Tycoons of Small Biz

Tycoons of Small Biz

by Austin Peterson and Landon Mance

Entrepreneurship Management

Season 1

E13 Living the American Dream with Ryan Zolin and Steve Trang

Steve and Ryan both have very interesting stories and backgrounds that led them to careers in real estate. They both feel that they are living the American dream and blazing their own paths, but Steve literally started his journey by being born in a refugee camp in Italy after his Chinese parents had escaped from China to Vietnam and then were picked up by an Italian navy ship after leaving Vietnam by boat. Not to be upstaged, Ryan has his own trailblazing story of choosing to forego college to instead go to real estate school and become a real estate agent at 18 years old! Fast forward 4 years and he is leading one of the most successful real estate teams in the valley and also building a profitable wholesale business. You will not want to miss this episode. The camaraderie between the two is great and hearing their passion for what they do and constantly looking to grow and achieve the American dream while still staying grounded to what is most important in life, is well worth the listen. Enjoy!

E12 Matching Pros in EHS with Michael Zalle

Michael is an excellent example of taking big risks for big rewards. His career has taken a few turns throughout the years, but his diligence and ingenuity has lead to the formation of his current company, YellowBird. YellowBird is making a big difference in the current economic climate and filling a much-needed void in the gig economy industry. Tune in to hear the unique backstory that led to Michael’s vision and how YellowBird continues to expand nationwide. Michael lives by the creed, “doing well while doing good.” A hard worker all his life, he’s constantly looking for ways to improve processes to make them smarter, not harder. With his professional success, Michael keeps family first and gives back to the community as an avid volunteer to truly make a difference in the world.

E11 Construction Labor Shortage and an Innovative Solution with Kassidy Hazelton

E10 Launching Ethically Sourced and Sustainable Products with Everett Jesse

Everett is a great example of not letting life’s challenges set you back. After being diagnosed with kidney failure, he changed his lifestyle and embraced a healthier diet and more active outdoor activities. This is when Everett realized he had a problem with hydration packs always hanging and drying around his kitchen, and thus BōnDry was formed. He used his engineering experience and self-taught sewing skills to create his first prototypes. Everett has a great back story to the company name of Fossil Outdoors. It goes to prove that we never really outgrow our childhood interests, and he built a brand around it, using his passion and values to lead the way. Everett stays true to his beliefs and keeps his brand focused on those values. Throughout the process, he’s stayed true to quality and keeping production in the US despite the opportunity for lower manufacturing costs overseas. Everett is constantly thinking of other products to complement BōnDry, and shared that Fossil Outdoors will be releasing moisture-wicking shirts next. Tune in to feel inspired by Everett’s story and growing success as a business owner.

E9 Staying Ahead of the Curve with Randy and Heather Lisciarelli

Running a family business can be challenging at times and very rewarding at others. Randy & Heather Lisciarelli have experienced all the ups and downs that you can imagine over their 20 years (November 2020) in business and they have done it all together. They have had to pivot several times during their 20 years as the business itself changed, or what customers needed or demanded changed during those years and Verapax Marketing has figured out how to just get it done. There are a couple of stories in this episode of them doing things for their customers that just had nothing to do with what they were hired for, but Randy & Heather enjoy being the “special ops team” for their customers. This episode is well worth the listen. Randy & Heather Lisciarelli run the epitome of what one would call a “family business”. All of their kids have been involved/present at the office throughout their entire lives. They run a solid business, they have a really cool story and they have fun together.

E8 From Real Estate Investments to Biotechnology with Eric Stoffers

The common theme throughout the show is “the science is the science is the science.” Eric delves into the vast benefits of stem cell therapy and how bioXcellerator wants to make 100 years old the new 60. Stem Cell therapy is a process by which new cells are introduced to the body to treat a disease. Cell therapy involves a wide variety of cell types with regenerative, reparative, protective or immunoregulatory characteristics, among which are the Stem Cells. The process is experimental, but does not have the side effects of pharmaceuticals. Stem Cell therapy has had very promising and even potentially curable answers, unlike many high cost traditional treatments which are directed to treat symptoms and often have side effects. Other countries around the world are already using cell therapy with effective results and research is increasingly hopeful and accurate, however, few clinics have legally approved therapies. Eric is also a passionate philanthropist and hopes the work BioXcellerator does can and will contribute to the treatment of veterans and first responders. Tune in to learn about alternative treatments in the advancing field of stem cell therapy. Eric details how stem cell trials are impacting the treatment of COVID-19. You can learn more about the process at www.bioxcellerator.com.

E7 Tech Startups – Do you wait until it is perfect? with Will Button

Will Button did a great job of explaining some of the pitfalls that tech startups run into as they get started and then pitfalls to avoid a little later on, as well. Will Button is a true veteran and TYCOON as it pertains to helping tech startups launch and succeed. One nugget I took away was that too many tech founders wait until their tech is “perfect” before launching/selling the product and that is typically a mistake. If you are contemplating a tech startup, or a startup in general, you won’t want to miss this interview with Will Button. Avoiding some mistakes in the early stages will put you in a much better position to succeed long-term and Will addresses some of those head-on in this segment.

E6 Leading with Integrity in HVAC with Cory Yates

Alpha and Omega Restaurant Equipment Repair is the trusted leader in the industry specializing in the installation, service and planned maintenance of Commercial Food Prep, Storage and Refrigeration Equipment, to include HVAC. They know business interruptions are costly, and their goal is to get their clients up and running as soon as possible by providing dependable service 24 hours a day!

E5 Preparing to Sell Your Business with Lisa Riley

There are so many aspects of prepping for and selling a business that most business owners do not think about or do anything about. Lisa very clearly outlined in this episode some key things that business owners need to think about so that they are ready to exit their business on their terms. If you have any desire to sell your business at some point in the future, you won’t want to miss the advice that Lisa gives in this episode. A few easy things to implement that will help you to be prepared to exit on your terms and for top dollar.

E4 Mobile App Technology with Jason Turnquist and Fyresite

The common theme is that E-commerce is going to continue to accelerate post Covid-19 and there are steps that business owners need to take to be a part of that and not be left behind. Mobile app technology will largely be at the forefront. Jason believes that we will see much more in terms of virtual queuing at stores and other establishments, in order to maintain social distancing and avoid long lines for things and that technology will advance rapidly for virtual clothes shopping, complete with the ability to try things on virtually before buying. If you want to hear from somebody who looks at the website and mobile app marketing through the lens of a problem solver/engineer, you will not want to miss Jason’s thoughts on the future of e-commerce, mobile app technology, and retail business in general. If you have thought that your website or mobile app was just fine, I encourage you to listen to Jason’s take on what you will want/need for success into the future.

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