Meet Brian Moran

Name: Brian Moran
Company: Brian Moran & Associates

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

I have been involved in helping business owners and entrepreneurs realize their dreams for the past 25 years. My goal is to give them to tools and road maps to help them successfully navigate their different paths to success.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

My company does two things: We help business owners/entrepreneurs run better companies, and we help large marketers do a better job in reaching this audience. Our secret sauce is the network of top subject matter experts we created in all of major segments of the SMB market. In addition, we have access to the top small business organizations and leaders in those segments.

3. What is one challenge you’ve experienced with your business and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge is saying “no” to new opportunities. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of great ideas. We need to be smart about choosing the right opportunities and partners that make sense for our business model.


4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

My parents are my greatest source of inspiration. Both were attorneys and provided me with such invaluable nuggets of advice and information over the years. They also gave me the support and the confidence I needed to always get back up when business knocked me down.


5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

In 10 years, it will be 2024. I can’t even imagine what the world and small business will be like in that time. Hopefully we will have overcome the risk, fear and uncertainty that is pervasive in the market today.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

Perseverance--Don’t ever stop trying.

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Have a real business plan on where you want to go with your business. Also, decide how you plan on getting there. Then, have a backup plan because, as we all know, life and business never go according to our original plans. Without these two items, you severely limit your chances of long-term success. There are simply too many mines, obstacles and detours on the road you are on. At some point, one of them will knock you out of the game.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

I have two books that I recommend the most to fellow entrepreneurs--“Road Rules” by Andrew Sherman and “The Knack” by Norm Brodsky. They embody most of the principles and lessons you need to know to run a successful company.

Meet Joe Himali of Best Address Real Estate LLC!

I'm proud to introduce Joe Himali who owns Best Address Real Esate LLC located in Washington, DC.  I was lucky to meet Joe at our local bakery and a block from his office which is on the same street where I live!  Love those fortunate meetings.  Joe is such a kind hearted guy and took an interest in my blog.  I'm happy to share his thoughts on entrepreneurship with you!  If you would like to contact Joe, please email me at nataliedeniz28@gmail.com.

Website: http://www.BestAddress.com

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.
               
I'm a native Washingtonian who grew up in and around the District. I've owned a chain of toy stores and after they closed I opened Best Address® Real Estate, LLC. Our company's vision is: Best Services, Best Practices, Best Address.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

We are a full-service brokerage that specializes in concierge-level, world class service for our clients. We work with buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants. What differentiates us is the attention to detail in our work and the additional services that we provide to our clients. This higher-level of service translates into smoother transactions, better financial outcomes for our clients and therefore happier clients.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

The annual statistical sales comparisons for residential real estate companies in Washington, DC just came out and our firm ranked in first place in the three areas measured. Those statistics show our firm's efforts result in the shortest days on market for our listings (12.8 days), the highest percentage of list price versus original list price (104.4%) and the highest likelihood that a listing we take will sell (96.3%).

We achieve this success by anticipating what needs a buyer will have when making a decision to buy a home and then we fill those needs before the buyer even asks for the assistance. Our pre-listing preparation leads to a better result for our clients than they can achieve with other brokerages.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Steve Jobs. I am hopeful that I never become as tyrannical as he was, but his pursuit of perfection in his work paid off. When everyone wrote Apple off as a has-been he never stopped doing what he saw as the ultimate expression of what a computer, phone and tablet could be. Now his company is the #1 ranked brand in the world, even after he has passed away.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

More educated consumers mean that the brokerage community must step up their service level and skill set. It's no longer enough to simply keep a list of the available homes and be the person that opens the door to show a home. In the future agents will have to provide insight into the values of homes and how to maximize returns on purchases and sales in ways that we haven't even considered today.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

To quote The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes: "Pig headed discipline and determination." It's not enough to have a vision, you must be able to pursue it every day without distraction or hesitation. Find a worthy pursuit that is profitable and execute at the highest level consistently and without apology. Eventually, you can make the impossible possible.

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Carefully consider what you are planning to do before you do it. The expression: "A thought without action is a dream, action without a thought is a nightmare" is definitely true in any entrepreneurial pursuit. You don't have to have a complete plan for every contingency, but you need to know what your values are and how you want to express them in your entrepreneurial pursuit.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. It taught me to focus on working "On my business" not just "In my business." This means coming up with systems and plans to grow your company beyond your capacity to do all the work. The example of MacDonalds that he uses is priceless.

Richard Simmonds of NewBrandYOU

Name: Richard Simmonds                           

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa    

Company: NewBrandYOU

Favorite Tweeter: @AlphabetSuccess

1.    1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

               

Strategic Communication Expert. My mission is to be and I am an Influential RuleBreaker & ChangeMaker, during the second half of 2013 I was listed amongst the top 10 social influencers in Africa.

2.   2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

I started my business so that I could help people solve their communication problems. I look for people with communications as a strength and not a qualification to work with me in my business. Our combined strengths help our clients become better communicators.

3.   3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

One of the biggest successes I have been involved in is the @N3Route project, they are the ‘Worlds Most Social Road’. The client gave me free reign to accomplish the goal of communicating with their users to the point that they were world class. I have trained the internal staff to think like we did and communicate to be social. Freeing up this time enables us to help other companies become better communicators.

4.    4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Tim Fargo @AlphabetSuccess inspires me because I have not met a better nurturer of people in all my time. Tim is an entrepreneur and despite making his fortune already still nurtures people as if he was looking for business in a traditional sense, nut he is not and that’s what makes Tim unconventional.

5.    5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

We are yet to see what the power of true authentic influence can have on the world. This influence is one that is communicated and I will be there helping the top influencers in the world communicate more effectively.

6.   6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

The ability to solve peoples problems, you need to be able to identify and help people solve their problems. If you cannot solve problems, you are simply offering a service and no one will pay big money for a service.

      7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

You need to be able to communicate and many people seem to think that is the ‘gift of the gab’ but in reality it is the ability to listen and listen beautifully to people. You will then find out what their problems are.

8.   8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

My favorite entrepreneurial book of all time is ‘Re-Imagine’ by Tom Peters. The book opens your mind to what was old and what is new. When you get the spirit of the book to always look what people did as to what they should be doing, you begin to align yourself to be able to solve people’s problems.

My lesson was “Don’t try convince clients they've got problems. Find clients who know they've got problems and solve those problems.”

Entrepreneur Profile - John Maddox of Serious Startups

Name: John Maddox
Company: Serious Startups, LLC
Location: Nashville TN
Favorite Tweeter: @dasjoshua

1.Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

John is a serial entrepreneur, who has built and exited multiple companies, has a strong background in technology, digital marketing, business logic and strategy. He has worked with startups to publicly traded multi-national companies, and now as a tech startup investor, enjoys making a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs trying to make impact with their ideas. He and the Serious Startups team now take on mobile and web application startup ideas for equity positions instead of requiring the founders to have raised seed stage capital.

2.Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

Serious Startups as a business model sprang from being constantly bombarded with great startup ideas as the owner of a traditional interactive agency. After realizing the cost of design, development, marketing etc to launch their startup, most founders become either discouraged and give up, or try to gain seed stage investment and get turned down. Often not being able to get early stage investment comes from not having a working prototype of the idea. This led to many of them asking the idea to be taken on for equity.

Over time it became apparent that it was a smarter business model to look at taking on and growing great startup ideas for equity and long term ROI vs short term profit of the traditional client/vendor relationship.

Serious Startups now reviews startup ideas on a regular basis, and if a good relationship is formed and the team likes the concept, it is designed, developed, and launched for equity instead of upfront capital.

3.What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

I once closed a deal for nearly a million dollars in less than 24 hours. What made it possible is my ability to connect with people on a human level and also look at everything in business as part of the other person who is involved life.

4.Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Cade Havard. He has built great wealth in multiple industries while starting from nothing. Oil, healthcare, publishing, technology; just to name a few.  One of his inspirational statements and business philosophies is what I call a  “Cadeism”. My favorite is “I don’t want to do what you do better, I want to do what you’ve never even thought about doing”.

5.What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

There will be a massive shift in the technology industry as more professionals realize that it is more profitable to take direct stakes in tech startups as partners not vendors, and will shorten the amount of time to get proof of concept and market viability.

6.What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

If you are an entrepreneur, you business is your life. You never turn you mind off and it consumes you. Just make sure you understand that unless you are able to share that same vision you have with your team, chances of making it through the hard times is very low. If you treat them right and they share your passion and vision, it’s amazing how they will rise to the occasion in your time of need.

7.What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Never let fear of failure stand in your way. So many people think they are “safe” in their traditional job. Reality is you are LESS safe than if you start you own company. If business goes down, you have no control of being laid off or keeping your job. As an entrepreneur, you can control your own destiny and its up to YOU if you succeed or fail.

8.What is your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

My favorite book Blink by Malcom Gladwell. While it is not directly on entrepreneurship but more on decision making, it truly opened my eyes to making quick but sound decisions as an entrepreneur which has helped me make significant pivots in business and achieve success.

Entrepreneur Profile 6 - Tim Fargo of Alphabet Success

Timothy E. Fargo
Company: Alphabet Success (www.alphabetsuccess.com)
Favorite Tweeter: @Tom_Peters
Link to Tim's Book: click here

1. Provide a 2 sentence biography of yourself and/or mission statement.

Define yourself lest others provide the definition for you. If a guy like me can do it, so can you.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

My business is sharing what I learned in building a 300+ person business in less than seven years.

That sharing might take the form of someone buying a copy of "Alphabet Success" or it might be a consulting arrangement with a company that wants assistance with growth issues.

My differentiators are: a) I'm providing actual experience having grown and sold a decent sized business b) believing that the most important elements of "success" are pretty elementary. Most people need to avoid unforced errors. And c) wanting to give people the tools they need and let them get on with it.

It need not be complex. Simple has always worked best, and in spite of innovation the core of every great business is a simple efficient model.

3. What is one challenge you’ve experienced with your business and how have you overcome it?

In the current business it would be a stretch to say I have overcome my biggest challenge, which is relative obscurity. We'll answer that one next time.

At my former company, Omega Insurance Services (an insurance investigation firm), a major challenge was the perception of investigators as “shady operators”. Through embarking on a mission of educating insurance companies through articles, speaking and seminars, we were able to overcome that challenge and position ourselves as a thought leader and a reputable firm.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

He's not often thought of as an “entrepreneur” but I'd say Warren Buffett. He took Benjamin Graham's investment ideas and turned them from a bottle rocket in a space ship. His temperament plays an important role as he isn't easily spooked by markets.  However, I think he embodies the idea of taking a few key measures and beating the heck out of it. Too many people are almost disappointed with the simplicity of business. It isn't extremely complex, but we sure work hard at making it that way.

5.    What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years? 

This is a funny topic for me. Obviously delivery devices and methods are in constant flux, but human nature is pretty steady state. As crazy as it might sound, I think the core of getting people focused on the actual goal versus other minutiae is likely to remain pretty unchanged. Certainly online learning continually grows, as do enhanced interactive teaching methods. That's the change area I suppose.

6.    What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?e

 You need to be slightly, to perhaps seriously OCD. Sounds weird, but getting a start-up right is normally a consuming task. If you're not possessed of some serious drive the boot-up phase is going to grind you to dust. There are exceptions, but I'd say being extremely focused is usually essential.

7. What if one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Be extremely careful. The mantra of “You can do it” is likely true in some utopian sense. But in reality there are considerations like capital constraints, expertise blind spots, and the inevitable “reality check”. Sure, it is great being your own boss. But it can be daunting. In the end, you decide, and you live with that decision.

Bottom line? If you can live with the absolute worst case scenario, and have been honest with yourself in planning (including getting good honest feedback), then go for it. Going against long odds is romantic, until you're broke, at which point the romance fades.

8. What is your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

Jungle Rules: How to Be a Tiger in Business,  by John Imlay. It's the story of a turnaround in Atlanta. It lays bare much of the nuts and bolts it takes to make a business go. Perhaps my favourite element is its lack of romanticizing the process. There is certain amount of grit in most businesses which is often glossed over in biz books. John's pretty clear about reality.

Best lesson?: In the nasty event of needing to “downsize” don't slowly bleed the company. People get completely spooked by terminations, so if you have to cut back try to be as aggressive as is tolerable. Do it once, explain why, that it is NOT going to be ongoing and get everyone calmed down and back to work. Having had a staff of 300+ at Omega I can vouch for the merit of avoiding your staff wondering about their jobs daily.

The reality is that if you slowly eliminate the staff piecemeal, the first to leave are often the best, since they have the best “opportunities”. So you may end up with a smaller staff comprised of a less than optimal team. Plus it's really hard to work while you're looking for a new job.

Awesome book.

Entrepreneur Profile 5 - Meet Gary Bizzo

Name: Gary Bizzo
Company: Bizzo Management Group
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Favorite Tweeter: @GeorgeMoen

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

Gary has Coached or Mentored over a 1,000 businesses and has consulted with numerous multinationals. He was President of the BC Entrepreneur Development Association for 5 years, an advocacy group of 10,000 Canadian entrepreneurs. He is a APEC Certified Business Counsellor from Acadia University.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

I'm a paid Mentor. Actually I use a hybrid approach to working with business people. I'm a coach when the client wants me to work with them through problems, a counselor when they want me to show them the way and let them find the answers, a consultant when they want me to tell them what to do and a mentor when they can trust me because I have been there and one that.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

I read an article in the Globe and Mail that had no traction. It was about how charities needed transparency in their finances to be trusted. I ran with it on my blog and Twitter and got the attention of CTV, after CTV started on it an MP from Toronto introduced the bill, Bill C-470 to parliament making charities show transparency. I know how this came down because in Dec 2011, I was asked to go to Ottawa where I presented a brief to the House of Commons about social media and my observations of what 'donors' wanted from charities. The bill passed 300-2.

I learned anyone can make a difference and I liked being an agent of change.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Richard Branson. He once walked into a room of his advisers and said “I want to start an airline, do it” and walked out or so the story goes. An entrepreneur comes up with the idea and works on the business not in it as Michael Gerber says.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

More coaching will be one-on-one via video chat, although it is being done now it will just be more readily available for everyone.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

Listening to others and not thinking you know it all

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Pick a great idea, make it better and create a business plan.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

Michael Gerber's classic book, the eMyth, where he says you must work on your business not in it, i.e. Joe's Garage will always have Joe doing the work because he can't delegate it others. When he has people working for him he is an entrepreneur, before that he is self employed.

Entrepreneur Profile 4 - Carthage Buckley from Coaching Positive Performance

Name: Carthage Buckley
Company: Coaching Positive Performance
http://coachingpositiveperformance.com
Location: Ireland
Favorite Tweeter: @thejaytray

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.
I'm a Stress and Performance Coach who helps professionals and organisations to achieve optimum performance. I work with professionals who strive for continuous improvement and optimum performance in both their personal and professional lives, helping them to eliminate stress and maximize their performance.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?
Coaching Positive Performance is a Stress and Performance coaching organisation which assists organisations and individuals to transform their potential into the results they desire while remaining true to their values, purpose and identity.

We do this by helping our clients to identify sources of stress and develop strategies to eliminate them (where possible), or to manage them. We then help them to create a clear vision of what they want to achieve, create an action plan for its achievement, and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully implement that plan. This allows both individuals and organisations to maximise their performance and improve their health, wealth and happiness.

I started the business because I felt there was lack of resources and information which educated business people about the true nature of stress and its relationship to performance. Amongst the things that I found most annoying was the common acceptance of the myth of good stress. What is commonly referred to as good stress is actually pressure, and there are significant psychological and physiological differences between the two. I believe the concept of good stress to be both incorrect and harmful, and the acceptance of this concept is symbolic of the lack of understanding of stress amongst the business world.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?
When I first decided that I was going to launch my own business, I spent many months preparing a business plan. I aimed to follow the traditional type of business plan. About a week before I was due to launch, I reviewed the plan and realized that this plan was not going to allow me to create the life I desired. The business might achieve some success but if I could not live the life I wanted, what would be the point. The most courageous decision I have ever taken, and the greatest success I have achieved in business was to rip that plan up and start again.

I started again, focusing on building a business that represented my values. The process of writing the plan was easier and faster and I now have a business which is a true expression of who I am and what I have to offer. My life is also more in tune with the life I desire and I see no reason to believe that I cannot fulfill all of my goals.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?
The entrepreneur whom I most admire is not somebody famous, it is an old school friend called Mark Kerrigan. Mark is joint owner of Vehicle Conversion Specialist Ltd, in Huddersfield, United Kingdom. The company has experienced steady growth since it’s inception.

The reason why I admire Mark’s achievement is because I have not just seen the end result; I have seen the years of graft, the amazing work ethic and the sheer ambition that has driven him forward. From our schooldays, Mark was committed to the family business in our home town of Clara, in rural Ireland. He spent 15 years learning the business inside out. Then, he was willing to take a big risk and move to the UK to pursue his ambitions of starting his own business.

Some entrepreneurs feel the need to tell you how good they are, others, like Mark, just work hard and demonstrate their ability.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?
I see a great deal of growth in my industry over the next 10 years. Where previously people learned a great deal of their life skills within their community; these communities are now being lost to a more remote, mobile and fast moving society. As society continues to change at a hectic pace, people are going to need more support to maximize their opportunities and protect their wellbeing.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?
Authenticity. Your business is not just business. It is an expression of who you are and the values you hold. It is the manner in which you will serve your purpose and serve this world. Your most important goals will be heavily influenced by your sense of self. You cannot achieve these goals if you do not stay true to who you are.

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?
Don’t be a perfectionist. There are many things that you do not know. There are many more things that you don’t yet know that you don’t know. The real fun and sense of fulfillment does not come from the end result. It comes from the journey and the process of self-discovery which you undergo along the way. So, don’t wait for the right moment to arrive because it never will. Take a deep breath, step off the ledge and give it your best shot. As long as you have a vision, commitment and a willingness to learn; you can learn everything you need to know along the way.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?
I would have to choose, ‘The Art of Happiness’ by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It may seem like a strange choice but I believe that your business is just an extension of who you are. When you embrace your entrepreneurial spirit, you allow yourself the opportunity to fulfill your purpose. In doing so, you allow yourself to experience happiness. This book will help you to remember what is truly important to you, when times get tough. If you lose sight of what is important to you along the way, you might make a lot of money but you will never be truly successful.