Shows
The Dirt106. Embracing Change & Creating Culture, with Alejandro PérezThe name of the game is flexibility. Today’s guest is an agent of change who has an exit under his belt, a transition from founder out of the CEO seat and recently increased the company from a 4-day, back to a 5-day work week.Join Jim and Alejandro as they go deep discussing Alejandro’s journey building Komet Sales - a vertically integrated floral platform - with a focus on what it means to build a strong culture and how to align people to the company’s long-term vision. 3 Key Takeaways
2024-03-2835 minThe Dirt105. Revenue = Vanity, Profit = Sanity, with Tom ShuggFrom humble beginnings in a Beijing apartment to building a business teaching 50,000 students Chinese and Spanish worldwide, Tom Shugg is well versed in immersive learning. Whether it’s changing diapers or expanding into a foreign market, Jim and Tom go deep on what it takes to build a company across country lines. 3 Key TakeawaysTrust the Market: As a business owner or leader, you likely have preconceived notions about what you think is right in your industry. But that’s not always the case, one example - a lack o...
2024-03-1842 minThe Dirt104. From Gamer to Tech Tycoon, with Graeme BarlowIn this episode of the Dirt, Graeme Barlow, a seasoned tech founder and entrepreneur, shares his unique journey from starting an online gaming currency business as a rebellious kid to spearheading a multi-million dollar software development agency in Ottawa, Canada. With a candid recount of his entrepreneurial ventures, Barlow dives into the lessons learned from expanding and then narrowing his company's focus, the pivotal shift to a retainer-based business model, and the importance of investing in people and culture. His story is a testament to the power of adaptability, the value of focused execution, and the unforeseen p...
2024-03-1248 minThe Dirt103. Shaping the Future of Workforce Engagement, with Jenny von PodewilsIn this episode of the Dirt, Jenny von Podewils, co-founder of Leapsome, shares the origin and mission of their people enablement platform, designed to help companies retain, develop, align, and engage their workforce. Starting from a personal realization of the gaps in organizational health and culture, Jenny and her co-founder embarked on a journey to create a solution that addresses these challenges. With a background in politics and economics, Jenny's pivot to entrepreneurship led to the development of Leapsome, which has seen remarkable growth and success, including a significant Series A funding. Through a focus on...
2024-03-0440 minThe Dirt102. Crafting Success in B2B and Fresh Foods Marketing, with Steven MuroIn this episode of the Dirt, Steven Muro shares his extensive journey from software to becoming a leading figure in the B2B marketing sphere, particularly within the grocery sector. With over 26 years at the helm of his own agency, Steven has mastered leveraging data analytics to elevate brands like the Hass Avocado Board and California Strawberries. He emphasizes the importance of translating complex data into simple, actionable marketing strategies, ensuring his clients stand out as category captains. Steven's approach to client relationships and his innovative use of data exemplify his belief in the power of focused, c...
2024-02-2853 minThe Dirt101. Life Coaches & Lightbulbs, with Adam RoachAdam Roach is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of I Love Coaching Co. Whether it’s shutting his laptop at 6pm, to creating a daily $1,000 accountability motivator, Adam has a unique perspective based on his coaching business and entrepreneurial experience working with a variety of people and types of companies.Whether it was immediately exiting partnerships when Adam realized he was working with the wrong people to a golf cart meets mailbox parenting fiasco, there are lessons throughout this podcast for business owners at every stage. Join Adam and Jim as they discuss a myriad of...
2024-02-1954 minThe Dirt100. Revving Up Ecommerce: The CarParts.com Story, with David MenianeToday’s guest has a few things going for him that sets him apart from the typical CEO:✅ CEO of a publicly traded company ✅ Has a streak of 7 years without a day off [Jim note: not sure I’d recommend this for most!]✅ Runs a website with 100+ million visitorsJoin Jim and David Meniane, CEO of Carparts.com as they hit on a variety of topics from strategic consolidation to free cashflow.3 Key TakeawaysDefine Yourself: On the surface Carparts.com looks like an ecommerce company. Bu...
2024-01-1840 minThe Dirt99. Disrupting Airlines with AI-driven Pricing, with Roy CohenRoy Cohen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fetcherr, an Algo based company using an AI-based Generative Pricing Engine (GPE) to disrupt pricing and profitability in the airline industry. Join Jim and Roy as they go into the details of what it takes to build a company for profitability. Roy is in the business of making money; not raising capital. 3 Key TakeawaysEBITDA > ARR - Build a business to become cash positive. ARR does not meet the strategy to become profitable. Markets will go dark, but cash positive businesses will not go out of st...
2024-01-1041 minThe Dirt98. How to Hand Over Your Company to a New CEO, with Thad PriceThad Price is the CEO of Talroo, a company that’s transforming the hiring and recruiting landscape for essential workers.On a mission to disrupt the talent acquisition industry, Thad provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to all departments in his company, ensuring it’s moving in the right direction with the right talent.Join Jim and Thad as they unpack the problems and opportunities that small, medium, and enterprise clients face hiring and developing talented people. 3 Key TakeawaysStop Being a Chief Everything Officer: When you’re star...
2023-12-1251 minThe Dirt97. Entering the US Market: A Playbook for Navigating Potential Pitfalls (Solocast)In this solocast, Jim Barnish explores three actions an international company needs to take when entering the US market. Some of what Jim gets into: Testing for Product Market Fit: An international company can have an amazing product, but if it doesn't resonate with the US market, then it’s going to almost certainly fail. Understanding the cultural nuances and preferences of the American consumer base is crucial for penetrating the market effectively. Leverage a US-based Growth Consulting Firm: They’ll have a deep cultural understanding, networking advantages, and market research expertise that you’ll need to be suc...
2023-12-0509 minThe Dirt96. The Story Behind a Viral App, with Bianca RangecroftBianca Rangecroft is the CEO of Whering, a digital wardrobe and personal styling app. Join Jim and Bianca as they explore how to go viral with your customers and to monetize virality. 3 Key TakeawaysTap Into Your Brand and Community to Achieve Virality: Virality is elusive. Many charlatans claim to have the secret formula for creating viral content, but the truth is that there is no guaranteed recipe for success. Bianca talks about first reaching out to influencers organically, often through word of mouth. Then, after the influencer had posted videos us...
2023-11-2852 minThe Dirt95. Turning Your IP Into a SaaS Product Goldmine (Solocast)Learn about how the strategic move towards a SaaS model is a golden ticket to maximizing the overall value of your business.In this solocast, Jim Barnish delves into four reasons why transforming your IP into a SaaS model is such a game changer. Some of what Jim gets into: Scalability is About Growing Smarter: In a SaaS model, it's not just about getting bigger; it's about getting smarter. Ideally, you should aim for the cost of serving an additional customer being close to zero. SaaS = Steady Revenue Streams: With a traditional product or ser...
2023-11-2110 minThe Dirt94. Steve Benson's Guide to Bootstrapping for SaaS StartupsSteve Benson's leadership journey is a masterclass in resilience, grit, and innovative growth strategies. As the Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, an app for B2B field sales, he has mastered focusing on the ideal customer profile and harnessing the power of offshore talent. Join Jim and Steve as they discuss Steve’s bootstrapping journey all the way to up to 5.4 million ARR. 3 Key TakeawaysEstablish a Dedicated Support Team Separate from Sales: For years, Steve’s sales team handled all customer calls, which was effective for sales inquiries but less s...
2023-11-1454 minThe Dirt93. Scaling Strategies That Work, with André Sluczka of DatagrateAndré Sluczka grew up in Germany where he loved to climb up a mountain and fly down on a paraglider. Nowadays, he heads up a consulting company, Datagrate, that helps their clients build, manage, and scale the world's best application integration platforms solving the most complex integration challenges.Join Jim and André as they talk about how to establish a meaningful strategic partnership on day one, and how to navigate the shift from consulting services to building products and software. 3 Key TakeawaysStriking the Balance Between Growth and Quality: For solopreneurs who...
2023-11-0753 minThe Dirt26. Founders, Families, & (Rocket) Fuel w/ Katie Merrill (originally aired Sep 2022)This is a recast of a previously aired episode about Katie Merrill's entrepreneurship journey while also building a family. Hear Katie’s story as she walks host Jim Barnish through the challenges she has faced and continues to learn from.As a go-getter with a strong operations background, Katie was hyper focused on the day-to-day grind, but learned over time that she had to get out of her own way. Finding a COO combined with efforts to scale her sales team has been a game changer for the evolution of the business. Freeing up her time as th...
2023-10-3134 minThe Dirt92. Align Your Company’s GTM Strategy (Solocast)Many businesses are oblivious to how out of whack their Go-To-Market strategy is. In this solocast, Jim Barnish explores three critical opportunities for businesses that are out of alignment with their GTM strategy. Some of what Jim gets into: Trust Your Product Leads: Both CEOs and product leads understand customer pain points and the market. Yet sometimes a CEO makes decisions based on their gut, not data, while a product lead often has more direct access to customers and data, and thus a more in-depth understanding. Don’t overlook the knowledge of yo...
2023-10-2413 minThe Dirt91. Build Cool Sh!t for Your Customers, with Jody HanekeJody Haneke is a walking personification of the phrase, “build cool sh!t for your customers.” As the head of a bespoke software development company, Haneke and his team bring product ideas to life for his clients that truly want to harness technology for growth. Join Jim and Jody as they discuss building awesome digital experiences for customers that keep them coming back. 3 Key TakeawaysHarness Talent From Outside Your Industry: Haneke talks about being able to transfer what he learns from his healthcare clients to clients he’s working with in logis...
2023-10-1747 minThe Dirt90. Three Tips for Building Your First Customer Success Team (Solocast)A company-wide commitment to customer success is essential for your business. But remember: it starts with you. In this solocast, Jim Barnish gets into actionable strategies for growth-stage companies building their first customer success team. Some of what Jim gets into: When A Company Scales, Sometimes Customers Get Left Behind: Problematically, many growth-stage companies prioritize acquiring new customers over customer success. They invest heavily in marketing and sales, yet overlook their legacy customers. While initially fruitful, this approach often overlooks the long term value of nurturing and retaining your customers. Hire Some...
2023-10-1009 minThe Dirt89. How a Mastermind Group Can Catapult Your Business Forward, with Dan BradburyDan Bradbury, a mastermind expert, brings together owners of seven and eight figure B2B companies in masterminds so they can share best practices for high business growth and catapult their individual businesses forward.Join Jim and Dan as they explore the benefits of joining a mastermind group and how it can accelerate business growth.3 Key TakeawaysInvest in Yourself by Learning from Others: Nobody is born an excellent business owner. Sure, you might have a natural knack for entrepreneurship, a few instincts that set you apart. But here's the real secret to success...
2023-10-0341 minThe Dirt88. Steps to Expand Your Business Into New Markets, Untapped Verticals & Innovative Offerings (Solocast)If you want to unlock unprecedented growth in your business—which will lead to exceptional value creation—consider taking the leap and expanding into new markets, verticals, and offerings. In this solocast, Jim Barnish dives deep into strategies to ensure that your products or services cater to the needs and preferences of your new customers. Some of what Jim gets into: Before Jumping Into A New Market, Immerse Yourself In It: You can’t just assume you and your team knows your audience, that your pricing strategy will be effective, and you’ll be...
2023-09-2813 minThe Dirt87. How Hyper-Focusing on Customers Will Change the World, Interview with David ChadwickDavid Chadwick, Founder and CEO at RealResponse, is passionate about making a difference in athletics, but not in the normal sense of what you might think of as winning in sports. Instead, David has created a tool where athletes and staff can give anonymous feedback in a way that everyone in collegiate institutions and athletic organizations has a chance to be heard. Join Jim and David as they explore how David is helping create a much safer environment in sports and institutions across the country, while also scaling his business. 3 Key Takeaways...
2023-09-2651 minThe Dirt86. Overcoming Betrayal & Financial Setbacks: Sarah Jenkins' Resilient Path to SuccessSarah Jenkins runs several software and real estate companies, including Genesis Digital. Homeschooled as a kid and an entrepreneur since she was 15, Sarah epitomizes the I-can-figure-out-pretty-much-anything approach. Join Jim and Sarah on this roller coaster of a conversation as they connect the dots between business success and personal challenges, such as Sarah escaping a cult, bouncing back after a partner stole from her business, and dealing with family trauma. 3 Key TakeawaysCompartmentalization for Work-Life Balance: Learn to compartmentalize your role and responsibilities, both in professional and personal life. This strategy helps ma...
2023-09-1952 minThe Dirt85. Meet the Cofounder of Kyte, the Company Disrupting the Car Rental Industry - with Francesco WiedemannFrancesco Wiedemann is Co-Founder of Kyte, a door-to-door, app-based car rental delivery company that ambitiously intends to become the largest fleet operator on the planet with 10 million trips per month by 2030. Join Jim and Francesco as they how Francesco went from winning entrepreneurial pitch contests at Harvard and MIT to co-creating a rental car startup that has raised $300 million to date. 3 Key TakeawaysIdentifying Market Gaps: Francesco and his co-founders realized there was a gap in the mobility market for travel longer than an Uber ride but shorter than requiring a long-term car lease. Th...
2023-09-1241 minThe Dirt84. Air Passenger Rights: What You Didn’t Know, with Tomasz PawliszynTomasz Pawliszyn is the brains behind AirHelp, the world’s leading legal tech company that helps air travelers get compensation or refunds for flight disruptions. Join Jim and Tomasz as they go deep on air passenger rights during this episode.3 Key TakeawaysBuild Healthy; Not Heavy: During Covid-19, when Tomasz’s staff headcount went from 700 to 200, he used that as an opportunity for restructuring, streamlining operations, and inviting the remaining staff into a new vision for a stronger, healthier company. Even in times of decline, you can lay the foundation for futur...
2023-09-0545 minThe Dirt83. Strategies for Reeling in Big B2B Sales, with Robert Cornish of RichterRobert Cornish’s mission is to use aesthetics and communication to improve and move people through the end-to-end sales journey. As the CEO of Richter, he helps Fortune 500 companies—from Disney to Dell—with their end-to-end B2B sales journey. Join Jim and Robert as they dive into enterprise sales and what deal teams can do to stop making mistakes in pre-sales, sales enablement, and customer experience. 3 Key TakeawaysAlignment and Elimination: Robert advocates for maintaining alignment in a company’s vision, mission, and offerings. He suggests that cutting out misaligned elements, whether they’re customers...
2023-08-2945 minThe Dirt82. E-Commerce Entrepreneurship: Heather Udo's Lessons from Shoppable's SuccessIn the realm of e-commerce, Heather Udo personifies success, innovation, and tenacity. A trailblazer who pushes what’s possible for brands, publishers, and retailers, Heather has her finger on the e-commerce pulse. Join Jim and Heather as they dive into the business challenges of creating an innovative tech platform that transforms e-commerce shoppers into loyal buyers3 Key Takeaways- Raising Venture Capital Might Create Problems: If you successfully raise capital before your product is fully fine-tuned and before the market is ready, you could run into trouble. Take a feather out of Heather’s ca...
2023-08-2250 minThe Dirt81. Is Now the Right Time to Sell Your Business? Part 2, SolocastAs a business owner, you've turned dreams into reality, navigating challenges, and witnessing your venture grow from infancy to maturity. Yet there comes a time in every entrepreneur's life when the idea of selling your business becomes a reality. If that’s you, two important questions you should ask yourself are: 1. "What's my level of confidence in meeting my goal for selling the business?" 2. "Am I mentally ready to exit my business?" These delve into the heart of a significant transition—one that requires both strategic planning and emotional preparedness.In this so...
2023-08-1709 minThe Dirt80. Outsourcing Sales Development: What You Need to Know, with David KreigerDavid Kreiger created a company for outsourcing Sales Development Representatives—inside sales representatives who focus solely on sales prospecting—before SDR was even a term. His company, SalesRoads, has been around for 16 years and is a sales outsourcing and appointment setting firm that simplifies revenue operations and makes growth easy. Join Jim and David as they hash out the nitty gritty of creating a culture best suited for high-performing sales teams. 3 Key TakeawaysCreate Buyer Personas: Customize sales approaches based on buyer personas. Differentiating between various customer types and assigning the right SDRs to engage...
2023-08-1548 minThe Dirt78. Pricing & Packaging Done Right: P&P Solocast #2Pricing & Packaging (P&P) doesn’t need to be complex, but it does need to be purposeful.Does your pricing and packaging strategy entice new customers, retain loyal customers, and topple competitors? If not, how could you implement a P&P structure to do so?In this solocast, Jim Barnish identifies three keys for executing a pricing and packaging strategy to perfection:Set a Strategy: Like other areas of your business, you should be purposeful in setting your vision for what pricing and packaging means for your organization and what your go...
2023-08-0309 minThe Dirt77. The Holy Grail of Marketing: Delivering a Unified Customer Experience, with Aditya BhamidipatyAs the CEO of FirstHive, Aditya Bhamidipaty and his team built a B2C marketing automation platform that unifies customer interactions across all channels. From social media to email marketing to websites, and from anonymous conversations to post-login conversations, Aditya knows that every customer interaction counts. Join Jim and Aditya as they dive into the difficulties and opportunities of delivering consistent brand messaging across all customer touch points. 3 Key TakeawaysHarnessing Top Talent for Long-Term Organizational Success: Entrepreneurs often struggle with creating a strong culture and aligning their team with their mi...
2023-08-0153 minThe Dirt76. Creating and Executing On Strategic Plans, with Marc DanielsMarc Daniels is the CEO and co-founder of ResultsBI, a business intelligence platform that has helped thousands of companies create a strategic plan, execute it, and track it. His passion is guiding entrepreneurs through creating a Strategic Plan of growth, and helping them execute that. Join Jim and Marc as they compare and contrast strategic ambitions and execution frustrations. 3 Key TakeawaysPlanning Is Worthless Without Execution: For an ambitious entrepreneur with a laser focus on growth, meticulous planning is essential. Yet planning alone can only take an entrepreneur so far. The tru...
2023-07-251h 01
The Dirt75. Is Now the Right Time to Sell Your Business? (Solocast)Most business owners who have mastered growth eventually end up asking themselves questions like: How will I know if it's the right time to sell my business? What steps do I need to take to prepare my company for an exit? Where can I go for help?In this solocast, Jim Barnish outlines how to time a successful exit. Selling your business can be very stressful - lots can go wrong. However, when done correctly, a business owner can achieve life-changing results, both financial and emotional. Some of what Jim gets into: Understand your motiva...
2023-07-2013 minThe Dirt74. Time & Teams: Leveraging Your Two Most Valuable Assets, with Aydin MirzaeeAydin Mirzaee is a tech CEO passionate about helping people save time. A productivity guru, serial founder, and SaaS industry veteran with an exit to SurveyMonkey under his belt, Aydin has been through the gamut of building and exiting businesses.Join Jim and Aydin as they explore how Aydin and his coworkers at Fellow.app are revolutionizing the way teams interact with fewer and better meetings. 3 Key TakeawaysNormalize Confrontation: Most people dislike confrontation. But disagreements are normal and should be expected as a part of the workplace (group think hurts o...
2023-07-1850 minThe Dirt73. From Dorm Room to Bitcoin ATMs: Ben Weiss's JourneyBen Weiss has significantly impacted the cryptocurrency space not once, but twice. A bona fide crypto thought leader (there are a lot of crypto charlatans out there), Ben has led a company that has exceeded $1B in transaction volume and also gets deep into the weeds of cryptocurrency regulation. Oh, and Ernst & Young recently named him an Entrepreneur of the Year. Join Jim and Ben as they explore Ben’s wild ride from dorm room to Bitcoin ATMs to dreams of connecting with a billion crypto users. 3 Key TakeawaysSimplify, Simplify, Simp...
2023-07-1157 minThe Dirt72. Pricing and Packaging Gone Wrong (Solocast)Many growth-stage companies make mistakes when it comes to pricing and packaging. If you’re losing sales and experiencing negative brand impressions, maybe it’s time you took a good hard look at your pricing and packaging. For starters, are you focusing on value or cost? In this solocast, Jim Barnish details simple solutions to rethink pricing and packaging for companies committed to growth. Some of what Jim gets into: Value-based pricing: Customers don't care about your cost structure or your margins. They care about achieving their desired outcomes at a fair price.P...
2023-07-0610 minThe Dirt71. With Risk Taking, There’s No Cheat Code - with Adam RobinsonIn just two and a half years, with just six people, Adam Robinson bootstrapped his company, Retention.com, to $12M Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) with 6 employees. By next year, he’s on target to hit $20M ARR. Join Jim and Adam as they explore the importance of taking calculated risks while building businesses.3 Key TakeawaysFocus First, Expand Later: Retention.com sells only to Shopify Plus (top-tier) stores. Find a niche (in the market) and exploit it. Worry about expanding after you’ve won that market. Experiment with Minimal Resources: Before throwing substantial amounts of tim...
2023-07-0443 minThe Dirt70. AI Ain’t Enough: Bringing the In-Person Experience Online, with Tomer AzenkotTomer Azenkot joined Vee24, a video-powered digital customer experience platform, as CEO in 2022 to help brands accelerate their digital business. Amidst a cultural transformation in buyers' expectations, he believes that when a company delivers a great customer experience, growth will follow. Join Jim and Tomer as they talk about the future of customer engagement, specifically as it relates to the development of AI, chatbots, and video chat for in-store > online sales. 3 Key TakeawaysDifferentiate Yourself From Past Leaders: When Tomer started as CEO of Vee24, he learned that a previous CEO only vi...
2023-06-2747 minThe Dirt69. OKR's for Dummies, with Greg Ross-MunroGreg Ross-Munro and his company Sourcetoad create software for some of the biggest companies in the world, helping them design API management systems, financial tools, and customer facing apps. Join Jim and Greg as they explore how non-tech companies can transform themselves into tech-enabled businesses. This transformation isn’t about implementing technology because you think you need to. This requires a purposeful approach that aligns technology solutions with your strategic goals. 3 Key TakeawaysKnow Your Clients’ Customers: How well do you know your clients’ customers? Don’t solely focus on your client because they’re paying you...
2023-06-2052 minThe Dirt68. Three Proven Strategies to Shatter the $5 Million Revenue Ceiling (Solocast)Breaking through the $5 million revenue ceiling can be a slog. 95% of businesses find themselves unable to surpass this threshold. If you’re approaching this level, and want to surpass it, you could focus on the negatives that are holding you back. Maybe its been poor hiring decisions. Maybe it’s failure to continuously innovate. Maybe it’s not keeping up with disruptive trends. Whatever it is, it’s time to shift your focus so you can scale and prioritize long-term growth. In this solocast, Jim Barnish will walk you through three proven strategies that you can a...
2023-06-1508 minThe Dirt67. Precision Medicine: Unveiling the Promise of Health Tech Advancements, with Doug ShortDoug Short is a trailblazer in the healthcare industry and is changing the way patients and hospitals think about health insurance and technology. Committed to using technology to transform the healthcare industry from a “diagnose and prescribe” model to a “predict and prevent” model, Doug is at the forefront of our nation’s much needed healthcare revolution. Join Jim and Doug as they explore how millions of Americans are on the cusp of having personalized health plans that take into account everything from their gender to their metabolic disposition. 3 Key TakeawaysA Sexagenarian Startup: Dou...
2023-06-1356 minThe Dirt66. HubSpot, Salesforce, Monday.com with Noah Berk - Let's talk productivity!Noah Berk has over 20 years experience in B2B marketing, sales, and strategy and is a co-founder of OBO, a technology performance group. Established in 2016, OBO helps solve the digital challenges of modern organizations by partnering with some of the top software companies in the world. Join Jim Barnish and Noah Berk as they discuss outbound email marketing, the pros and cons of partners, and optimizing HubSpot, Salesforce, and Monday.com. 3 Key TakeawaysProfessional Service Organizations🤝 Sales: Often professional service firms are run by consultants who are experts at the work they do (which is wh...
2023-06-0647 minThe Dirt65. In "The Arena" with Manik Suri: Flipping from Freemium and Freezing for the FutureManik Suri is Founder and CEO of Therma, a technology startup whose mission is to combat climate change by reducing food waste, refrigerant leakage, and energy use from the global refrigeration system. Therma is deployed across restaurants, retailers, and manufacturers nationwide, with leading brands including McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, NOW Foods, and Marriott Hotels.Join Jim Barnish and Manik Suri as they discuss innovations in the cooling industry, creating an app customers loved yet rarely used, pivoting your business, expanding your sales channels, and experimenting with various business strategies until you find a few that work. 3...
2023-05-3048 minThe Dirt64. Adapt & Conquer: 3 Ways to Thrive in a Declining Industry (Solocast)If you're feeling powerless and frustrated as you keep investing time and money into your company, only to see diminishing returns and waning interest from prospects, you are not alone!In this solocast, Jim Barnish offers insights and strategies for thriving in declining industries. Jim focuses on three key strategies, which, if executed correctly, will boost business growth and enterprise value. Hear the transformation stories of Netflix, Adobe and Domino's (didn’t think they were a tech company, did you?) in this episode.Some of what we’ll get into:How to tran...
2023-05-2509 minThe Dirt61. 3 Decision-Making Methods for CEOs and How to Get Your Team Involved (Solocast)In this solocast, Jim Barnish shares his 3 decision making methods for founders and CEOs, and more importantly, how to involve your team in those decisions to get them invested in the results. If you’ve ever struggled to truly align your team with business decisions, this episode is for you. Some of what we’ll get into:How to improve your decision-making processThe pros and cons of each decision-making method and difference between Type 1 and Type 2 decisionsCreating buy-in from your team and keeping them investedIf you love what you are getting out of our sh...
2023-05-1115 minThe Dirt60. How to Overcome Adversity and Lead a Software Company to Success, with Chris FederspielChris Federspiel, the Founder and CEO of blackthorn.io, has grown his company from a small team of developers to 105 employees and millions in monthly revenue.The Blackthorn Engagement Suite features Salesforce-native applications for events, payments, compliance, messaging, and more. The success of blackthorn.io continues to grow, but like many founders, Chris’ journey hasn’t always been an easy one. Join Chris and Jim as they discuss the founding and growth of blackthorn.io, supporting employees and keeping them happy (with a 4-day work week!), overcoming struggles with funding and a “near-death experience” for the business, and the m...
2023-05-0953 minThe Dirt59. Scaling for Impact: The Power of Technology in the Nonprofit Sector, with Nejeed KassamWith years of experience in fundraising, founding and working with nonprofits, and studying the nonprofit sector at graduate and law school, Nejeed Kassam saw the potential for more to be done to strengthen the organizations and professionals who work tirelessly every day to make our society better. That’s why he founded Keela, a complete software solution for nonprofits looking to grow revenue, manage data, track performance, and deepen their donor engagement. Join Nejeed and Jim as they discuss nonprofits and how Keela can help them use technology to do more for their communities. They’ll talk about...
2023-05-0252 minThe Dirt58. 3 Key Secrets of the Work-Life Balance to Avoid Founder Burnout (Solocast)In our inaugural solocast, Jim Barnish dives into a topic that founders don’t talk enough about: founder burnout. If you want to unlock the secret to thriving both personally and professionally as a founder, this episode is for you. Some of what we’ll get into:- Identifying founder burnout and its impact- Jim’s personal experience with founder burnout and lessons learned- Practical tips to simultaneously scale your business AND personal life If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more inf...
2023-04-2709 minThe Dirt57. From Good to Great: How A-Players and Purposeful Acquisitions Skyrocket Success, with Zack DugowZack Dugow, the Founder and CEO of Insticator, has mastered user engagement for publishers. He believes that the future of social media lies outside of the walled gardens of platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Insticator builds social communities for publishers to connect audiences on their sites by curating relevant content for their users. Much like Facebook’s algorithm pushes content they think you’ll like based on your Facebook interactions, now publishers can interact with users to learn what they like and increase ad revenue with a better picture of your audience. In this episode, Zack tells you exactly how...
2023-04-2544 minThe Dirt56. Mastering Digital Collaboration with an Innovative Content Review Platform, with Niklas DornMost content creators are very familiar with the never-ending game of email ping-pong to get content edited and approved. Niklas Dorn, a creative and ambitious entrepreneur, identified this problem and founded Filestage, a platform that streamlines content review and approval processes. With a passion for finding a more efficient and innovative way to enhance workflows, the Filestage team has developed a powerful solution to improve communication and collaboration for content creators worldwide. As a result, Filestage now boasts over 700 customers and helps marketing teams and agencies save time and resources during their content approval process.Join Niklas...
2023-04-1843 minThe Dirt55. Unlocking the Power of Web3 and Blockchain to Redefine Digital Coordination for Businesses, with Michael O’RourkeWith a degree in international studies and training in software development, Michael O’Rourke possesses a unique blend of skills and knowledge that has shaped his understanding of technology and its potential impact on the world. Michael is Co-Founder and CEO of Pocket Network, a Web3 middleware protocol that provides a decentralized infrastructure for blockchain node interaction. Join Michael and Jim as they discuss Michael’s initial foray into Bitcoin that led to a unicorn Web3 company. You’ll gain insight on the importance of a tempered mindset, finding internal harmony between public service and entrepreneurism, and navigat...
2023-04-1153 minThe Dirt54. Marketing and Sales Scalability: Programmatic Marketing to Reach Your Ideal Customer, with Ben GoldmanFor Ben Goldman, no challenge is insurmountable with a great work ethic and willingness to hustle. Having grown his own business, successfully exiting and becoming a leader in the acquiring company, you won’t want to miss out on his story. As the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Digital Partnerships at Anteriad, it’s Ben’s job to be an expert in understanding marketing, sales, strategy, and how the three fit together to acquire your ideal customer. With his company’s focus on programmatic marketing, Ben is uniquely positioned as business development and sales leader that really understa...
2023-04-0449 minThe Dirt52. Handoff from Founder to CEO in a Cybersecurity Company, with Kevin CoppinsWith the exponential growth of data in organizations, cyberattacks are becoming frequent and costing American companies millions and risking their reputations. Kevin Coppins, President and CEO of Spirion, knows just how much is at risk when it comes to employee data. When he stepped into his role as CEO, he made sure that the founder’s vision to “eliminate data breaches and the pain associated with them” stayed very much alive. Join Jim and Kevin as they dive into the cybersecurity threats businesses face with the use of sensitive employee and consumer data. They discuss the importance of comp...
2023-03-2147 minThe Dirt51. Using People Ops to Improve the Employee Experience, with Kiran MenonWorkers share more data with their employers than with any other service. Whether it’s work history, educational experience,family structure, etc. employers have all of this information at their fingertips. What if that data could be used to deliver a better experience for every employee? That’s the question that Kiran Menon asked when he founded Tydy, a People Ops Automation platform. Kiran believes with the increasing number of systems in organizations, employee data is just sitting in silos, and he saw a need for a product to build a cohesive, unified profile of an ind...
2023-03-1435 minThe Dirt50. Revolutionizing Healthcare Education with VR Simulations, with Danny GoelWhether it’s a new sport, a new language, or a new instrument, we can’t master a skill overnight. We learn by practicing and making mistakes along the way. That isn’t an option in the medical field because lives are at stake. That’s why Danny Goel, the founder and CEO of Precision OS, has created a simulation software that incorporates VR and AR to allow medical professionals to practice their skills and gain a deeper understanding of a procedure before entering the operating room.Join Jim and Danny as they explore virtual reality in the medi...
2023-03-0847 minThe Dirt49. Expanding Consumer Brands with Digital Assets, with Matias MarquezThe world is becoming more digital by the second, but not everyone is up to speed. Serial entrepreneur, Matias Marquez, helps brands connect with consumers with digital assets. His company, ethos, works with brands to provide digital assets (i.e., NFTs) to customers that have real-world benefits. Join Jim and Matias as they discuss bringing Web3 to consumer brands.They talk about digital asset ownership, engaging your consumer base, and exit lessons learned.3 Key TakeawaysSimplify technology: Make new technology (i.e., NFTs) so simple that users don’t know what th...
2023-03-0248 minThe Dirt48. Risks and Rewards: Manage Threats with Intention and Tact - with Tony UcedaVelezCompanies, enterprises, entrepreneurs, and individuals face security threats every day, and Tony UcedaVelez has spent over 25 years understanding and dealing with those threats. During this time, he realized that the cybersecurity industry desperately needed a makeover. He created the company, VerSprite, to fill a void in security consulting where most firms continued to sell their services using fear-factor techniques (“You don’t want your organization to face an 8-digit hack, do you..”) instead of value-added services.Join Tony and Jim as they discuss the methodology and practices that have brought VerSprite to the forefront of cybersecurity and risk m...
2023-02-2256 minThe Dirt47. Pivotal Partnerships: Growing a Business Together, with Todd BuelowA good partnership can accelerate building a successful business, and guest Todd Buelow knows firsthand just how advantageous they can be through their work at Dualboot, a 400-person software development company he and his two business partners founded.Join Todd and Jim as they discuss the advantages and challenges associated with partnerships and growing companies alongside others. From finding partners that have complementary strengths and weaknesses, to staying aligned on a plan (shoutout to other EOS practitioners out there) and even running a business alongside your spouse - this episodes has a little something for everyone.
2023-02-1643 minThe Dirt46. A Bootstrapped David vs. Well-Funded Goliaths, with Lars HelgesonLars Helgeson knows that the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) space is crowded, with Goliaths like SalesForce, Oracle, HubSpot, and Pipedrive taking up their well-established places. But, a strong believer in the underdog, he bootstrapped a multimillion-dollar business and carved out his own space in the CRM and marketing automation industry. In this episode, Lars joins host Jim Barnish to share his go-to marketing strategy that has allowed him to consistently acquire new customers while competing with more established companies. They discuss making your product stand out, understanding client-company relationships as a whole, and thinking through the lens o...
2023-02-0744 minThe Dirt45. Build for the Future; Not Today, with Josh HollowayJosh Holloway, founder and CEO of 7th Dimension, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to talk about all things growth. How do you navigate when your business plateaus and you feel stuck, whether that’s at $2 million, $5 million, or $10 million? Should you invest funds into organic growth through marketing and sales, or consider an acquisition? How do you ensure your company is in order to handle the growth you’re aiming for? Tune into Josh and Jim’s insightful conversation as they dive into answering these questions.3 Key TakeawaysHiring strategy: It sho...
2023-01-3143 minThe Dirt44. Lift Up: Establishing a Culture, with Bobby Mason“I can’t describe it, but I know it when I see it,” is pretty common when describing a company’s culture. But not so much for Bobby Mason, CEO of SPOC Automation. Bobby joins host Jim Barnish to talk about how his company has defined their “Lift Up” culture and how that culture has redefined what success means for their company. Listen in to see how lifting up in every aspect of the business - yourself, your team, your customers, your innovation - can’t help but lift up the company itself.3 Key TakeawaysHiring s...
2023-01-2447 minThe Dirt43. From Classroom to Boardroom: Bridging the Education Gap while Scaling, with Dr. Aditya NagrathDid you know that 75% of highschool students are not proficient in high school mathematics? There’s some problems we often think, “well that’s the government’s job to fix.” Education (and math education specifically) often falls into that category. But Dr. Aditya Nagrath had a different perspective. What if he solved that problem from the private sector, and built a sustainable, profitable business while doing it? In this episode he joins host Jim Barnish to share how he founded his company Elephant Learning to confront the problem of learning math head on. They discuss math proficiency among students today, les...
2023-01-1746 minThe Dirt42. Happy Team, Happy Life - Building for the Long Term, with Chris KarloStarting in banking that shifted to software development with MercuryWorks, Chris Karlo brings 20 years of entrepreneurial experience to this conversation with host Jim Barnish. They discuss how to make business and customer partnerships work well, why a happy team produces high quality products, and how to survive this and the next recession.3 Key TakeawaysA business partnership is like a marriage - you need to be in lockstep with your partners on the same vision and end goal. As an entrepreneur you have to find balance between your business, your relationships, and y...
2023-01-1033 minThe Dirt41. Web3: A New Era of Ownership and Innovation, with Sam KamaniWeb 3.0 is a hot topic right now. What is it? And why is there so much skepticism and hype surrounding it? Serial entrepreneur and Web3 expert Sam Kamani joins host Jim Barnish on this episode to discuss why this is an opportunity for building in a new environment. Whether or not you’re familiar with blockchain technology, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies, you need to pay attention.3 Key TakeawaysProblems are opportunities. Don’t complain about them - go to work, fix them, and profit.Recessions are a great time for building and experimenting, thanks to lowe...
2023-01-0344 minThe Dirt40. Am I Meant to be a Founder? With Tami JaffeDo you feel the call to entrepreneurship? How do you know when to make that jump from the corporate ladder to defining your own career? From farm girl to vice president of technology in real estate investment management, Tami Jaffe made that leap, and is now helping others do the same. Tune into her conversation with host Jim Barnish as they talk about why you need to stop asking yourself if you’re meant to be a founder, and focusing on the better questions to ask. They discuss what she calls the clarity trifecta of confidence, courage, and...
2022-12-2030 minThe Dirt39. Sustainability Across the Pond, with Yannick FrankMutual friend of Tobias Günther (see episode 24), longtime entrepreneur and founder of Partners in Clime, Yannick Frank joins Jim Barnish from Germany to discuss strategy, financing, and sustainability. They talk about bootstrapping versus venture capital for financing, how the startup culture in Germany has evolved over the last decade, and hear why Yannick’s daughter was the catalyst for his newfound passion in sustainability.3 Key TakeawaysBootstrapping vs. institutional funding: both have pros and cons. Know what you’re getting into when you bring on outside funding.Your strategy needs to be clear and c...
2022-12-1347 minThe Dirt38. Building an Operational Foundation for Growth, with Ken PomellaKen Pomella, founder and CEO of RevStar Consulting, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to discuss how he went from a side hustle for five years to finally taking the leap into a full business that has seen massive growth since that decision. They discuss operations and the value of Agile in project management and software development, the importance of always assessing your processes to stay on target, and putting the customer before the technology.3 Key TakeawaysHave confidence in yourself to start (or continue) your entrepreneurial journey. You don’t ne...
2022-12-0639 minThe Dirt37. Don’t Fall in Love with Your Solution: Focus on the Problem, with Dr. Rebecca WhiteDr. Rebecca White, author of her recent book See, Do, Repeat, brings years of experience and research on what it means to be an entrepreneur to this episode with host Jim Barnish. They discuss the heart of entrepreneurship, what it means to see opportunities, take action, and learn how to be resilient so you can “execute past your failures.” 3 Key TakeawaysLearn to identify the right talent for the right role. It’s not enough to identify a gap you need to fill, and it’s not enough to just hire more talent to...
2022-11-2938 minThe Dirt36. Build > Adjust > Repeat, with Brad KuglerStop wasting time and resources building the perfect product prior to launching. Know your customer, listen to them, and build what they need. They will likely enjoy giving feedback and being part of building the product alongside you!Tune into this episode to hear Brad Kugler, cofounder of DirectMail 2.0, talk with host Jim Barnish about his founder’s journey moving from VHS sales to building a SaaS company that accompanies direct mail advertising. They discuss jumping ship mid-career, how Brad utilized his (lack of) education in developing new technology, and why continually iterating on your product is es...
2022-11-2234 minThe Dirt35. From Founder to CEO…Not So Fast! With Trevor Grace“As a founder you are the one who brings the idea to market and proves product-market fit. But at some point between then and the growth stage, you need to do some self-assessment.”You’ve brought a product to market that works, you’ve started building a team, and you’re entering the growth stage of your business. As a founder, it’s time for you to do some self reflection. What is your core skill set? What do you enjoy doing? What motivates you?Founder and now Chief Product Officer of dbaPlatform, Trevor Grace joins Jim Ba...
2022-11-1548 minThe Dirt34. The Future of Work is Remote, with Liam MartinAs the future of work increasingly moves remote, how do you build and scale an organization that can operate successfully with limited interaction? Liam Martin, cofounder of Time Doctor and Staff.com, joins Jim Barnish to discuss all things remote work. At the start of 2020 only about 5% of the workforce worked remotely (per Bureau of Labor Statistics). The pandemic propelled the world forward in a global shift that hasn’t been seen since the advent of the internet. Many tech startups are finding it relatively easy to work remotely. But what about the big fortune 500 companies? Is rem...
2022-11-0849 minThe Dirt33. Financing: Raise Money Without Selling the Farm, with Lauren CascioMoney. You need it, and investors and financiers have it. So how do you raise capital without losing too much stake in your business? Lauren Cascio, founder of Gulp Data, joins Jim Barnish in this episode to talk about financing and the important distinctions between dilutive and non-dilutive financing.Join Jim and Lauren as they discuss which finance option is best for you at the stage you’re at, understanding the value of your “alternative company assets” (like company data), and the hidden secret to being a successful entrepreneur (hint: there isn’t one).Resour...
2022-11-0145 minThe Dirt32. Scaling Sustainability from Earth to Space, with Sergio GallucciCofounder and CTO of SCOUT, Sergio Gallucci joins Jim Barnish in this episode to talk about all things space and sustainability along his rocket-fueled entrepreneurial journey. He teaches us what sustainability in space means and how that can be valuable in other industries, while also building a company culture of excellence, and how data can better inform your strategy.3 Key TakeawaysSustainability and collaboration among competing entities are key factors in the space industry, because of the inherent collaboration needed for projects (and problems faced) of this magnitude.You don’t ne...
2022-10-2549 minThe Dirt31. Bringing the A Players: Realizing Your Team’s Full Potential, with George MorrisLongtime entrepreneur and scaling coach George Morris joins Jim Barnish on this episode to discuss what it takes to build teams of A players who will scale and grow your business.As a founder you likely have some employees who helped you in the startup stage, but will they grow with you beyond that stage? How do you separate the A players and build around them?As you scale, you will have to define who does what and delegate responsibilities. How do you identify and assign your core functions and processes to grow smart?
2022-10-1844 minThe Dirt30. Don’t Marry Your Product! Let the (Market) Problem Lead the Way, with Samantha Citro AlexanderProduct-market fit. How do you get there? Do you have the right team? The right timing? The right product? Samantha Citro Alexander, cofounder of bitewell, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to answer those questions.With lots of product iteration and pivots, Samantha’s company created a sub-category in an established market (preventative health) where they are seeing incredible results by creating value across multiple stakeholders (employers, employees and insurance providers). Their mission to improve people’s health through nutrition drove them to product-market fit. Listen along as Jim and Samantha discuss the lessons bitewell has l...
2022-10-1137 minThe Dirt29. How to Become a Top 1% Communicator, with Brenden KumarasamyBrenden Kumarasamy, founder and CEO of MasterTalk, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to discuss how you can become a master communicator. He breaks down key areas of communication into actionable steps and why they are invaluable to you as a founder. These include leveraging your strengths (e.g. introverts are generally better at communication because they listen more and talk less), how to be bulletproof in answering questions about your business, and the necessity of online, remote communication.Brenden offers a few simple practices to do daily that will make you a top 1% communicator, including: R...
2022-10-0439 minThe Dirt28. Hiring & Firing: How to Build a Successful Team, with Patrick BrownPatrick Brown, founder and CEO of Unity Communications, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to discuss building teams and the people behind them. He shares his own journey of leaving the corporate job and the ‘dirt’ he’s gathered while growing his company from just himself to 300+ people.How do you find the right talent to hire in a young startup when you don’t have the cash or benefits to compete with the big guys? What do you do when a great employee finds an opportunity elsewhere? How do you empower your team to make decisions and grow...
2022-09-2746 minThe Dirt27. Weaponizing Adversity: Focus on Opportunities, Not Failures - with Mason DornerAscenditt cofounder Mason Dorner joins Jim Barnish on this episode to talk through the adversity he’s overcome, both personally and in business. He'll outline how to avoid costly sales and marketing mistakes, and weaponizing hard times to drive growth.With a background in marketing, Mason went from sports to Disney before leaving the corporate world for a tech startup. Over the span of 4 years, he helped this company grow from $1M to $100M and achieve unicorn status ($1B+ valuation). On the side, Mason was already setting the foundation for his next venture. Today, as a cofounder, he...
2022-09-2050 minThe Dirt26. Founders, Families, and (Rocket) Fuel - with Katie MerrillTwelve years of entrepreneurship while building a family as a new wife and mom is Katie Merrill's founder's journey. Hear her story as she walks host Jim Barnish through the challenges she has faced and continues to learn from.As a go-getter with a strong operations background, Katie was hyper focused on the day-to-day grind, but learned over time that she had to get out of her own way. Finding a COO combined with efforts to scale her sales team has been a game changer for the evolution of the business. Freeing up her time as the...
2022-09-1334 minThe Dirt25. Progress > Goals, with Dan ClarkDan Clark, CEO of Brain.fm, joins Jim Barnish on this episode to deep dive into operations and what it takes to align teams to the same objectives. At Brain.fm they combine everyone’s love of music with neuroscience, their goal: helping you hit your flow state faster to achieve more. Your objectives as the founder or the business may not be the same as your employees, because everyone has different motivations. The key is fusing the strengths of those different motivations to grow together.Having goals is important, but you need to ensure you...
2022-09-0632 minThe Dirt24. Be a Human Founder: Creating a Culture of Success, with Tobias GüntherWhat is culture? What does it look like in your company? A lot of shifts in business occurred over the last two years since the start of the pandemic, particularly in remote work and how employees interact with their jobs. How has remote work impacted your culture? Has it magnified the problems or the solutions for your business?Through 18 years of entrepreneurship, including highs and many lows, Tobias Günther has refined his perspective on the human side of business and how that leads to success. It’s not just about the money, and if you ignore the...
2022-08-3042 minThe Dirt23. Pressing Forward with Faith and Grit - with Liza Marie GarciaEntrepreneurship is a long, rough road. You’ll experience highs, but also a lot of lows. How do you develop the resilience and grit necessary to press forward? Liza Marie Garcia joins Jim Barnish on this episode, bringing her insight as a former tech founder and currently COO of NOW Publishing.They discuss the importance of having faith in something greater than yourself, ignoring naysayers who will distract and discourage you, and learning to be flexible during the hard times. As a publisher, Liza gives her perspective on the value of great editors, tips for founders and ot...
2022-08-2331 minThe Dirt21. Using Technology to Manage Red Tape At Scale with Charles BrecqueThere is so much legal red tape and waiting around for attorneys to approve or clarify documents in business. Is it possible to speed up the process and meet those demands more efficiently? Charles Brecque founded Legislate to do exactly that. Developing new technology in the legal tech space, his company’s contract software manages contract data at scale.With a background in machine learning and engineering, Charles knew there was a need for more efficient legal contracting. In this episode, Jim Barnish and Charles explore the lessons he has learned as a young, solo founder building a...
2022-08-0930 minThe Dirt20. From Drunk Rats to Pet Robots: Appropriate Management Style Matters, with Jacob HancharRobotics and education fanatic, Jacob Hanchar, joins Jim Barnish on this episode of The Dirt. Jacob shares how his view of “micromanagement” has changed to a positive one in the last few years. His experience says: there is a time and a place for more micromanagement in business. Oftentimes in the early stages of a business, you must have a more hands-on approach because delegation may get you in trouble if folks are not properly trained.Jacob learned this lesson first-hand and after a rigorous amount of cleanup Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and overtraining are now the norm...
2022-08-0447 minThe Dirt19. Build Ecosystems, Not Companies - with Jeremy VaughanWhen Tauruseer entered the software security market, they targeted large enterprise companies. But when that failed, they went back to the drawing board. With lots of self-reflection and input from channel partners, founder Jeremy Vaughan identified those distractions that stunted his company’s growth.Jeremy’s journey began from a deeply personal experience with his daughter when her diabetes device and mobile app failed due to “code rot.” Tauruseer solved that issue and more in the compliance and cybersecurity space. The SolarWinds cyber attack in 2020 and the onset of the COVID pandemic highlighted the problems that Tauruseer was solv...
2022-07-2650 minThe Dirt18. Why Is My Business Not Growing? With Dr. Lori KendallHas the growth of your company stalled, leaving you feeling stuck? With decades of experience as a founder in Silicon Valley, and now teaching at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, guest Dr. Lori Kendall walks Jim Barnish through the three dimensions of addressing the challenges of early and growth stage companies.From clearly seeing the market you’re playing in, to identifying areas you’ve neglected, to understanding the life cycle of your clients, Lori and Jim discuss how founders can get unstuck. They also explore how to view life through the len...
2022-07-1242 minThe Dirt17. Grow Your Business With the Power of Positive Escalation, with Richard BlankBootstrapping his way from just a desk and a single account to a large successful call center in Costa Rica, Founder and CEO Richard Blank joins Jim Barnish on this episode to share his insight on effective communication strategies, investing in his teams, and the power of positive escalation. With a track record for successful sales and training programs, Richard walks us through his key communication strategies that are beneficial not just for landing a sale, but also for every relationship in life. They discuss soft skill training instead of just hitting the sales goals; his “buffer boo...
2022-07-0547 minThe Dirt16. Pandemics, Pivots and Pushing Through Adversity, with Chris HodgesWhen GoGig started, it was a two-sided, anonymized talent-matching marketplace with challenges scaling and meeting the market need. A forced pivot at the height of COVID moved them into a software as a service (SaaS) model solving one side of that marketplace. Despite the new challenges ahead, it was the best decision they ever made. During the COVID pandemic, GoGig’s travel-heavy customer base was hit hard, with an unsustainable burn rate and extended sales cycle revenue dropped to ~$100 per month. Join Jim Barnish and GoGig’s founder and CEO, Chris Hodges, as they explore the cha...
2022-06-2845 minThe Dirt14. Proactively Realize Success And Build A Talent-Centric Organization, with Carol SchultzAre you a talent-centric organization? Is your team honestly aligned on the same vision? Leadership coach Carol Schultz joins Jim Barnish on today’s episode to talk through those tough questions. Taken from her newly-released book Powered By People, they dive into the three hallmarks of what it takes to find and keep top talent.Building an effective talent strategy requires a unified vision that everyone can articulate. If you ask your executive team what the vision is, will they all give the same answer? Recruiting talent for the right roles is...
2022-06-1448 minThe Dirt13. Exiting and Investing Can Eat You Alive - Know Your Worth and Risk Management Focus, with Richard SmithThe digital economy is leaving retail (everyday) investors in the dust, but that doesn’t have to be you. Join host Jim Barnish and entrepreneur Richard Smith as they discuss what drives the financial markets, and how you can build your own wealth instead of someone else's.Learn about the pitfalls of human behavior in investing as it shapes how we act when we see a market falling vs. a market rising. Our fear of losing and missing out is a powerful motivator that big market players take advantage of. How would we act differently if we ha...
2022-06-0756 minThe Dirt12. Aligning Teams with Revenue Operations - with Chuck IngramThe quest for success is why you became a founder. But getting there is a whole different story. On this episode, CongruentX’s CEO, Chuck Ingram, joins Jim Barnish to discuss their frameworks for success by helping others succeed, and grow in their own businesses.Revenue Operations (RevOps) is one of those key frameworks, allowing businesses to align individual teams (sales, marketing, etc.) with the same goals and toolsets. RevOps provides solutions to challenges that arise from having siloed teams using the tools and foresight to keep the end goal of revenue growth top of mind across th...
2022-05-3152 minThe Dirt11. The 5 Pillars of Growth: From Startup to Exit, with Jim BarnishOur guests, thought leaders, clients, partners, and all-around good humans, have taken us on their incredible journey through their dirt: the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. So many of them called out some of the outstanding results they have had in overcoming obstacles in partnership with Orchid Black, which is always fantastic to hear about their team's extraordinary work.Jim Barnish walks us through the five pillars of a company growing smart from startup to exit: Strategy. Talent. Product. Revenue. Operations. Create a strategy, hire talent to fulfill the strategy, build a product...
2022-05-2413 min
The Dirt10. Every Champion Coach Pushes Us To Achieve Uncommon GreatnessThe best athletes in the world directly link their performance to their personal growth. Why don’t we all think about our lives like this? For Jim Barnish, changing his perspective with the help of a mentor transformed his work as a founder, a transformation that surfaced as he focused on his personal development. This resulted in heightened business growth and strategy. Today, Jim invites that mentor to The Dirt: executive coach and former NFL executive, Mike Smith.We are so focused on success in business that we often forget to be human. Founders are especially prone to...
2022-05-1751 minThe Dirt9. Growth Transformation in Your Business Begins with People Plus Productization - with Bill LedererJim Barnish invites Bill Lederer to The Dirt, extraordinary founder and CEO in the MAdTech space that fuses marketing, advertising, and technology. They discuss the transformations iSocrates has made from consulting to managed services to software-as-a-service (SaaS).Building a successful business depends on many factors that may change over time. What you need in a startup is likely not what you need as the business enters a growth stage and beyond.Finding partners that support your goals is another key factor in a growing company, both in life and in business. Entrepreneurship knows its highs...
2022-05-1054 min
The Dirt8. This Brilliant Strategy will help you Achieve Extreme Valuation through Extreme Ownership, with Mark ParrottAs a founder, how do you maximize the value of your company before exiting? What are the ingredients needed to reach “extreme valuation” and build a sustainable business? World-renowned strategist and author Mark Parrott joins Jim Barnish on The Dirt to share his insights on growing companies which he has compiled through an analysis of 1000+ private companies.Executives need to shift their viewpoint from business owners to investors in their own company. How do founders build for transferable value from the perspective of an acquirer? By changing their lens, they can maximize valuation.Collaboration with outs...
2022-05-031h 06
The Dirt6. Identify Gaps; Plug Appropriately with Matt BrownEvery entrepreneur has weaknesses. You can’t do it all, the more you try, the harder it will be. How do you fill those gaps as an executive to relieve the weight on your shoulders and boost your business? With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in the tech industry - including two exits in the last five years - ThumbStopper’s CEO Matt Brown joins today’s episode of The Dirt with his friend and partner, host Jim Barnish.Finding the right COO and supporting team isn’t the only challenge facing a young company, of course. Improvin...
2022-04-0544 minThe Dirt5. Let Go of Micromanagement and Learn to Lead with Juan BetancourtOur distinguished host, Jim Barnish, is excited to bring you another episode on The Dirt Podcast, with a long-term leader and founder who left his cushy job in pursuit of his passion: Juan Betancourt. Juan will share some of the most important lessons he learned about leadership the hard way, from finding the right sales person to letting go of the reigns. Discover the company-wide future impact of giving a little trust to your employees. And as a bonus, hear Juan's firsthand experiences and advice on giving more room for the Latino community to grow their businesses and franchises.
2022-03-2935 minThe Dirt4. Sail Into Success by Building a Business Community that Lasts with Stephen WhiteJim Barnish is back in the host seat on this episode of The DIRT Podcast, where he invites a fellow grit-weathered entrepreneur to the table: former US marine and founder/CEO of RentPrep, Stephen White. Their discussion is all about community, specifically how to build an effective and safe space for your members, by securing operational systems and spending more time on the business instead of in the business. Plus, get the raw truth about entrepreneurs, smooth seas, and skilled sailors (Sound familiar?).3 Key TakeawaysHow RentPrep adds value in a way most other...
2022-03-2256 minThe Dirt3. Why Orchid Black is Changing Founders and Why The Dirt Will Change You with Jim BarnishWe wrap up our first guest here on The Dirt Podcast, who is, coincidentally, also our host, Jim Barnish. Join him and interviewer Josh Tapp as they greater discuss the elements of Orchid Black’s exit strategy, review what types of entrepreneurs Orchid Black can apply to (hint: it’s more than you think), and give the one piece of advice Jim Barnish would leave with all of his viewers, whatever their niche may be. Let’s finish kicking off this podcast the right way–with resources!3 Key TakeawaysTwo things that Exit In Mind is...
2022-01-1112 minThe Dirt2. Maintaining the Growth Mindset: Why Orchid Black Partners with Already-Profitable SaaS ClientsJim Barnish and Orchid Black’s origin story continues on episode two of The Dirt Podcast, where our original host, Jim, is asked questions as the first guest on the show about his company: its goals, its purpose, and why in the world it’s named after a flower. Tune in today and get key information on why Orchid Black only takes on companies that are already profiting, how they boil an exit strategy down to five key elements, and the number one advice Jim would give to listeners about making a space for you to do what you do b...
2022-01-0722 minThe Dirt1. Welcome to The Dirt With Jim BarnishToday, we kick off our first episode with a reverse-host situation. Jim Barnish takes a turn in the hot seat as first guest on his own show just so you viewers can get to know his origin story and why he really does what he does–transparently. Tune in to part one of this inaugural episode and find out how this entrepreneur had his first experience at age three, why it’s important to get deep into the “dirty side of things,” and how ending two startup companies led him to run Orchid Black, the booming business that he heads fr...
2022-01-0616 min