Ask Brien Show

Welcome to the Ask Brien Radio Show with hosts Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge. This engaging episode delves into Chris Skates' multifaceted career, exploring his evolution from a chemist to a successful writer and political advisor. Chris recounts his experiences writing for the Governor of Kentucky and the Trump administration, offering insights into the world of political speechwriting. The discussion takes an emotional turn as Chris shares his battle with leukemia and how it inspired him to publish his grandfather's story. The hosts and Chris also touch on the changing landscape of publishing and offer advice for aspiring writers.<...

This week on the Ask Brien radio show, we're thrilled to welcome Andrew Brown, CEO and co-founder of Tool Fetch, a one-stop shop for tradespeople's equipment needs. Andrew shares his inspiring journey from a tech professional to a leading advocate for the skilled trades industry. Discover how the events of 9/11 shaped his entrepreneurial path and learn about the challenges he faced in building a successful e-commerce business in 2001 and the critical shortage of skilled workers in various trades. Tune in to explore the importance of mentorship and the vast opportunities within the skilled trades sector.

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The Ask Brien podcast dives  into entrepreneurship and business success with host Peter Bronstein and co-host Alex Grossman. Alex shares his wealth of knowledge gained from various business ventures. The discussion covers key challenges faced by entrepreneurs, essential steps for business success, and the importance of proper business structure. Peter Bronstein adds valuable legal perspectives, while the team explores retail business intricacies and the significance of market research. The episode provides a comprehensive guide for aspiring and current business owners.

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The Ask Brien podcast welcomes Dr. Gina Williams, CEO of Mobility Health Physical Therapy, to discuss the importance of work-life balance and physical well-being for entrepreneurs. Hosts Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge delve into Dr. Williams' transition from working in a "physical therapy factory" to founding her own mobile physical therapy practice. The conversation covers the benefits of delegating tasks, maintaining work-life balance, and practical tips for office ergonomics. Dr. Williams shares insights on scaling a business while prioritizing quality care and personal well-being, offering valuable advice for entrepreneurs in any field.

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In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, host Peter Bronstein and guest-host Alex Grossman dive into the crucial topic of corporate compliance for small businesses. They’ll explore the intricacies of the Corporate Transparency Act, which requires businesses to file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report. They break down who needs to file, the penalties for non-compliance, and how to complete the filing process. The conversation also covers other vital compliance tasks, including maintaining corporate minutes, appointing a registered agent, and filing annual reports with the Secretary of State.

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In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, hosts Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge welcome executive leadership coach Corey Anker. Corey shares insights from his 15 years of experience coaching high-performing leaders across various industries. The conversation covers a wide range of business topics, including the transition from solopreneur to team leader, overcoming fears associated with scaling, and developing a healthy relationship with money. Corey provides practical advice on team building, succession planning for family businesses, and the importance of systems in creating a business that isn't founder-dependent. Then, Peter and Traci engage in role-playing scenarios, allowing Corey to demonstrate...

In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, hosts Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge welcome Patricia Pinckney, founder of Rima Strategy. Patricia Pinckney shares her journey from working with marketing powerhouses like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola to founding her own strategy firm. The discussion covers the challenges of starting a business, the importance of research in strategy development, and the evolving landscape of marketing in the digital age. Patricia offers insights on how small to medium-sized businesses can leverage affordable research methods and adapt to rapid technological changes. The episode also touches on the significance of human-centered strategies in...

In this episode, hosts Peter and Traci chat with Kevin Waldher, CEO of Wealth Retention Strategies, to explore how his firm helps clients minimize tax exposure, maximize charitable giving, and build customized financial plans. Learn how to assess your current financial position, identify potential risks, and implement strategies to protect and grow your wealth. Whether you’re a business owner or an individual seeking to preserve your assets, this conversation is packed with valuable insights. Visit WealthRetentionStrategies.com to connect with Kevin and learn more about his innovative approach to wealth retention.

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In this episode of the Ask Brien radio show, hosts Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge dive into the world of podcasting. Traci is a podcasting expert, sharing insights from her experience as the Founder and CEO of Produce Your Podcast, a full service podcast production agency. This episode provides a comprehensive look at podcasting from a business perspective. Traci and Peter explore topics such as determining podcast goals, content creation, distribution strategies, and audience growth. They also explore the differences between entertainment-driven podcasts and business-focused ones, emphasizing the potential for revenue generation even with smaller audiences. If you are...

In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, hosts Peter and Traci welcome Ernesto Calleri and Barbara Wardell, co-founder of Calleri and Wardell, a geofencing advertising agency. The guests share their journey from diverse backgrounds into the world of location-based digital marketing. This insightful discussion explores how geofencing technology is revolutionizing small business advertising and customer acquisition.  Ernesto and Barbara explain how their proprietary platform allows them to target potential customers based on their physical location and provide detailed foot traffic analysis. They discuss the challenges they faced in building their business, including issues with technology providers and the n...

In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, co-hosts Peter and Traci dive into the topic of entrepreneurial burnout. Guest Maegan Megginson, a former psychotherapist turned business coach, shares her expertise on recognizing and addressing burnout. She highlights the importance of self-awareness and differentiating between mild fatigue and severe burnout for entrepreneurs. Maegan discusses the concept of "pink flags" as early indicators of burnout and emphasizes the need for balance between personal well-being and professional ambitions. The episode combines humor and practical advice, encouraging entrepreneurs to prioritize self-care to sustain their business success.

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On today’s episode of Ask Brien, Traci DeForge sits down with Jose Berlanga, CEO of Houstonian Capital and Onyx Land Partners. With 35 years of entrepreneurial experience, Jose helps business owners tackle critical questions like breaking even, valuing their time, and managing budgets. As a real estate developer, he’s worked with businesses across industries—from restaurants to oil and gas. Don’t miss insights from his book, The Business of Home Building, available now on Amazon!

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In this episode of the Ask Brien podcast, hosts Peter and Traci welcome guest Jesse Hernandez Jr. of DepthBuilder.com. Jesse discusses his transition into consulting, focusing on improving communication and productivity in organizations. He opens up about his initial struggles with pricing his services and how a mentor's advice helped him gain confidence. Jesse also talks about handling rate increases with existing clients and the importance of building strong relationships. The episode concludes with insights into Jesse's books and his podcast, The Learnings and Missteps Podcast, offering valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

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In this episode of the Ask Brien Podcast, hosts Peter and Traci delve into the essentials of business success, focusing on financial management and strategic planning with Michele Williams the Founder and CEO of Scarlet Thread Consulting. Michele shares her journey from financial software development to entrepreneurship. She discusses the creation of a financial dashboard to aid business owners, particularly in the creative industry, in understanding their financial health. The conversation covers hiring strategies, the importance of a strategic plan, and the role of podcasting in marketing. Michele emphasizes financial literacy and adaptability, offering practical advice for navigating economic...

This week we were joined by Tony Ulwick, CEO of Strategyn. Tony shares the importance of doing research to understand what potential customers are really looking for and what their current unmet needs are. Instead of spending time testing out several different solutions or products, go directly to the source to see what their needs are, then design a solution around those needs. He talks about how AI can be positively utilized in business and how the business landscape has shifted since COVID. Tony explains how he outsources, and what he recommends for small business owners who don’t ha...

Customer experience can make a huge difference in the success of a company, but it often gets overlooked. This week, we are joined by Aransas Savas and Dave Norton of Stone Mantel, a business that helps create better experiences for customers and helps clients create more value. Our guests discuss how they onboard new customers and uncover what their customers are needing in order for them to innovate and create new products. They share how they’ve helped past clients, and what businesses could do today to get them started with future customer expectations. Tune in to learn more ab...

This week we are joined by marketing expert, Cyndee Harrison. Cyndee has worked with many entrepreneurs and businesses on sharing their stories and creating success in the marketing world. She explains why internal and external messaging is critical, and why your team needs to all be on board with the same mission. Cyndee talks about how podcasting has changed over the last 10 years, and why it can really help to push PR for your business. Tune in to learn some amazing marketing tips! 

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Should you form a corporation or LLC immediately when starting a business? This week, our very own Peter Bronstein is discussing how to set up a business correctly, and the impacts that could happen if you don’t. He describes what companies need to know when it comes to written and verbal contracts, and how to best protect yourself. Peter dives into why a business may not create a separate entity and what they are risking. These details apply specifically to California, but are likely similar in other states. Tune in to learn more about the legal side of ow...

Does it feel like you're spinning your wheels to get your business noticed? This week, we have Michelle Griffin on the show who is an expert on branding. As a Personal Brand and PR Advisor, Michelle discusses how to get your name out into the world as a small business and the best way to create a good message for potential clients. She talks about the books she has written, and why they can benefit business owners. Michelle shares some incredible tips for where to start with your small business, how to get noticed, and how to stand out...

There are so many financing options available, sometimes it can feel confusing to know which option would be best for your business. This week, we have Glenn Russo from Avatar Financial Consultants on the show to discuss the various funding options, as well as what to watch out for. He goes in depth on the different financial options and explains what types of business they may be best for. Tune in to understand what may be available to you and how to approach the different loan and funding options. 

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Are you a new business owner or entrepreneur who is looking for the best tips to get your business started right? This week, John Davenport joins the Ask Brien Show to talk about business development, marketing, and social media strategies. He shares some incredible tips on the best ways to utilize social media and how to ensure you are using ads correctly. He explains what the most important thing to do in marketing is and why it's crucial to be persistent. Tune in for some great business takeaways and to learn about his generous offer for our listeners!

Diversity is so much more than just gender or race, according to Judith Weigle. Today, we have workshop leader and diversity expert Judith Weigle on the show to discuss how she has redefined diversity and why human connection is crucial to employee retention and a successful business. Judith explains how remote work has impacted diversity and the culture in companies and why the nationwide process for diversity isn’t the best option. Please tune in to learn more about the program she offers to businesses to create a unified company and why this is vital to creating success. 

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As a serial entrepreneur, it seems that Alex has done it all. His latest venture into the retail space has proven to be more challenging, but he’s learned a lot. In this episode, Alex shares more about his specialized venture into the motorsports industry and his advice on running a brick and mortar store. Alex shares how COVID has changed the landscape for businesses and what people are more likely to purchase post COVID. Lastly Alex talks about marketing and how he gets customers into the store, and how the brick and mortar store allows for more interest. Tu...

Empowering women over 40 is Jenna Capozzi’s speciality, especially when it comes to helping them market their businesses! This week, Jenna joins the show to talk about how she transitioned away from Hollywood into marketing and mentorship. She shares the best ways to cold call businesses in order to get your services in front of them, and how to be prepared for those calls! Jenna shares the most common pieces of advice that she provides clients with and explains why jumping in is the best way to do it! Tune in to learn more from this amazing expert. 

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Have you been trying to get your website to rank on Google, but you can’t get it past the second or third page? This week, we are joined by David Lowbridge of Two Feet Marketing to discuss SEO (Search Engine Optimization). David shares best practices to get your website seen, including information about how many words to use, what type of images to use, and where to place your keywords to give you the best chance of ranking on Google. He discusses some of the feedback he gave to Traci’s company, Produce Your Podcast, and how those chan...

Storytelling is one of the most important aspects of your business, because it allows your customers to know what to expect when they choose to work with you. This week we are joined by the Founder of The Business of Storytelling, Park Howell. Park shares why storytelling is so critical to your business, and provides the key elements that every story needs. He explains where content creation is heading, and the impacts of AI on content creation. Park shares a challenging story that he had to help a customer with, and does an incredible job providing an example of...

Unlock the secrets to business growth by understanding your ideal customer. This week, we are joined by Ben Utley , a seasoned Certified Financial Planner™ professional from Physician Family Financial Advisors. Ben shares his journey into financial planning and the advantages of niching down his business. He highlights the importance of vision, values, and culture and building a strong team while explaining his approach to leadership. Ben also talks about turning away business that doesn't align with his goals and the benefits of having a robust network for referrals. Tune in to gain valuable insights on growth and leadership.

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Antelope Valley is growing at a rapid pace, and AV EDGE is ready to help businesses get started with expansion into the area. This week, we have Drew Mercy from Antelope Valley Economic Development and Growth Enterprise on the show to discuss how they can help all sizes of businesses take advantage of economic development programs. Drew discusses what the use tax is, how it impacts those doing business in California as well as residents of California. He provides examples how AV EDGE can help small businesses and highlights the businesses they are currently seeking to work with. Tune...

After her mother unexpectedly passed away, Audrey knew she needed to take her business into her own hands so that she could enjoy her life to the fullest. This week on the podcast, Audrey Kwan, founder of AJK Consulting, joins us to talk about how she started her own agency, with the mission to help businesses build workplaces that give back their freedom, families and joy, so more kids have healthy, happy parents to come home to. She talks about how she got her first clients and some of the biggest struggles she came up against when starting her...

NFIB is a wonderful home for small businesses. This week, John Kabateck is joining the show to talk about NFIB and all the work they are doing to keep small businesses safe and get their voices heard. John talks about the amazing benefits that members of NFIB receive as well as the top three goals they are currently working on. John discusses Proposition 47 and how it will help hold criminals accountable for retail crimes. He also talks about being an entrepreneur and why partnering with other entrepreneurs is such a passion of his. Tune in to learn more about...

Building a side hustle while working a full time job can be difficult, but this week's guest was able to turn that side hustle into her now full time job after years of work. Jenn Trepeck joins us this week to talk about her transition from working in hedge funds into creating her business, Better Life Now LLC, and her podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries. Jenn talks about how she utilizes her podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries, to help promote her health coaching business and how she helps her clients live happy, healthy lives. Jenn...

Inspired by his three years teaching at a junior boarding school in the Adirondacks, Chuck Schwerin wrote a fiction book about a 15 year old ninth grader and a 63 year old headmaster who are haunted by events that they’ve caused and for which they struggle to address. Chuck joins Peter and Traci to talk about his writing process and why he chose to write a book. He walks through the pros and cons of self publishing vs. using a traditional publisher. Chuck shares how he went about finding an agent to help get his book published and promoted as we...

Are you looking into retirement plans for your employees and are not sure where to start? There are many different types of retirement plans available, so we brought on Courtenay Shipley from Retirement Planology to help understand the different types of plans and when businesses should start implementing them for their employees. Courtenay breaks down the top 4 retirement plans and who each plan is made for. She also discusses when businesses should consider putting plans in place. Towards the end of the episode, Courtenay discusses who Retirement Planology’s ideal client is and how they market their business. Tune in...

How do you get potential new customers to inquire about your business? Jason Kramer, the Founder of Cultivize joins the show to discuss several tactics that can be used to drive potential customers to inquire about your products or services. He breaks down what funnels and lead magnets are and the best way to use each to your advantage. Jason discusses how to get people engaged in the online world through social media and email marketing. He dives deeper into what services his business, Cultivize, offers and at what point a business may want to utilize their services. Tune...

Today on the Ask Brien Podcast, our resident experts Peter and Traci interview Jen McFarland, founder of Merit Digital, a digital operations agency. They discuss various topics related to small businesses like digital support, business skills, technology, and artificial intelligence. Jen shares her insights on website development and support, SEO rankings, and the use of AI tools for time management and efficiency. She also talks about her journey as an entrepreneur and her decision to make her company a B Corp. If you’re a small business owner in need of digital support, this episode is for you!

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Charlie Rocket realized the need to chase his dreams after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. So, after making some big life changes, Charlie started the Dream Machine Foundation. During this episode, Charlie shares more about his journey and how he is using his foundation to change the lives of others. Charlie shares how they make an impact on those who share their dreams with Dream Machine, and tells us a few amazing stories, such as a homeless artist becoming successful, a child raising $500,000 selling cookies in her new bakery and more. Charlie shares their Million Acts of Kindness...

“Reach for the moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” This week on the Ask Brien Radio Show Podcast, Confidence Coach Regina Bonds joins Peter to discuss her coaching business. She explains how she went from working as a banker to thriving as a confidence coach. In the conversation, Regina reveals what challenges she faced as a brand new entrepreneur and how she worked through them. Regina walks us through her three C’s to confidence, and shares some valuable tips for fellow women who are on the journey to create their own business. Tune in...

After building a successful career in the NHL, Neil Smith decided to make a shift into a new career. In doing so, he found a way to utilize his experience and passion for the NHL in a new way. On this episode, sports manager turned senior wealth strategist, Neil Smith joins us to talk about his transition from sportscaster into the financial sector. Neil talks about the similarities between building a strong and successful sports team (and winning the Stanley Cup!) vs. in the financial world. He explains why energy and enthusiasm go a long way when it comes...

Ben Bucher decided to take a chance on himself when he transitioned from being a manager at McDonald’s to opening his own Allstate Insurance business. Ben joins us on this episode to talk about how he decided to open his own business and the challenges that came along with being a new entrepreneur. He shares how he grew his insurance business so quickly and what the most valuable things are that he has implemented into his business. Tune in to hear Ben share some great pointers for creating a successful business with zero experience. 

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Creating a brand new product in the beverage industry has its challenges, but this week's guest, Marcin Malyszko of Mission Craft Cocktails explains how they’ve been able to promote their business. Marcin talks about how they differentiate their product from other top name beverages out there, including how they utilize their marketing strategy. He discusses their liquid-to-lips strategy and why that has been a win getting their product into stores. Mission Craft Cocktails also donates a percentage of their proceeds to a charity, so Marcin talks about what that looks like and how they chose who to give ba...