In a time characterized by constant change, we’re reminded that we’re always evolving as human beings. Certain life choices or big events can shape a person’s life – and who better to testify to this than small business owners. In Season 2 Episode 9 of Making It Work we speak to Casey Kelley of Blended Designs, Ebun Olaloye of Live Breathe Futbol, Mayra Hernandez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Paul Pallas of SWISCO and Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle. From believing in an idea to making it a reality, these five small business owners are no strangers to change. They share how entrepreneurship has impacted their lives. Does the reward of a new venture outweigh the risk? And how do you grow as a person in the process? Tune in to find out.

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9. Small Business Owners Reflect: How Entrepreneurship Changed Me

The pressures of entrepreneurship can sometimes be too much to handle. No wonder then that small business owners often suffer with depression and anxiety. But are struggles with mental health an inevitability when you own a company? It's time to talk. In Season 2 Episode 8 of Making It Work we speak to Mayra Hernandez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Paul Pallas of SWISCO, Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats and Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats. From daily anxiety attacks to contemplating suicide, four small business owners speak candidly about their depreciating mental health – and the steps they've taken to manage it. So does the macho myth of entrepreneurship contribute to these feelings of hopelessness? Or do small business owners suffer the same as everybody else? Tune in to find out.

8. You're Not Alone: The Entrepreneurs Discuss Struggles with Mental Health

In an increasingly globalized world, it's never been easier for small businesses to reach new markets. So why do so many US entrepreneurs shun international sales to keep things ticking along at home? We’re going to take a look at the realities of going global and how the rewards can offset the risk. In Season 2 Episode 7 of Making It Work we speak to Manasi Gangan of Nested Bean, Casey Kelley of Blended Designs, Ebun Olaloye of Live Breathe Futbol and Paul Pallas of SWISCO. From shipping internationally by accident to answering customer queries with Google Translate, we ask the entrepreneurs how they went about global expansion – and why it can take time for this strategy to become profitable. So it is about time you translated your website into Spanish? Or should you just stick with sales to Canada? Tune in to find out.

7. Going Global: Is It Worth Selling Your Products Outside the US?

When you're deciding which product to buy, online reviews are most people's first port of call. But what do small business owners think of the feedback? In Season 2 Episode 6 of Making It Work we speak to Manasi Gangan of Nested Bean, Casey Kelley of Blended Designs, Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats and Paul Pallas of SWISCO. From seeking out negative criticism to sending out thank you cards, we take a look at how you can use buyers' feedback to make long-lasting changes – and ultimately strengthen your relationship with customers. So should you be taking that one-star review to heart? And how do dissatisfied customers react when you give them a call? Tune in to find out.

6. Raters and Haters: How to Respond to Your Reviewers

When you're passionate about your product, the price tag can often come as an afterthought. But when you factor in marketing, manufacturing and those sometimes-fiddly customs fees, it's vital you think about your margin. Otherwise, you could be looking at a loss. In Season 2 Episode 5 of Making It Work we speak to Mayra Hernadez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co, Casey Kelley of Blended Designs, Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats and Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle. From setting a strict 80% margin to 'free' delivery that's not free, we discuss pricing strategies with the best payoff – and how it can all still go horribly wrong. So can you still make a healthy profit without pricing out your customers? And who's been hit with a $44,000 shipping bill? Tune in to find out.

5. Fine Margins: How to Price Your Goods

There are few words that get thrown around in the world of entrepreneurship as much as 'innovation'. And while for many, it brings about thoughts of Marie Curie and George Washington Carver, for small business owners being innovative is just one more way to survive. In Season 2 Episode 4 of Making It Work we speak to Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle, Casey Kelly of Blended Designs, Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats and Paul Pallas of SWISCO. From throwing things out there to "see what sticks" to staff mediation and yoga classes, all of these entrepreneurs have different approaches to innovation. The thing they all agree on? It's do or die. So what can you do to stay one step ahead of the competition? And will our entrepreneurs ever run out of ideas? Tune in to find out.

4. Reinventing the Wheel: Do You Need to Constantly Innovate?

We thought it was time to give the Making it Work entrepreneurs a bit of a break. So as they catch up on calls and tweak their Ts & Cs, Tom chewed the fat with Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg. In this Season 2 'Ask the Expert' special of Making It Work we ask Publicis Groupe's Jason Goldberg what the future holds for retail businesses. Nobody could have seen COVID coming, but some coped better than others. While big-box retailers scrambled to streamline their online offering, small businesses were disproportionately disadvantaged in the race to adapt. But as big companies struggle with their supply chains and service levels, changes in consumer behavior have created new opportunities for SMEs. So how can entrepreneurs fill this gap? And who did Jason (not) say "I told ya so" to? Tune in to find out.

Ask the Expert Special: Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg

With online store builders like Shopify, it's never been easier to attract the mass market. But should you go all in with your own website or dip your toe in the water with Etsy or eBay? In Season 2 Episode 3 of Making It Work we speak to Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle, Ebun Olaloye of Live Breathe Futbol, Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats and Paul Pallas of SWISCO. From creating cohesive customer journeys to handling knockoffs on marketplaces, this multigenerational set of entrepreneurs tell us what it's like running an online store – and how it's changed since the early aughts. So should you splash out on that Shopify plan or carry on at that craft fair? Tune in to find out.

3. Click and Mortar: How to Build an Online Store

Working round the clock has always been a strong symbol of entrepreneurship. But does it do you and your business any good in the long term, or is it just a fast path to burnout? In Season 2 Episode 2 of Making It Work we speak to Dahlia Rizk of Buckle Me Baby Coats, Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats, Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle and Mayra Hernandez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co. From breaking up your day into 30 minute chunks to fighting fires in the early hours, four small business owners discuss how they manage their precious time and whether you can ever stop thinking about work. So should you be packing boxes until bedtime? Or is it time to axe the agenda and start putting yourself first? Tune in to find out.

2. Let Me Pencil You In: Why are Entrepreneurs So Bad at Turning Off?

We're back for a second season, and we're feeling festive. For most small businesses the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas is crucial for driving sales, but what's happening behind the scenes? In Season 2 Episode 1 of Making It Work we speak to Nik Hawks of Paleo Treats, Mayra Hernandez of Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Ebun Olaloye of Live Breathe Futbol and Kat Samardzija of Locker Lifestyle. From placing orders in August to roping in friends and family as free labor, we talk to four entrepreneurs about how they plan for the few months that can account for 80% of their sales. So should you take on the big boys on Black Friday? And, more importantly, what's the deal with pumpkin spice lattes? Tune in to find out.

1. I'm Dreaming of a Black Friday: How the Holidays Get Crazy

Six months ago, the world changed forever. Coronavirus has changed the way we live and work, and small businesses have had to adapt to this dramatic shift. In the third part of this Making It Work special, we catch up with the four entrepreneurs to see how their companies are looking a few months down the line. From $8 million investments to 'kind of' maternity leave, we discuss the ways this pandemic has made us rethink how we do business. In this episode we speak to Danny Catullo of Perishable Shipping Solutions, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Diana Ganz of The Groomsman Suit and David Patrick of Shark Wheel. So what exactly is the 'new normal'? And will there ever be such a thing as 'post-COVID'? Tune in to find out.

COVID-19 Special Part III: How Are the Entrepreneurs Four Months On?

How exactly do you run a business during lockdown? From Zoom meetings to pandemic-proofing warehouses, it seems this crisis has kick-started a brand new way of working. In the second part of this Making It Work special, we ask our entrepreneurs how their teams have adapted during this global crisis and what they think the future will hold for their businesses. In this episode we speak to Danny Catullo of Perishable Shipping Solutions, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Diana Ganz of The Groomsman Suit and David Patrick of Shark Wheel. So how do you run a company under the constraints of COVID-19? And will things ever go back to how they were? Tune in to find out.

COVID-19 Special Part II: How Do You Run a Business During Lockdown?

How does a small business survive a global health crisis? From changing the company strategy overnight to making difficult decisions on employees, the coronavirus is teaching plenty of hard business lessons. In this Making It Work special across two new episodes, we check in with four entrepreneurs from our first season to learn how they're coping amid the economic fallout of COVID-19. For this first part we speak to Danny Catullo of Perishable Shipping Solutions, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Diana Ganz of The Groomsman Suit and David Patrick of Shark Wheel. Can you pandemic-proof a business? Is it even possible to prepare for hard times while growing? Tune in to find out.

COVID-19 Special Part I: How Are Small Businesses Staying Alive?

90% of startups fail, so why do we only hear from the 10%? Let’s tackle the topic of failure in business. In the tenth and final episode of Making It Work, we speak to Tivan Amour of Save My Sales, Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity, Rahim Diallo of Ginjan Bros, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of The Groomsman Suit, Heidi Hale of Heidi J. Hale Designs, Brian Munoz of Penny Luck Shoes, David Patrick of Shark Wheel and Liz Powers of Artlifting. From “lucking out” and making it big to learning when to call it quits, we ask all of our entrepreneurs what success means to them and whether they’ve found it yet. So should you hang on and go for broke or cut your losses and call it a day? Tune in to find out.

10. We Need to Talk: When You Should Just Give Up

Scaling your business is no longer a choice, it's survival. Whether it's to protect your market share from deep-pocketed competitors or to satisfy your investors, the pressure for small businesses to replicate their model has never been greater. In the ninth episode of Making It Work, we speak to Aqila Augusta of Edge Entity, Dana Donofree of AnaOno, David Patrick of Shark Wheel and Diana Ganz and Jeanne Foley of The Groomsman Suit. From managing booming sales to wrestling with cash flow, our entrepreneurs discuss the hidden challenges of scaling a business sustainably. So are you happy with your mom and pop shop, or should you yearn to become a behemoth? Tune in to find out.

9. Go Big or Go Home: How to Scale Your Business

Want to know what it's really like to run your own business? Making It Work puts you in a room with entrepreneurs who want to kick out conventional wisdom and take you through the highs and lows of starting a company from scratch. This is not a podcast just about success stories. So if you're a self-starter and want it straight, this is the series for you.

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Making It Work

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