Inspired Insider With Dr. Jeremy Weisz | Ecommerce Interviews | Entrepreneurship | Inspirational Stories | Business Lessons

Today we have Brad Weimert, he started Easy Pay Direct in 2009 – It is an online credit card processing company for high-level e-commerce businesses. They especially help high volume businesses susceptible to consumer disputes. The Easy Pay Direct Platform currently serves more than 60,000 merchants. Including Infusionsoft, Digital Marketer, and many more.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:00] Jeremy introduces today’s guest, Brad Weimert. [4:40] Who was Brad’s first hire? [6:10] What were some of the milestones for Easy Pay Direct early on? [8:30] The lowest moment for Brad and Easy Pay Direct. [14:00] What is one of the best pieces of advice Brad has received? [15:30] Brad’s craziest moment as an adventurer. In this episode… The journey to success is often slower and more complicated than many people give it credit. We love to hear stories of overnight success and rags to riches tales of glory. But the truth of the matter is that many success stories take time. Quality work and steady leadership

Today we have Jake Atwood founder of Buzzbuilder, which is software that allows sales professionals to automate their cold email outreach. His singular focus is to make it easy for salespeople to pack their pipeline with qualified leads. He shows a warmer approach for prospecting to busy executives besides the dreaded cold calling methods. Buzzbuilderpro.com has tools and programs that have been implemented by over 25,000 sales professionals. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:55] Jeremy introduces his guest Jake Atwood. [2:00] Which hard to reach executives has Jake and his team been able to contact? [6:00] Follow up is HUGE! [7:00] Long prospects. [10:40] How did Jake get started with Telemasters? [14:00] What are some of the lessons Jake learned from working with his Uncle? [16:20] What is the process once you have a prospect? [19:00] How do people usually come to Buzzbuilder? [21:20] What are some of the common mistakes most salespeople make? [23:30] What was Ovation Sales Group? [24:30] Jake’s be

Adam Witty is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advantage Media Group. What began in the spare bedroom of his home is now an international publishing company. Advantage has been named to the prestigious Inc. 500/5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies and as one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina multiple years in a row. Adam is the author of five books and he is a chairman for both Nonprofit Youth Entrepreneurship S.C. and Clemson Entrepreneurship Institute. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:55] Jeremy introduces his guest Adam Witty. [2:00] What does Adam look for in someone he will invest in? [5:15] From a home office to exponential growth! [7:30] People are your greatest asset. [8:50] It’s your job as an entrepreneur to provide a stimulating workplace. [10:00] How can other leaders learn from what you’ve done? In this episode… What ingredients are necessary for work culture, leaders, and businesses to thrive? How do you measure the results? Are they reproducib

Tony Grebmeier is co-founder Ship Offers that he built with two of his Childhood friends, Doug Roberts and Gil Gerstein. Fifteen years later, ShipOffers is an eight-figure business that has been an INC 5000 Company for the past three years in a row. They ship out over 1 million orders per year. In 2008, Tony almost lost it all. He also runs the podcast the Tony G. Show -- bringing together his love for business and self-improvement. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:10] Jeremy welcomes his guest Tony Grebmeier to the show. [2:10] How does Tony start his day? [4:00] Serving people and leading with Hope. [6:20] Learning how to be present. [8:30] The number one person you can change is yourself. [9:40] What scares Tony? [14:10] What did Tony use to be like before all the changes? [18:40] Tony talks about struggling with alcohol. [20:15] Tony talks about growing up looking up to his mom. [25:40] What did Tony want to be when he was younger? [30:00] Money doesn’t buy happiness. [35:20] How has the busines

Jay Steinfeld is the Founder of Blinds.com. He set up the original e-commerce site NoBrainerBlinds for $3000 in 1996 and has since grown the e-commerce company to over $200 million in annual revenue. It is the world’s top retailer for blinds and shades and provides blinds for over a million windows every year. The company was acquired in 2014 by Home Depot. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:00] Jeremy introduces his guest, Jay Steinfeld. [2:00] Jay talks about marketing via video and social media in the 90’s. [6:20] Utilizing radio and TV advertisements. [8:00] Jay talks about Home Depot acquiring his business. [14:00] Lessons learned from an acquisition. [16:47] Why did Jay stay on once Home Depot acquired his company? [18:10] What skill sets did Jay have to learn as a CEO that was different from being an entrepreneur? [19:50] Hiring the right people and creating effective systems. [21:10] What was the highest and lowest points for Jay in life and business? In this episode… Expanding leadership and

Today we have Russell Saks founder of Campus Protein. He started a national supplement company while attending Indiana University and grew it to over 1200 sales reps and he went from zero to 7 figures in revenue. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:00] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Russell Saks. [1:50] How did Russell get his business started? [4:00] Russell talks about the impact of seeing his grandfather as an entrepreneur. [5:50] How Russell started getting involved with supplements. [19:02] What advice did Russell learn from the BEST Competition? [20:30] Facing a crossroads - continue the startup or go with the backup plan? [23:30] Russell talks about starting their own product line. [26:30] How does Russell and his team decide when to launch a new flavor? [31:20] Russell talks about guerilla marketing. [35:00] The benefit of using samples. [36:00] Building a sales rep team. [41:00] How has Russell’s team training process changed over time? [48:00] Russell talks about his difficulties

Briana Borten has built 3 spas into an 8-figure business encompassing a variety of wellness products, including nutritional supplements and the life planner called the Dream Book. She is cofounder of DragonTree. She's also the author of The Well Life: How to Use Structure, Sweetness, and Space to Create Balance, Happiness, and Peace (http://amzn.to/2dHrpVA) Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:07] Jeremy introduces today’s guest; Briana Borten. 1:40 Briana talks about visiting Europe. 2:20 Briana’s story about fracturing her spine. 3:40 What lead Briana to open her first Spa? 8:00 What worked and didn’t work for Briana as they started the Spa? 9:30 How did Briana build her client base? 11:20 Opening a Spa in an airport. 13:30 The challenges to running a business in an airport. 17:20 Parting wisdom from Briana. In this episode… A reputation is a powerful tool in the business world. It can make or break your company’s brand before a customer ever walks through your door. What is the secret that enables

Very few companies can claim to have a customer service legacy. But Eddie Lichstein, coFounder of Autoplicity.com can point to the customer service approach they’ve taken to build the company. His auto parts company has gone from 0 to 50 million dollars in 4 years. He is also the Founder of THMotorsports.com that sells car parts - and the company celebrated 10 years and over 100,000 customers just recently. Eddie is also the coFounder of Rejoiner.com, an email marketing automation software for Ecommerce companies. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Eddie Lichstein. [2:28] Why Eddie is focused on building a legacy that helps others. [8:47] The beginning of Autoplicity and the idea for expansion. [9:36] The beginnings of eCommerce 10 years ago. [14:02] The process the company follows to help customers and others via social. [16:49] The initial products and traction for TH Motorsports. [21:36] Building the business’ customer base on forums. [24:49] The thing

Today we have Ian Stanley who is a Top Direct Response Marketer. He Has written email copy for large 7 and 8 figure companies with email lists topping 1.2 million subscribers.He is the founder of Fixt Water and is on a mission to change people’s lives by providing drinkable water, no matter the condition. He even has a disgusting video where he collected water with mud and waste and then drinks it after being filtered by a Fixt Water pitcher. In this episode… What is the best plan for success? Is rapid growth always the best outcome? You’ve heard the old adage, slow and steady wins the race. But does that concept apply to the business world? Innovator Ian Stanley believes that it does. He has been involved in multiple successful business ventures over the years but this time he’s taking a different approach. With his new business Fixt Water, Ian is practicing a high degree of patience. He is confident that his product will deliver the success he is after. Taking this long view approach affords Ian the time to

David Rabie is the Founder of Tovala which is a Smart Oven that is paired with a meal delivery service. Essentially you get a fresh healthy packaged meal delivered and you scan the package and pop it in the Smart Oven and it knows the precise time and method to cook the meal to perfection whether it be broiling, baking, steaming or convection. They sold 250K worth of Tovala ovens on Kickstarter and 100K of that in one day. They also won the University of Chicago New Venture Challenge in 2015. To date they have raised over 700K. In this episode… How an innovator meets and overcomes challenges on their journey says a lot about their character and internal fortitude. One of the many obstacles entrepreneurs like David Robie face is tackling critical feedback. David and his company Tovala have been gearing up for the product introduction of their new Smart Oven. Using his business savvy, David has sought out and embraced critiques and tough feedback for his product. A huge part of this process is incorporating the

We’ve all heard Gandhi's famous words, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Tony Grebmeier is a guy who has learned that when he focuses on that truth, amazing things happen. Tony is the co-founder Ship Offers, a fulfillment company that he built with 2 of his Childhood friends Doug Roberts and Gil Gerstein. Fifteen years later, Ship Offers is an eight-figure business that has been an INC 5000 Company for the past three years in a row. They ship out over 1 million orders per year.Tony also serves as the host of The Tony G Show, a podcast that brings together his love for business and self improvement. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with Tony Grebmeier. [1:50] The things Tony attributes his success to. [4:05] Tony’s vision to build his fulfillment operations company worldwide. [5:33] Outgrowing a new space in 3 months - and how it happened. [7:58] How the present moment helps Tony center his life and get more done. [8:29] The kinds of products Tony

Amazon FBA is one of the places James Thomson is a specialist. He is founder of MarketplaceAccelerator.com which is a consulting company for large Amazon sellers typically over $10million. James is the former business head of “Selling on Amazon”. He developed the initial Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) NUDGE program that helped Amazon sellers generate an extra $1 billion in annual sales. He also has a Ph.D. in Marketing Strategy from Northwestern University. His primary focus is President of the PROSPER Show, an educational conference focused on helping online sellers become more profitable.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:15] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode with James Thomson. [1:20] The main tips James has for Amazon sellers who are starting out. [5:22] The biggest mistakes Amazon sellers make. [9:21] The biggest challenge of owning your own brand on Amazon. [11:12] Tips to help with listing products effectively. [15:07] What are the main things sellers on Amazon should focus on to build the

 The guest on this episode of Inspired Insider is Russell Saks, founder of Campus Protein. He started a national supplement company while attending Indiana University and grew it to over 1200 sales reps. The business has grown from zero to 7 figures in revenue to date. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:23] Jeremy’s introduction of today’s guest, Russell Saks. [2:50] The most challenging parts of running the business. [3:58] The lowest moment Russell has experienced in business. [6:41] Amazing transformations Russell has seen in his customers. [12:10] Issues among the team and how they work issues through. [13:41] A fun fact about Russell: His love for magic (see the video below). In this episode… Missing inventory is an issue that no product based business ever wants to deal with. But it was the reality for Russell Saks and the team at Campus Protein at one point. Tracking down exactly what happened to the inventory and how it happened was only half the trouble. The other half was the cash flow crun

Eliminating waste in the banana fields where their products are sources is important to Nik Ingersoll, cofounder and Chief Marketing Officer of Barnana. With is co-funders with Caue Suplicy and Matt Clifford Barnana has taken the organic snack market by storm. Barnana is a healthy organic banana snack with flavors like coconut/banana, banana chocolate and many more. They are in over 5000 stores including Safeway and Whole Foods and are in the US, Japan, Canada and Australia. There company is on a mission to end food waste at banana farms.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:10] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode of the podcast with Nik Ingersoll. [2:03] How Nik and the company got into Japan and Australia. [6:04] The use of bananas and the company’s approach to utilize more (less waste). [9:19] Guerrilla marketing busts and booms. [12:11] Utilizing relationships from Expos and events. [15:38] Scrambling to meet the demand once Whole Foods was a reality. [18:14] The process of finding the right sup

Embezzlement is a serious thing - and on this episode of Inspired Insider you’ll hear top entrepreneur and business strategist Vinnie Fisher tell of his lowest moment, when he was tempted to embezzle money from his company. Using his 10+ years experience as a tax and business lawyer he started his entrepreneurial journey in 2007 and since has grown businesses to 7, 8 and 9 figures generating over $300 million in gross revenue for his own companies. Just to give you an example He has started 9 locations for adults with disabilities, information publishing, a web hosting company brain host that grossed over $100 million, a website security company site trust, a health supplement company, and is presently Founder and CEO of Fully Accountable, they act as CFO for your company, a done for you back office solution that allows you to make data driven decisions based on your numbers Founder of Total CEO an education company that caters to CEO’s to help grow and scale their company. He is author of The CEO’s mindset:

Business as mission is one of the foundational compoments of what Peter Awad and the Mission Meats team are doing. Peter founded Import Auto Performance which he has grown to 7 figures. IAPDirect.com has been selling car parts online for over 15 years. He is also Co-Founder of Mission Meats that sells grass fed beef sticks and bars and they even donate a portion of the profits to organizations. If that was not enough he runs the Slow Hustle Podcast showcasing the massive roller coaster that is entrepreneurship. He manages to do all of this with 4 kids!   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:52] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Peter Awad. [1:48] A day in the life of Peter Awad, big rocks, and the power of chunking. [6:20] How connections are fueling success and why business as mission matters. [12:00] Why it’s important to Peter that his company is truly making a difference. [15:10] Peter’s most memorable experiences in business. [18:40] The biggest lessons Peter has learned from his Dad. [21:

Dealing with grief is hard enough, but even harder when you are running a busy startup business like Zapier. Wade Foster, co-founder of Zapier discusses his hardest moment on this episode: The loss of his father. Zapier is a software integration tool that enables you to connect your most used apps and software packages to automate an amazing amount of routine tasks. The Zapier team grew the business from 0 to 600,000 users in just 3 years. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction to this episode with Wade Foster of Zapier. [2:00] Wade’s lowest moment in business so far: the death of his father. [5:33] The proudest moments Wade has experienced so far. [6:20] Team experiences that have brought about breakthroughs. [8:00] How you can connect with Wade or Zapier. [8:56] Chrome extensions available through Zapier. In this episode… When Zapier - the amazing automation tool that integrates thousands of functions into seamless workflows - was in its beginning stages, co-founder Wade Foste

Chris Voss spent 24 years in the FBI and was the FBI’s lead international kidnapping and hostage negotiator for 4 years. He was an Instructor of International Business Negotiation at Harvard and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown and University of Southern California MBA programs. He is author of Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It. He founded the Black Swan Group which is a negotiating consulting firm that applies his field tested lessons of hostage, crisis and kidnapping negotiation to the business negotiation world.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:24] Jeremy’s introduction of this episode and his guest, Christopher Voss. [1:59] Kidnapping in the Philippines and how the bad guys complimented Chris’ negotiation team. [10:36] How Chris learned to use “that’s right” as a powerful negotiating technique. [13:46] How empathy fits into the task of negotiation. [19:46] Why champions practice and what it means for negotiations. [24:40] The skill of labeling in a neg

Never give up. You hear it said a lot these days but it’s not always so easy to decide if it’s good advice. Jake Atwood, founder of Buzzbuilder knows the struggle to make the decision intimately. In the journey to create Buzzbuilder, an amazing software that allows sales professionals to automate their cold email outreach, he had to make the decision between startup success or going to find a corporate job. By never giving up he’s bgeen able to make it his singular focus to make it easy for salespeople to pack their pipeline with qualified leads. He shows a warmer approach for prospecting to busy executives besides the dreaded cold calling methods. Buzzbuilderpro.com has tools and programs that have been implemented by over 25,000 sales professionals. Thanks to John Corcoran for introducing us   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [0:23] Jeremy’s introduction of Jake Atwood and BuzzBuilderPro [1:42] The lowest point in Jake’s career so far. [6:17] The big revenue break 4 months after a self-imposed deadli

Global Food Sources are now being used to create healthy and in-demand products and Brian Oaks, founder of Global Goods uses the demand to generate a supply in struggling areas where the economic boost is most needed. Global Goods is a company that sources and manufactures Agave Nectar, Coconut Oil, and mexican Vanilla products. The company also produces its own Natural Skincare line Cocave. Global Goods sells all over the world and do this by also providing local jobs to struggling areas in Africa , Asia, the Dominican Republic and many other nations.   Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:05] Jeremy’s introduction of Brian Oaks, CEO of Global Goods. [2:00] When Brian first went to Africa to source possible products. [13:01] The first problems Brian had building the business globally. [21:07] The way Brian’s parents taught him to fight his own battles. [29:02] The things Brian wanted to do in high school and college. [36:15] Brian’s first experiences trying to import products from Mexico vanilla. [44:5