Edna Cochez is transforming experiences into baking courses. She does this to support people who have ever felt limited by where they live, what they decide to study or what those around them say.  Edna says that these are barriers can be overcome with desire and the ideal educational tools. Edna is a Chef & baker, mom, entrepreneur, wife and friend to many. She self identifies as obsessed with learning everything to make her own life as a mom, wife and entrepreneur easier. She absolutely loves sharing her knowledge and experiences with others. Edna was brought to my attention by way of Jessica Ramesch, who is co-host for this episode. Jessica is an editor for International Living Magazine and an author. She’s also a good friend who happens to be interested in the world of podcasting. She  joins me for this episode as a bit of a test drive. Jessica and I hope it will be the first of many many more to come. Edna’s been a business owner for over 17 years supplying the best coffee shops in Panama City with her kitchen creations. She has studied at San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI), King Arthur Flour Baking Center of Norwich VT, Zingermann´s Community of Businesses Ann Arbor MI,  AIB International, Notter School of Pastry Arts FL, and Marie Forleo’s B-School. In 2019 she was the only permanent female judge in Season 4 of the Top Chef, Panama edition. She is a brand ambassador for Miele, Lurpak Butter and Nestle among others, and creates written and video content for their social media channels. More recently Edna has directed her attention toward trends, marketing, digital strategies, video and communication in order to transform her experiences into content of value for her growing audience. This is why she’s transforming experiences into baking courses. Mentioned in this Episode EdnaCochez.com Salt Fat Acid Heat Marie Forleo’s B-School Web Design by Morning Tempo If you’ve listened to this podcast before, you may have gathered that I’m a musician, but you may not know that I’m also a freelance web designer. I create beautiful WordPress websites for small businesses and non-profits with a focus on functionality, user experience and security. If you a business or non-profit is thinking about a new website or redesigning the one you have, contact me to find out if we’re a good fit to work together. You can drop me a message at MorningTempo.com where you’ll find many ways to reach me. Introduce yourself, get a quote or ask me questions. I’m here for ya. Again, visit MorningTempo.com to contact me and learn more about web design by yours truly. Support this Podcast The Morning Tempo podcast exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, and we gladly accept support in a variety of ways. Please visit our Crowd Sponsor page to learn more. Learn how to support this podcast. Recommended Resources ConvertKit Free Plan for Beginner Creators – Email marketing the way it should be. Web hosting by Dreamhost Some of the links in this post, such as those in the above section, are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Visit MorningTempo.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Morning Tempo email newsletter at MorningTempo.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @MorningTempo on Facebook  and  YouTube

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Transforming Experiences Into Baking Courses – Edna Cochez (Ep 40)

Guest host Jessica Ramesch of International Living discusses the relationship between WordPress website security and brand reputation with Beto Rubio. Beto first appeared on the podcast in episode 34. That conversation was with me and in English. This episode is in Spanish This is a special episode features Jessica doing the interview with Beto Rubio of Servidores Rapidos in Spanish. It’s an experiment I wanted to do with Beto and another former guest of the podcast, both of whom are business owners based in Panama. Jessica and Beto discuss WordPress website security, how your brand is impacted by website security, efforts to spread low-cost internet access across Panama and more. Mentioned in this Episode International Living Servidores Rapidos Las Lajas WordPress Meetup Related Episodes WordPress Security Begins With Understanding Common Vulnerabilities – Beto Rubio (Ep 34) Support this Podcast The Morning Tempo podcast exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, and we gladly accept support in a variety of ways. Please visit our Crowd Sponsor page to learn more. Learn more about supporting this podcast. Recommended Resources ConvertKit Email Marketing Platform Web hosting by Dreamhost See more of my recommended resources Some of the links in this post, such as those in the above section, are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Visit MorningTempo.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Morning Tempo email newsletter at MorningTempo.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @MorningTempo on Facebook  and  YouTube

Jessica Ramesch And Beto Rubio On Website Security And Brand Reputation (Ep 39)

Philip VanDusen joined me back in August of 2018 to discuss how he reached 10K email subscribers. That conversation was for episode four of the podcast. Listening back, it’s clear that Philip’s milestone achievement wasn’t a complicated process, but hard work and strategic planning. The original interview has been edited only slightly from it's original form. I thought this would be a nice great way to reboot the podcast. I've been on hiatus for a few months, focusing my podcasting attention elsewhere. I'm back, the podcast is back and hopefully I'll have Philip back on again soon. Philip is CCO of Verhaal Brand Design, a brand strategy, a design and marketing agency. Check out his work at PhilipVandusen.com. Philip publishes lots of great content covering various marketing and branding topics on his YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy this replay of my conversation with Philip Vandusen of Verhaal Brand Design. Mentioned In This Episode PhilipVandusen.com Philip’s YouTube Channel Related Episode Philip VanDusen – Sharing Years of Brand Design Expertise on YouTube (Ep 4) Visit MorningTempo.com/Podcasts for related links, episode transcripts and past guests. Sign up for the Morning Tempo email newsletter at MorningTempo.com Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @Robonzo on LinkedIn @MorningTempo YouTube

Philip VanDusen On Reaching 10K Email Subscribers (Ep 38)

Jacqueline Bedke of Tierra Mia Organicos runs her farm on principles of consumer health, animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Tierra Mia is a free range  organic chicken and egg producer in Panama. I don’t recall who introduced me to the company, but I’ve been a fan for a while now. Last Thanksgiving 2020, I decided to cook a free range chicken instead of turkey. Tierra Mia was my go to. Jacqueline invited me to come see the farm just before the Thanksgiving holiday. She gave me and a good friend a wonderful impromptu tour, showing us the many hen houses, pastures, the processes for egg inspection and packaging, the farm’s land rehabilitation projects and more. I was blown away seeing what Jacqueline has created. That day she also shared with us her philosophy on organic and sustainable farming. And she let us take pics with a one of her hens. Tierra Mia Organicos supplies eggs and chicken to major grocers here in Panama including Riba Smith, Deli Gourmet and Organica. Lucky for me, Tierra Mia also does consumer deliveries for my local community. In this conversation, I wanted to learn about and share Jacqueline’s story and the story of Tierra Mia Organicos. Our conversation turned out to be a story of true inspiration. Jacqueline pursued a dream, faced adversity and has come through the other side a shining star of the local business community here in Panama. I was in a bit of awe the day we met in person at the farm, as my friend and I listened and walked with Jacqueline, learning about the operation and her philosophy. Jacqueline struck me as a smart, class act fighter. When you hear her story, I think you’ll agree. Visit MorningTempo.com or related links, episode transcript and more. If you'd like to reach  out and say hi, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram @robonzodrummer.

Consumer Health, Animal Welfare and Environmental Stewardship – Jacqueline Bedke, Tierra Mia Oganicos (Ep 37)

Max Branstetter is the founder of MaxPodcasting, a service that offers podcast production. We connected through Podcast Movement Virtual 2020. In addition to podcast production, Max also hosts the Wild Business Growth Podcast, where he interviews entrepreneurs and innovators to discover the creative and unusual ways they grow their businesses. In this conversation we talk about: Max's company and podcast His connections to family business Hippo Direct Tips for podcasters who self-edit How his podcast and network is helping his business His favorite topics from Podcast Movement Virtual 2020 Hopefully you can tell from our conversation that Max has great energy and whimsy, qualities he uses effortlessly in his business pursuits. Mentioned in this Episode MaxPodcasting Wild Business Growth Podcast Podcast Movement Conferences RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio Visit MorningTempo.com for related links, episode transcript and more.

Business Growth, Podcasting and Connection – Max Branstetter (Ep 36)

 Louise Brogan of SocialBee is on a mission to teach others how to build businesses with LinkedIn. We met at Youpreneur Summit 2017 in London, but recently reconnected at Podcast Movement Virtual 2020, where she was a speaker. In this conversation, Louise and I talk about some of the finer points of building a LinkedIn network, new features in the LinkedIn app and website, how she’s using LinkedIn in her own business, and much more.

Linking In With Louise Brogan (Ep 35)

IT and web security has always been an interest of mine. Given that it was time for me to personally learn more about WordPress website security I decided to do a presentation for the Las Lajas WordPress meetup group. Website security is obviously relevant to the world of small biz and creative entrepreneurship, so this episode is based on my presentation. I also have the outside perspective of Beto Rubio, Founder of Servidores Rapidos, a Panama based web hosting company. Dealing with managing WordPress hosting, operations development and many other things IT related, Beto knows a thing or two about website security. In this conversation we discuss commonly overlooked practices, the top 5 WordPress security issues, common hacking attempts that use stolen passwords, hosting considerations and much more. Visit MorningTempo.com for show notes and more.  

WordPress Security Begins With Understanding Common Vulnerabilities – Beto Rubio (Ep 34)

Kristina Zhao caught my attention as a restauranteur of Sichuan House. Prior to the pandemic over 80% of their business came from dine-in services. Delivery and take out sounds like an easy option, but is it viable for a family-run business when third parties take such a large percentage? We talk about how Sichaun House was able to make the pivot in large part due to Kristina’s unique background, education and her can-do attitude. They adapted technology to meet their specific needs, serve their customers and manage their margins all at the same time. Episode Highlights We start by talking about Robonzo’s foray into the restaurant sector and go on to discuss: (09:02) Her time working in the wireless industry (18:30) From dine-in to delivery (23:05) Adapting technology to make margins work (29:08) The turbulent first couple of weeks of COVID (39:34) Prioritizing the value of people (44:06) Getting creative with menu naming For more resources and full show notes go to MorningTempo.com

Catering During a Crisis—Kristina Zhao (Ep 33)

 Chuck Surack is the founder of the online music retailer Sweetwater. The business employs over 1800 people and is privately owned by Chuck and his wife. Chuck's business began in 1984 with a now legendary story of his discovering and reverse engineering the Kurweil keyboard. The business has expanded in many directions since. While many businesses are struggling amidst the pandemic, Sweetwater is currently thriving. Chuck has long been a supporter of his community and businesses of his hometown Fort Wayne, Indiana. We talk about the importance of putting people first, constant professional development, and the little touches that help a business stand out. Episode Highlights We start by talking about growing up in Indiana (05:44) and go on to discuss: (07:55) A high touch customer experience (12:45) Building a strong culture (19:09) Supporting and growing other businesses (25:00) The changing music scene amidst the pandemic (30:25) Buying back a company (40:12) Personalizing product and packaging (44:15) Professional development as a company priority For more resources and show notes go to MorningTempo.com

A People-Centric Approach To Business—Chuck Surack (Ep 32)

Stacey Bedford is the CEO of Bandzoogle, an all-in-one professional website platform for musicians and bands. Ten years ago when Stacey started with Bandzoogle she was in tech support. She shares with me her journey to becoming CEO all while putting people, both customers and staff, first. Adaptability has always been critical to startups, particularly to Bandzoogle as the nature of the music industry changes frequently. During our current challenging times Bandzoogle have had to pivot again, on multiple fronts, and Stacey shares how they are adapting their services for customers while their staff work remotely (many with children at home as well). We talk about building culture, supporting employee wellness, beekeeping and much more. Episode Highlights We start by talking about how the pandemic has altered their day to day business (02:20) and go on to discuss: (03:42) The early days in a startup (07:30) Her journey from tech support to CEO (09:50) Their culture of customer-first (17:30) Adapting to the changing needs of artists and the industry (30:05) Advice for businesses new to working remotely (37:55) Challenges on paper vs. reality (42:10) Supporting employee wellness in flexible ways. For more resources and show notes go to MorningTempo.com

The Adaptability of Startup Culture—Stacey Bedford, Bandzoogle (Ep 31)

David Burkus is on a mission to make the experience of work suck a little less. One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David joins me to talk about strategies to make networking part of your everyday life, finding the cause that you will fight for and the value of putting your employees first. David is an acclaimed author, speaker and researcher. His TEDx talk has been viewed over 2 million times, because we can all relate to that networking experience we’ve had that didn’t leave us feeling great. David has a special talent in taking organizational research and making it both accessible and applicable, so that we can use it to thrive in both life and work. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS We start off by discussing why people hate networking so much and go on to discuss: Dormant vs weak ties (06:16) The stop-watch of awkwardness (10:33) How to frame conversations with an ask (13:30) What he’d do differently with his next book (19:35) Lasting content versus short-term content (28:25) How you can create revolutionary crusades (41:25) KEY TAKEAWAYS Put employees first so that they can then put customers first in their own roles (32:00) Develop a system to keep in touch with dormant/weak ties (10:33) Know what you’re fighting for and when you find it, grow it (41:25) For more show notes and resources go to MorningTempo.com

Make Networking Feel Less Dirty—David Burkus (Ep 30)

Linda Johnston came to the Isle of Arran, Scotland on a contract as a physical education teacher. The island had no swimming pool, and so, to build and pay for a pool, she and her husband did the next logical thing - buy a country house hotel. Over thirty years on, Auchrannie Resort consists of the original hotel, two swimming pools, a spa resort, leisure facilities, a number of co-ownership lodges, retreats, a playbarn and much more. Linda had no previous experience running a business, but she’s committed to learning, growing and putting in the hard work. Conscious of wanting to retire in the future, to ensure Auchrannie is left in good hands, they have moved to employee ownership. It’s a fascinating concept putting people over profits, and we discuss that and much more in this episode. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS We start off by discussing the pool that started it all and go on to discuss: The employee ownership model The percentage of business that comes from dog lovers Developing a strong relationship with your bank Walking the walk when prioritizing your staff Creating a consistent, quality guest experience Creativity in the hospitality sector KEY TAKEAWAYS Know your values. Act in alignment with them. Provide the best experience - happy customers are the best marketing device. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Auchrannie Resort  Linda Johnston on Girl Tries Life  Connect with Linda on LinkedIn  For more resources to go MorningTempo.com

Legacy Through Employee Ownership—Linda Johnston (Ep 29)

School is back in session with entrepreneur and lead instructor at Freelancer Masterclass, Mike Volkin. This time Mike’s telling us about neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and grow over time, and how knowing how to influence that change can help you break through the barriers and ceilings in your own life. We touch base with my Pomodoro experiment as well as Mike’s own takeaways from creative visualization and mindfulness. Mike Volkin is a speaker, a trainer, an Army veteran, and if that’s not enough he’s the author of five bestsellers. Joining the Army three days after 9/11, Mike spent eight years as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Operations Sergeant. During his service overseas he began to write his books as well as receiving an Army Commendation Medal before coming home to build and sell four companies. These days he’s the owner and Lead Instructor at Freelancer Masterclass, a direction born from Mike’s personal mission to have a life remembered as one that launched ten thousand careers. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS We start this episode by catching up on my experiment with the Pomodoro app before settling into “headier” subjects like: What neuroplasticity actually is and what drew Mike to study it The personal and professional benefits of working with neuroplasticity Building creative visualization and meditation into our daily lives Taking the best from our backgrounds and interests into our career Moving beyond our limits and breaking through our income and interest ceilings Mike’s tips on increasing your brain’s neuroplasticity KEY TAKEAWAYS Having a successful career is about constantly being in motion. You pull from your past, your background, your interests to inform your present, and you look to your future goals as a way to challenge and improve your process. Never stay static. Aim to perfect what you do every day. Work to better concentrate your focus and get the most out of yourself through experimentation and education. For more information go to MorningTempo.com

Lessons Learned for the Modern Freelancer (Part 2)—Mike Volkin (Ep 28)

Mike Volkin is a speaker, a trainer, an Army veteran, and if that’s not enough he’s the author of five bestsellers. Joining the Army three days after 9/11, Mike spent eight years as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Operations Sergeant. During his service overseas he began to write his books as well as receiving an Army Commendation Medal before coming home to build and sell four companies. These days he’s the owner and Lead Instructor at Freelancer Masterclass, a direction born from Mike’s personal mission to have a life remembered as one that launched ten thousand careers. In this episode I speak with Mike Volkin and we discuss how in order to learn one thing you often have to learn something else entirely. Like how tennis can make you a better entrepreneur, or why escaping a wildfire can lead you to understanding the importance of creating a personal mission. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS We start the episode by talking about how Mike’s love of tennis informed his career as an entrepreneur before delving deep into: The importance of creating a mission Hacks for fending off distraction as an entrepreneur How Osama Bin Laden made Mike a better marketer The lessons learned from building and selling four companies The struggles of modern freelancers KEY TAKEAWAYS You have to have a reason, a mission, that can inspire and drive you forward. What do you want to be remembered for? Someone who built something, achieved something? Or someone who just worked a job. Focusing on the minutes, the small changes to our daily processes, can have incredible changes in the long-term. For more information and resources go to MorningTempo.com

Lessons Learned for the Modern Freelancer—Mike Volkin (Ep 27)

Doris Pickering, a presentation and speaking coach, is one of my favorite people in the San Francisco Bay area. Following a strong background as a manager with HP, Doris set out on her own to support executives, professionals and small business owners in delivering powerful messages. From business presentations to TED Talks, she helps her clients achieve their goals of being confident public speakers. Our discussion touches on the evolution of her business and her personal mindset. Both of which I believe may resonate with you. She is a gifted observer of life and we talk about how comparison can hinder your personal and professional development. We discuss how effective presentations and speaking are things that create enormous stress for many people. With a lack of these skills, one can hinder themselves in business and the workplace. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS We start by discussing some of Doris’ early roles on her career path and go on to discuss: Why Doris chose to focus on executive speaking Communicating so that others hear your message Investing in your own professional development Creatively approaching your career growth The importance of connecting with yourself to succeed KEY TAKEAWAYS Becoming a confident speaker positively impacts your career. Stop the comparison game - it limits who you are. QUOTABLE “The cost of being brilliantly successful is often that we shut down who we are. Who we are is so much more important than what we do.”  —Doris Pickering “We always compare our insides (how we feel), with other peoples’ outsides (what we see). If you continue to do this, you will never win.” —Doris Pickering Get full show notes at MorningTempo.com/podcast.

Public Speaking For Career Advancement—Doris Pickering (Ep 26)

This podcast is for small business owners and entrepreneurial spirited. Episodes will feature insights and expertise curated by host Roberto Hernandez, with the help of featured guests. Most episodes feature long form interviews with business owners, startups, and otherwise creative individuals. The intent here is to share information and lessons that will make your entrepreneurial journey easier. All this, plus a slant toward the exploration of creativity.

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