

Smart Business Revolution | Turn Relationships into Revenues | Networking | More Clients | Relationship Advice
John Corcoran
"Top 100 Small Business Podcasts 2014" -- Small Biz Trends. Former Clinton White House Writer John Corcoran shows you how to build relationships intelligently to get more clients, grow your income and advance your career. Discover how you can use win-win networking and intentional relationship-building with Influencers and VIPs, even if you "hate networking" or feel like you have "nothing to offer" people who are successful. Interviews with today's top entrepreneurs and authors such as Dan Pink, Michael Port, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marie Forleo and Guy Kawasaki, who reveal how they use relationships to grow their businesses and their incomes. Find out more at SmartBusinessRevolution.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 13, 2020 • 42min
Jeff Freemyer | The "Zoom Backstory": Launching One of the First Business Satellite and Distance Learning Networks
Jeff Freemyer is a serial entrepreneur in high technology. He has been a visionary and amongst the early-stage pioneers in interactive distance learning, outsourced business TV production and distribution, as well as interactive multimedia content development and publishing. For many years, he was the CEO of Convergent Media Systems, the world's largest business television provider with expertise in satellite communications, e-learning/distance learning, and turnkey TV production and delivery. The company installed, maintained, and operated satellite communications networks for 250+ of the Fortune 500 companies as well as the world's largest private satellite-based distance learning network, serving 8 million students in 12,000 high schools daily. Jeff has also collaborated with numerous world-class thought leaders including helping create and produce an innovative interactive multimedia platform for Topgrading, the #1 best-selling book on selecting, hiring, and developing A-players with Dr. Brad Smart. He is currently involved as a Managing Partner of Epione Venture Capital Firm. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Jeff Freemyer, Managing Partner of Epione Venture Capital Firm, to talk about launching and working with satellite and distance learning networks. Jeff also shares his experience in working with Fortune 500 companies at Convergent Media, the advancement in satellite networks, working with Verne Harnish, and going into the venture capital world.

Nov 9, 2020 • 32min
Steve Gumm | Launching a Business on 9/11, Bouncing Back from Bankruptcy and What's Working Now in Lead Generation
Steve Gumm is the Founder and President of Gummio. He is a serial entrepreneur who has worked with brands like Sony, Life is Good, Harry Caray's, and the Survivor Show. He is a marketing and brand consultant who is currently on a mission to build the most creative, inspiring, effective outbound sales and lead generation agency, Gummio. Steve is also the VP of Growth and Marketing at AssociaDirect, a management consulting firm that helps associations grow through authentic connections. Prior to Gummio, he was the Founder and President of 18 Stories. He holds a degree in Marketing from Illinois State University. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Steve Gumm, Founder and President of Gummio, to talk about his entrepreneurial journey. They discuss what it was like to start a business right before the 9/11 tragedy, the lessons Steve learned from a failed real estate business, and what he wishes he did before selling his business, and what Gummio does for their clients.

Nov 6, 2020 • 24min
Dr. Jeremy Weisz | [Start a Podcast Series] How to "Network" at Virtual Events
Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25 Media, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal clients, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews on his podcast. Dr. Jeremy Weisz, podcast host and co-founder of Rise25 Media, gets interviewed by John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where they talk about how to network in virtual events. They share 5 tips that people can use before or after an event and they also explain why some of the best networks are introverts.

Nov 2, 2020 • 39min
Ray Carballada | The Next Evolution of Video Production, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
Ray Carballada is the Managing Director and CEO of AmpiFLY, a next stage evolution video production company. He is an accomplished and creative business leader in the converging worlds of content: advertising, television, motion pictures, social, and online media. Before joining AmpiFLY as President & CEO/COO, Ray led Alkemy X's transformation from a small crewing and post company into a fully integrated creative content company. Ray's experience also includes building Campbell Soup's first in-house ad agency and production services department, and serving as Managing Director and Executive Producer of a Washington, D.C.-based production company. He earned a bachelor's degree in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master's in Business Administration from Bucknell University. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Ray Carballada, the Managing Director and CEO of AmpiFLY, about his work in content production and how he grew a small company to over $35 million. Ray also talks about the challenges he faced growing that company and his interest in working with augmented and virtual reality.

Oct 30, 2020 • 32min
Mike McDerment | Founding Freshbooks, Serving SMB Businesses
Mike McDerment is the Co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, the #1 accounting software in the cloud, designed exclusively for freelancers and growing service-based business owners. Built-in 2003 after he accidentally saved over an invoice, Mike spent 3.5 years growing FreshBooks from his parents' basement. Since then, over 24 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, and collect billions of dollars. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, Mike McDerment, Co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, gets interviewed by John Corcoran about building FreshBooks and helping build small businesses. Mike also shares with John how he started his company, his secrets to building business relationships, and how raising money through venture capital has impacted his company.

Oct 26, 2020 • 31min
Jonathan Slain | [Pivot Series] How to Rock the Recession
Jonathan Slain is a recession expert, traction implementer, and speaker. He coaches high growth leadership teams across the United States and helps them implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). He focuses on working with entrepreneurial niche specialty firms and large corporations with over $10 million in annual revenue. Jonathan released a book about how to survive and thrive in a recession right before the Coronavirus global pandemic hit. The book is called Rock the Recession: How Successful Leaders Prepare for, Thrive During, and Create Wealth After Downturns which came out in September of 2019. He is also active in the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) and has been active in leadership positions within the organization. John Corcoran, host of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast is joined by Jonathan Slain, an author and recession expert, to talk about surviving and thriving in a recession. Jonathan explains to John why he wrote a book on recession right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he also discusses the benefits of implementing the EOS process in any company.

Oct 23, 2020 • 18min
Dr. Jeremy Weisz | [Start a Podcast Series] Do Downloads Matter? Why Your Most Important Metric Is Not Subscribers
Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25 Media, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews on his podcast. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by his Rise25 Media co-founder, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, to explain whether or not a podcast's download numbers matter. They also talk about how a podcast can help with solving business and personal problems, how to get amazing guests for a podcast, and how SEMrush can help podcasters with getting website traffic data.

Oct 19, 2020 • 37min
Cynthia Cleveland | Leadership Lessons From a Five-Time CEO/President with Over $4Billion in Revenues
Cynthia Cleveland is a five-time CEO/President who has led companies that have generated over $4 billion in worldwide sales across consumer products, entertainment, and retail. She is an expert in developing, translating, and monetizing intellectual property rights into major global consumer brands and new businesses across diverse industries. Her 30+ year career has spanned well-known companies including Universal Studios, Mattel Toys, and Teleflora driving significant growth and profitability. She has also worked on brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Jurassic Park, Myers Briggs assessment, and Imaginarium. Cynthia was named "One of the Top 100 Visionary Leaders" by Real Leaders Magazine. She is an experienced board member having served on over 10 boards including top leadership in Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), the premier leadership organization of chief executives having served as Chapter Chair, on the regional board and selected for International Leadership. Cynthia Cleveland, Partner at CEO Coaching International, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast. They will be talking about Cynthia's leadership experience in different companies, how businesses have been pivoting in light of COVID-19, and the changes she has seen over the years on women in leadership roles.

Oct 16, 2020 • 60min
Rob Greenlee | Spotify, Apple, Amazon and What's Next in Podcasting, with a Podcast Hall of Fame Member
Rob Greenlee is the VP of Content and Partnerships at Libsyn. He is a podcasting legend, a seasoned veteran expert, and evangelist for the podcast industry. A 2017 Inductee into The Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame, Rob spent many years focused on the early development of the internet, the world wide web and technology with a nationally syndicated radio show called WebTalk World Radio Show, which started in 1999 and went through to 2006. Rob is also the chairperson of a relatively newer organization called The Podcast Academy and The Podcast Academy Awards, and co-host of the New Media Show with Todd Cochrane, CEO of Blubrry Podcasting. Rob Greenlee, VP of Content and Partnerships at Libsyn, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to talk about the evolution of the podcast industry. They also discuss the fundamental structure of podcasting as well as implications of recent developments by Spotify, SiriusXM, Apple, and Amazon's Audible app on the podcasting space.

Oct 12, 2020 • 50min
Craig Handley | Hanging with Richard Branson on Necker and Building a Great Culture at a 1000-Person Call Center Company
Craig Handley is the Co-founder and CEO of ListenTrust, a bilingual call center services company which has been ranked multiple times on the Inc 500 and 5000 list. ListenTrust is currently doing about $150 million in sales for their clients and they answer hundreds of thousands of customer service calls and lead generation calls. It employs close to 1000 people working thousands of miles away in Mexico. Craig is also the author of the best selling book, Hired to Quit. Craig recently started a new business and in just 60 days took it to $600,000 in revenue despite being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also had crazy experiences like cage diving with great white sharks, jumping out of airplanes, and meeting and hanging out with famous people like Richard Branson and Paul McCartney. John Corcoran, host of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast interviews Craig Handley, Co-founder and CEO of ListenTrust, about what it takes to build a 1000 employee-strong company. Craig also talks about some of the crazy experiences he has had in life, his time in the army and his eventual transition into sales, and how he started and grew a new business to over $600,000 in 60 days.


