For many founders, launching an MVP feels like the finish line. In reality, it’s just the beginning. The real challenge lies in turning that early product into a scalable, revenue-generating business.

Michael and Eric walk through the proven Launchpad approach, a structured framework that outlines the journey from MVP to product-market fit and ultimately to sustainable growth. They unpack the common misconceptions founders have, why early traction is so difficult to achieve, and how customer feedback, iteration, and disciplined execution determine long-term success.

The conversation explores how to approach the critical first 60–90 days after launch, how to identify real value through user behavior, and why many products fail when teams try to build too much, too fast, without focusing on outcomes.

If you're building a SaaS product, launching a startup, or trying to scale an existing digital product, this episode provides a practical roadmap to move beyond the MVP and build a business that actually works.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• Why launching an MVP is only the first step, not the finish line
• The biggest misconception founders have about their product vision
• How to approach the first 60–90 days after launch
• Why your first customers are critical to shaping your product
• How to turn user feedback into meaningful product improvements
• The importance of prioritization and avoiding feature overload
• What it really takes to find product-market fit
• How to transition from experimentation to scalable growth

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

💡 Key Takeaways

• An MVP is just the starting point. Long-term success depends on iteration and execution after launch
• Early customer feedback is one of the most valuable inputs for shaping your product direction
• Not all feedback should be acted on. Prioritization is critical to avoid wasted time and resources
• Product-market fit requires continuous testing, data analysis, and adaptation
• Revenue and retention are key indicators of whether your product is truly delivering value
• Scaling a product requires doubling down on what works and building repeatable growth systems
• Founders must be prepared to evolve their product, and sometimes even rebuild, based on real-world insights

🗂 Topics We Cover

• The Launchpad framework for post-MVP growth
• Common misconceptions about MVPs and product development
• Getting your first customers and validating demand
• Using feedback to guide product decisions
• Finding product-market fit through iteration
• Avoiding feature creep and focusing on outcomes
• Building a scalable product and growth engine

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Launching the MVP: The Beginning of the Journey
05:26 The biggest misconception about MVPs
09:46 Getting your first customers
18:01 Finding product-market fit
24:54 Scaling and growing your business

AI is everywhere right now. Startups are launching “AI-powered” products every day, founders believe they can build entire businesses with a single prompt, and companies are racing to integrate AI into everything they do. But how much of this is reality, and how much is hype?

Zach shares a grounded perspective on where AI actually delivers value today, and where it still falls short. The conversation explores the difference between AI as an idea engine versus an execution tool, why engineers using AI will be far more powerful than non-technical founders trying to “vibe code” entire products, and why incremental AI usage often works better than attempting to build a full product with AI from day one.

The team also dives into the broader implications of AI in product development, including how companies should think about customer value, the risks of using AI purely as a buzzword, and why the future of AI is likely more about human augmentation than human replacement.

If you're building software, launching a startup, or simply trying to understand where AI is truly useful today, this episode offers a practical perspective on navigating the AI era responsibly and strategically.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• The current reality of building products with AI versus the hype surrounding it
• Why AI is better at idea generation than full product execution today
• The difference between vibe coding and engineering-led AI development
• When it actually makes sense to build parts of a product with AI
• Why startups shouldn't rely on AI alone to build scalable platforms
• The biggest risks companies overlook when implementing AI
• How AI can dramatically improve internal workflows and operations
• Why the future of AI is likely augmentation, not replacement
  
  

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
  
  
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
  
  
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

💡 Key Takeaways

• AI is currently far stronger at idea synthesis and reasoning than executing complex product builds

• Engineers using AI tools become significantly more productive, but AI does not replace engineering expertise

• Building small features or fixing bugs with AI is often more effective than generating entire applications

• Companies should focus on customer value first, not simply adding AI features for marketing purposes

• AI can provide massive efficiency gains when applied to internal operations and workflows

• The most powerful future for AI lies in human-AI collaboration

🗂 Topics We Cover

• The current state of AI in product development
• Vibe coding vs traditional software engineering
• AI as an idea generator versus an execution tool
• Risks and misconceptions around AI-built products
• Internal AI automation and operational efficiency
• AI’s impact on creativity, work, and the future of software development

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to building products with AI
01:30 The current state of AI in product development
03:30 Vibe coding vs building software from scratch
06:25 Where AI currently falls short
08:00 Building parts of a product with AI
10:00 AI in business operations vs customer products
13:00 Misconceptions about AI startups
16:30 AI as augmentation vs replacement
18:40 The future of AI in product development
28:40 Advice for companies considering AI

Too often, teams treat gamification like a cosmetic upgrade. Add some points. Throw in a leaderboard: a badge or two. But without a strategy, it can backfire fast.

Pete shares real examples of what happens when gamification is implemented poorly, including a case where productivity actually dropped. The conversation explores why onboarding is the highest leverage place to design for behavior, how incremental updates sustain long term engagement, and why the next generation of the workforce will expect interactive, game-like systems by default.

From SaaS platforms to internal tools to education software, this episode reframes gamification as a strategic design discipline rooted in psychology, data, and intentional product architecture.

If you are building digital products and care about retention, engagement, and long-term value, this one is worth your time.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• Why simply adding points and badges can hurt more than help
• What went wrong with Microsoft’s gamification attempt
• How Salesforce increased training engagement by 500 percent
• Why onboarding is the most powerful place to introduce gamification
• The real difference between gamification and building a game
• How small, consistent feature releases drive long-term retention
• Why Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha will expect gamified systems
• Where AI and personalization intersect with gamified product design

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

💡 Key Takeaways

• Gamification only works when it aligns with user behavior and business objectives
• Poorly implemented systems can reduce productivity instead of improving it
• Onboarding is your first and best opportunity to create engagement
• Data should guide how and where gamification is introduced
• Consistent incremental updates keep users coming back
• The future workforce expects interactive and motivating digital tools
• AI will enhance gamification through personalization, not replace it

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Behavior-driven product design
• Gamification in SaaS and internal platforms
• Onboarding strategy and retention
• Product iteration and incremental releases
• Generational shifts in technology expectations
• The future of AI and personalized digital systems

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pete and why gamification matters
02:27 Where most teams get gamification wrong
05:23 Designing onboarding for engagement
08:40 Case studies and real-world lessons
13:16 Sustaining engagement with incremental updates
17:21 Gamification in new versus existing products
20:01 AI, personalization, and the future of digital experiences
27:15 MagicTask and practical implementation

Chris shares his journey from starting his first business at 14 to running a nationwide operation and eventually launching Trainual, a platform designed to help small businesses document their processes, train their teams, and scale with confidence. Along the way, he explains why so many founders unintentionally build themselves into a job instead of a company.

This conversation goes deep into systems, productivity, and leadership, covering everything from bootstrapping versus raising capital to creating operational clarity, protecting personal well-being, and defining success on your own terms. 

If you are a founder or operator trying to get out of the weeds and build something sustainable, this episode offers practical insight you can actually apply.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• How Chris started his first business at 14 and scaled it nationwide
• Why most founders accidentally create jobs instead of businesses
• The real reason systems and documentation unlock growth
• Bootstrapping versus raising capital, and when each makes sense
• How customer stories fuel traction and brand credibility
• Paid versus organic growth and how to build momentum early
• What operational efficiency actually looks like in practice

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

💡 Key Takeaways

• Systems create freedom, not rigidity
• Bootstrapping builds discipline before scaling with capital
• Customers are your strongest brand storytellers
• Efficiency improves when revenue grows faster than headcount
• Productivity comes from clarity, not longer hours
• Sustainable success requires boundaries, not burnout

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Chris Ronzio’s entrepreneurial journey
• Building and selling a service-based business
• Why Trainual was created and the problem it solves
• Bootstrapping versus venture funding
• Customer-centric growth and testimonials
• Paid ads versus organic marketing
• Productivity, efficiency, and delegation
• Defining success beyond revenue

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Chris Ronzio’s early entrepreneurial journey
02:30 Building and scaling a nationwide video business
05:40 Why systems and processes matter
09:30 The origin story behind Trainual
13:00 Bootstrapping versus raising investment
17:00 Customer-first growth and testimonials
20:45 Paid versus organic marketing strategies
24:00 What operational efficiency really means
27:30 Productivity, delegation, and avoiding burnout
31:00 Defining success and collecting experiences

Drawing from personal experiences scaling Imaginovation, Michael and Eric unpack how relentless growth, overhiring, and constant optimization can quietly lead to burnout, misalignment, and costly decision-making. They explore why pausing, reflecting, and leading with intention is not a sign of weakness but a prerequisite for sustainable success.

From leadership pressure and mental health to consistency over impulsive pivots, this conversation reframes ambition through a more human lens. If you are a founder, operator, or leader feeling the weight of always needing to “do more,” this episode offers clarity on how to grow without losing yourself or your team in the process.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• When Kaizen and continuous improvement start doing more harm than good
• The hidden cost of scaling too fast and overhiring
• Why burnout often comes from obsession, not effort
• How impulsive pivots create chaos in sales, marketing, and product teams
• The importance of intentional, quarterly improvement over constant change
• Why consistency beats chasing shiny new strategies
• How leaders can protect culture, clarity, and well-being while growing

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

💡 Key Takeaways

• Continuous improvement must be intentional, not obsessive
• Scaling too quickly can damage both people and core operations
• Burnout is often a signal to pause, not push harder
• Sustainable growth comes from small, consistent improvements
• Leadership requires empathy, self-awareness, and restraint
• Not every slowdown is a failure—sometimes it’s a correction
• Mental health and clarity are foundational to long-term performance

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Kaizen and the dark side of continuous improvement
• Burnout in founders and high-performing teams
• Scaling mistakes and overhiring in tech companies
• Intentional leadership and decision-making
• Sales, marketing, and operational alignment
• Consistency vs constant pivoting
• Building a sustainable company culture

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Why continuous improvement can become dangerous
02:30 Kaizen, ambition, and founder pressure
05:40 Scaling fast, overhiring, and operational overwhelm
10:15 Burnout, mental health, and leadership responsibility
14:00 Obsession vs intention in growth strategies
18:30 Sales, marketing, and alignment breakdowns
22:50 Why impulsive pivots hurt more than help
27:30 Intentional quarterly improvement frameworks
31:40 Micro-improvements and sustainable execution
34:30 Final reflections on leadership, balance, and clarity

Andrew shares how COVID, clinician burnout, and access challenges forced Movement for Life to rethink traditional physical therapy delivery and why waiting on off-the-shelf solutions was no longer enough. The conversation dives into the cultural, operational, and leadership shifts required to build EverFlex, a custom platform designed to improve patient access, support clinicians, and create measurable business impact.

From change management and internal buy-in to AI’s role in reducing decision errors without replacing human care, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to lead through uncertainty and why patient experience, not revenue alone, became the guiding metric.

Whether you’re a healthcare leader, operator, or founder navigating innovation in a regulated or legacy industry, this episode delivers practical insight into building technology that scales without losing the human element.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• Why Movement for Life chose to build instead of buy healthcare software

• How COVID accelerated telehealth and exposed its limits in physical therapy

• The real challenge of change management inside large organizations

• Why AI should enhance clinicians, not replace them

• How EverFlex generated meaningful ROI in a low-margin industry

• What “PT vigilantes” really means and why ownership mattered

• How patient experience became the driver of sustainable growth

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
  
  
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
  
  
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

💡 Key Takeaways

• Innovation in healthcare requires cultural and leadership alignment, not just technology

• Solving patient access and clinician burnout must happen together

• AI is most valuable as a decision-support tool, not an automation shortcut

• Building custom software can reduce tech sprawl and improve operational efficiency

• Patient trust and engagement increase when technology feels human

• Measured ROI matters, especially in time-for-money industries like physical therapy

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Physical therapy innovation at scale

• Telehealth and remote therapy monitoring post-COVID

• Change management in healthcare organizations

• AI’s role in clinical decision-making

• Patient access, affordability, and experience

• EverFlex’s impact on clinics and clinicians

• Leadership mindset shifts required to innovate

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Andrew Cherry and Movement for Life

03:19 Technology gaps in physical therapy

06:45 COVID, telehealth, and access challenges

09:10 Patient experience vs revenue growth

12:39 Culture shifts and internal product ownership

16:02 Change management and leadership buy-in

20:35 Fear, innovation, and starting the work

26:22 AI’s role in enhancing, not replacing clinicians

32:42 EverFlex ROI and clinic impact

37:30 Where to find Movement for Life and EverFlex

Drawing from years of hands-on experience, they discuss the warning signs that manual processes are slowing teams down, why disconnected systems create operational chaos, and how automation should support people rather than replace them. The episode also introduces a practical automation readiness playbook to help leaders audit operations, define ROI, and start small with high-impact pilots. 

If you are scaling a business or struggling with inefficiencies, this conversation will help you determine where automation fits, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to approach it strategically with clarity and confidence. 

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• How to tell if your business is truly ready for automation
• The difference between automation and AI and why it matters
• Common operational red flags that signal inefficiency
• Why disconnected tools slow growth and increase costs
• How to audit workflows and identify high-impact automation opportunities
• The importance of starting small with pilot automation projects
• How automation improves compliance, scalability, and competitiveness
• Why automation should empower teams, not replace them 

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

🗂 Topics We Cover

• What smart, practical automation looks like in real businesses
• Signs manual processes are costing time and money
• How operational growth can outpace systems and teams
• Why auditing workflows is the first step to automation readiness
• How to define ROI before investing in automation
• Common automation roadblocks and how to overcome them
• The role of leadership and team input in automation decisions
• Why automation is essential to remain competitive 

💡 Key Takeaways

• Manual, repetitive work is a strong signal that automation may be needed
• Automation must align with business goals, not trends or hype
• Disconnected systems create inefficiency, errors, and frustration
• Starting small with high-impact pilots reduces risk and improves ROI
• Automation frees teams from low-value busywork
• AI and automation are related but not the same
• A clear audit and roadmap prevent wasted investment
• Strategic automation strengthens long-term scalability and resilience 

⏱️ Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Practical Automation
• 02:22 Signs Your Business Is Ready for Automation
• 05:22 When Growth Outpaces Operations
• 07:53 Disconnected Systems and Tool Overload
• 10:36 Losing Competitive Advantage
• 12:30 The Automation Readiness Playbook
• 15:41 Involving Teams in Automation Decisions
• 18:12 Starting Small With High-Impact Pilots
• 20:35 Real-World Automation Case Studies
• 23:06 Common Automation Roadblocks
• 26:48 Automation vs AI Explained
• 30:25 Final Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

Drawing from real stories and years of working closely with founders, they talk about why a strong business model matters, how emotional resilience shapes decision making, and why continuous innovation is a non-negotiable part of building a lasting SaaS product.

If you are building or growing a SaaS startup, this conversation will help you recognize the early signs, avoid common traps, and build with more clarity and confidence.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• The real reasons SaaS startups fail behind the scenes
• Why planning and direction matter more than a “unique idea”
• Market validation that actually reflects user demand
• How mindset and emotional resilience shape every decision
• Why branding and differentiation influence traction
• The role of leadership in keeping teams aligned and motivated
• How continuous innovation keeps your product alive

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
  
  
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
  
  
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Why planning and clarity decide how fast startups grow
• What real market validation looks like and why feedback matters
• The emotional side of being a founder and staying resilient
• How branding shapes trust and early adoption
• What a sustainable SaaS business model includes
• How leadership influences team culture and progress
• Why innovation can never stop after launch

💡 Takeaways

• Poor planning and unclear direction quietly kill SaaS startups.
• Founders need a strong, realistic mindset to get through challenges.
• Market validation must come before building, not after.
• Emotional resilience helps founders make better long-term decisions.
• Good branding and differentiation help a product stand out.
• A sustainable business model is essential for long-term success.
• Leadership shapes team motivation, culture, and productivity.
• Continuous innovation keeps your product relevant and competitive.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Silent Killers of SaaS Startups
02:56 The Importance of Planning and Mindset
05:57 Understanding Market Validation and User Feedback
08:56 Navigating Challenges and Emotional Resilience
11:55 The Role of Branding and Differentiation
14:48 Building a Sustainable Business Model
17:38 Leadership and Team Dynamics
20:37 Continuous Innovation and Adaptation
23:55 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Many organizations cling to outdated software because rebuilding feels risky — too costly, too disruptive, or simply too big to take on. But as Eric and Michael explain, the real cost often lies in holding on. Slow performance, fragile integrations, and technical debt can quietly drain resources and block growth.

Drawing from real client stories and years of experience helping businesses modernize their technology, they unpack how to recognize the warning signs, what an audit should uncover, and how to make the decision to rebuild with clarity and confidence.

If your systems are slowing you down, this conversation will help you see rebuilding not as failure — but as a chance to evolve, scale, and future-proof your business.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• Why holding on to outdated systems costs more than rebuilding – 02:10
• The fear of letting go: why companies resist modernization – 03:30
• The three main paths after a system audit (stay, white-label, rebuild) – 07:30
• Real-world examples of outdated tech still running critical operations – 10:45
• The mindset shift every organization needs before a rebuild – 13:58
• How rebuilds boost scalability, team morale, and long-term ROI – 18:12

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

🗂 Topics We Cover

• How to tell when your tech is holding your business back
• What a proper system or code audit should include
• The hidden risks of technical debt and patchwork fixes
• Signs your platform is past its prime — and what to do about it
• How to evaluate rebuild vs. rework decisions
• Why mindset and internal alignment are critical before rebuilding
• The long-term benefits of modernization — from scalability to team morale

💡 Takeaways

• Outdated software quietly drains growth and efficiency.
• A rebuild is often the smarter long-term investment.
• Conducting an audit helps you choose the right path — stay, migrate, or rebuild.
• Modern platforms improve not just performance but internal collaboration.
• Rebuilding isn’t about failure; it’s about creating a stronger foundation.
• Mindset alignment across teams is crucial for a smooth rebuild.
• Innovation requires letting go of what no longer serves your business.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Episode Overview
01:38 Why Businesses Hold On to Outdated Software
04:57 The Fear of Rebuilding and What’s Behind It
07:34 The Three Paths After an Audit
10:16 Real Examples of Legacy Systems Holding Back Growth
13:58 The Mindset Shift for Modernization
15:59 Choosing the Right Partner and Internal Stakeholder
18:12 The Long-Term Benefits of a Rebuild
20:44 Closing Thoughts and Key Takeaways

You’d think raising capital is the hard part, but what often follows can be even tougher. So many startups make one critical mistake right after receiving funds: choosing the wrong development partner. 

We’ve seen this happen countless times. Founders get the runway, rush into development, skip validation, and end up burning through their budget with little to show for it.

In this conversation, we dig into the emotional and financial cost of poor partnerships, why idea validation before development is essential, and how having funding can create a false sense of security. 

I share real experiences from our journey at Imaginovation, where a lack of planning and unrealistic expectations led to unnecessary setbacks.

We also talk about how to approach these situations differently: plan early, document thoroughly, build trust with your team, and stay intentional at every stage. Because in the startup world, success doesn’t come from getting funded. It comes from what you do next.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• The emotional and financial impact of poor development choices – 08:58
• Why validation before development can make or break your startup – 06:32
• How proper planning and documentation prevent costly rework – 23:04
• Building a lean MVP that encourages user-driven iteration – 20:13

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Navigating post-funding decisions with confidence
• The pitfalls of choosing the wrong development partner
• Why validation should come before development
• Setting realistic expectations with vendors
• The emotional toll of poor partnerships
• How documentation and planning set the foundation for success
• Building a lean MVP and learning from user feedback

Takeaways

• Startups often choose the wrong development partner after funding.
• Having funding can create a false sense of security.
• The emotional toll of poor partnerships can be significant.
• Validation of ideas is crucial before development begins.
• Setting realistic expectations with development partners is key.
• The cost of rework can be devastating for startups.
• Building a lean MVP allows for user feedback and iteration.
• Documentation and planning are essential before starting development.
• Trust between startups and vendors is critical for success.
• Being strategic and intentional can save a startup's future.

Chapters

00:00 The Startup Funding Dilemma
03:41 The Importance of Choosing the Right Development Partner
06:32 Balancing Validation and Development
08:58 The Emotional Toll of Wrong Partnerships
11:49 Realistic Expectations in Development
14:35 The Cost of Rework and Time Loss
17:24 Learning from Past Mistakes
20:13 Building a Lean MVP
23:04 Planning and Documentation Before Development
26:01 Final Thoughts and Advice

If you’ve ever sat through vendor pitches, you know how overwhelming (and sometimes confusing) the process can be. We talk about spotting the red and green flags when evaluating teams, and why things like transparency, clear communication, and a solid discovery phase make all the difference in building a successful partnership.

We also share a few hard-learned lessons from our years at Imaginovation—like the risks that come with chasing the cheapest option, and why protecting your intellectual property is non-negotiable.

Throughout the episode, we highlight practical ways to cut through the noise: setting clear expectations, keeping communication open, and working with a partner who not only gets your vision but isn’t afraid to challenge your assumptions and give you honest feedback.

Listeners will walk away with insights into what really matters when choosing a development team, including how social proof and credibility can help guide your decision. We encourage entrepreneurs to ask tough questions, trust their instincts, and think beyond the initial build—because real success comes from long-term support and innovation after launch.

Highlights You Won't Want to Miss:

• The pivotal role of transparency and communication in vendor relationships - 10:15
• Key red flags to watch for when selecting a development partner - 22:30
• How a thorough discovery phase can set your project up for success - 35:45

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

Topics We Cover:

• Navigating the vendor selection maze with confidence
• The power of clear communication and transparency
• Protecting your intellectual property rights
• The pivotal role of the discovery phase in app development
• The importance of social proof and credibility in choosing a partner

In addition, Marwan is an innovator, visionary and enjoys launching new products in domestic as well as international markets through disruptive tech and global strategies. He is the author of “Small Business in a Big World: A Comprehensive Guide to Doing International Business”.

In this episode, we talk about Marwan’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building a global payment network such as Veem. We talk about how Marwan spotted the gap between SMB and their payment problems, and how Veem disrupted the global payment space.

Don’t Miss:

1. How did Marwan came up with the idea of ‘Veem’ - 4:15

2. What sets a business on the path of success - 17:00

3. What it takes to be a strong business leader - 28:15

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Marwan’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Marwan talks about how to establish a market fit for a product or service

3. The key factors that set a business for success, from startup to an operating and scaling company

4. Some struggles and obstacles that Veem faced and how you overcame them

5. The future of payment systems and technology

6. Thoughts and advice on how to be a strong business leader

7. Marwan defines his story in ”one-word”

Follow Marwan Forzley

Website: https://www.veem.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marwanforzley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/forzley/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In addition, he also finds time to be a 500 Startups Mentor, and has previously started the first business accelerator in Orlando. He was previously selected to be a United States Ambassador of Entrepreneurship by the United States Department of State

In this episode, we talk about Dan’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building and growing a tech consultancy. We talk about mistakes businesses make in sales and marketing, and the future of marketing and data.

Don't Miss:

1. What it takes to be an industry leader in marketing space - 7:17

2. Biggest challenges companies face in current times - 13:06

3. KPIs should look for to grow business revenue - 22:10

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Dan’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. What it takes to be an industry leader like McGaw and UTO.io

3. The biggest challenges/problems that companies have and how to overcome them

4. Dan talks about some of the most important data metrics to look for in order to grow in revenue

5. The future of marketing and data

6. Thoughts and advice on what it takes to succeed today

7. Dan defines his story in one-word

Follow Dan McGaw

Website: https://mcgaw.io/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmcgaw/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Danielmcgaw

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As a previous tech founder and ex-IBMer, he has seen a lot of companies have explosive growth with good technology and good marketing, while others (even though they had a great product or service) fail without effective marketing.

In 2016, this successful entrepreneur started Speedwork to help those companies unlock their B2B marketing potential. By blending his experience in marketing and software, he is able to help businesses reach high-level decision-makers at scale using LinkedIn Ads and technology.

In this episode, we talk about Anthony’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building and growing a B2B LinkedIn advertising agency. We talk about mistakes businesses make in sales and marketing, and the future of LinkedIn.

Don't Miss:

1. Why Anthony chose LinkedIn as a platform for his business - 7:50

2. Mistakes businesses make in their sales and marketing efforts - 20:50

3. Growing an advertising agency with the LinkedIn platform - 35:15

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Anthony’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Why Anthony started a B2B LinkedIn advertising agency

3. What it takes to really succeed in generating leads from LinkedIn

4. Anthony explains what he is learning while growing and scaling an agency

5. The biggest problems and issues that people make with their sales and marketing efforts

6. The future of LinkedIn and where lead generation is headed in today’s market

7. Some of Anthony’s toughest obstacles and how he overcame them

8. Anthony defines his story in one word

Follow Anthony Blatner

Website: https://speedworksocial.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyblatner/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyblatner/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthonyblatner

Follow Me and Subscribe:

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His expertise is exhibited in a long track record of always executing, being an entrepreneur for over 30 years, and investing for over 18 years.

Goldfingr is a modern paradigm of social clubs - a think tank, incubator, and socially conscious business accelerator. They have integrated raising capital, investing, business, the arts, entertainment, and social, adding unbelievable value to their members, with a complete VIP experience 

In this episode, we talk about Rob’s journey to entrepreneurship, his experience of building and growing a members-only social club, the startup game in today’s digital age, and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. The story of Goldfingr and how it is different from other social platforms - 7:51

2. How pandemic has affected the various forms of communication - 15:33

3. Sectors and companies investors are looking to invest in - 24:55

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Rob’s 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 he 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡e𝐫𝐞 he 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲

2. What is Goldfingr? How did the idea for Goldfingr begin?

3. Shifting the paradigm of members-only social clubs

4. Rob’s thoughts and advice on the investment and startup game in today’s digital age

5. What it takes to succeed as a startup and entrepreneur

Follow Rob Charles

Website: https://www.goldfingr.net/rob-charles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-charles/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldfingr_official/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

He brings more than two decades of sales and revenue leadership experience to Uptime.com, driving growth for numerous public and private software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, such as Chargify, Rackspace Cloud, and Inspired eLearning. 

In this episode, we talk about Mike’s journey to entrepreneurship, his experience of building and growing a SaaS business, overcoming the challenges of running a SaaS company, the future of websites, and how to be a strong leader.

Don't Miss:

1. Mike’s advice to handling the role of CEO the right way - 06:30

2. What are the challenges that SaaS companies encounter - 25:13

3. How to execute your website’s performance check the right way - 36:41

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Mike’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. What it takes to be a CEO of a growing and thriving company

3. What it takes for a company to be an industry SaaS leader like Uptime

4. The biggest hurdles/problems that SaaS companies have and how to overcome them

5. Mike talks about some of the major problems that website's face today and how to overcome them

6. The future of website monitoring and performance

7. Thoughts and advice on how to be a strong business leader

8. Mike defines his story in "one-word"

Follow Mike Welsh

Website: https://uptime.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miwelsh/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UptimeDotCom

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In addition to being featured in INC, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and USA Magazine, she is an international keynote speaker and makes regular radio and TV appearances on Fox Business News and CNBC. 

She has spoken alongside many prominent speakers: Eric Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Ireland, Randi Zuckerberg, Steve Wozniak, and more. She is the Best-Selling Author of the book “Sell Your Business for more than It’s Worth” and has a new book coming out called “Exit Rich®.”

In this episode, we talk about Anastasia’s journey to entrepreneurship, her experience of building and growing a merger & acquisition business, how to really succeed as a leader, and how to overcome challenges.

Don't Miss:

1. Michelle’s inspiration to becoming an entrepreneur - 09:18

2. How to know if a company is ready for a merger? - 17:14

3. Mistakes business owners make while scaling a company - 24:27

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Michelle’s inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. What it takes to build and scale a successful business

3. How to know when a business is ready for a merger or acquisition

4. The mistakes businesses make to make them go out of business

5. She describes her thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as a leader

6. Michelle explains some of her toughest challenges in his career and how he overcame them

7. Michelle defines her story in "one-word"

Follow Michelle Seiler Tucker

Website: https://seilertucker.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleseiler/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSeilerTucker

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https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

CreativeX technology is used globally by Fortune 500 brands like Unilever, Mondelez, Heineken, ABI, and more to measure creative efficiency, consistency, and impact across all creatives worldwide. 

In this episode, we talk about Anastasia’s journey to entrepreneurship, her experience of building and growing a tech company, how to raise venture funding, and how to really succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. Anastasia’s inspiration to build a creative tech company - 07:56

2. What is a “good” media content or creative - 19:08

3. Importance of creative quality in marketing performance - 37:21

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Anastasia’s inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. Problems and missing pieces discovered in the creative world

3. What it means to scale your creative images and video at scale using data

4. What it’s like to raise venture funding and capital to scale a business

5. She explains some of CreativeX’s actionable insights and findings from the creative data collected

6. She describes her thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

7. Anastasia talks about some of her toughest challenges in her career and how she overcame them

8. Anastasia defines her story in “one-word”

Follow Anastasia Leng

Website: https://www.creativex.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleng/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ponystasia

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

IWON's snacks can be found in over 5,000 stores nationwide, including Kroger's, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon, and many more. 

Mark is a foodie and a popular serial entrepreneur in the fitness and nutrition space. His goal is to provide inspirational and insightful value through his personal branding and company.

In this episode, Mark talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experience of building and growing a nutrition company, how he grew the IWON brand, and how to really succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. Mark’s inspiration to build a nutrition brand - 01:43

2. How to keep your brand authentic - 12:25

3. Advice to succeeding as an entrepreneur - 25:51

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Mark’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. How Mark started and scaled IWON into what it is today

3. Mark talks about the power and importance of having a balanced nutrition

4. Insights and strategies on how Mark is growing the IWON brand

5. The process of finding the right manufacturers and distributors

6. He describes his thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

7. Mark explains some of the toughest challenges in his career and how he overcame them

8. Mark defines his story in “one-word”

Follow Mark Samuel

Website: https://iwonorganics.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markalansamuel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkAlanSamuel

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Tim is also an accomplished international keynote speaker, and world-renowned global tech leader recognized by global brands such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. He is internationally recognized as Mr. Future of Work.

In this episode, Tim talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experience of building and growing a company, how companies can position their workforce to thrive, and the future of employee training and development.

Don't Miss:

1. Tim’s inspiration to becoming an entrepreneur - 02:51

2. Importance of being adaptive to market changes while running a business - 08:42

3. The future of employee training and development - 14:49

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Tim’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Guide.

3. Tim talks about how companies can position their people to thrive in the workforce

4. The future of learning and development

5. Leveraging and utilizing storytelling within learning and leadership

6. Tim defines his story in one word

Follow Tim Salau

Company Website: https://www.guidegroupe.com/

Website: https://www.timsalau.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/timsalau

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsalau/

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https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Gupshup also developed Teamchat, a smart messaging app that introduced structured templates to messaging. Beerud also founded and led Elance, the pioneer of online freelancing and which is now known as UpWork and is a publicly-traded company.

In this episode, Beerud talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experiences and challenges of building and scaling a SaaS company, how to acquire VC funding and what he is up to these days.

Don't Miss:

1. Beerud’s inspiration behind growing a startup to a publicly-traded company - 05:13

2. How to scale a SaaS company - 19:15 

3. Overcoming the struggles of running a SaaS company - 29:25

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Beerud's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. How Beerud grew eLance (UpWork) and why he started Gupshup

3. Beerud talks about what it’s like growing a SaaS company with some of the challenges and successes he’s had in scaling

4. What it’s like to acquire VC funding with its pros and cons

5. He describes his thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

6. The common difficulties that entrepreneurs and business owners are going through and how to overcome them

7. Beerud defines his story in “one-word.”

Follow Beerud Sheth

Website: https://www.gupshup.io/developer/about

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beerud

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beerud/

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Erik was named The International Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year in the field of Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations. He is also the recipient of numerous honors and awards including Forbes “30 Under 30,” CSQ "40 Under40", Inc. Magazine’s “Top 25 Marketing Influencers, amongst many others. 

As a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, Erik is a sought-after thought leader in the world of digital marketing, entrepreneurship, sales, and business.

In this episode, Erik talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experiences and challenges of building and scaling a digital marketing company and what he is up to these days.

Don't Miss:

1. How to run a marketing agency the right way - 03:45

2. Overcoming the struggles of running a marketing agency - 14:35

3. The future of the music industry and growing a media company - 24:17  

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Erik's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Hawke Media

3. Erik talks about his experiences in building and scaling a digital marketing company to its current size and key moments during the journey

4. What it’s like growing a marketing agency with its challenges

5. The future of digital marketing

6. Erik talks about the future of Hawke Media

7. Erik defines his story in one word

Follow Erik Huberman

Website: https://hawkemedia.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikHuberman

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikhuberman/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Jon co-founded Loop Media in 2016. The company acquired Screenplay Entertainment in 2018 and is expanding at an enormous rate. Loop TV is the first media company focused on fully integrated 360-degree engagement of music video and other premium short-form content by consumers and businesses.

In this episode, Jon talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares strategies about growing a media technology business in B2B and B2C verticals, and the future of the music industry.

Don't Miss:

1. What inspired Jon to build a media company - 02:14

2. Loop Media’s growth strategies during difficult situations - 10:48

3. The future of the music industry and growing a media company - 26:12  

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Jon’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Loop Media.

3. Jon talks about his experience in the music streaming industry before and after the COVID pandemic.

4. What it’s like growing a media technology company with its challenges and successes.

5. The future of music streaming and the music industry.

6. Jon talks about the future of Loop Media.

7. Jon defines his story in "one-word"

Follow Jon Niermann

Website: https://loop.tv/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonniermann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/looptvofficial

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https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Through Seamless.AI, he helps over 35,000+ companies find prospects, close deals, and generate millions in sales with notable names like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Slack, Dell, Oracle, and many others who are CRUSHING their sales quota daily on the Seamless platform. 

Brandon is an expert sales speaker, notable sales trainer, a podcaster for "Sales Secrets From The Top 1%". In this episode, we talk about Brandon's entrepreneurial journey, the purpose behind Seamless.AI, and strategies to attract and engage the right leads.

Don't Miss:

1. Brandon's journey to sales and entrepreneurship - 03:50

2. Connecting with people who can positively influence and change your life - 12:52

3. Growing a SaaS company from zero to millions of dollars in sales - 24:15  

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Brandon’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Seamless.AI.

3. Brandon gives his best advice on how to attract the right leads the right way, nurturing, and closing them.

4. Comparing the effectiveness of inbound selling vs. outbound selling.

5. Experiencing and overcoming the struggles of growing and scaling a SaaS company.

6. The future of sales.

7. Brandon defines his story in "one-word"

Follow Brandon Bornancin

Website: https://www.brandonbornancin.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonbornancin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbornancin?lang=en

Seamless.AI: https://www.seamless.ai/

You can check out Brandon's best-selling books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Bornancin/e/B07QQCZSS1%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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Tammuz has been pioneering innovative experiential-media software for the built environment to create-edge experiences with movement-driven interactivity. He is considered to be one of the youngest thought leaders in the experiential field, with multiple patents pending. 

He was named one of the five entrepreneurs revolutionizing nightlife by RedBull Magazine and recognized as a certified thought leader by MarketScale Magazine.

In this episode, Tammuz talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares tips about growing business to different verticals, and increasing your thought leadership and branding.

Don't Miss:

1. Tammuz inspiring story to entrepreneurship - 02:05

2. Scaling your business to different verticals - 13:02

3. How to increase your thought leadership and personal branding - 25:58

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Tammuz's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Zuzor

3. Experiencing and overcoming the struggles of growing and scaling a startup

4. How Tammuz is becoming a thought leader in the audiovisual technology space

5. The future of experiential design and Zuzor

6. Tammuz defines his story in "one-word."

Follow Tammuz Dubnov:

Website: https://www.zuzor.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammuzdubnov

Twitter: https://twitter.com/t_zuzor

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David has done it all in business, going from extreme millionaire success, down to insane struggle, and back to success aimed with purpose. He has built a platform that uses four vital principles—gratitude, empathy, accountability, and effective communication—and these principles have allowed him to communicate and mentor everyone from college students to c-suite executives. 

He is an inspirational thought leader who consistently serves and empowers others on how to be truly happy. In this episode, David talks about his inspiring story, how to live with purpose and be happy, and shares some success tips for sales and marketing.

Don't Miss:

1. David's story of how he got to where he is today - 02:05

2. Why it's important to shift the paradigm of "giving and getting back" - 06:40

3. Employing more gratitude and keep moving forward with a sense of appreciation - 17:02

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. David's inspiring story

2. Defining the art of offering real value and serving others

3. What it means to restart and rebuild your life

4. What it means to live with purpose and be happy

5. Tips on what it takes to be successful today at sales and marketing

6. David defines his story in "one-word."

Follow David Meltzer:

Website: https://dmeltzer.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeltzer2/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmeltzer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidmeltzer

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Kelsey started her entrepreneurial journey at a very young age. She has been able to bootstrap her way to building a company with over 50 full-time employees and working with Fortune 500's by helping them with their content marketing strategies and execution, generating business results. 

Kelsey has also been featured as a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Marketing and Advertising, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, Columbia Business Times 20 Under 40, and SBA of Missouri's Small Business Person of the Year. 

In this episode, we talk in-depth about Kelsey's entrepreneurial journey, how she bootstrapped a successful content marketing agency, how to scale a company, and what she is up to these days.

Don't Miss:

1. Kelsey's journey to entrepreneurship - 02:35

2. How to humanize your sales strategy - 15:45

3. Why being honest and vulnerable is important in storytelling - 39:10

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Kesley's inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. How to bootstrap a content marketing agency in a saturated space

3. Strategies and advice on how to scale a company

4. How to generate business results from effective and strategic digital content

5. The power of storytelling in today's digital content

6. The future of content marketing

7. Kelsey defines her story in "one-word."

Follow Kelsey Raymond:

Website: https://www.influenceandco.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseymeyer1

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Kelsey_M_Meyer

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Norman was listed among one of Ireland's top entrepreneurs and was nominated in the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year. He has successfully grown numerous businesses from start-up to millions in annual sales through effective business planning, creative sales techniques, and innovative marketing. 

Norman is a visionary, and a great businessman known for his passion for excellence, integrity, and motivational leadership. He is also known to solve problems and provide a positive impact on our planet.

We talk about Norman’s entrepreneurial journey, how to find new business opportunities and gaps in the market, and how to bootstrap and scale a company.

Don't Miss:

1. How did Norman start his first company at the age of 15 - 03:50

2. Why the climate change messaging needs to be changed - 19:30

3. How to build a great team and scale up your business - 42:55

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Norman's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Finding opportunities and gaps in the market and creating successful companies

3. Strategies and advice on how to scale a company

4. The future of energy and technology

5. Tough challenges and obstacles and how he overcame them

6. What makes a great business leader

7. Norman defines his story in "one word"

Follow Norman Crowley: 

Website: https://www.crowleycarbon.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/normancrowley1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norman-crowley-4b075841/

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https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

She is also a LinkedIn thought leader hovering over 70,000 followers, a women's entrepreneurship advocate, and content creator. She has delivered keynote speeches and conference presentations at industry events, both in-person and virtually.

In this episode, Jackie talks about her entrepreneurial journey, marketing experience, and critical business insights.

Don't Miss:

1. Jackie's professional journey before starting the company - 06:40

2. How Jackie turned her side-hustle into a company - 13:20

3. How to build trust and win more business - 24:14

Topics We Discuss:

1. Jackie's inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. How to bootstrap a business and turn a passion or idea into a successful operating business

3. The positive impact that LinkedIn has created for Jackie in regards to relationship building and lead generation

4. Why inbound marketing is the most powerful marketing strategy and how businesses should build it

5. Some problems and struggles she overcame during her career

6. Jackie defines her story in "one-word."

Follow Jackie Hermes:

Website: https://accelitymarketing.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejackiehermes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejackiehermes/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejackiehermes

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Tara is an executive-level digital marketing professional with over 20 years of progressive experience. She specializes in relationship and inbound marketing with a passion for a data-driven strategy and has over 20 years of research and analytics experience using quantitative and qualitative data.

She is also a best-selling author of The Power of Social Networking and Crown Business, professional international speaker, and was recognized as a Women to Watch in Entrepreneur Magazine in 2013, Women-led Startups to Watch in Fast Company in 2011, and The Most Influential Women in Technology in Fast Company Magazine in 2009.

In this episode, we chat about Tara's entrepreneurial journey and how she leverages social media to tell great stories that instantly connect with her audience. 

Listen to this episode. Hope you enjoy it!

Don't Miss:

1. Tara's entrepreneurial journey - 04:50

2. Why audience should be the "hero" of your story - 19:30

3. Challenges that made Tara stronger and more determined - 47:03

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Things we talked about:

1. Tara's inspiring story and her entrepreneurial journey

2. How to tell a story that can connect with your audience 

3. How to create an effective content strategy

4. How to leverage today's social media channels correctly and organically

5. Some problems and struggles she overcame during her career

6. Tara defines her story in "one-word."

Follow Tara Hunt:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/missrogue

Instagram: http://instagram.com/missrogue

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missrogue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trulysocialwithtara/

Website: http://www.tarahunt.com/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

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Brandon is the Founder & President of The Steiner Agency and CollectibleXchange. The Steiner Agency is the nation's premier independent athlete procurement source. The CollectibleXchange is an online platform for fans, collectors, store owners, celebrities, athletes, and teams to buy and sell collectibles. 

Previously, he created Steiner Sports Marketing and Memorabilia, one of the largest companies of its kind. Additionally, he is a well-known motivational and inspirational speaker. He has spoken to world-class organizations such as the New York Yankees, BMW North America, Nike, Live Nation, Cornell University, TEDx, and Harvard Business School. He is also the author of Living on Purpose, The Business Playbook, and You Gotta Have Balls. 

In this episode, Brandon talks about his journey of being a salesman for over 50 years and shares some critical business and marketing insights.

Check out this episode. Hope you enjoy it!

Don't Miss:

1. How to change your mindset and stay focused - 8:20

2. Brandon's success story - 12:38

3. Why you need to get out of an SOS mindset - 48:30

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Things we talked about:

1. Brandon's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Why it's so important to listen to your mother's advice

3. The lesson learned of why you have to stop selling and start serving

4. His experience working with the Yankees and some of the world's top sports athletes

5. What it means by letting success get in the way of more success

6. To do good, start with gratitude

7. Brandon defines his story in "one-word."

Follow Brandon Steiner:

https://twitter.com/brandonsteiner

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsteiner/

https://www.instagram.com/brandonsteiner

https://collectiblexchange.com/ 

https://brandonsteiner.com/ 

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Shanee is a stage 4 cancer survivor and is one of the top content creators on LinkedIn. She has successfully generated hundreds of millions of views through her inspirational and insightful content.

Shanee has a social following of around 1M people and growing. She is an International Goodwill Ambassador for Public Health, and she also serves as a Global Goodwill Ambassador.

In this episode, Shanee shares her entrepreneurial journey and her battle with cancer. She also talks about storytelling and ways to create stories that can truly resonate with the audience.

Don’t Miss:

1. The inspiration behind Shanee’s LinkedIn journey - 06:10

2. How to make content that people want - 17:11

3. The most effective storytelling method that provides results - 32:55

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Questions Asked:

1. Shanee, I know that you have a very inspirational story. Can you tell us a little about your story of how you got to where you are today?

2. I know you heavily believe in the power of storytelling. What would you consider the science behind your storytelling content techniques on LinkedIn?

3. How do you use growth marketing instead of traditional digital marketing to help your healthcare marketing business and healthcare customers succeed?

4. Do you have any thoughts on the future of healthcare and marketing?

5. Can you describe your life story in "one word"?

Follow Shanee Moret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneemoret/

https://www.instagram.com/shaneemoret/?hl=en

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Brian is the founder and CEO of Voice Your Vibe. He is a Forbes Featured Entrepreneur, LinkedIn Top Voice, and LinkedIn Video Creator of the Year. He is one of the most sought-after international speakers.

Brian talks about how Founders and C-Suite Executives can find their voice, voice their vibe, attract their tribe, and tell a story that people will fall in love with.

Don’t Miss:

1. Brian’s inspirational story - 02:18 2. How to find your ‘voice’ - 19:41 3. How to build digital relationships - 37:05

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Questions Asked:

1. So, Brian, I know you have an inspirational story of struggle and success. Can you talk a little about that and how you got to where you are today?

2. How does someone find their voice?

3. How do you communicate your story and make it resonate with others online?

4. In your experience, what are the best Linkedin video and content strategies to execute?

5. What is the power of storytelling in your perspective?

6. How do you define your story in one word or one sentence?

Follow Brian Schulman

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschulman/ https://twitter.com/voiceyourvibe

Follow Me and Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

David has won over 330 international design awards and been named the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. He has also received recognition from some of the world’s top names in the business, such as Daymond John from Shark Tank and Grant Cardone. He is nicknamed the “Brandfather.”

In this episode, David shares some crucial insights on branding and marketing. I hope you enjoy it!

Don’t Miss:

1. David’s experience with his first client - 09:15

2. Advice to business owners and leaders on branding - 17:32

3. What is brand storytelling and how powerful it is in the branding world - 30:44

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Questions Asked:

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the story of how you got to where you are today?

2. In your experience, what are some of the branding problems you see businesses of all sizes face?

3. When you are consulting with small businesses, startups, and innovators, what are some of the most important pieces of advice you give them to create a brand and have an emotional connection with their customers?

4. How do you redefine and improve a company’s current brand problem and identify if they even have a brand?

5. In your eyes, what is brand storytelling, and how powerful is it to be included in a brand and marketing strategy?

6. What is the future of branding in our global economy?

Follow David Brier

https://twitter.com/davidbrier

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/davidbrier

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

Rand has dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing. We talk about his entrepreneurial journey, how he started and exited from Moz, and his inspiration behind starting SparkToro. 

In this episode, you will find some crucial insights about achieving startup success and learn how focusing on small wins can lead to bigger achievements.

Don't Miss:

1. What is SparkToro and how it can help businesses - 13:34

2. Where are businesses heading in today's competitive world - 17:24

3. The power of branding and emotional storytelling, especially in the tech world - 34:12

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Questions Asked:

1. Rand, as you know that you’re very well known in the marketing world, but for those who don’t know, can you share a little about your story and how you got to where you are today?

2. Due to the crazy times we are in with this crisis, where do you feel digital marketing is headed?

3. What are your thoughts on what small businesses should be focusing on to grow from a strategic marketing perspective?

5. Where do you feel Google is headed in regards to SEO and paid marketing?

6. When it comes to growing your company at Sparktoro and when you grew Moz as well, what were some of the vital steps you took ensuring steady and scalable growth?

7. Do you think brands and business professionals trying to increase exposure and gain more trust and credibility should try to focus more on storytelling?

8. How do you use your story to provide value to others and achieve success?

Follow Rand Fishkin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin

https://twitter.com/randfish

https://www.sparktoro.com

Check out Rand’s Book “Lost and Founder” here: https://sparktoro.com/book

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22 

Heather is known as the “Boss In Heels”, teaching how to empower YOU to create YOUR confidence and live life to its fullest, and ultimately achieving success. Coming from humble beginnings, she has become a best-selling author, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Boss In Heels. 

Having successfully climbed the corporate ladder for nearly 20 years, this inspiring thought leader is one of the few women to break the glass ceiling and claim her spot in the C-suite.

Listen to this episode. Hope you enjoy it!

Don't Miss:

1. How to build confidence, especially when experiencing long-term struggle - 05:02

2. Heather’s experience with her mentor - 12:50

3. How to build a personal brand - 19:50

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Questions Asked:

1. Heather, being a leader in your space, I mentioned you came from humble beginnings. Can you tell us the story of how you got to this successful point in your life?

2. How do you create confidence in yourself when something has gone on for so long that it has become the new norm?

3. Is building confidence developed by more action, or is it more of a mental game, or is it both?

4. In your experience, what were the steps you took to define your purpose and self-worth?

5. Any advice on how to use your purpose and passion to create a personal brand or leverage an existing company brand?

6. On a marketing perspective, what were the most important steps you took to build your audience?

7. We all go through insane struggles and obstacles, you talk about firing your villain. Can you talk more about that?

8. I love how you talk about your story, how do you use storytelling to build yourself, provide value and inspire others?

Follow Heather:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theheathermonahan/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathermonahan/?hl=en

Website: https://heathermonahan.com/

Check out Heather's Amazon Bestseller book: https://heathermonahan.com/confidence-creator-book/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talked about Joe's entrepreneurial journey and how he built a leading content marketing educational resource called the Content Marketing Institute. Joe has founded multiple startups. He has received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council in 2014.

Listen to this episode. Hope you enjoy it!

Don't Miss:

1. The key to creating an effective content marketing strategy - 17:00

2. What does it take to create an impactful piece of content? - 31:45

3. Joe's struggles and pinnacle moments and what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn - 42:33

Things we talk about:

1. Joe, being a global leader in content marketing, tell us your story of how you go to this stage in life.

2. I see sometimes you blog and podcast about being content-first, for all businesses our there, what does it mean to be content-first?

3. What do you consider the key fundamentals of building an effective content marketing strategy for a business?

4. Do you believe in some proven strategies and tactics in order to generate an ROI from content?

5. What does it really take to build an effective and impactful piece of content in today’s competitive age?

6. I know sometimes you talk about storytelling, which I love because I am a passionate storyteller myself. But what does great storytelling mean today in relation to content marketing?

7. Were there certain times of your life that were pinnacle moments in getting you to this stage of success and thought leadership?

8. What were some of your toughest struggles and challenges in your life or career, and how did you overcome them?

9. What is the best advice you can give to current and future business leaders?

Follow Joe Pulizzi:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepulizzi/

https://www.facebook.com/JoePulizziAuthor

https://twitter.com/joepulizzi

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

We talk about Dan's story of how he built and scaled UpCity to becoming a leader in its space, the challenges of building up a successful business and the sacrifices he made during the process, he explains how to differentiate yourself in a competitive market, advice to other business leaders, and much more. 

 Questions:

1. Dan, I am glad that we have finally been able to connect on here, although I am aware of what you do, can you tell us more about your story?

2. My company is currently a customer of UpCity, what triggered you to differentiate your business platform and strategy from other digital marketing agencies? Since we all know it’s heavily saturated.

3. In your experience with marketing and helping startups and companies for so long, what do you see as their biggest challenges they have in common on marketing or business perspective, and what guidance or advice do you give to help them?

4. Any advice, tips, or strategies on how to market yourself or your brand in today’s competitive digital age?

5. What stage of growing and scaling UpCity would you say has been the most challenging for you? And what stage has been the most enjoyable?

6. Did you build UpCity from the ground up? If so, do you think bootstrapping is a good idea or is it smart to look for outside funding?

Three How's Explained:

1. How do you define failure?

2. How do you define your story in one sentence and in one word?

3. How do you define success?

Follow Dan Olson:

Website - https://www.upcity.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-w-olson/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talk about John's story of how he overcame adversity, which allowed him to find his purpose, build valuable expertise in digital marketing, and executing them to a very high level of success. Additionally, we talk about storytelling, giving back, and much more. 

 Questions:

1. Me and you have spoken a few times, advising and helping each other out. Learning more about you, has been inspiring. Especially about how you broke your leg and the doctors said you won’t be able to walk again. Tell us a little more about that story and how that obstacle helped you.

2. How did you find your passion for online marketing and what were some of the things you did to create amazing business opportunities?

3. In your experience with marketing and helping startups and companies for so long, what do you see as their biggest challenges they have in common on marketing or business perspective, and what guidance or advice do you give to help them?

4. We know that personal branding is hugely in trend, but when do you feel it’s necessary to brand yourself alongside running a business? Like do you feel it’s important to connect what you’re company does with how you want to brand yourself or can they be totally different objectives?

5. Any advice, tips, or strategies on how to market yourself or your brand in today’s competitive digital age?

6. Do you feel leveraging and using your story for either your business or personal is vital in selling and marketing today?

7. What’s your approach to giving and helping others, and do you feel it always comes back 10 fold or do you believe in always giving with no expectations to receive?

8. Tell us a little more about your current product calendar.com and its future.

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?

2. How do you define your story in one sentence and in one word?

3. How do you define success?

Follow John Rampton:

Website - https://www.johnrampton.com/ Company - https://www.calendar.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/johnrampton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrampton/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talk about Jonathan's story of becoming a top photographer and journey making it to the top of Mount Everest. Additionally, we discuss his purpose and journey of filming the documentary called Everest Virtual Reality, along with his future plans in VR, climbing, and much more. 

 Questions:

1. Jonathan, what got you into alpine photography and being able to work with some of the world's largest brands? Tell us about your journey.  
2. How did you figure out your purpose in being a "creative", especially traveling the world and taking photos at the world's highest peaks?
3. What was your experience like on Everest? Is it as dangerous as they say?
4. How do you handle and manage all your other business tasks and goals due to all of your international traveling?
5. How were you able to get attention from companies like The North Face, Google, and Discovery Channel?
6. What is Everest Virtual Reality all about and what inspired you to create it?
7. What are your future plans for VR and alpine photography?

Three How's:

1. 1. How do you define failure?
   2. How do you define business?
   3. How do you define success?

Follow Jonathan Griffith:

Website - https://alpineexposures.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JonGriffithPhotography/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jongriffithphotography/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-griffith-442a2167/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talk about Chris's journey to building an award-winning design agency and gives his insight on how to grow and scale in business. Chris also discusses how to define and communicate your personal and business true value to your customers, and much more. 

 Questions:

1. Chris, how did you start your design agency Blind, and The Futur? Tell us your story of how you got to where you are today.
2. In your experience, what does it take to grow, scale, and maintain an agency? Any good tips and processes that worked for you?
3. Your design and consultancy agency being in a saturated space, what did it take for you to win over these larger brands?
4. At what point in time at your agency and in your career, how did you find your true worth and value?
5. I love your content on pricing, specifically value-based pricing, and I know many companies and people struggle with this concept, can you explain that further?
6. Another pricing question because I love your take on it, how do you respond to low budget clients?
7. How do you respond when clients say you're too expensive?
8. What did you unlock your full potential?

Three How's:

1. How do you overcome obstacles?
2. How do you create value?
3. How do you define success? 

Follow Chris Do:

The Futur - https://thefutur.com/ Blind, Inc. - https://blind.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSkoolRocks Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talk about Evan's journey to becoming a thought leader and YouTube sensation, he gives his insight on how to find your purpose and passion. Then how to create a strong influence, community, and a following around it, the power of having a mentor, and much more. 

 Questions:

1. Evan, give us a little background on your story and how you got to where you are today as a business and thought leader.
2. You being a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs and being a successful entrepreneur yourself, in your experience what do you feel their biggest challenges are and how should they overcome them? 
3. What is your best advice on how someone can inspire others and build a strong community around them on and off social media?
4. From all the successful people you've interviewed, engaged and collaborated with, and content you've created for, what are your top rules for success?
5. How does someone like myself, a business owner, CMO, and podcaster create his "one word" or even hashtag?
6. How did you come up with your "one word" #Believe?
7. How does someone find their purpose and actually execute on it?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Evan Carmichael:

Website - https://www.evancarmichael.com YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/user/ModelingTheMasters  Twitter - https://twitter.com/EvanCarmichael Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evancarmichael/ Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/EvanCarmichaelcom

Please Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

We talk about Fritz's journey to becoming a leader in customer experience and support, his insight on what it takes to create long-term trust and customer retention for enterprise-level clients, the future of big data, and more. 

 Questions:

1. Fritz, give us a little background on your story and how you got to where you are today as a business leader.
2. Tell us what you currently do at Zencos and what Zencos does, and why you chose to be a part of the Zencos team instead of retiring.
3. Where do you feel big data is headed in the US and even the global market? 
4. With your experience in building and working with customer support teams, and fostering trust with large enterprise-level clients, what is your best advice on ensuring the customer is happy?
5. What do you recommend to other managers, leaders, and anyone working with customers directly to build trust the right way?
6. What is your definition of building a great customer experience?
7. What do you feel people do wrong when they deal with customers?
8. What was it like working as an executive at SAS Institute for so many years, was there a specific memory or story that you would like to share?
9. You being a strong business leader, do you have any advice or tips for future or current leaders on what they need to do to ensure and maintain success?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Fritz Lehman:

Website - https://www.zencos.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritzlehman/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/lehmanfritz

Follow Me:

iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192  Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net   Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgeorgiou22/

We talk about Margaret's journey to thought leadership, her insight on the power of simplifying a brand, brand storytelling, marketing strategy, customer experience, the role of a CMO, and more. 

 Questions:

1. Margaret, you being a brand and marketing thought leader, can you tell us a little about your journey of how you got to where you are today in your career?
2. Being a very successful CMO and dealing with world-renowned brands, in your expert opinion what is the true role of a CMO in an organization?
3. I know you talk a lot about simplicity and removing the clutter from brands and companies, so can you explain some of the common clutter you experience?
4. Giving some detail, can you explain your strategies or insight on how to simplify a brand and the way they portray themselves to the public eye?
5. When you execute a brand and marketing strategy for your clients, what is your insight on including the customer journey experience as well as storytelling?
6. In your experience with funded or organically bootstrapped startups, how should they essentially keep their business "simple" and execute an effective brand strategy?  
7. What are some of the toughest branding or marketing struggles that you face with brands and how do you overcome them?
8. Do you have any specific thoughts and advice on future leaders to help improve their brand and provide the most value to their customers?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Margaret Molloy:

Website - https://www.siegelgale.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretmolloy Twitter - https://twitter.com/MargaretMolloy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearingirish

Follow Me:

iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192  Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net   Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgeorgiou22/

We talk about Spiros's journey of failure and success, FinTech, VC funding, how to become a thought leader, technology, and more. 

 Questions:

1. Give us some insight on your story and journey of how you reached this point of success in your space, primarily FinTech.

2. There is a lot of media buzz about FinTech, AdTech, EdTech, and others. What does it mean to postfix Tech onto a traditional industry? Is this an announcement of disruption?

3. You speak about credibility and trust is critical for community influences and I agree. For someone looking to become an influencer, how do they build this?

4. For the dreamers listening, what do you mean by 'wanting something so badly you are willing to pay for it?' Is that the differentiator between dreamers and doers?

5. Failure is often the best teacher. Looking back, was there a pivotal moment of failure in your life that created a learning opportunity?

6. Knowing that you are a venture capitalist, you're obviously very experienced in the whole funding process. What essentially do VC's look for when businesses come to pitch for investments?

7. When it comes to the disruption of FinTech, what should we expect in the next year?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Spiros Margaris:

Website - https://www.margarisventures.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/spirosmargaris LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spirosmargaris/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Kelvin's journey being the CMO at Steiner Sports and why he started Kool Kel Marketing. We also chat about how to build and nurture relationships, how to truly sell the right way, how to talk to buyers, his mentors, life advice, and much more.

 Questions:

1. Give us a little background on your story and how you got to where you are today.
2. I know you are an amazing salesman and marketer, how do you combine your marketing experience and sales tactics to achieve your business goals?
3. I see that you are incredibly connected, do you have any tips that worked for you in terms of building and nurturing relationships the right way?
4. I love your motto, “people don’t like to be sold to, but they love to buy”. Can you explain that more?
5. How do you leverage LinkedIn and other digital platforms to help you brand yourself and your company properly, and also achieve results?
6. What were some of the coolest athletes you know when you were at Steiner Sports?
7. What does the future look like at Kool Kel Marketing?
8. What is some of the best advice you received from someone else regarding business and life?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Kelvin Joseph:

Website - http://www.koolkel.com   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvinjoseph/ 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Neil's story on the steps he took to achieve a high level of personal branding and success, tips on effective SEO and digital marketing strategies, what people are doing wrong with their businesses, and much more.  

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://apple.co/2HXH5Dx

 Questions Asked:

1. So Neil, most people have heard of you around the world. Me and my company have been following you and your content for years now, but I want everyone to hear your story. Give us a birds-eye view on how you got to where you are today.
2. Did you always see yourself as reaching this level of success with your companies and strong personal brand?
3. What steps did you take to build such a strong authority in the digital marketing and SEO niche?
4. In regards to search engine optimization, what would you say are the most important strategies to execute in getting a website's rankings to the top of Google search? Obviously content is king and social media is vital as well. 
5. Based on your expertise, and of course on a holistic view perspective, can you give us your best tips on how to create an online presence that essentially becomes a money-maker? 
6. What do you see a lot of people doing wrong while building their businesses? 
7. Do you think it's always smart to build a personal brand if you are already running a company or does it depend?
8. How do you think technology such as AI is effecting digital marketing and where do you think digital marketing is headed?
9. If you had to rewind, what would you have done differently during your entrepreneurial journey?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define business?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Neil Patel: 

Personal Website - https://neilpatel.com/ Company Website - https://npdigital.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/neilkpatel  LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkpatel YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/neilpatel

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Dave's story and experience working at Drift, B2B marketing, conversational marketing, personal branding, how to create engaging content and receive attention, marketing strategies, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. Dave, as many have told you, your content and videos are seen all over LinkedIn. Which is how I first saw and engaged with you. I love your content by the way. But, you also play an integral part of a great company known as Drift. However, before that happened, what made you into this passionate and engaging B2B marketing leader?
2. Tell us a little more about Drift and where the company is headed.
3. What are some of your key tactics or strategies on how to get people's attention to your content and brand?
4. What do you see as some of the toughest challenges and problems that B2B marketers face today?
5. For future leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs listening, what would you consider the most important things to focus on to be a better marketer?
6. I read one of your articles on LinkedIn about how you got 100,000 views on each of your LinkedIn videos, can you talk more about that article you wrote?
7. Did you face any tough personal or career obstacles that pushed you to get to where you are today and how did you essentially overcome them?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Dave Gerhardt: 

Website - https://www.drift.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegerhardt Twitter - https://twitter.com/davegerhardt

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about why Daniel got into podcasting and how it changed his life as well as opened new bright influential opportunities. We also discuss what makes a good podcast, some amazing business leaders he has spoken with and the advice they've given, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. Daniel, so what got you into podcasting? Give us a little background and your story.

2. How did podcasting lead you to new opportunities such as starting other businesses, speaking, being an author, and so on?

3. Did you see a need or trend in the market to start your own podcast? We all know now that podcasts are incredibly powerful, especially when interviewing others.

4. Who were some of the most well know authority figures you interviewed and what were some of their best business advice or advice about life in general?

5. For other podcasters out there, what are some of your most important tips or strategies for growing your audience, and also reaching out to get top interviewees on your show?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Daniel Gefen: 

Website - http://www.danielgefen.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gefenmedia/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/ipickbrains 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about how Bobby helps other business leaders find purpose, joy, and clarity, personal branding, what leaders are doing right and wrong, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. Bobby, can you give us a little background on your story and what led you to helping lost leaders on how to find clarity, purpose, joy, and fulfillment?
2. Do you feel many business leaders or leaders in general don't live their purpose, but essentially just work for the wrong reasons?
3. In your experience, what are we as business leaders missing when we go about our daily lives? Is it a lack of gratitude, patience, faith, etc.
4. What do you believe is the most important characteristic or trait to have in order for us to excel in our lives?
5. What strategies and/or tactics did you utilize in order to create such a strong personal brand for yourself? Any tips for others?
6. What was some of the best advice you received in regards to finding fulfillment for yourself that allowed to truly excel?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Bobby Umar: 

Website - https://www.raeallan.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyumar/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/raehanbobby  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/raehanbobby/   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCID06UGjwRUXGq7PdEJOJ4A   

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about their dance journey, struggles they went through, what it took to make it to the top and performing around the world and making far on America's Got Talent, entrepreneurship, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. So guys, from learning about you, I know you have an amazing and inspiring story to tell. How did your salsa journey begin?
2. Tell us about your training and dedication in dance and what it takes to make it to the top level?
3. What do you think salsa and even dance needs or what it's lacking currently? 
4. I saw you guys also started a salsa training company, tell us about that?
5. Although your an internationally recognized and credible salsa duo, what inspired you to also become entrepreneurs?
6. How did you get on America's Got Talent and what were essentially the most special moments you had there?
7. What were some of your toughest struggles during this journey and how did you overcome them?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Junior and Emily:

Website - http://www.juniorandemily.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/juniorandemily/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/juniorandemilyalabi    

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Ben's entrepreneurial journey, outbound sales and how his company automated the process, problems that sales reps make, lead generation, AI, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. 1. Ben, first off I love what your product does and want to commend you, but before diving into that, tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey.
   2. What gave you and your partners the reason behind creating Outbound Works?
   3. I see your product is built using AI technology, will this completely replace the human sales rep? Where are human sales reps falling short?
   4. In your experience, what are some of the biggest mistakes that not only sales reps make but sales people in general make when trying to generate qualified leads and prospects?
   5. Do you feel in the future AI can completely replace the effort of lead generation and closing the deal or you think that there still needs a human's personal touch?
   6. What are some of the toughest struggles you faced during your journey to now and how did you overcome them?

   Three How's:

   1. How do you define failure?
   2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
   3. How do you define success?

Follow Ben Sardella:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensardella Company Website - https://www.outboundworks.com/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/bensardella    

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Alex's entrepreneurial journey, how to create real and authentic messages and videos on LinkedIn with purpose, LinkedIn lead generation, sales, and much more. 

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192?mt=2

 Questions Asked:

1. Alex, I love how authentic and direct your video and messages are on LinkedIn which seems to receive an overwhelming amount of engagement from people around the world. But, I know that level of experience didn't come straight away, so can give us a little background on your entrepreneurial story
2. What are your thoughts on intent behind LinkedIn content in regards to having a motive to generate leads and sales OR ultimately just provide content to inspire and help others
3. What steps or strategies do you have people execute to grow their LinkedIn influence and ultimately generate sales? I see some people that have a few hundred thousand followers on LinkedIn who I essentially have never heard of.
4. Is there a certain secret sauce to creating videos for LinkedIn or is it all about the message being delivered?
5. What are the most important tips you can provide to targeting the right audience when it comes to selling a product rather than a service on LinkedIn?
6. What are your expert thoughts on the amount of LinkedIn content that should be posted daily/weekly, and the best times/days to post, and types of messages to post?
7. How do we stop being "salesy" on LinkedIn and simply be more authentic and real to engage with more people like you do?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Alex Pirouz:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpirouz/ Company Website - https://linkfluencer.com/  Personal Website - https://alexpirouz.com/   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ff9YC96plcIo47biGcYSg 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about how Chris reached a high level of success as a speaker, coaching others for success, his struggles and obstacles he overcame, leadership, how to reach your potential, and much more. 

 Questions Asked:

1. Chris, due to the level of success you've achieved as a speaker, author, and business leader, how did you essentially get to this position in your life?
2. How do you teach or coach others to become truly successful internally and externally?
3. What do you consider wrong ideas or concepts that others have described in order to be successful?
4. Are there certain struggles or obstacles you feel that everyone has to overcome in order to reach a high level of life success and happiness?
5. What obstacles did you have to overcome in your life that lead you to this point?
6. Are there certain steps or processes that people need to take in order to become a leader?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Chris Widener:

Website - https://chriswidener.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/ChrisWidener  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriswidener/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChrisWidenerSpeaker   YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/WidenerGroup 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about Chris's entrepreneurial journey on how and why he started 3DFS, we discuss his experience in bootstrapping the company and also dealing with investors, the current state of energy saving and its future, his struggles, and much more. 

 Questions Asked:

1. Chris, tell me about your entrepreneurial journey on how you began 3DFS and developing a product which is at the forefront of energy efficiency and electricity?
2. Were you able to bootstrap 3DFS over the years or secure investors and funding to speed up the growth of the company? Tell us a little about that process.
3. Getting more knee deep into your product, how were you able to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the computing data of all these control systems in our homes such as heat and AC?
4. Does 3DFS hold these energy companies accountable for inaccurate data when it comes to homeowners and businesses using energy and electricity?
5. In your experience Chris, how do you see energy evolving and trending? Are there are more positive opportunities due to AI arising or more threats?
6. What struggles did you go through during your entire journey and how did you overcome them?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Chris Doerfler:

Website - https://3dfs.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherdoerfler/ 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about how and why Sahaj started Ensere, how his company helps B2C companies sell their products throughout Europe, his story of struggle and success, the future of eCommerce, and much more. 

 Questions Asked:

1. Sahaj, I originally saw you on LinkedIn and found you very interesting regarding entrepreneurship and eCommerce marketing as well. But, what really intrigued me was you being recognized as a top 10 entrepreneur in the UK. Can you tell us about that and how you got to this position?
2. You're also the Founder of Ensere. Can you give us a better understanding of what Ensere does and how you help B2C companies sell and distribute their physical products online?
3. In your experience, do you think Amazon is making it harder for product companies to sell online or easier? 
4. Where do you think eCommerce is headed in regards to all the emerging technologies arising such as artificial intelligence? Do you see any major shifts or changes?
5. Do you feel that generating sales online, whether it be for brands is getting easier or harder?
6. Jumping a little now into high level business, where do you feel entrepreneurship is headed in our global economy?
7. Did you have to overcome some major challenges and struggles to get to where you are now?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Sahaj Kothari:

Website - http://ensere.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahaj-kothari-08079027/  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1xF984OYBjpDmuJ1Y8Iamw 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about how to be courageous in business, and overcoming fears and failures specifically in the world of sales. We also discuss how to reach your highest potential within a sales role and how to generate qualified leads for your business, as well as the mental game on a holistic level, and much more.

Questions Asked:

1. I love how you talk about courage and overcoming fears and failures in relation to business and sales. What has driven you to speak around the world on these topics? 
2. Is your sales experience more in coaching and talking on outbound sales or inbound sales, or both?
3. Do you feel that having a fear of rejection is one of the main reasons holding back sales people from reaching their highest potential or is there more to it?
4. What are your thoughts on the best ways to truly reach the highest level in a sales role when it comes to generating qualified leads and the art of closing the deal?
5. What does it really take to being courageous in business and overcoming fear and also understanding the value of the word NO?
6. Tell us more about your bestselling book, "Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There.

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Andrea Waltz:

Website - http://www.goforno.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/goforno/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/andreawaltz  Twitter - https://twitter.com/GoforNo

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We discuss Dewayne's journey on how he became a hugely talked about boxing prospect in the game, his struggles, and some of his achievements. Dewayne also dives into the business of boxing, his training, being a leader in his niche, and much more. 

Questions Asked:

1. So, Dewayne I have known you now for over 4 years as me and you used to train in the same boxing gyms in Raleigh. Tell everyone your story of how you joined the boxing game and came into it in your early to mid-20s?
2. I know you had a boxing promotional company known as Stop Running Promotions when you were boxing in North Carolina, but you have made huge career switch last year, so tell me what happened before you made the transition to head to the west coast?
3. Tell me more about your opinion of North Carolina boxing and how it's different from other states?
4. Based on all your experience fighting and in business at the same time, do you feel that the business of boxing is corrupted?
5. Would you ever want to jump back into the business of boxing down the road or just focus on fighting?
6. What do you do to really prepare for some of the tough fights and how difficult is the training?
7. What is Dewayne Beamon's plan to fight on HBO and what will it take to get there? Because it seems you are getting very close to achieving this goal and fighting for a world title.
8. What does the future look like for Dewayne Beamon?
9. Do you have any tips to give future boxers and entrepreneurs joining the sports industry?
10. From initially joining the boxing game until now, what were some of your toughest struggles you had to go through and how did you overcome them?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?
4.  
5. Follow Dewayne Beamon:

YouTube  - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1rn5mZW6UE3PWcRUjQ0lQ

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We discuss Michaela's journey to how she built her personal brand, how to create content that goes viral, strategies for content engagement on LinkedIn, video creation tips, lead generation, and much more. 

Questions Asked:

1. What inspired me to reach out to you was first off see your content and videos everywhere on LinkedIn and really love your authenticity, and I know your speaking at the Inbound conference which is amazing. So essentially, what triggered you to start building your personal brand?
2. What steps or strategies did you execute to create viral content on LinkedIn and provide influence and inspiration online?
3. In your experience guiding and directing brands regarding their content and marketing, how do you leverage your personal brand with your company without creating brand clutter or confusion to your audience?
4. How do you start monetizing your personal brand on LinkedIn or in general? Or do you simply get leads and prospects by just offering amazing content and videos?
5. Many of us in business that are creating consistent content and trying to create influence and be "inspirationalists", what are your thoughts on the different social platforms and how do you find which one suits you better in building that personal or even company brand?
6. How do you guide companies in building their brands online in regards to building authenticity, validity, trust, and credibility?
7. Do you have any top tricks or strategies when creating videos to receive high engagement on LinkedIn and/or YouTube/Facebook?
8. What are some of the personal branding struggles you had to go through and how did you overcome them?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Closing:

1. Where can everyone find you?
2. Thank you so much for being a part of this podcast and sharing your story with us. I am very thankful. 
3. Thanks again everyone for listening, and this is your host Michael Georgiou on Tales from the PROS, and until next time. 

Follow Michaela Alexis:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaalexis/  Website - https://www.mickalexis.com/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We discuss top technology trends in our country, the impact and difference between funded startups vs. organic startups. In addition, we talk about the growth and impact investors have on companies, validity of our news and media, and much more. https://www.talesfromthepros.com/interviews/alex-wilhelm/

Questions Asked:

Tell us how you got into tech and business writing and now writing for some of the world's best digital publications.

From all your research and writing experience on startups, corporations, and overall technology and business, where do you feel technology is headed in our economy?

I've read some of your articles on startups, do you see any trends regarding their success, failures, or how easy or difficult it is to actually create a successful startup into a company?

Jumping into investors, funding, and acquisitions, do you think startups and even companies in general are always relying on VC's and angel investors to keep them going or are you seeing organically growing companies as well?

Let's jump a little here into the validity of news, how do you as a writer and editor ensure that everything written is indeed factual and not "fake news"?

Do you have any tips for others writing online content to receive higher engagement? 

Where do you feel content and news is headed considering all this new technology like AI?

Three How's:

How do you define failure?

How do you define entrepreneurship?

How do you define success?

Follow Alex Wilhelm:

Website - https://www.crunchbase.com/  Twitter -https://twitter.com/alex

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We talk about his hustle and journey to becoming a young business leader in Canada and how he grows to influence others and local communities. In addition, we discuss his proven steps and strategies to creating amazing content on LinkedIn, how to gain a large reach and influence on the platform to generate impact, and much more. 

1. Fabio, what caught my attention before asking you to interview on Tales from the PROS is I saw that you interviewed the amazing Jay Shetty. Talk to me about that experience. How did you get his attention?
2. What inspired you to become a leader in Canada regarding business and marketing? 
3. I love how you have a full-time job at a Credit Union, but yet have your side hustles in becoming a LinkedIn influencer, speaking, and building and influencing a community. How do you manage all that time?
4. As we all know that your heavily engaged on LinkedIn and reaching millions of people, how did your LinkedIn influencer journey start?
5. At the end of the day, most of us want to help and inspire others, so can you provide any thoughts, processes, or tips on what worked for you in terms of reaching so many people, connecting with them, and building an online community?
6. Do you feel that LinkedIn encourages more quantity in terms of content or more quality with purpose? Sometimes I hear both from different people. 
7. In your experience, do you think all social platforms are getting harder to not be a needle in a haystack in terms of standing out and receiving engagement?
8. Where do you think social media is headed, primarily LinkedIn?
9. I know you speak lots about leadership and building community, what tips can you give future and even current business leaders on how to be a leader? 

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Fabio Marrama:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiomarrama/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/fabiomarrama?lang=en 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

Me and Matt discuss his cancer journey and how he overcame it, Cancer research and progress, starting the BailaCura one-of-a-kind dance festival and its sole purpose, and much more at https://www.talesfromthepros.com/interviews/matthew-bergens/

1. Matt, me and you have been good friends now for over two years and met in the salsa dance scene. So, in this episode I want to take a deeper dive in letting the world know your journey to BailaCura. So, can you tell us what happened leading up to finding out you were diagnosed with cancer?
2. What were the emotions you had when finding out the bad news?
3. Can you explain to us the process of what you went through during your Cancer journey and treatments?
4. From you overcoming Cancer, can you give any advice to people experiencing that struggle?
5. What was the initial trigger you had to start BailaCura? Talk to us about that inspiration.
6. Let's jump a little into the the future of BailaCura, what are your plans to take the event to the next level?
7. In your journey and experience in creating this yearly event and also dancing for years, how do you feel dancing helps people more than just getting the benefit of exercise? I want people who always wanted to dance, but haven't taken that step to also be inspired by this.

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Matthew Bergens (BailaCura):

Website - https://www.bailacuranc.org/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bailacuranc/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bailacuranc/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

Me and Anthony chat about getting rid of the "salesman stigma", proven outbound sales tactics and strategies, how to sell online with content, building a sales pipeline, closing strategies, and much more. 

View this episode on Tales from the PROS - https://www.talesfromthepros.com/interviews/anthony-iannarino/ 

Questions Asked:

1. How did you get into sales training, leadership, and entrepreneurship? Tell me that story.
2. In your experience, I know you've seen and even I've seen lots of old school aggressive sales tactics still being used. So does it take a certain type of person and character to sell the right way in today's generation?
3. Since coaching and training companies and sales people over the years, what have you noticed people are doing wrong in their sales approach? 
4. Most of us know that increasing your sales pipeline is critical in growing a business, do you have certain outbound approaches or strategies that are very effective in B2B or even B2C selling? Such as how to cold call, etc.?
5. Social selling is huge now in generating leads and prospects but the internet is incredibly cluttered, what do believe works best when creating social sales content and creating that engagement to generate an ROI?
6. What would you say in today's age is the most powerful and effective sales tactic?
7. So, after providing value and interest, generating the leads, implementing the follow up process, what are the most important tips and strategies for closing the deal and not having your lead go dark on you?
8. Let's jump a little bit here, in your entrepreneurship journey in becoming a sales and marketing leader, what were some of your toughest struggles and how did you overcome them?
9. Are there any tips for aspiring sales people and sales leaders that they need to know to become the best possible?

Three How's:

1. How do you define failure?
2. How do you define entrepreneurship?
3. How do you define success?

Follow Anthony Iannarino:

Website - https://thesalesblog.com/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog/  Twitter - https://www..com/user/iannrino    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/iannarino

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

Me and Bill chat about how to find a brand's purpose and message, differences between startup branding and corporate branding, integrated marketing, and much more. 

Questions Asked:

1. Bill, I read that you absolutely love creating unique brand strategies, messages, and campaigns for companies. So, how did you get into this area of marketing?
2. What does it take to reach the level of clarity a company needs to differentiate their brand from the competition and truly finding their purpose?
3. Since working with so many large global brands over the years, what have you noticed companies are missing or doing wrong in their brand strategies? Or do some not even have brand strategies?
4. Do you feel traditional based advertising is still very effective in creating a strong brand or do you feel digital is completely taking over or maybe a combination of both?
5. What do you feel is the most important step for companies to take in the process when building a brand for a startup compared to a large mid-market company or enterprise level company?
6. I read about your company's buzzword called "Dominatitude", tell us more about that? Is that part of your branding that makes you different?
7. What were some of the biggest struggles you have experienced for yourself or your clients when trying to strategically build a brand and how did you overcome them?
8. What are some of your best tips for companies and businesses out there trying to solidify their brand?

Three How's: How do you define failure? How do you define entrepreneurship? How do you define success?

Follow Bill Harper:

Website - https://www.wmharper.com/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wmharperagency  Twitter - https://twitter.com/wmharperagency    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wmharper/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

Me and Sean talk about how to find your passion, what creates and maintains happiness, and living a purpose-driven life. We also chat about personal branding, how to engage with an audience, and much more. 

Questions Asked:

1. Sean, I have been following you for years now and your content and messages are incredibly inspiring to say the least. I want to kick things off by asking you what does it mean to live a purpose-driven life. How did you find your purpose? 
2. Did you ever think you would where you are today helping millions around the world?
3. What inspired you the most to share your story?
4. We all keep talking about being happy, but in your thoughts, what does that really mean?
5. I am sure you get this a lot, everyone thinks that your always happy and living this amazing life, but what are some of your biggest fears and do you think fear can play a positive in our lives?
6. To get to this point of success in life is about overcoming adversity and living and fulfilling your purpose, so what have been some of your biggest challenges other than anything physical?
7. Do you feel that living a purpose-driven life and being happy are connected, or do you think they serve different purposes?
8. I know that you are a world-renowned speaker, in your experience what does it take to engage with the audience on an emotional level, so you can change their lives?
9. Do you ever get nervous before a talk?
10. In your experience being an entrepreneur, what approach or business strategy did you follow in order to create such a strong personal brand?

I always ask the THREE HOW'S:

• How do you define failure?
• How do you define entrepreneurship?
• How do you define success?

Follow Sean Stephenson:

Website - https://seanstephenson.com/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theseanstephenson/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheSeantourage   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Seanclinch  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3footgiant/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We chat about starting up a company and being a mother of three, and receiving funding. We talk about working with large brands in the food industry, sales and marketing strategies, overcoming struggles, building a technology platform, and more. 

Questions Asked:

1. I heard a bit of your story on why you started Myxx, and I loved that you were able to lose 100 pounds by eating healthier and cooking at home. Can you tell me more about that story?
2. Was building a successful startup something you always dreamed of doing or did it just happen because of your change in a healthier lifestyle?
3. I love how you built an omni-marketing platform connecting brands, retailers with consumers by using customer recipes and that data. How were you able to solidify the idea as a proof of concept?
4. I know you received funding from some local investors like David Gardner's 'Cofounders Capital', but what was the funding process like? 
5. How difficult was it to pitch and sell to huge brands and retailers? Which one was the hardest?
6. It seems that you have essentially filled in a gap or grey area for brands to measure whether their marketing activities actually brought people to buy their products in the grocery stores. So, now with all the data and metrics your collecting, I am sure you guys are thinking about incorporating AI technology as well?
7. Where do you feel the food industry is going in technology? Should food retailers and brands be scared? (Amazon is definitely a threat I would say)
8. Do you see any sort of competition or noise from healthy meal prep delivery brands like Blue Apron or HelloFresh?
9. To get to this point in your company, what do you foresee as the future of Myxx?
10. What were some of the toughest struggles you and your team had to go through during this entire journey?
11. Do you have a certain approach or process that aspiring entrepreneurs and new startups need to take and be successful?
12. What tips would you give to current and future business leaders and what they need to avoid or be aware of?

I always ask the THREE HOW'S:

• How do you define failure?
• How do you define entrepreneurship?
• How do you define success?

Follow Monica Wood on all her social channels and website here: 

https://www.talesfromthepros.com/interviews/monica-wood/

We talk about how Dio and his team led an award winning Truth anti-tobacco prevention campaign, some of the steps and approaches taken for marketing campaign greatness, how Dio used data and metrics to drive audience targeting and engagement, leadership, and much more.  

Questions Asked: 

Dio, what really caught my attention was the marketing and tech content you consistently put out on Twitter regarding non-profits, and as we all know and love the well recognized Truth Initiative commercials and social media in which you manage and direct. What lead you to managing Digital for the Truth tobacco prevention campaign, and what essentially inspired you to pursue digital marketing growing up?

1. Did you ever think you would be where you are today leading Digital for an award-winning campaign?
2. What does it take for a marketing leader and a team to be nationally or even globally recognized to impact positive change?
3. In your experience, what would you consider the differences are between marketing for a non-profit than a corporation like T-Mobile for example?
4. What are some of the most effective marketing channels or strategies that you implemented and had amazing success?
5. Where do you feel social media and content marketing are headed in today's digital age? Specifically in the non-profit space. 
6. Are there any specific touch points that you've experienced in which targeted your audience most effectively?
7. Do you feel that patience plays a vital role in marketing success? People are always looking for the "quick result"
8. To get to this point of success in your career and in the Truth campaign, what were some of the toughest challenges you had and how were you able to overcome them?
9. Do you have a certain approach or step by step process of what aspiring marketing leaders need to take for campaign success?
10. What tips would you give to current and future leaders and what they need to avoid or be aware of?
11. In your mind, what does it take to be a leader?

CLOSING:

I always ask the THREE HOW'S:

• How do you define failure?
• How do you define entrepreneurship?
• How do you define success?

Follow Dionisios Favatas:

Company Website - https://truthinitiative.org/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/truthinitiative  Twitter - https://twitter.com/TruthInitiative   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLTcqjxNhju_E9eq_uO_wrg 

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/favatas/ 

Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/DioFavatas 

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We discuss a few different topics such as digital advertising, product development, building a tech company, how to compete in a tough space, patience and planning, and much more. 

Some Questions Asked:

James, what really caught my attention before reaching out to you was firstly I saw your company on Techcrunch and how you made it to the next level with the help of Reddit. Also, I saw that you guys made it to INC Magazine's top 500 best companies list. Can you tell me a little about that?

1. James, explain to us non-tech people what is adtech and how it is impacting marketing and sales in today's generation?
2. James, what was the motive behind building AdZerk's API platform?
3. I know it's tough starting a tech company organically, that is how we did it, but i noticed you guys received a few rounds of funding, what was that process like?
4. Do you feel that the funding was needed or could you have grown it organically up until today?
5. How do you guys stay competitive in your space? For example, you got Google essentially as a competitor right? haha
6. Building a tech company and product is extremely difficult, what were some of the hardest obstacles you faced, like was it harder getting the product completed and out of beta or is it harder now competing in the space and trying to drive more revenue?
7. You obviously understand that tech is booming and evolving at a rapid rate, what technology trends do you see emerging and which ones do you see dying in the digital advertising space?
8. How is artificial intelligence effecting the digital advertising space?
9. What tips would you give to current and future tech entrepreneurs and what they need to avoid or be aware of?
10. How did planning and patience play a vital role in your success at AdZerk?
11. Do you feel that entrepreneurship is getting harder in our economy?

CLOSING:

I always ask the THREE HOW'S:

• How do you define failure? 
• How do you define entrepreneurship?
• How do you define success?

Follow James Avery:

Website: https://adzerk.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adzerk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adzerk

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured 

We discuss a few different topics such as the future of artificial intelligence and the blockchain/crypto, medicine and health, nature and global warming, and lastly his tips on social media content.

Some Questions Asked:

Hashem, every time I am on Facebook i see your content, and I have to say man your videos and messaging is amazing. I consistently see the video views for all your content being in the tens and hundreds of millions, haha. Pretty amazing stuff.  SO......

1. With that being said, what was drive and motivation behind you starting this journey in science communication?
2. Do you feel that science isn't communicated effectively in today's society? It seems that you are filling in that gap.
3. I see in some of you content communicating AI or artificial intelligence/machine learning. So, I want you to clear things up, everyone I talk to thinks AI is just robotics more or less, but it's a lot more than that. What are your thoughts on that term?
4. Where do you think AI is headed in the next 5-10 years? Any concerns with people losing their jobs due to machines? haha
5. As AI technology is rapidly emerging, how do you feel our society should adapt?
6. Another trending topic I wanted to touch on is crypto and Bitcoin. Do you agree in that being a so called "Bubble" and risk in investing?
7. So we all know that medicine and technology in health is also evolving at a rapid pace, do you feel that stem cell research and therapy for certain diseases will be widely used? It seems some countries have banned it. 
8. Where do you think health and medicine is headed? 
9. You also create awesome content about nature and our environment. I wanted to touch on a subject that is kind of touchy for some people especially here in the US, which is global warming. What are your thoughts on that?
10. This is all great information, your creating all this awesome content being seen around the world. I'm sure you get this question frequently, so on a business perspective behind your following, are there any specific steps or methods that people should know to get their content more widely seen and engaged on?

High Level Questions (Broad):

You being a leader in science communication through content, were there any tough challenges or struggles you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

CLOSING:

1. I always ask the THREE HOW'S:

   How do you define failure? 

   How do you define entrepreneurship?

   How do you define success?

Follow Hashem Al-ghaili:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScienceNaturePage

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hashemalghaili

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hashem.alghaili/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hashem-al-ghaili-1b30679b/

Follow Me:

Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com  Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured