - "It's all about the multiple layers of protection. And so it starts with what I call 'hygiene.' So good technology hygiene, knowing how many assets you have, how many computers are on your network and they are all patched and up to date with all of the software patches that come out, which on average, there are 60 vulnerabilities per day that are identified in all of the different software packages that we use."   Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out Canauri’s website at https://www.canauri.com/ Check out Canauri on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/canauri/ Check out Canauri on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@Canauri Check out Greg Edwards on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gedwardswpd/ Check out Greg Edwards on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WatchPointData Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!   More from UpMyInfluence: We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE. Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here. What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. Want to learn more about all the podcasts managed by UpMyInfluence? Opt in here.