From the Coaches Corner: Self-Actualization and the path to Fulfillment in Entrepreneurial Success
In entrepreneurship, success is generally measured by tangible markers such as financial prosperity, market expansion, and product and service innovation. Yet, despite the emphasis on these achievements, the financial gains anticipated, and their presumed life-enhancing benefits, the quest for fulfillment often remains elusive. The real question is whether the ultimate triumphs in business provide what humans fundamentally seek: a lasting sense of achievement and fulfillment.
Embracing the Future: The Imperative of Generative AI for SME's
In the rapidly changing world of business technology, generative AI presents an exciting opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to transform their operations. This sector, characterized by its skill and capacity for rapid innovation, is at a critical juncture. Adopting generative AI tools is an advantage and a necessity for staying competitive. Ignoring this evolution means risking obsolescence in an increasingly digital and AI-driven marketplace.
Successful Business Transitions and the Perils of Single-Exit Expectations
Exiting a business is a significant milestone in an entrepreneur's journey, often viewed as the ultimate test of their strategic planning and execution capabilities. However, the road to a successful business exit is fraught with challenges, misconceptions, and unexpected hurdles. A common pitfall for many business owners in the lower middle market is the reliance on a singular exit strategy: selling to a third party for the highest possible price.
The Make-or-Buy Conundrum: Mastering Strategic Decisions for Competitive Advantage
Strategic decisions often serve as the linchpin for sustainable growth and competitive edge, especially in today's evolving business environment. One such pivotal decision that business owners and strategists grapple with is the "make or buy" dilemma. At a particular juncture in a business's lifecycle, this decision emerges not merely as a choice but as a strategic imperative, either because a current service or supply chain impedes the business or because seizing a strategic opportunity necessitates adding a new service, capability, or supply.
Family Money Podcast Season 1 Highlights and Recap with Brandon Laws
This episode of the Family Money Podcast is a recap of season one with Brandon Laws.
K-Curve Case Study with Branko Culo
In this episode of the Family Money Podcast, Rick Thomas chats with Branko Culo, of Express Professional Employers and Specialized Recruiting Group franchises in Edmonton, Alberta. You'll hear how Branko's business adapted to the pandemic and how they're planning for the future.
The K-Curve and the Value of Frameworks
For those that know me well, they have learned that I’m a sucker for graphs, curves, Venn diagrams, four-quadrant illustrations and just about any shape imaginable that provides context to understanding business. Perhaps an artifact of my deeply engrained ENTP (Myers Briggs) profile…but true enough I am a framework junkie and my latest find in this regard is timely, while somewhat elusive to find.
Taylor Gentry on What Drives the Most Value in Business Transactions
In this episode, you'll hear from Taylor Gentry of Endeavor Capital, a private equity firm in Portland, Oregon. Taylor shares valuation drivers that lead to successful exits in the SMB space. And for those contemplating exits from their business, or perhaps going through it currently, this is an informative discussion on what buyers are truly looking for and what drives value, and how the business operates within its market.
K-Curve Case Study: Founder of Lark and Fir Realty Chylese Austin on Growing During the Pandemic
Where some businesses struggled during the pandemic, Chylese Austin and Lark + Fir Realty grew from one broker to 12 during the pandemic. How did she and her team do it? Hear how in this exclusive K-Curve Case Study with Chylese Austin.
Gary Mortensen of Stoller Wine Group on overcoming obstacles during the pandemic
Very few leaders will experience the amount of adversity and business obstacles as Gary Mortensen, President of Stoller Wine Group, experienced in 2020/2021 during the pandemic.
In this exclusive K-curve case study, you'll hear how Gary and his team at Stoller Wine Group pivoted, invested in various parts of the business, and worked through challenge after challenge related to the pandemic and Oregon wildfires.
K-Curve Case Study: Aaron Crowley on Navigating the Pandemic
Like many businesses early in the pandemic, Aaron Crowley's granite and quartz business was hammered. But they navigated it and came out on top by adapting and changing with the market landscape.
Don't miss this incredible K-curve case study with Aaron Crowley.
401(k) 411
How do business owners sort through all the decisions of players involved in implementing a workplace retirement plan for their organization? Here to demystify the employer-sponsored retirement plan is Eric Burnside, VP and director of business development of independent retirement, a third-party administrator, and Bonie Treichel co-founder and chief operations officer of Zoona, a national finance and benefit consulting firm. I found Eric and Bonie to be really refreshing in demystifying the process and clearly explaining how operators in the SMB space can make these decisions with confidence.
Your Relationship With Money
Why is our relationship with money so mysterious? In the inaugural episode of the Family Money Podcast, I'm joined by my younger sister, Yolanda Christenson, for a discussion about money and our relationship with it.
For most of us, we have an emotional reaction to money--spending it, investing it, or planning for retirement. In this episode, we'll clear the noise and get to the heart of the relationship we have with money.
Why More Businesses Need To Be Like Tony Romo
For many in America, the name Tony Romo needs little introduction, however, for those who do not follow the NFL, a few facts to share: Tony Romo is a retired NFL quarterback who played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys. For most familiar with Romo, he is known to be a pretty good quarterback. During his tenure from 2003 to 2016 he set multiple Cowboys team records and was named to four Pro Bowls, yet he was never able to break through the divisional round of the playoffs and his list of accomplishments lacks the ultimate prize all professional football players desire
We Were Made For This
As the inaugural post for my recently launched consulting business, First Generation Advisors, I had all kinds of designs for topics and discussions relative to business and growth strategy as part of my business rollout. As fate would have it however, the WHO announced Covid-19 as a global pandemic the day after I formally registered my business entity. This wasn’t how I thought it would go. But then again, me and about nine billion others have come to the same conclusion. This is not how we thought it would go.