Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do

There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society. People feel disconnected. Many admit to not having close friends. And these people work on your team. These issues go back before the pandemic, but it has become more pronounced in the last three years. When people feel part of a community, they will be more dedicated to their jobs. But with so many remote workers, it is harder to have a meaningful relationship with coworkers. This episode challenges leaders to look at their team and really understanding who feels disconnected. If you want to up your retention rates, you have to get people to feel engaged with the whole company. Do you feel alone, or do you know your team has people who are disconnected? Are you doing something about this? https://thomsinger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In another short episode of "Making Waves at C-Level", Thom Singer shares his thoughts about trying new things and the journey he has been on to reinvent himself since turning 50. It is easy to be in a comfort zone - but that can hold you back. In your career and life you need to branch out and try new things. Thom is open that throughout his life he did not go for things in life or business that he did not think he would kick ass. But being scared to try new things holds you back. He shares the story of doing Stand Up Comedy at age 52 and how he has now done over 160 open mic nights. While he is NOT that funny (yet?), going out and doing it anyway has helped him succeed in other ways. Pushing yourself into had situations prepares you for other tough hurdles that come up in the journey of life. Often people get worried about if others are judging them. But if we worry about what other people think, we do not do all the things that we can experience. What have you always wanted to try that you have neve

Networking (and the benefits of having a real network) is not just about passing out business cards or having LinkedIn connections. The real opportunities come from building friendships. But making friends is harder as we get older. There are many reason why, but if you want to make friends, you have to lead with being a friend. Entrepreneurs who are known, liked, and trusted always seem to win over the long run. Being a jerk has short term value, but I know one very rich person who everyone hates. So what if he has a nice car and fancy house, being around him it is clear he is insecure and sad. This episode talks about how and why to make friendships in your career and to encourage your employees to do the same. But you are not friends with everyone you meet. Meeting someone once does NOT make them part of your network. Change up how you think about people and friendships in business and you will find long-term success. Yes, people really do prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust

Sometimes sales managers try to discourage their sales professionals from networking. This is often NOT because they think it is a waste of time, it is because they fear that if the high achiever is well known in a community or industry, they will be hired away by another company. For the individual contributor, your network is your key to a long career. If you are not known and you get laid off, you have to start at square one. So never allow your network to be cold or non-existent. You must get engaged in your community / industry to ensure you have options. Plus, when you are seen as the subject expert...you will make more sales. So why would a leader not want their people to network. In today's world if you have a good employee, others will know about her or him. You cannot hide people away and assume this will be good for the company. Having your whole team engaged in your industry and community raises the visibility of you company. When your team is well known, and you offer competitive produc

Today's podcast is a quick plug for a new book called "Everyone Wants to Work Here" by Maura Thomas. In this episode Thom Singer shares reasons to read this new book, especially how well chapter 7 describes the realities of how remote and hybrid work are changing business. Thom admits that Maura is his friend, but this is not why he chose to share the information about her book... he shared this because it is a good book that all leaders need to read. Attracting the right talent is a major concern of every business leader, and keeping them engaged and energized matters more than ever. If you want you company to dominate your market...you need to check this out. Find the book on Amazon https://a.co/d/1ocKwN0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a long hiatus, Thom Singer returns to hosing "Making Waves at C-Level". But as he always teaches, we have to try new things. He is stepping away from interviews, and doing short episodes with ideas and advice. Today he talks about leaders who pretend they are prefect and who lie on social media about how great they are (when you often know they are fluffing up their greatness). He says real leaders can admit to mistakes. What do you think? https://thomsinger.com/podcast/dont-be-full-of-sht Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out this episode of "Making Waves at C-Level" when Thom Singer sits down with serial entrepreneur Henrik Johansson from Gembah. About Henrik Johansson Henrik Johansson is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded and built the product company Boundless into a $100M company. Currently he is the co-founder and CEO of Gembah, a product development platform and marketplace, and the Executive Producer of Final Product, a reality TV show incubated at Gembah. He was previously a co-founder and board member of OutboundEngine, and before that the president of EverydayWealth, and co-founder and president of Creditland. Johansson specializes in technology-enabled services, marketplaces, and software as a service. He is an expert on scaling startups, building world-class teams, culture, and scalable processes and infrastructure and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Austin Business Journal, and was named Counselor's 2017 Person of the Year. About Gembah- The 1st Marketplace for Product Development Gembah is

When a podcast host gets an inquiry from someone with a great last name, how do you not put them on the show! LOL. In this episode Thom Singer sits down to talk AI Powered Financing Platform, SmartBiz with CEO Evan Singer (no relation - they are NOT cousins or brothers). About Evan Singer: Evan Singer is CEO of SmartBiz, the leading AI-powered small business financing platform equipping entrepreneurs with access to the right capital at the right time. To date, SmartBiz has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in financing while increasing efficiency for its network of banks and trusted lending partners. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have utilized SmartBiz to access the funding they need to grow, with 60% of loans made to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. Singer was honored as a Top 100 Stanford Alumni in Technology in 2021 and a Top 25 CEO in Fintech in 2022.    About SmartBiz: On the heels of the Great Recession, a team of technologists, entrepreneurs, and finance geeks came together

Listen now for lessons in PR from the founder and president of Grapevine PR in Austin, Texas.   This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Steven Le Vine has released a new book called "Stories That F*cking Matter: Three pillars of epic storytelling to dominate media headlines, win clients, and grow your business". This is a must read for all business leaders.   About Steven Le Vine: Steven Le Vine is an award-winning publicist and PR strategist, and founder of Grapevine PR, since 2006. The firm's clients include tech and consumer brands, celebrities and high-profile experts. He has secured clients wide-ranging press from sit-down interviews with Oprah, The View, The Talk, NBC Today, CNBC, and CNN, to placemen

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Today we chat with Nad Elias, CEO at recruitAbility. His story of working in the recruiting business for nearly 25 years, and his commitment to growing his team and culture will inspire you.   About Nad Elias Nad Elias has been in the search recruitment industry for 20+ years. Recognized as one of the top 50 recruiters in Texas, he is known for working with and advising companies on their talent acquisition and retention strategies, consistently delivering on-target results, and building high-performing teams. Nad founded recruitAbility with the purpose-driven mission to make the lives of everyone they connect with better. Nad’s career has spanned all aspects of empl

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Today we chat changes in the world of "search" with Madhu Basu from Unnanu. In this episode we talk about how the right tech brings more opportunities, and how he sees "search" as broken. About Madhu Basu   Madhu has been an Austinite for over 23 years, living in Austin metropolis. He is the CEO and Founder of Unnanu, a technology startup from Austin that helps businesses by utilizing a patented contextual weighted keyword search. Also, the founder and CEO of PMCS Services, provides IT consulting, staffing, and solutions services for over 16 years.   He also co-founded three more businesses previously. Madhu is the former President of a non-profit organization that focu

Thom sits down to talk about why companies should offer employee benefits with the President of Excel Benefits, Michael Bigley. Companies with less than 50 employees do not necessarily need to offer benefits, but for many this is a great retention and recruiting tool. Even if they seem "expensive", many companies find that the right package is worth the investment. About Michael Bigley Michael Bigley has lived in San Antonio, Texas most of his life, except when he attended Texas State University, where he graduated in 1979 with a B.A. in Business. In 1984, he entered the Life Insurance Business with Mass Mutual.  In 1998, he earned the prestigious Certified Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College,  a non-profit, industry accredited, degree-granting institution.  Only 5% of professionals in his field has obtained this title.    Mike founded Excel Benefits Inc. in 1991, with the goal of assisting businesses of all sizes navigate the ever-changing costs and processes of benefits implementa

Former Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime joins the conversation on “Making Waves at C-Level”. Award-winning innovator and disrupter, Reggie Fils-Aimé has been revered by business leaders and gaming fans alike for helping to bring some of Nintendo’s greatest successes– the Nintendo DS, the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the Nintendo Switch – to the global marketplace.  In his bestselling book, DISRUPTING THE GAME: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo, Fils-Aimé shares his story of grit and determination for the first time—from his humble beginnings in the Bronx as the son of Haitian immigrants, to the top of Nintendo as one of the most powerful names in the gaming industry—and the first American and African American president and chief operating officer for the company.  Immortalized for opening Nintendo’s 2004 E3 presentation with, “My name is Reggie, I'm about kicking ass. I'm about taking names, and we're about making games,” Fils-Aimé is a veteran at transforming companies, revi

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Michael Ward Jr from the Austin Urban Technology Movement joins the conversation on the "Making Waves at C-Level" podcast to take about how to train new employees with internships and apprenticeships. Tech companies need great employees, and many skip training and growing talent and just poach from their neighbors. But this episode will dive deep into other ways to build your community of engaged employees. About Michael Ward Jr. Michael Ward Jr. is a social entrepreneur who focuses on STEAM, workforce development, and economic empowerment. Originally from Miami, FL, Michael began his career at Oracle in enterprise sales, focusing on cloud and on-premise technology. Du

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Today we chat about Behavioral Health with Ray Wolf and Brain Tucker from Televero Health. They are rewriting the way people get access to behavioral health by providing better access to the care people need. About Televero Health Televero Health provides Virtual Behavioral Health services across Texas, including psychiatry, therapy, and counseling for moderate and acute patients. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals needing care and our community’s safety. Televero breaks through the behavioral health access paradigm by offering access to licensed clinicians within seven days of the referral and accepting insurance. We operate an evidence-based integrate

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too. Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Connecting with your constituents (internally and externally) and understanding your message is important for companies of all sizes. Technology companies need to pay attention to their messaging, think about communication with employees (do not let them learn about your company events in the media), and to position their brands for long term success.   This episode is an important conversation with Kathleen Lucente from Red Fan Communications. She is a C-Suite Whisperer to high tech B to B companies, and has a team of experts that kicks butt in assisting clients with their internal and external messaging, investor relations, and crisis communications.   She also share

In this episode we go deep on how to you bounce back. Brain Wagner helps people see things they have never seen before. He went blind 12 years ago and now sees more than he ever has before. Brian is a speaker and works with the Ohio State School for the Blind.  He believes all of us can do more than we ever thought we could, and this episode will make you think deeper about how to bounce back when you face something difficult.  About Brian Wagner Embrace your own personal blindness to drive better performance. That's what Brian Wagner has done through BounceBack Leadership. He is the founder and CEO of "A Radical Vision." His mission is to help people embrace their own personal blindness to achieve a greater focus and drive better performance. Brian has worked with boards and organizations to clear the path for growth.  On March 4 of 2011 he woke up on the couch and wasn't able to see. For the next six months, he was blind. Only brain surgery and multiple eye surgeries have allowed a portion of his visio

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. This episode is a great conversation about change, the rate of change, and the power of Community. Rebecca (Becky) Taylor has been an active software engineer, entrepreneur, community activist, and advisor for over three decades in the Austin community and beyond. She was an early member of the Austin Technology Council (originally called the Austin Software Council) and remains active working with the Austin Technology Incubator - the oldest continuous tech incubator in the United States.   Check out this episode and be inspired.  About Becky Taylor Rebecca (Becky) Taylor is Executive-In-Residence at the Austin Technology Incubator, and Industry Fellow at UT-Aust

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. Min Choe and Angell Tsang sit down to talk about their unique company, Tso Chinese Delivery. Many would not expect a delivery and carry-out quick service restaurant to also be a leading technology company. But in Austin, Texas you find unique tech pioneer in many forms. This interview is both inspiring and informative.  If you have never heard of Tso Chinese Delivery, you will. They are on their way to being the leading provider of great food to your door anywhere in the world....and they do it with proprietary technology.  About Tso Chinese Delivery Tso Chinese Delivery is a delivery and carryout-only, quick service restaurant concept in Austin, TX. Offering free de

This episode is co-produced with the Austin Technology Council. ATC is a 30 year old association focused on promoting and facilitating growth of technology companies in Central Texas. Over the past three decades the business ecosystem in Austin has changed, and ATC is actively changing, too.  Learn more at https://AustinTechnologyCouncil.org. This is a great conversation with Sarah Jones Simmer about resilience and the courage to show up. Sarah has a wonderful story that lead her from majoring in music to the CEO of a leading digital health company innovating in the weight space. You must hear this interview!   Sarah Jones Simmer will be the featured Keynote Speaker at the Austin Technology Council's CEO Summit on October 17, 2022. If you are a C-Suite executive, you will want to be sure to be present for this event in Austin, Texas.  About Sarah Jones Simmer Sarah Jones Simmer is an executive, investor, board member and C-level operator. In September 2021, she joined Found as CEO, with a mission to make