Obscurity will kill any business. No matter how great your products or services are, if enough people don’t know about them and patronize your business, then it won’t matter. The odds appear to be stacked against small businesses in increasing their visibility. How can they compete against their larger, more established competitors when they have limited budgets for advertising, branding, and publicity? * That’s where Colt Briner comes in. As the Founder and virtual Chief Marketing Officer of Scrappy AF Solutions, he levels the playing field for small businesses through digital marketing strategies. Small businesses don’t need to have budgets fit for Super Bowl ads to become formidable competitors. * Instead, Colt argues that through creativity, ingenuity, and some grit work, smaller companies can “put some stank on it” and leverage free and low-cost digital technologies to revolutionize their marketing processes. As a former professional magician, he quickly learned the formula for attracting customers – engagement, communication, and entertainment. * Now, he combines those skills with his experiences as a startup executive in growing a business to a $1 billion valuation. In this episode, Colt shares six digital marketing technologies that startups and emerging small businesses can leverage to build, manage, grow, and scale their exposure. He also shares additional tools to support your company’s back-office operations in executing these strategies. * There’s no need to go rogue in your marketing efforts. Go digital instead and discover how your company can concoct its own magical potion for transforming its marketing team, processes, and technologies from scrappy to smooth.   * ? Links to Resources Colt recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/17/171-colt-briner-shares-6-digital-marketing-technologies-that-make-small-businesses-more-competitive ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, ThinkSmart Whiteboard, Equilibria, and CavnessHR And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Business Infrastructure - Curing Back Office Blues

171: Colt Briner Shares 6 Digital Marketing Technologies that Make Small Businesses More Competitive

With a background in writing and product design, Tracy Hazzard has a history of being an early adopter of technology. She had the foresight to start her first podcast in 2015 as a means of testing the 3D printing market. And it’s a good thing she did because the lessons she and her husband/business partner learned eventually led to their co-creation of Brandcasters, Inc. – the largest podcast post-production company in the world!  * Podetize is their flagship product where Marketing-as-a-Service (MaaS) meets Software-as-a-Service. They currently have over 600 podcasts as clients and with so many moving parts, having a streamlined way to integrate their operational workflows with their accounting and CRM applications is paramount. That’s where ClickUp comes in. * In this episode, Tracy explains how they use ClickUp, a cloud-based project management technology that has revolutionized the way they manage and track critical tasks allocated amongst a team of 90+ people spread across the globe. She also describes how they’ve assembled a dream team of in-house technologists to integrate ClickUp with other technologies for a truly all-in-one workplace solution. * Discover the processes and business infrastructure that supports Podetize and learn how you can retrofit ClickUp to automate your small business’ back-office operations! * ? Links to Resources Tracy recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/10/170-tracy-hazzard-explains-how-podetize-uses-clickup-to-scale-up-their-operations   ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, ThinkSmart Whiteboard, Equilibria, and CavnessHR And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

170: Tracy Hazzard Explains How Podetize Uses ClickUp to Scale Up Their Operations

We’re excited to bring you a new season of the Business Infrastructure podcast and it’s going to be a game-changer! Kicking things off is Jay Jemal, a Sr. Technologist and the Founder of Blucidy - a revolutionary SaaS company that combines the power of Blockchain, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence.   * If those tech terms sound scary, then you’re in luck because Jay breaks them down in a way that makes sense and is relevant to smaller businesses. Originally from Ethiopia, he’s used to translating complex ideas, concepts, and language. * Over the past 20 years, he’s accumulated an impressive set of technology accomplishments and credentials across various industries, starting with telecommunications. Now, his focus is primarily on federal healthcare. This led to the creation of Blucidy as a social innovation platform designed to foster organizational transparency and accountability for the benefit of humanity. * In this episode, Jay explains what blockchain technology is and debunks the myth that its only for large organizations. He also shares examples of how different industries can use it to collect, manage, and secure the data used to make critical operational and process improvement decisions. Discover how you can apply this game-changing technology to ensure a single source of truth when it comes to managing your company’s data. * ? Links to Resources Jay recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/03/169-jay-jemals-tips-for-improving-operations-with-blockchain-technology ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, ThinkSmart Whiteboard, Equilibria, and CavnessHR And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

169: Jay Jemal's Tips for Improving Operations with Blockchain Technology

Podcasting has been around longer than you might think. Although the pandemic caused a surge in both listenership and creators, there are some shows that have been around for a long time. Entrepreneurs on Fire (EOFire) is a nearly 10-year-old podcast with over 100M+ downloads and 3,240 episodes and counting! This is the final episode of Season 13 – Operational Excellence. It features a live recording at the 2021 Podcast Movement Conference with Kate Erickson, the person in charge of back-office operations at EOFire. Listen as Kate gives us the inside scoop on the workflows and operational excellence strategies that keeps EOFire’s content fresh, their community amped, and their stellar team motivated.  There’s value for all entrepreneurs with this episode, even if you don’t have a podcast. Discover automation tools that will simplify your workflows. Apply concepts Kate shares to build a profitable lead generation or sales funnel. And take advantage of the resources she recommends, including a free copy of EOFire’s production workflow!   ? Links to Resources Kate recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/26/168-alicia-butler-pierre-and-kate-erickson-discuss-the-workflows-and-operational-excellence-strategies-behind-entrepreneurs-on-fire    ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

168: Alicia Butler Pierre and Kate Erickson Discuss the Workflows and Operational Excellence Behind Entrepreneurs on Fire

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PSS Gary Nickol aptly describes his role as, “…the glue between staff, customers, and the community.” PSS is a visual aid and communication tools company for educators. Their growth was once stagnated by a top-down leadership model. That is until new owners came on board. Gary championed a bottom-up model, one that empowers employees to own their work and the results. This recommendation was rooted in his former experiences leading his own company as well as managing people and overseeing customer support at Best Buy. In this episode, Gary shares how, in just 16 months, PSS nearly doubled its employee size despite the pandemic. He also describes his guideposts for operational excellence and the role it plays in enabling them to keep up with fast growth without sacrificing quality. Discover how you can apply these concepts to grow and scale your business too!   ? Links to Resources Gary recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/18/167-how-an-operational-excellence-culture-catalyzes-scale-featuring-gary-nickol ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

167: How an Operational Excellence Culture Catalyzes Scale featuring Gary Nickol

Sharon Idahosa is on a mission to reduce world hunger and ultimately make food scarcity a thing of the past. Following an internship in the oil and gas industry, she realized the source of her stress was rooted in ignoring her passion. So, she changed direction and pursued a degree in agriculture instead. Now, she’s the founder and CEO of Lifex Agriculture Initiative, a fast-growing Nigerian startup. They leverage the power of new media to empower rural farmers with the education, communication, and transportation resources needed to increase food security. In this episode, Sharon shares what it's really like to start an agriculture business in Nigeria, the world’s sixth most populated country. She also makes the case for establishing a foundation in operational excellence as she expands her team and their services. Discover Sharon’s processes for navigating supply chain disruptions, changes in supply and demand, and encroaching food deserts.   ? Links to Resources Sharon recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/12/166-operational-excellence-and-the-business-of-agriculture-with-sharon-idahosa     ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

166: Operational Excellence and the Business of Agriculture with Sharon Idahosa

Trillion-dollar companies aren’t built overnight. It takes a customer-centric model, a willingness to fail, and a relentless pursuit of innovation paired with operational excellence. No one knows this better than Tim Leslie. He’s the corporate law attorney turned former 20-year Amazon executive that led the expansion of Prime Video into 200 countries. When Prime launched in 2005, it didn’t make a profit for five or six years. Now, it’s one of Amazon’s three greatest inventions alongside AWS and Marketplace. In this episode (and his first-ever podcast interview), Tim shares the playbook he used to scale Prime Video. Specifically, he highlights the hiring strategy, turnkey processes, and other tools that made rapid expansion possible. He even addresses some of Amazon’s controversies and fills us in on his latest passion – working with small organic suppliers. Discover the A to Z of how to take an idea for a new service or product from a seed to a juggernaut!   ? Links to Resources Tim recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/05/165-the-operational-excellence-strategy-for-expanding-amazon-prime-video-with-tim-leslie    ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

165: The Operational Excellence Strategy for Expanding Amazon Prime Video with Tim Leslie

Lynda Martin grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, so it was only natural she’d become one herself. But when she started her first venture, her co-founders didn’t think women belonged in leadership. So she left, started Goodwin Growth Works, and never looked back. Also armed with a strong background in staffing and H.R., she’s on a mission to “…repair the world, one small business at a time.” One way she does that is through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). In this episode, Lynda describes what EOS is and shares a case study of a company that applied it and grew sales by 32% each year for two years in a row. Discover the EOS formula for setting your vision and gaining traction towards effective leadership, sustainable growth, and operational excellence!   ? Links to Resources Lynda recommends:  https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/29/164-what-is-eos-and-how-does-it-lead-to-operational-excellence-with-lynda-martin ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

164: What is EOS and How Does it Lead to Operational Excellence? Lynda Martin Explains

In 2012, Hassan Dantata found himself alone in a hospital room. He’d just had a bone marrow transplant that required isolation for two months with a 50/50 chance of survival. With nothing but his “imagination and a dream” along with a burning desire for a smartphone, his resourcefulness led him to become an eBay vendor. Eventually, he graduated from being an e-commerce vendor to starting a full-service digital solutions agency for the optical industry, Raven & Macaw, Ltd. His youth advocacy work has earned him coverage in GQ and British Vogue magazines and the World Economic Forum. In this episode, Hassan describes how he came to carve a niche and the specific actions he’s taking to build a SaaS company rooted in operational excellence. You’ll also discover how he’s navigating the challenges of recruiting top tech talent. If you’re looking for inspiration to start or grow your business following a personal setback, then Hassan’s story of resilience, tenacity, and consistency may be just what the doctor ordered! ? Links to Resources Hassan recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/22/163-creating-an-operational-excellence-culture-in-a-tech-startup-with-hassan-dantata ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

163: Creating an Operational Excellence Culture in a Tech Startup with Hassan Dantata

Lauren Hisey thought she wanted to be a lawyer until she took some law classes and realized she didn’t have a passion for it. A chance encounter working at a call center while in college helped her discover that her true love was in operations. She went on to have a successful career working at AT&T and Nielsen, leading projects that saved both companies millions. Now, Lauren has her own consultancy where she applies her signature “calming influence” as well as Lean Six Sigma principles to help companies improve profitability and achieve sustainable growth. In this episode, Lauren shares a behind-the-scenes account of how she helped a company turn around a grim situation – handling unanticipated demand for their new product with limited, burnt-out staff, high customer support hold times, and rising costs. While doing so, she describes what a Gemba walk is and why uncovering root causes is essential to identifying and solving the right fast-growth challenges.   ? Links to Resources Lauren recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/15/162-uncovering-root-causes-of-chaotic-growth-on-the-path-to-operational-excellence-with-lauren-hisey    ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

162: Uncovering Root Causes of Chaotic Growth on the Path to Operational Excellence with Lauren Hisey

Back in the early ‘70s, Dr. Frank Barsi escaped communist Hungary in the cover of night. He swam his way to Austria and eventually arrived in America with literally just the clothes on his back. Determined to start a new life, he quickly joined the U.S. Army. He would later go on to earn multiple engineering degrees. It was at his first job out of college that he was introduced to Six Sigma. At that time, the quality framework was well received in Asia, but not in America. In this episode, Dr. Barsi reflects on his 40-year career in the aerospace industry. It’s a fascinating account of his journey in applying Six Sigma to improve a variety of production processes. That work spans developing flight controls for fighter jets and revolutionizing the casting industry. Not sure what Six Sigma is or how you can apply it to your small business? Get ready to take notes as Dr. Barsi explains the framework, its key principles, and how you can apply some of its tools to dramatically increase profitability.   ? Links to Resources Dr. Barsi recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/08/161-what-is-six-sigma-and-how-does-it-lead-to-operational-excellence-a-masterclass-with-dr-frank-barsi     ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. And don’t forget to leave a review! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

161: What is Six Sigma and How Does it Lead to Operational Excellence? A Masterclass with Dr. Frank Barsi

Let’s be honest, talking about data (and business infrastructure) might not seem like the most exciting thing. Too often we associate these topics with machinery and not humans! That’s why Michiko Wolcott says we need to “De-tech the tech.” It’s the foundation for her success as a strategic consultant. Michiko grew up in Japan. Although she was fluent in music and math, she knew little English when she and her family relocated to a small town in Alabama. She eventually learned the language, pursued advanced degrees in music and statistics, and discovered a new love - data. Now, she leverages data and analytics to achieve profitable breakthroughs for her clients. That’s impressive considering 70% of data initiatives fail. You might be surprised to hear a high-tech expert advocate focusing on people first, then process, then technology. In this episode, Michiko shares how her refreshing approach enabled a company plagued with an overrun budget to complete 80% of its project goals in record time. Be inspired and ready to take action as you learn how to unlock the potential data and analytics can also have on your company’s operations. ? Links to Resources Michiko recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/01/160-leveraging-data-and-analytics-for-operational-excellence-with-michiko-wolcott    ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ And don’t forget to leave a review!

160: Leveraging Data and Analytics for Operational Excellence with Michiko Wolcott

When Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker began working at the University of Michigan, he was asked to be part of a research team to study American and Asian car manufacturers. One company stood out – Toyota. He then spent the next 20 years studying the Toyota Way – the management system responsible for them becoming the world’s leading manufacturer. His first book, ???????? ????, summarized his research and introduced the Lean framework for waste reduction, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. That was in 1997 and it sold 40k copies in the first six months. Fast forward 24 years and the second edition of his ??? ?????? ??? book sells over 1M copies in the first six months! This is less of an interview and more of a masterclass. Lessons include: 1) A summary of the 14 management principles of The Toyota Way, 2) Using perfection as a direction toward breakthrough results and not an end goal, and 3) What operational excellence means and looks like, and much more! Find out why Dr. Liker says operations leaders should prioritize the underlying philosophy and scientific thinking of Lean over which tools to use. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the author of the definitive guide on Lean production! ? Links to Resources Dr. Liker recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/25/159-the-toyota-way-for-achieving-operational-excellence-a-masterclass-with-jeffrey-liker-ph-d   ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ And don’t forget to leave a review!

159: The Toyota Way for Achieving Operational Excellence: A Masterclass with Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker

Carol Sanford has 40+ years of experience working with leaders of companies looking to grow and change the world for the better. As she puts it, “My essence is to disrupt certainty.” But let’s be clear, she’s not a coach or a consultant. Instead, she’s a resource focused on increasing people’s capability for consciousness. Through this consciousness, leaders can grow better businesses. Her secret sauce is rooted in lessons from her Iroquois heritage and her experience working with high-profile executives at companies like Google and DuPont as well as entrepreneurs and experts. In this episode, Carol: 1) describes her regenerative thinking method for growing businesses, 2) defines the three types of excellence to strive for in operating a business, and 3) explains why businesses should focus on regeneration instead of transformation. Prepare to be wowed! ? Links to Resources Carol recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/18/158-using-regenerative-thinking-to-achieve-operational-excellence-with-carol-sanford      ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ And don’t forget to leave a review!

158: Using Regenerative Thinking to Achieve Operational Excellence with Carol Sanford

Supply chains represent the people, processes, and technology required to move goods and services from production to consumption. And yes, every organization has one. Airplanes, railcars, ships, trucks, pipelines, and broadband all represent the arteries through which our goods and services are transported. This is Tim Dooner’s (aka “Dooner”), specialty. In fact, he’s built FreightCasts, the world’s largest logistics and supply chain podcast network. A pandemic, labor shortages, rising demand and prices, and crumbling or compromised means of transportation all threaten our ability to fulfill orders or service agreements. In this episode, Dooner explains the delicate interconnectivity of transportation infrastructure, the domino effect of supply chain disruptions, and tips for sustaining operations during those disruptions. ? Links to Resources: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/11/157-tim-dooner-explains-operational-excellence-in-transportation-and-supply-chains     ? Like What You Heard? Don’t Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share! ? Please Support Our Sponsors, HubSpot and ThinkSmart Whiteboard. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ And don’t forget to leave a review!

157: Tim Dooner Explains Operational Excellence in Transportation and Supply Chains

Growth is not a bad thing. But too much growth, too fast presents a set of challenges often overlooked when discussing small businesses. The emphasis tends to center on the marketing and promotion necessary to grow your business, and not on the operations and business infrastructure needed to scale your business in a sustainable manner. These back office operations can make or break your business. The Business Infrastructure show provides solutions and real life stories to owners and operators of fast growing small businesses seeking practical tips for dealing with growth spurts.

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Business Infrastructure - Curing Back Office Blues

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