Shows
The Curious Builder#81 Daran Wastchak | Learning Edge | Enhancing Home Building Efficiency with Daran Wastchak: Navigating Codes and Energy SolutionsIn this episode of The Curious Builder, Mark Williams chats with energy efficiency guru Daran Wastchak about mastering the 2021 building code with multiple compliance pathways and the transformative power of Adaptive software for builders. They also explore the importance of open communication with code officials and share personal stories to highlight how proper building practices result in long-lasting, energy-efficient homes. Mark throws in some laughs and nostalgia, making this episode both informative and entertaining. Support the show - https://www.curiousbuilderpodcast.com/shop See our upcoming live events - https://www.cu...
2024-09-301h 07
On Books and People with Mark MattesonEp.91 – Daran WastchakDaran Wastchak has been a small business owner for over 25 years. Through his company website, LearningEdgeLLC.com, he offers live virtual as well as on-demand classes for the residential building industry. Through LearningEdge.Online, Daran helps public speakers, trainers, and authors put their own classes “online” to share their message with a much larger audience. Daran […]
The post Ep.91 – Daran Wastchak appeared first on Mark Matteson.
2024-04-1233 min
Grateful Heart TvEpisode 153: The Must-Dos for Home Energy Efficiency with Daran WastchakIn our latest episode, our host Rebecca sits down with special guest Daran Wastchak, President of Learning Edge, LLC.💡 Daran is an expert in residential energy efficiency and this is not the first time Daran has joined us on the show - in fact, he was a guest on episode 147!😄 So if you want to learn more about his background and expertise, be sure to check it out.
In this informative discussion, Daran shares insights and updates on his upcoming master classes, as well as his personal project of rebuilding🏗️ his own house from the ground up.⬆️ We dive into the history of...
2024-01-2239 min
Grateful Heart TvEpisode 147: Taking The Lead In Energy Efficiency - Daran Watschak's Mission With Learning Edge LLCGet ready to learn the secrets🤫 to creating a truly energy-efficient home with our latest podcast episode featuring Daran Watschak, President of Learning Edge, LLC. Daran will blow you away🤯 with his extensive knowledge and experience in the field of residential energy efficiency training and building science consulting. Discover the true meaning of net zero⚡ and the zero energy ready program, and find out more about Daran's upcoming class in December and his favorite energy-efficient home builders. Tune in and discover why consumers should care about energy-efficient homes and Daran's insider tips on building the best energy-efficient home without breaking the bank...
2023-09-2642 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast039 The Time for Greater Freedom Starts NOW!In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be digging a little deeper into the specifics of what it takes to become Freedom Focused in order to actually have greater freedom as a small business owner.He'll start first by sharing the story of how he came to find greater freedom for himself with his own business.This background will provide the context for telling you what he believes are the essential “best practices” that every small business must implement if you want a fighting chance at the kind of freedom that comes from less struggle, frustration, and feelings of burn...
2023-08-1113 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast038 Rejuvenation Time as a Reality, Not Just a DreamIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about how to make rejuvenation time that includes travel, something you stop dreaming about, and instead, turn into something you actually start doing.It's true that not everyone likes or wants to travel, although most people do.In this episode,Daran is going to share two strategies that he's used very successfully, for many years, to make traveling with his daughters around the world a reality, not just a dream.For those of you who prefer to stay close to home, one of the...
2023-05-3115 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast037 Apple Computer’s Secret WeaponIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a concept that was made popular in 2009 by a TEDx presentation in Seattle, Washington.That presentation was titled, “How great leaders inspire action," and it was given by a 36-year-old former advertising agent from New York City.This wasn’t just any TED Talk. It’s one of the most popular ever given, with almost 62 million views to date, and still climbing.Daran's going to share with you exactly who the speaker was, and explain why the message he shared continues to be of such profound interest to so many people...
2023-03-3011 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast036 A Fresh Start to the New Year Begins with GoalsIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about the year ahead, and what every small business owner should be doing to ensure that it will not only be a very successful year, but also a year that ends with much greater freedom for you, the owner, and also the rest of your team.What small business owners need to be doing is setting goals.But not just setting them, Daran is going to be sharing with you a very simple process for how to actively use your goals to keep everyone on track...
2022-12-2916 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast035 Thankfulness & Gratitude with Guest Mark MattesonIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by special guest, Mark Matteson.Mark is a bestselling author, a highly successful sales person, an entertaining teacher, and a sought-after public speakeer.As a compliment to Daran's latest article for the Thanksgiving holiday focused on gratitude, he and Mark are going to be discussing Mark's outlook on this very important topic, how it’s impacted his life, and the ways that he practices gratitude on a regular basis.This episode is one you won’t want to miss, and chances are good you migh...
2022-12-0148 min
Small Business Answer ManManaging Stress & Avoiding BurnoutManaging Stress & Avoiding Burnout Being an entrepreneur is no walk in the park. It’s a juggling act of a million different tasks and responsibilities, with the pressure to succeed weighing down on your shoulders at all times. It’s no wonder many entrepreneurs burn out before they ever reach their full potential. Don’t let it happen to you. In this episode, Daran Wastchak interviews Gary for insight to help you manage stress and avoid burnout. Show Notes: In this episode, Daran Wastchak interviews Gary Wilbers. Over the course of Gary’s...
2022-11-2843 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast034 Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for the Good Life (Part 2)In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined again by Dirk Haupt as Guest Host to discuss Part 2 of Daran's article, “Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for the Good Life.”They're going to pick-up where they left off in the last episode where they covered some background on Jefferson’s rules, then discussed the meaning of rules one through five.Starting this week with rule number six and proceeding through to number ten, they'll provide an interpretation for each of the rules, but won’t stop there.They’re going to also cover two additional...
2022-10-0648 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast033 Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for the Good Life (Part 1)In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by his good friend Dirk Haupt, who is returning to the podcast as a “Guest Host.”They'll be discussing Daran's latest article titled, “Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for the Good Life.”You’ll be fascinated to learn where the rules came from and why they’ve remained popular 200 years after Jefferson started sharing them with friends and family.Dirk and Daran will look closely at the first five of the ten rules in this week’s show, discussing the importance and meaning of each rule.They're a...
2022-09-2244 minOn Books and People with Mark MattesonEp.63 – Daran WastchakDaran Wastchak is a small business performance coach, author, and professional speaker. In 2018, he sold the company he owned for nearly 20 years to three of his employees. He now teaches small business owner how to create a “Freedom Focused” business through articles, a podcast, master classes, and online courses. Daran brings to his […]
The post Ep.63 – Daran Wastchak appeared first on Mark Matteson.
2022-09-0936 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast032 Hope Is Not a Business Strategy with Guest Howard BashfordIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by a long-time friend, Howard Bashford.For those of you who read Daran's article, “Hope Is Not a Business Strategy,” you’ll recall that Howard was the person who shared this phrase with him many years ago, when they were in the middle of some deep trouble with a business they owned together.While “hope is not a business strategy” couldn’t save they're business, it was a philosophy that made all the difference in the world in helping Daran to save his company, D.R. Wastchak, LL...
2022-09-0834 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast031 Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout with Guest Gary WilbersIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by a special guest, and good friend, Gary Wilbers, owner of Ascend Business Strategies.Over the course of Gary’s 30 plus years as an entrepreneur, he’s learned a lot about how to run a business successfully.He shares all that he’s learned with individuals and business owners in several books that he's written, public speaking, in his own podcast, and in regular articles posted on his blog.In this show, we’re going to ask Gary to specifically talk about one of his most...
2022-08-2540 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast030 Navigating the "Demographic Drought" with Guest Tara JacksonIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by a special guest, Tara Jackson, who is President of The Arizona Town Hall.Tara recently shared a report with Daran that she described as a real eye opener when it comes to explaining the labor challenges we’ve been faced with in the past several years.In fact, the report, with the ominous title, “The Demographic Drought”, explains why these challenges are not going away any time soon and, in fact, are going to get much, much worse.Tara is going to help Daran...
2022-08-111h 06
The Freedom Focused Podcast029 Why Is Everyone So Excited About A 4-Day Work Week?In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a 4-day work week.He'll start with an historical context, considering how the hours worked by employees have changed over time in the United States.Next, Daran will talk about the reality of how most people spend their time during the two days they currently have for a weekend, which, unfortunately, includes very little time for rest and rejuvenation.Lastly, he'll be reviewing what the research says about whether or not a 4-day work week is beneficial to not only employees, but also...
2022-07-2817 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast028 Freedom to Exit with Guest Lisa RileyIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by special guest Lisa Riley of Delta Business Advisors.Daran talks often about the highest level of freedom for small business owner’s in terms of “freedom to exit”.In a recent article, "Achieving Your Freedom to Exit", he explained that there are two primary options for “exiting” your business, either close the doors and walk away, or sell the business.In this episode,Daran is going to explore more closely the option of selling, and include the input and thoughts of a real expert on...
2022-07-1443 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast027 Two Important Elements of a Strategic and Business Plan Every Business Should HaveIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about Strategic Planning and Business Planning.More specifically, why both types of planning are most likely not an activity that most small business owners engage in.And there’s a good reason why, which he’ll explore.More importantly, he's going to be talking about two key elements, which are part of both business plans and strategic plans, that every small business owner should have, even if they don’t do formal business or strategic planning.Join Daran for this week’s episode...
2022-06-3014 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast026 How Small Business Owners Can Escape the Struggle Between Work and LeisureIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a struggle that’s been going on for mankind for thousands of years, and is as strong today as it’s ever been.The struggle he's referring to is with time.The time we devote to work, and the time we devote to leisure, when we’re not working.Daran's going to take a philosophical look at work and leisure, how the struggle between the two is actually a relatively new phenomenon in our evolutionary history as a species, and how, while this strugg...
2022-06-1614 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast025 The #1 Challenge for Small Business OwnersIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about the biggest challenges identified by small business owners in today’s economy, with particular focus on the number one challenge that rises to the top of most business owner’s list.Research shows that “cashflow” and a “lack of capital” were the number one issue for the past decade or so, but current events and significant swings in the economy caused by the traumatic disruptions of the global pandemic have caused a new champion to rise to the top.Join Daran for this week’s episode to lea...
2022-06-0210 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast024 The #1 Reason Why Employees Become Business OwnersIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about the primary reasons why people, by the hundreds of thousands every year, give up the safety of their job to start a business.More specifically,Daran will be sharing with you what business owners have consistently said, in multiple studies, their number one motivation is for starting their business.Here's a hint: it’s not money!Listen to the show to learn what it is, and also how to make it a reality, not just a dream, for you and your business.Enjoy th...
2022-05-1913 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast023 Rejuvenation - Guest interview with Ben WeissIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be joined by a special guest, Ben Weiss.Ben took a very special nine-week long road trip with his family, beginning exactly one year ago today in April, to see the United States.His daughters were still in school, and Ben continued to work and meet with clients…. but he made this trip a reality anyway.Learn a little about why he took the trip, how he made it possible, and how it impacted his life and business in a profound and positive way.En...
2022-05-0527 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast022 Winning the "Great Resignation"In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a troublesome employment issue that was brought to light by a management professor at Texas A&M University in the Spring of 2021.Prior to this, most employers knew that something very strange was going on in the labor markets, but now, thanks to this professor, they had a name for it.We all know it now as, “The Great Resignation”.Daran's going to talk about what the Great Resignation is and the primary drivers of this major shift in employee behavior.More...
2022-04-2113 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast021 Living Your Life Rather Than Your BusinessIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a simple but essential ingredient to Freedom Focused.That ingredient is “rejuvenation.”It’s both necessary to achieve Freedom Focused as a small business owner, and at the same time a product of being Freedom Focused.He'll begin by sharing a story from a small business owner that he recently met who by all measures has been very successful, but after 25 years is tired, burned out, and full of regrets.As a bit of a counter point, he'll then share with you th...
2022-04-0715 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast020 Maximizing Freedom with a Well Organized TeamIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a simple business management tool, that’s been around for a long time, but many small business owners don’t take advantage of.He's talking about an organizational chart.You might be thinking to yourself, “org charts are a waste of time because I only have a handful of employees, and we all know what each of us do.”As you might expect, Daran will clarify that org charts are for ALL organizations, large and small, public, private and nonprofit.They aren’t s...
2022-03-2411 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast019 What Is the Best Exit Strategy For A Business?In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about, “The best exit strategy for a business.”To be clear, he's NOT going to be saying that you need to sell your business… or even HOW to sell your business.Instead, he's going to tell you how to build your business so that it’s ready for you, the owner, to exit...When you choose, that provides you with maximum income, and maximized freedom.Every listener will have an opportunity to answer a very simple question that will tell them, right away, ho...
2022-03-1013 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast018 Have You Reached the Pinnacle of Freedom?In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a couple ways to think about the highest level of personal and professional freedom for small business owners.What he calls “the pinnacle of freedom.”First, he’ll talk about a really BIG IDEA that was shared with the world in the 1940’s but remained relatively unknown for a couple of decades.When it finally did get noticed by the business management world in the 1960's, it really took off and is now one of the most popular management theories printed in text books an...
2022-02-2414 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast017 Employee Reviews You and Your Team Will Look Forward ToIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about one of the biggest missed opportunities small business owners have to create much greater employee buy-in, engagement, and happiness.That opportunity is... regular employee performance reviews.Daran admits that for the first 15 years he was in business, he didn’t think employee reviews were all that important.However, he realized later, when rebuilding his company in 2016, that the employee review process was a tremendous missed opportunity, and in this week’s episode, he's going to make that point very, very clear.Addi...
2022-02-1016 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast016 How to "Never work another day in your life!"In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about how to make work more like “play” by working as much as possible on activities that fall within your “unique ability”.By doing so, you will love the work you do and it will no longer feel like “work”.In this way, your professional life will feel much more like “never working another day in your life!”This is the maximization of both personal and professional FREEDOM.He's looking forward to sharing how to achieve all of this personally, and as a small business...
2022-01-2713 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast015 Productivity Secrets with Ben WeissIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be interviewing Ben Weiss as a guest for our “Productivity Secrets” podcast series.Ben has been the top sales person at his company for the past two decades and is the all-time leading sales person in his company’s 43-year history.This level of success doesn't happen by accident.It requires a very disciplined approach to each and every day in order to maximize his productivity.Ben is going to share with us exactly what his formula is to maximize his productivity and to achiev...
2022-01-1323 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast014 Productivity Secrets - Quality Time to ThinkIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about taking time out of your daily routine for quality time to think.Time to think is important not just for big important decisions, but also for the smaller decisions that we’re faced with every day as small business owners related to:Personnel, customers, the products and services we provide, marketing, sales, and finances.He’ll talk about the best way for you to make the most of any time you set aside for quality thinking, and as always, the positive impact doing so c...
2021-12-3009 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast013 Productivity Secrets - RejuvenationIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about Rejuvenation.What it takes to truly unplug, relax, and recharge your batteries.He’ll be sharing with you exactly how to make certain that you always have time in your schedule for rejuvenation, so you can better manage the stress, overwhelm, and burnout that too many small business owners have to endure.Enjoy the show and don't forget to...Stay focused on your freedom!Show Notes
2021-12-1616 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast012 "Dream Team" Builder Course DebriefIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be doing a debrief on the online course he just finished launching, “Dream Team” Builder.Joining Daran for this discussion is one of the students in the course, Ben Weiss.Ben is not an ordinary student. He’s created his own online course, and so can provide critical feedback on what worked and what didn’t as he moved through the modules and lessons in the course.Ben has worked in a small business for many, many years, so he also understands the challenges that many small bu...
2021-12-0221 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast011 Separating the Wheat from the ChaffIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be bringing together all that he's talked about in the past several episodes (i.e. core values, vision, pre-employment quizzes) to show you how, collectively, everything works together to help you to hire exceptional people for your organization.People who will be a right fit for your team, aligned with your core values, engaged, and energized to help you achieve a bigger and better future for your organization.As noted in a previous episode, hiring the wrong person can be very costly, anywhere from five to fifteen-thousand dollars...
2021-11-1817 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast010 Know Thyself...and Others Too!In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about a simple process for getting to know people better so that when you bring someone new into your organization, you'll have greater confidence that they'll be a good fit, hit the ground running from day one, and stick around for a while.He's going to first talk about a couple of ways to gather very useful data from the people in your organization, and also from those who you're considering joining your organization.One of these methods many of you are already familiar with, and...
2021-11-0416 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast009 The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It!In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about one of the most powerful ways to boost morale, team cohesion, productivity, and excitement in your organization.Something that every small business owner already has, but few take full advantage of.He's talking about a VISION for the future!If you underestimate the value of creating and writing down your vision for the future, you would not be alone.Many if not most small business owners do not have a written vision, and their employees are left to wonder what the future holds...
2021-10-2110 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast008 The Key to Greatness Is Already in Your HandsIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be talking about an important item of your business that many, if not most, small businesses never put in place, robbing them of a competitive advantage and a very important opportunity to achieve significantly better results, even greatness, in everything they do.This important item is core values.Daran will share the process he teaches small business owner's to "discover" their core values by putting in place three key elements to create greater team alignment, greater efficiency, and greater productivity for your business.Once discovered, it...
2021-10-0718 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast007 Productivity Secrets with guest Dirk HauptIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be interviewing Dirk Haupt to learn what his tips and tricks are for greater productivity.Dirk has been an entrepreneur for over 25 years and during this time has started 4 businesses and sold 2. He has an MBA from Arizona State University and taught classes for ASU's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute as well as various business classes at Paradise Valley Community College.With his current company, Professor Quick, LLC, Dirk provides bookkeeping, back office help, and coaching for small businesses, helping owners to run their business in a way that...
2021-09-2344 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast006 How to Be More Organized, More Productive, and More ReliableWhat if you could be more organized and productive at work and in your personal life?Imagine how much more you could achieve each day, each week, each month, and each year.Imagine how much more reliable you would be.In this episode, Daran will be sharing his secrets to becoming much more organized and productive both in your personal and professional life, resulting in reduced stress, anxiety, and overwhelm and increased efficiency, reliability, and freedom.He will be sharing the specific tools that he makes a habit to use every...
2021-09-0919 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast005 What's the #1 Way to Make Change in Your Life?In this episode, Daran will be talking about one of the most effective ways for small business owners to change what they are doing in order to move their business from where it is today, to where they want it to be at some point in the future... habits.He will share what research says about how long, on average, it takes for a person to form a habit.He will share some of the specific best practices and time tested, well established business strategies that he and his team made a habit of doing...
2021-08-2611 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast004 What Is the True Cost of Hiring the Wrong Person?In this episode, Daran will be talking about one of the biggest causes of stress for small business owners: the loss of an employee.Whether employees leave voluntarily or involuntarily, the impact to small businesses, especially those with a very small staff, is almost always significant.The business suffers a loss of productivity, output, employee morale, and all the dollars associated with these things.The impact to the small business owner is almost always a loss of time to do other important work while they focus on finding and hiring a new person...
2021-08-1207 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast003 Freedom Secrets with guest Matthew GardnerFreedom Secrets with guest Matthew GardnerIn this episode, host Daran Wastchak will be interviewing his first guest, Matthew Gardner with HealthMarkets, the #1 ranked health insurance agency in America as rated by Trustpilot.Matthew is a Personal Benefits Consultant working in the Arizona market with over 50 agents as part of his team.While Matthew may not be a small business owner in the traditional sense, he certainly operates like one within HealthMarkets with lots of autonomy to run his business, managing employees, mentoring the sales team to achieve results, and answerable to the...
2021-07-2823 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast002 How to Become Freedom FocusedWelcome to The Freedom Focused Podcast!In this episode, host Daran Wastchak will explain his formula for moving small business owners from less freedom to more freedom, as measured by the "Four Levels of Freedom Survey".The foundation of the Freedom Focused program is people. Daran will provide an overview of how you create a "Dream Team" of high quality, highly aligned, and highly engaged employees.Once you've created your "Dream Team", you must make the most of the team in order to create greater freedom for not only the business owner, but...
2021-07-1523 min
The Freedom Focused PodcastTrailer for The Freedom Focused PodcastIn this special podcast, made just for small business owners, host Daran Wastchak talks about how to increase both your personal and professional freedom as a small business owner.More specifically, Daran shares his formula for greater freedom called "Freedom Focused."On a regular basis, the podcast includes special episodes with guests called "Freedom Secrets." Guests will share what they've done to create greater freedom in their own small businesses and provide a peak into what they do with the greater freedom they've been able to achieve.To learn more about Daran and...
2021-07-1401 min
The Freedom Focused Podcast001 Welcome to the Freedom Focused Podcast! Let's talk about FREEDOMDo you know how free you are?Welcome to The Freedom Focused Podcast!In this episode, host Daran Wastchak introduces The Freedom Focused Podcast as well as himself, then shares information about personal and professional freedom for small business owners, including two free tools that will help you to know just how free you are.How do you define "personal freedom"?How do you know how free you are? Daran will share a free tool that will give you a pretty good idea.Daran will describe his "Four Levels...
2021-06-3019 min
Small Business Answer ManEp: 049 Daran WastchakDaran Wastchak is a twenty-year entrepreneur and small business owner. He is a survivor and student of “The Great Recession” and is a fourteen-year veteran of two national non-profit Boards of Director. Daran received his Masters and PhD in Public Administration and Policy from Arizona State University, and he currently lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona where he his a volunteer member of the town’s planning commission. Daran is the father of three beautiful daughters aged 12, 14, and 16.
2018-12-2440 min