Overview

On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show, we first talk about what it’s like to work with your spouse. Married couple and co-authors Jason and Jennifer are here to talk about their keys to success, which are applicable to working with close friends and family members as well. Then, we talk about the new revolution that is needed for women entrepreneurs, as they still only get 2.5% of all venture capital funding and are not taking advantage of all the funding resources that are available. Finally, we show you how to scale your business, build your dream team, explode your growth, and let your business soar. Learn the 5 stages a business owner needs to go through to scale their business, and more!

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Segment 1: Jason Feifer and Jennifer Miller are married, and are the authors of the new novel Mr. Nice Guy (out Oct 16 from St. Martin’s Press). Jason is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, and the host of two podcasts: Problem Solvers, about entrepreneurs solving unexpected problems in their business, and Pessimists Archive, a history of unfounded fears of innovation. He has been an editor at Fast Company, Men’s Health, Maxim, and Boston magazine. Jennifer is the author of three prior books (most recently the novel The Heart You Carry Home), as well as a journalist. She is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, and others.

1:45 – Why write a book with your spouse? Have you collaborated on other projects before?

3:45 – The #1 key to collaborating with a spouse, friend, or family member on a big project.

6:45 – How to allow space for constructive criticism when working with someone close to you.

8:30 – How to build and keep trust in your working relationship.

10:30 – Relationships are always more valuable than transactions. How does your marketing strategy rely heavily upon building relationships with people over time, rather than just reaching out with a transactional request?

13:00 – The power of having a creative outlet.

14:30 – When things go wrong, how do you handle that and not let it affect the relationship?

Segment 2: Nathalie Molina Niño is the CEO and founder of BRAVA Investments, investing in high-growth, innovative businesses that deliver a measurable economic benefit to women. A technologist and coder by training, Molina Niño launched her first tech startup at the age of twenty. Molina Niño is also the cofounder Entrepreneurs@Athena at the Athena Center for Leadership Studies of Barnard College at Columbia University. She has served as a business and global growth advisor to industry leaders in the for- and non-profit sectors, including Disney, Microsoft, MTV, Mattel, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is the author of LEAPFROG: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs.

21:00 – What is the new revolution needed for women entrepreneurs?

23:45 – What funding resources are available that women are not taking advantage of?

25:00 – Only 2.5% of venture capital funding goes to women; why is that?

26:45 – Do you think the #MeToo movement is helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses?

28:45 – The power of alliances with other women across industries.

30:30 – Think you have to move to New York or San Francisco to start your busines? Forget about it! Be a big fish in a small pond.

32:15 – How to use smart influencer marketing for your business to “out Kardashian the Kardashians”.

33:45 – Advice for women entrepreneurs who are in a funk and struggling to grow their business.

Segment 3: Allison Maslan is a serial entrepreneur who built 10 companies to seven-figure success and beyond, including cultivating a 20-year practice as a holistic physician. Named “The impressive entrepreneurial force that is CEO, Allison Maslan” by Entrepreneur Magazine , she is the founder of Pinnacle Global Network®, offering business mentorship and mastermind programs to entrepreneurs who want to accelerate their growth, capitalize on their success, and balance it all with a meaningful life. Allison is also an experienced trapeze artist and the author of two #1 Best Selling books: “Blast Off!: The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality” and her newest book “Scale or Fail: How to Build Your Dream Team, Explode Your Growth, and Let Your Business Soar”.

37:45 – Why is scaling a business so difficult?

39:00 – Besides being an incredibly successful businesswoman, you’re also a trapeze artist; you’ve compared scaling a business to swinging on the flying trapeze. How are the two alike? How did you learn to let go?

42:00 – What are the 5 stages a business owner needs to go through to scale their business?

44:00 – Create your big picture vision for your company so you can communicate it with your employees, and get everyone moving in the same direction.

46:00 – Many business owners have more trouble saying “no” than they’d like to admit. You encourage them to let “no” be their new “yes.” How does that work in practice?

47:15 – The work you do on yourself as a leader is just as important as the work you do on your business.

48:30 – Should every business scale?

49:30 – How do you know when it’s time to scale your business?

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