The Revenue Maze

Today’s guest has given star shows at a planetarium and is the author of Tony Jenzano, Astronaut Trainer: The Man Who Made the Stars Shine. Michael Neece is the Director of Statistical Programming at Gilead Science. Michael joins the host Valerie Cobb to share his tips for helping to grow your company's revenue. 
 
Takeaways:
If you are looking to grow your revenue, it’s important to focus on the human component of your business. As humans, we flatter ourselves and make ourselves think we make decisions based on sound logic but sometimes emotions get in the way of that. 
When you are trying to build a team or working with a team, consider moving at the speed of trust. That means that you want everyone to feel comfortable speaking up or feel comfortable sharing their voice. 
People often want peace of mind and that they want to know that things are going to be OK. Coming off of the COVID pandemic, there were a lot of people who were unsure how things were going to be and how to settle back into the workforce during these times.
Reading is a good way to gain clarity and gives you the time to relax and focus on the big-picture items in your life. 
At the end of the day, your business will always come down to the people that you surround yourself with and work with. You won’t remember all the deals you made but you will always remember the relationships you built along the way.
A company's culture is incredibly important to make sure that runs smoothly. If the culture creates a positive environment, then employees will feel welcomed in and work harder as well as feel more comfortable sharing their beliefs and opinions. 
 
Quote of the Show:
“You don't want to go down the wrong path because somebody was too afraid to say, hey, I think there's a better way of doing this” - Michael Neece
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelneece/
Website: https://www.gilead.com/
Personal Website: https://michaelgneece.com/
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1469659921/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/A3u279SrNWA
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest helped to create the largest online marketplace for consumer credit in Brazil. Olle Widén is the CEO of FinanZero. Olle is a world traveler and has made Brazil his home for his startup company in the FinTech space. Olle joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some tips on how companies can grow their business. 
 
Takeaways
When you are building your business, you need to have trust in your business model and focus on the long term, not the short term. You will also want to put your customer first as they are the ones who will be supporting you the most. 
It takes time to build up a brand and your presence as well. It can take up to 6 years to see a payoff from building your business, so it’s important to stick with it and see it through.
The market is becoming more digital now, so it is the right time to look at investments for companies in the tech industry. 
It’s easier to move in on new and emerging markets. When you are looking to start your business, you should consider not only your area of expertise but also what markets are out there that have untapped potential.
Being an entrepreneur and starting your own business can be a risk, but it’s better to take the risk while you are young before there is too much in your life that becomes dependent on you.
If you want your business to be successful, then you need to work with people you get along with and can trust. You want to make sure that you are getting someone who has an impressive background but you want to be able to connect with them as well.
When building a business, it’s a good idea to talk to someone that you are connected with so that you can vent to them or get their opinions on what you are going through.
 
Quote of the Show:
19:18 “Take the step, especially before you have too many other things going around with family and so on. Take the risk.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olle-wid%C3%A9n-3b6873/
Website: https://finanzero.com.br/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/XyqqgcY6oBM
 
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is a former disc jockey who uses his passion for music to create fantastic speakers. Brian Ketchum is the CEO at Pangissimo. Brian started from working at a radio station in small town in Maine to being a CEO. Brian joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his insights into how companies can increase their revenue. 
 
Takeaways 
As a business owner, one of the most important things to consider is to look where your business is and understand the channels that you can afford to be in. You don’t want to stretch your business too thin at the start.
Some people will always come back to the brand if they have any questions or are looking for support, even if they ordered something through a third party. 
People like to have their speakers be portable and at a cheaper cost. The cost is the biggest reason why people don’t get speakers. 
It’s no longer about trying to find out where your target audience is but the issue has transition to how do you reach that target audience, especially if they are younger. 
Brian got his career started in radio in a station in Norway, Maine by going up to the station and checking in to see if he could get a job. 
You have to understand who your network is and find out ways to use that network to get interesting job opportunities that you are passionate about.
 
Quote of the Show:
5:40 "What profit margin can my business accept in order to potentially be in a channel?"
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianketchum/
Website: https://www.pangissimostudio.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/O2Rh6UCS5Ko
 
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is an angel investor in many products. Dennis Thankachan is the Co-Founder and CEO at Lightyear. After studying Computer Science and Finance at The University of Texas, Dennis went to work with Goldman Sachs. He also was part of a $10 billion hedge fund. Dennis joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about increasing your revenue at your company.
 
Takeaways 
It’s essential to think about the product that you have and how the buyer of your product would intend to discover and buy your product. 
The founder of the company needs to be very focused in the early stages of the company and they also need to be open-minded. This can help you pick the right venue leader afterward. 
Businesses spend way more on telecommunication services than consumers do. If you are looking to break into the telecommunication space.
The way in which businesses buy their telecommunication services was invented in the 90s and hasn’t adapted to modern times. 
You want to make sure that you have adequate cash on your balance sheet and a level head in regards to how you analyze that. That will help your company through a recession.
It’s good to keep an eye on the market and hear the other perspective on the market. It’s always a good idea to market check.
Dennis was introduced to Mark Cuban through a mutual friend who ended up investing in his company along with other NBA team owners. 
 
Quote of the Show:
1:28 “Think about the product that you have and how the buyer of your product would intend to discover and buy your product.”
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thankachan/
Website: https://lightyear.ai/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/dnsCKerbAM0
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is an innovative thought leader that is focused on empowering the powerless. He is passionate about building better methods for how we interact with our relative world and helping people to better understand how their brainworks. Andrew Denton is the Founder of Glia Health and Prosper AI. Andrew shares how to connect with your team, what happens when you come to a wall, and the importance of staying humble as a leader.
 
Takeaways:
Your leadership, team, and, ultimately, company culture are what really drive your business forward and make it easier to attain your revenue goals. 
To get out of the revenue maze, you need to invest in your team in every way that you can. Not everyone is motivated by money, you need to find what matters to your people.  When you’re helping everyone reach their goals, they’ll help you reach yours.
Set up one-on-one conversations with your employees every two to three weeks to discuss how they are doing, what they want, and what they think about the organization. This will help you know how to incentivize them and check in on their own goals.
Get creative with how you reward your employees and how you solve problems for them. There are many ways to empower your team that don’t revolve around money.
No matter who you are, there will be walls that you hit in your life. Some walls are meant to be passed by others are meant to be broken down, what you do when you come to that wall will show who you are. 
You need opportunities and people around you that can keep you humble. If you and your business are going to succeed, you need people that will shoot you straight. 
Make sure that the product that you are making is worthwhile and will make a real impact on the world.
 
Quote of the Show:
“Learn what they want out of life and then figure out how you can help them attain those goals, and you'll often find that they'll help you attain yours” (3:51)
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdenton07/ 
Glia Health website: https://www.gliacare.com/ 
Glia Health Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gliahealth/ 
Prosper AI website: https://www.prosperjobs.co/ 
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube -
 
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest launched a product startup Toneoptic in 2022. All three of his books became International Amazon Bestsellers. Fabian Geyrhalter is the Principal at FINIEN. Fabian is also the host of the “Hitting the Mark” podcast. Fabian joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about the importance of everyone working together in a company and shares his tips on how to increase your revenue.
 
Takeaways 
It’s important to rethink your brand strategy on a yearly basis. Take the time to get the core C-Suite together and for about half the day think about your goals as a company and review the last year.
There needs to be someone who has an outside perspective on the brand and is able to see the big picture. The CEO is way too deep in it to see it from the outside so it can be helpful to bring in an outside perspective. 
When it comes to running your business, you want everyone in the company to be on the same page. If everyone works together and does the roles that they are assigned and it all works, then you start branching out and making the company bigger and get more clients.
Bringing someone in from the outside is a great idea as they can help push you and motivate you to be responsible for what the goals are going forward.
From a young age, Fabian was obsessed with logos, and he found a passion for helping brands establish themselves in a world cluttered with so much competition.
There is a large need for thinking outside the box. Too many companies stick with the status quo and that makes them less likely to innovate and expand on their brand.
When you are rebranding, don’t be afraid to go with a company that is different than yours because they could help push you in a new direction that can be beneficial to your company.
 
Quote of the Show:
7:34 “You have to create the word before you spread the gospel.”
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geyrhalter/
Website: https://www.finien.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hitting-the-mark/id1439135187
Books: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H81MN3U/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0789FBDJS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1734939702/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/Lc_IW7dMJ90
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

This week’s guest is a highly skilled innovator. Graeme Scott-Dodd is the CEO at Action Insight Management (AiM). Graeme brings his insights on how to grow profit in your business and talks with the host Valerie Cobb. Listen in this week, to hear Graeme's amazing tips and trick on improving your companies revenue.
 
Takeaways:
Make sure to figure out what you are trying to strive for in your company.  Try to narrow down your wants and focus on your needs to make your business skyrocket above other competitors.
With your company, make sure you prioritize the clients that are helping your business grow but be sure to fix the ones that may have fallen through. Utilize the lost opportunities for any new clients.
To keep a consistent amount of investments coming in, you have to be able to show your category growth in the company to future investors.
Make sure you know what your needs and wants are for your company because if you make the wrong move and decide to go head first into something you don’t know, you could be losing a lot of money and not getting the results you’d hoped in order for your company to improve. You would only be digging yourself further down.
If your company's total profit is higher than your average goal, then you don’t need to be promoting yourself. If customers already know your brand name, then don’t promote it. Promoting is what will be costing your company money, which will eventually leave you broke. 
There's a difference between the need to know and the want to know. People always get caught up in the want to know rather than the need. People would rather just get any form of information rather than focusing on what they actually need. 
If you drop the price at your company and you will sell more which means more total profit comes into your business. But if you've given away all of your margin because you are paying for all of that promotion, you may sell a lot, but your profit may go down in the process.
 
Quote of the Show:
“So what are you chasing? Is it volume? Is it revenue? The key thing most businesses are now moving to is profit, because, without the profit, you can't survive. All the other things lead to that profit.” (03:04)
 
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AiMTradePromo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemescottdodd/
Website: https://www.aim-eu.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/AshEB7oVKzg
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

This week’s guest is highly skilled at management. She also led an international team for a Fortune 500 company. Thai-Anh Hoang is the CEO and Founder at EmBeba. Thai-Anh brings the unique perspective of being a female CEO to the show and talks with the host Valerie Cobb to share her tips on how companies can increase their revenue. 
 
Takeaways:
One way to get out of the revenue maze is to take a chance. It may be risky, but you can’t increase revenue without taking chances on different ideas or approaches.
The people who will most support you when you start out won’t be your friends or family, but other entrepreneurs. 
Imposter syndrome has increased among many people now. CEO’s don’t like taking 50/50 shots so they feel like they are pretending to be qualified to do something new.
Men and women view risks and failures in different ways, which causes them to take other actions in these cases.
You have to realize there might be a difference between your users and buyers. It boils down to knowing who your customers are and targeting them.
When developing a product or a service, you want to make sure that what you are coming up with actually solves a problem for people in the real world.
 
Quote of the Show:
35:36 “Try to start a company a lot earlier, and take more risk. Take a lot more risk.”
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thai-anh-hoang/
Website: https://embeba.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/F9MSuJVirPc
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest has designed several patents over the years. He was inspired by the idea of Amazon using drones to deliver their products, so he went back to school to learn how to make drones and use them for everyday purposes and make jobs more efficient. Mike DiCosola, the CEO at Drone Industry Systems Corporation. Mike joins the host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how a company can increase its revenue. 
 
Takeaways
One way to increase the revenue for your company is to find a problem and solve that problem by using the current technology you have available.
A drone isn’t just a flying robot, it can be anything that is autonomous. This means you can create a unique type of drone to fill a gap in your company.
When it comes to building drones, it’s a long-term commitment and endeavor but it will pay off for the future use of a drone to make jobs more efficient. 
You need to feel empathy for the problem that you are trying to solve because you don’t want to sacrifice all your time on one single issue unless it is worth it.
You want to have empathy for the consumer. It’s important to feel that connection with your consumer and build that relationship with them.
Surveying your customer constituents is one way to find a gap in your company is see if you are able to fill it. 
Even if you can’t get away for a full vacation, appreciate the moments when you can step away and recharge your batteries a little bit.
 
Quote of the Show:
1:44 “Filling a gap, a gap that might be a boutique gap or an all-encompassing gap that is not necessarily being paid attention to or has just been avoided for some time. And now new technology that has come can fill that gap.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedicosola1/
Website: https://www.droneindustrysystems.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/_t_i1-dMTXw
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is a marketing extraordinaire. She’s at her best when juggling rapidly changing priorities and has a reputation for taking risks grounded in practical realities. Melanie Asher is the Founder and CMO at Omicle. Melanie is not confined by "we've always done it this way". She finds new and unique ways to help companies increase their revenue. Melanie joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of her tips on how to find your way out of the revenue maze. 
 
Takeaways 
One way to get yourself out of the revenue maze is to be crystal clear on the messaging you send. The message is not from your perspective, it’s from the client's perspective.
Daily, most people get anywhere between 30,000 to 90,000 messages. It is your job to make your message different and stand out from the rest of the noise. 
As an expert on a certain subject, you don’t need to feel like you have to demonstrate your knowledge. You can show you are the expert by simplifying the value you offer. 
It’s important to know why you are running a business, but your clients are more interested in how you can help them solve their problems.
Being able to connect with your clients can help increase your revenue. Building a relationship between you and your clients can help lead to bigger deals.
There is a difference between consultants and fractional employees. Fractional c-suite executives typically give you the advice of a c-suite-level person at a fraction of the cost. 
Spend less time worrying about what other people think and focus more on what your gut is telling you. Trust your instincts to lead your business to success.
 
Quote of the Show:
1:31 “Be crystal clear on your messaging and it is not from your perspective, it is from your client's perspective and your perspective clients.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omicle/
Website: https://www.omicle.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/PNxWHd7jHSI
 
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest sees the importance of making a process clear and concise. He is an avid Jayhawks fan and also enjoys playing the guitar. Mike Adkins is the Vice President of Sales at WarehouseQuote. Mike joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his tips for how companies can increase their revenue.
 
Takeaways
One way to increase the revenue for your company is to have clarity on what you are doing. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and think about what you are doing at a very base level.
There are plenty of books out there that claim to have the secret revenue growth or revenue ops, but you don’t need to read all those. Instead, take a step back and write down a list of the process you want and think about your ultimate objective.
When you are trying to make a clear process for your company, you want to try to simplify it. Simplicity can help make the process clear to others. 
Indecision is a decision. If you are not clear about why you are the right decision for a customer, then you have already killed the deal and the client won’t want to work with you.
Every day you want to think about the value you are bringing to your clients and make sure you are meeting their needs.
Use your time to improve your knowledge and skillset about your profession rather than spending time on social media.
Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out a little bit. You can learn a lot from an opportunity that didn’t work out and use those lessons on your next journey.
 
Quote of the Show:
7:40 “simplicity is one of the keys to clarity.” 
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-adkins-whq/
Website: https://www.warehousequote.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/i-rLe50lwSg
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

While today’s guest lives in Colorado, he was born in New England and still carries that Northeast spirit in his heart. He grew up with his mom who had her own catering business, which opened his eyes to what he does today. Zach DeAngelo is the CEO, Founder, Investor, and Food & Beverage Strategist at Rodeo CPG. Zach joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his tips for how companies can work to increase their revenue. 
 
Takeaways 
One way to get out of the revenue maze and build up the profits for your business is to clearly define what your goals for success with your business are very early on.
You have to be mindful of your cash flow as a business owner. It’s the lifeblood of your business and you need to keep a watchful eye on it.
You should try to map out your business and see how much it would cost you to make your product and how much you can sell it to make a profit.
There is always going to be a high element of unpredictability with a business. The most successful businesses are the ones that are able to adapt to changes. 
We as humans have the capacity to learn most things and figure them out, so don’t be afraid to really dive into something new and learn it.
It’s hard to get a bunch of people in an organization to change direction when something isn’t working, so you need to practice the change to make it a smooth transition.
 
Quote of the Show:
1:27 “One piece of advice is to clearly define what your goals for success with your business are very early on.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-deangelo/
Website: https://www.rodeocpg.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/_ubInKoQ48Q
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

B2B sales teams are struggling to find new ways to reach their buyers. Today’s guest sees these issues and has answers to this problem. Catherine Brown is the Inventor and Chief Trainer at EXTRABOLD Sales and the author of How Good Humans Sell. Catherine joins host Valerie Cobb to share some of the tips on how companies can sell better and increase their revenue.
 
Takeaways:
One way to increase your revenue is to have a strong call to action. This will hold you accountable while also driving attention to your company.
Part of the sellers' job is to make it easy to work with them and set up everything for the client.
It’s important to be crystal clear with clients. If you are clear with them and they understand everything that is happening, they will appreciate that clarity and honesty.
You need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to go out there and sell yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, it is obvious and you won’t be able to get the most out of your work.
When you are sharing your point or opinion, you should have the base intention of being a good human. 
Sales shouldn’t feel like there is external pressure that they have to handle along with their regular job.
If you want to be an entrepreneur, start in the corporate world and let a corporate company train you and develop the skills you will need to succeed. 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
5:15 “The seller's job is to meet that part of the good humanness and to make it easy to work with us.”
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineleebrown/
Website: https://extraboldsales.com/
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/How-Good-Humans-Sell-Success/dp/B095MD3HQK
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/BZ87w8Ithms
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is a bit of an adrenaline junky. He’s done everything from skydiving to bungee jumping and more. Gil Allouche is the CEO of metadata.io. After suffering through 8 years of pain that all marketers go through, he built his company to take some of that stress away. Gil joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to find your way out of the revenue maze. 
 
 
Takeaways 
To get out of the revenue maze, you want to lead with action. If things are slowing down at your company it’s your responsibility to take ownership and get it back on track.
Starting a company during a recession is a great way to get your company started. Necessity is the mother of invention.
During a recession, there aren’t as many high valuations and it will help so that when the recession ends your company will boom.
Marketing in this day and age is more about A B testing rather than being something similar to Mad Men.
The sales and marketing teams at companies should work side by side and have enough trust with each other.
You want to build up your brand because it’s going to be hard to sell your brand and product if no one knows about it.
You need to have a company culture of trust and accountability, and everyone should know that it takes time to build up a company. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
2:10 “If you show up every morning and you work on it, 200%,. I guarantee things will happen. Magic will happen. All the things that you hope for will start happening”
 
Links
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilallouche/
Website: https://metadata.io/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/GIXjzcOONyA
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is skilled in the art of entrepreneurship. He is a Global Leader in HealthWear and launched a new category of health and wellness products to 8-figures revenue and nationwide retail. Jordan Schindler is the CEO & Founder at Nufabrx. Jordan joins host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how companies can find their way out of the confusing maze of revenue. 
 
 
Takeaways
One way to get out of the revenue maze is by showcasing perseverance. You have to keep going forward and keep growing your company. 
You want to try and do one more thing than you did yesterday. As an entrepreneur, that is the way to build success.
While it may not seem like an immediate impact, getting 1% better everyday is going to help your business grow more and more. 
Give yourself permission to say no and yes to certain things and clients. You want to work with the right people and they fit into your profile.
Set goals for yourself that you can keep track of. They don’t need to be lofty goals but as long as they show progress or areas to improve they will help you.
Having “rocks” or quarterly goals for your company will help the employees focus on a 90 day project and use that to improve the company. 
You want to simplify your customer's life. Your goal as a company is to make their life better and take away the pain points that they are experiencing.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
0:51 “It's all about showcasing perseverance. You gotta put one foot in front of the other and you gotta keep growing.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschindler/
Website: https://nufabrx.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/Ne-3fnb09wE
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest has been a consultant for 30 of the  Fortune 500 companies and has over 30 years of business experience. She focuses on business simplification, growth and profitability. Diane Moura is the CEO of ZenChange Marketing. Diane joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how companies can drive up their revenue.
 
Takeaways
A great way to get out of the revenue maze is to test before you invest. Before you invest into a new tool, you want to test other ones and make sure you are comfortable with the software you will be using. 
Before you put some money and marketing behind an idea, you want to make sure there is a target audience for it and that it can be a profitable idea. 
Your competitors are not just offering the same service as you, they are also filling a separate need that your clients might have.
In the big picture, you aren’t selling stuff or things. You are selling a solution to a client’s problems.
You need to understand your target audience in sufficient detail so that you can identify the needs and problems that you can try to solve for.
If you’ve chosen the right investors and board members then they will have a mind for being nimble which is very helpful to an entrepreneur.
The product or service is the most important part of marketing.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
10:53 “At the end of the day, you’re not selling stuff. You're selling a solution to a problem.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianemoura/
Website: https://zenchange.com/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rB16M3vIB8oziLaRjW1aH
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze 
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/mZgGVFJgUe4
The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest has more than 30 years of experience engineering and operations management, manufacturing space. He’s a six sigma black belt and an executive champion. Robert Rose is the CEO at MedWand. Robert joins host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how companies can grow their revenue and work their way out of the maze.
 
Takeaways:
Listen to the voice of your customer. If you know what your customers want, then you will have a good chance of succeeding.
You want to be adaptable to what your customers' needs are. That is more important than ever in an emerging market.
You have to introduce your engineering group to your call center group and make it a closed loop.
Revenue goes both ways. It covers what is coming into your company but also what is going out which can show how well you run your company.
As a chief revenue officer, you need to look at the direction the company is going in and identify any needs that might come up.
Don’t sell past the close. 
Surround yourself with a great team. If you have the right people then you won’t need to micromanage them.
 
Quote of the Show:
2:18 “We could learn as leaders of companies to kind of abandon your preconceptions of things, listen to the voice of your customer and be ready to pivot.”
 
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-rose-549b926/
Website: https://www.medwand.com/
 
Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s

Today’s episode features two special guests. Alex Reed is the Co-Founder & President of Fluence Analytics. He’s also a mentor to local entrepreneurs and very active in the New Orleans, Houston and Portland communities. Jay Manouchehri is the CEO and Board Director at Fluence Analytics. Jay has more than three decades of global experience in technology commercialization. Together, they sit down and join host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways growing companies can increase their revenue. 
 
 
Takeaways
One way to get out of the revenue maze is to listen to your customers. If you get them talking and actually listen to them, they will tell you exactly what they need. 
Don’t feel like you need to sell all the bells and whistles. If you listen to a customer and work collaboratively then the sale will come back to you. 
You want to make the lives of your customers easier, so you need to find the right client so they can work with you. 
There is a balance between having the sales person come in with all different requests or focusing too much on your product market fit and ignoring your customers.
Collaborating with other parts of the team allows you to figure out what works best and how to improve your company. 
Part of being strategic allows you to narrow down the things that won’t work so you can focus your energy on things that will work. 
With two people working together on something, you get two ways to analyze the problem and find a solution.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
1:26 “One of the best things I would say is to listen to your customers. Because if you get them comfortable, you get them talking and you actually listen, they're gonna tell you exactly what they need from you.”
Links
 
Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-reed-504/
Jay’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmanouchehri/
Website: https://www.fluenceanalytics.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/t28zvphg17k

There is a difference between a tax professional and a tax preparer. Today’s guest falls into the tax professional category, and he is a long time friend to the host of the show. Marcelino Dodge is the President and Owner of Cash Tracks Financial. Marcelino joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how business owners can work their way out of the confusing maze of revenue. 
 
 
Takeaways:
Keep tax planning in mind when dealing with a tax professional. 
There are many successful businesses where the owner is the sole proprietor but it can be helpful to have another person look over the fine details of the company. 
A tax preparer is the person who seasonally gets taxes ready for people, while a tax professional is someone who works year round.
Every company needs a good cash flow statement and you can also get good credit for your business by taking the time to look at ways to get R&D credits.
A tax professional can help you to better understand the confusing parts of getting your taxes in order.
A piece of equipment that you want to offload could become a future deductible in future years and actually help out with your cash flow.
You want to start your tax preparation earlier than when the season starts because that can give time to really understand it be best prepared.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
1:16 “Always keep tax planning in mind in dealing with a tax professional.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cashtracks/
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cash-tracks-financial-inc/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/FZQ_gicqxjA

Todd Cripe is the Co-Founder at BlueConnect Automotive. He has a passion for cars and is an innovative industry leader. He has come up with an app that keeps track of all the work that your car needs and to make sure it is at its optimal performance. Todd joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how businesses can work their way out of the confusing maze of revenue. 
 
Takeaways:
You don’t want to be the same as everyone else. You really want to make yourself stand out and that will help you out of the revenue maze. 
There’s a little bit of science when it comes to interacting and building a relationship with your clients. You don’t want to reach out to them too much and bother them but you also want to keep in touch with them to show you are interested. 
Maintaining a relationship with your client is important. If they feel connected to you then they will keep coming back. 
As technology advances, it allows for unique and innovative ways to make cars more compatible with technology.
Listen to the needs of your customers. If you can have a solution for their problems, you will grow your revenue and business.
Adapting to the changes in time and technology are key for making sure that your business stays afloat. 
You want to try and make your business “future proof” so that it won’t be obsolete within a few years. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
2:03 “It really all comes down to relationships and building relationships and communications.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcripe/
Website: https://bca4cars.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/uu69OR0tpa4

Annil Chandel is the Co-Founder & CEO @ Wurkr.io. He has built a business with over 1 million sign ups, and he is the recipient of the coveted Red Herring Top 100 Europe of 2021. He has spent two decades in technology and finance staffing, so he has plenty of information to share. Annil joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways to successfully navigate your company out of the confusing maze of revenue. 
 
 
Takeaways 
The best way to grow your company and increase your revenue is to keep it simple. Overcomplicating can lead to confusion and getting stuck in the same spot over and over.
Start out with an easy idea and then develop it from there. If you start with a complicated idea it will be hard to flesh it out and bring it to market.
Working remotely is more commonplace now but there isn’t enough technology to support it logistically.
Remote first allows for a wider option of employees but it doesn’t provide the same feeling as being in the office and can make employees feel disconnected to the culture. 
When you are coming up with a product, you need to think about the product market fit and how your product or service will work in that space.
Be passionate about what you do. If you don’t believe in what you do and the process you are putting out there, it will never take off.
Remote work started to become very popular around 2017 - 2018 and it has taken the business world by storm.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
3:13 “I think we overcomplicate this too often and as soon as you start looking at it in a very simplistic form, you'll find the jigsaw pieces do actually start connecting together and paint this picture quite well.”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annilc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annilchandel/
Website: https://wurkr.io/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/ilvnTu4Mvvs

James Wagoner is the CEO at Joule Case. He’s passionate about impacting lives through new technology. When he was coming out of college he saw the need for a better system to provide power to heavy machinery rather than using gasoline. James wanted to find a solution that was better for the environment and was more efficient for the companies as well. James joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how he found his way out of the maze of revenue and some of his tips for others to grow their business successfully.
 
Takeaways 
To get out of the revenue maze, you want to start with one thing and make that your product market fit. Once you have that, then you can really narrow down to what exactly you can do.
Gaining the trust of current and potential clients is how you can make deals work for you. Sometimes you have to demonstrate that you are worthy of their trust.
The electric power space is gaining a lot of popularity right now as an alternative to using gasoline and hydrogen power. 
You can expand your hold in your market area once you are sure about what your company does and the goal of the company. 
When it comes to running a business, expect things to take longer and cost more money than you were expecting.
Don’t go into your business thinking you know everything or be too proud. Approach each situation as an opportunity to learn.
Have a growth mindset and be open and honest with yourself and your clients, and you will see the benefit for your business.
 
Quote of the Show:
 
23:47 “Come in with this curiosity mindset, come in with a growth mindset. Come in to any type of conversation open and willing to ask questions and also to offer up your own knowledge.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswagoner3/
Website: https://joulecase.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - 
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/AzoHMvtZIDc

Jay Williamson is the President/CEO at American Southwest Credit Union. He understands how to cultivate an award winning corporate culture and he’s passionate about growing leaders. Jay joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about leadership and how to find your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and increase your profits.
 
Takeaways 
One way to get out of the revenue maze is to feed your “cash cow”. If you don’t put enough resources into that then it will starve and your company will fail.
You have to grow your top line income so that you can grow your bottom line as well. That can help you maximize your opportunities. 
It’s not about the money that you make, but the positive impact that you have on society. You want to leave a positive lasting legacy.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to push the right buttons to motivate people and have them invested into their work.
You want to find the strength in each person and have them work at what they do best. This will increase their work performance as they are happier doing something they are good at.
Set others up for success. If you can put others in a good position of success then your business will be better off.
Take the time to get to know your employees. It will help them feel more connected to their work and their performance will be better. 
 
Quote of the Show:
5:00  “You've got to feed your cash cow at some point in time, figure out where you're making money and maximize those opportunities because you got to grow your top line income all the time so that you can grow your bottom line.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-williamson-a27379a1/
Website: https://ascu.org/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/VA7yIqY_rWY

Lou Hughes is the Founder and CEO at MovingMinds.io. He has worked with many prominent companies and wants to help others figure out how to increase their ROI. Lou joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to increase the value of your company and work your way out of the confusing maze that is revenue.  
 
Takeaways
There are so many things in marketing that can create tremendous ROI, and you might not know it so having someone come in and help point it out is a good idea. 
You need to stay persistent. Change doesn’t happen overnight and you need to be consistent with your change and make sure it stays within your core and brand. 
Neglecting your business pipeline is something that can be done at your own peril. It only hurts your company to not keep up with your pipeline.
You can be successful even with a small budget. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin, so focus on where your customers are and make yourself strong there.
Data collecting and CRMs are more of a science now with all the tools that are available to everyone. 
You need to remember that you aren’t selling to just the companies, you are also selling to humans and those who work in the office. You need to market your product to them as well.
You have to find what the pain point for your customers and try to take that away and make their lives easier. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
10:44 “As long as you're doing the right things you need to stay to it. And that's true of your identity, your brand identity. People's slogans change, their branding changes. You gotta kind of find the right mix and then be consistent with it.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louhughes/
Website: https://www.movingminds.io/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/1ceKSiOnOrQ

Murray Wilkinson an Independent Consultant at Claim Tax Credits UK. He helps fund turnarounds and small businesses, and he sees how confusing it can be for companies to increase their revenue and grow their sales. Murray joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to work your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and scale your business.
 
Takeaways 
Plenty of companies have not properly invested in designing their sales system. If you don’t have a proper system you can’t properly run your company. 
The buyers now are more sophisticated and are looking for a high degree of professionalism from their representatives. 
Revenue ties into marketing and all other aspects of your business. You need to make a note of what works with clients and what doesn’t.
We went through the great resignation during COVID but now we are looking at the great rehire.
Executing a service or product properly is what brings the money into your business. 
The owner, founder or CEO is the one who can control how a product ends up going out and they can help the success or hinder it. 
Know your target clients and market. If you are targeting the wrong people you won’t be successful.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
5:49 “We see a lot on social media and, and, you know, within some forms of training where they talk about closing techniques, high ticket, closing techniques, all this sort of stuff. And for me nowadays, it's less and less relevant that may be worked in the past, but the bios. And in my opinion, and we have more sophisticated and they are looking for a different type of engagement from the reps, and they're looking for a high degree of professionalism.
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/growsalesandrevenue/
Website: https://meeting.calendarhero.com/meeting/new/5f72e780dca143002046760f/call
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze 
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s 
YouTube -https://youtu.be/b9ZuWl64N6g

Sharon Means is the Fractional Integrator /COO at Entrepreneurial Advisory Institute. She is a Maestro with numbers and can see where a problem is just from looking at the data. Sharon joins host Valerie Cobb to share her expert tips on how to work your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and provide a growth in revenue to your company. 
 
Takeaways 
One way to increase your revenue is to have a plan and that plan is a budget. It needs to be a roadmap of what kind of revenue you are looking for and keep the company on track.
Don’t let perfectionism get in the way. Your budget or your revenue target don’t have to be perfect, you get better at it over time. 
A lot of people don’t want to look too deep into the numbers for their company because they don’t fully understand it. 
Budgeting isn’t something you do once a year, you need to make it a quarterly thing to do for your company. 
If you want people to thrive in an organization then they need to fit into the organization. It costs a lot of money to rehire and you spend a lot of time training people, so you want to mitigate mis-hiring someone or having someone leave.
Every company needs to have someone who shares the vision of the CEO but makes it work within the framework of the company and budget constraints.
Make quarterly objectives for yourself and the company, also known as rocks. This will help to give people clear directions for a project and promote creativity. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
1:47 “You need to really have a plan and that plan is a budget and you have to know where you're going. It has to be a roadmap of what kind of revenue that you are looking for. Um, and from there, um, just a host of other things to keep yourself on track.
 
And so that the company knows where it's going and everybody's rowing all in the same direction
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meanser
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmeans/
Website: https://www.eai.vision
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/F1Xw9IzIbsk

Casey Cheshire is the CEO and Founder of Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. He is also the author of “Marketing Automation Unleashed” and the host of the “Hard Corps Marketing Show”. He has found a unique way to turn the world of marketing upside down; podcasting! His time in the Marines has brought him laser sharp focus on his goals, and he is ready to spread the word about how podcasting can be the perfect way to get to know your ideal customer. Casey sits down with host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways that you can successfully find your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and grow your business.
 
Takeaways 
90% of what we think we know about our customers isn’t even accurate and you don’t know why they are buying your product.  
Talking to your customers isn’t the same as a sales conversation, but a lot of people get that mixed up. You can have a normal conversation and get to know them as a person.
Starting a podcast and having your ideal customer on as a guest and just listening to them is the best way to get to know their needs and them as a person
You want to listen to your client to really understand them better. You can't truly be listening if you are talking. 
Make sure that you are highlighting the clients. They are the ones that are paying for your services so you want to make sure that you make them feel special.
Everyone plays the same game of trying to get your clients attention and then trying to get them on the phone, so you need to stand out to be different from the rest.
Casey used to perform magic tricks at birthday parties, which led to the name of his company, Ringmaster Conversational Marketing.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
2:35 “All we need to do to fix this is actually talk to our prospects, talk to our customers and we're just doing it wrong. We think that talking to them is like a sales conversation. That's a different kind of conversation. We're not actually asking and giving them attention and this drives me bonkers”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caseychesh?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycheshire/
Website: https://ringmaster.com/
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Automation-Unleashed-Strategic-Growth/dp/1599327384
Podcast: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/
 
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/kbKjDDXWhVs

Frederick Akpoghene is the CEO/Founder at JeGO Technologies Inc. He started working on autonomous vehicles after he experienced a tragic loss, and he used that emotion to motivate him and help make the world a better place. Frederick sits down with host Valerie Cobb to talk about how companies can work their way out of the confusing maze that is revenue.
 
Takeaways
Tap into the growth of the company. Revenue and capital are like oxygen to a business, without those your business will likely close.  
Customer data can show you what a customer needs are or what some issues are that they are running into that you might be able to solve. 
Customer data now is more protected than you used to be. You now have to opt in to give your data over to a company. 
Electric and autonomous vehicles are becoming more and more popular everyday. They are safer than humans driving cars and can create a cleaner environment.
The biggest challenge for electric cars and autonomous driving is capital. The the demand for these vehicles are on the rise. 
You want to have clarity on what your objective is with your company. Having clarity draws the attention of stakeholders and connects them to the purpose of the company. 
Be able to tap into your mental strength. If you are empty on the inside, you can’t change the world on the outside.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
1:18 “Revenue and capital are the oxygen of pretty much every business and the lack of those two things there can lead to the closure of the business.”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/abovav_mind
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-a-kevbe/#experience
Website: https://jegopods.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube -https://youtu.be/jfw8bGIOOnU

Wendy Pease is the Language Translation Expert at Rapport International. She is also the author of “The Global Language of Marketing: Translate Your Domestic Strategies Into International Sales and Profits”. Wendy sits down with host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways to increase your profits and put your business on an upward trajectory.
 
Takeaways: 
Have a weekly cash flow call. This will take the stress off of your shoulders and it keeps you in the loop of what is going on.
99% of small businesses fail within the first 1 to 5 years because they don’t understand cash flow and don’t manage it.
Human cold calling moves the needle more than an automated system that reaches out to prospects.
A big revenue mistake can be that companies aren’t globally from the start. They think the United States is a big enough market but it doesn’t hurt to increase your visibility and ease of use of your brand in other countries. People like to look at websites in their native language.
Use high quality translations where it counts. Google translate on a web page isn’t reliable and can make your website look unprofessional.
You want to make people feel comfortable. If you have people at your company who can translate, it can make customers who don’t speak the same language feel welcomed and that can lead to an increase in revenue. 
Connect with other business owners around the world. You can open their eyes to expanding their revenue by placing their business in other countries.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
15:53 I think that one of the biggest revenue mistakes that we see our clients making is not thinking global from the start. Just thinking, well, I've got a big enough market in the United States, but you look at the e-commerce companies, they're putting information up there, they're getting hits from all over the world… Let's look at your website and see how we can take them through the buyer's journey and make sure that your product or service is ready for them to use.”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RapportIntl?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendypease/
Website: https://www.rapporttranslations.com/
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Language-Global-Marketing-Strategies-International/dp/1736561405
Podcast: https://www.theglobalmarketingshow.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s

We have two incredible guests with us this week for a very exciting and thought provoking episode! Layne Frank and Alan Kaye of Virtual 5 O’Clock are here to teach us how important it is to be honest and genuine. The best way to make a real, long lasting connection with someone is to make sure they are seeing the real you. If you’re looking for the real truth about networking and how to improve upon it then this is the episode for you!
 
Takeaways
 
If you want to make a real connection with someone then show them the genuine version of yourself. 
If you have a specific reasoning for making a connection with someone, be genuine and upfront about it.
It’s much more likely to grow a network if those around you know you’re being honest and genuine with them.
Your network is something that you have to keep building upon over time, nurturing it more and more with each new connection you make.
Being able to listen to someone else is just as important as being able to speak genuinely and openly as well.
By having these very honest conversations where you can be vulnerable with those around you, it eases a lot of the tension when trying to connect your businesses too.
 
Quote of the Show:
“If you're afraid of networking, don't look at it as networking, turn it upside down on its head. Just have a conversation. That's the best way to start a relationship.” Layne Frank
Links
 
Website: virtual5oclock.com   
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laynef/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmkaye/

We're here this week with David Ward! David has a deep understanding of the tech space and give us some insider knowledge of his own experiences in that field. On this episode we'll cover everything to expanding your use in the tech space to having a successful mentality. 
Takeaways
 
If you’re looking to traverse the revenue maze, then you should rise above it. 
The GC’s role is to absorb and understand the potential problems
Culture and physical conditions can have a strong influence on internal success.
Software is limited to headquarters.
A roadmap allows your team to fully understand any decisions that they wouldn’t normally be a part of.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
“You need to figure out how to get out of your maze and above it.- David Ward
Links
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yogicfo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrianward/
 

 
Takeaways
 
Having an understanding of your customer profile is crucial. 
Target the message that  you’d like your customers to receiver and how to deliver it.
Just because you close a sale doesn’t mean it will translate into value.
If you can’t close deals then you can’t make it to the top line.
You should question if a new decision will help your existing customers.
A roadmap allows your team to fully understand any decisions that they wouldn’t normally be a part of.
 
Quote of the Show:
“What I've seen companies struggle the most with is literally figuring out the decoding, the DNA, if you will, of how to get to. Right. They've got a great product. They understand what its value proposition is, but they have this struggle trying to get that word out to their total.” - Anthony Nitsos
Links
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yogicfo
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anthonynitsos