Know Pain, Know Gain

“If I'm going to do this, I'm going all in. ” -Aaron Fulk    In this episode, Jay interviews Aaron Fulk, founder of Lillian James Creative, a B2B content marketing and digital agency out of Kansas City.  Aaron bootstrapped the company and grew it to over seven figures in revenue as a single mom that dropped out of college! Jay and Aaron have a candid discussion about the realities of what it's like to launch your own business, including topics like: imposter syndrome, scarcity mindset, what can you do versus what should you do, going all-in, mental health for entrepreneurs, and so much more...   Visit https://jayrooke.com/090-Aaron-Fulk/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Episode Highlights: 02:51 Content in the Business Context 05:48 Processes are Essentials  12:34 Going All-In 24:20 Single Parenting and Entrepreneurship 33:57 Scarcity Mindset No More 36:30 Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster 40:40 Prove It Before You Pos

“If the only thing in your life is your business, there's a tendency to want to work on it all the time which is not necessarily the most healthy thing in the world.” -Kevin McArdle   In this episode, Jay connects with Kevin McArdle, founder of SureSwift Capital.   Kevin's company buys bootstrapped, successful SaaS businesses and then manages them as a holding company.  They usually buy companies from software developers that are working on their business as a side hustle. Some interview topics include: stripping down your business model to core functions, ignoring the haters, high-stakes entrepreneurial leaps, aligning with one's niche, don't overcomplicate your business, navigating culture change, managing a remote work force, and so much more.     Visit https://jayrooke.com/089-Kevin-McArdle/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook LinkedIn  Twitter Episode Highlights: 02:08 How SureSwift Capital Move 11:35 Why People Sell Their Biz 17:11 Ta

“If trust is not there, then no one will ever get the results that they're going to need.” -Judy Foley   In this episode, Jay talks with Judy Foley, author of Retaliation at the Highest Level and founder of The Culture of Trust.  Judy focuses on cultivating and changing organizational culture, so this episode dials in on: being deliberate about culture creation early on in a business's growth cycle, upleveling and growing the business, "as is" versus "should be" mentality, increasing employee buy-in and engagement, trust as a growth multiplier, and taking calculated risks in your business.   Visit https://jayrooke.com/088-Judy-Foley/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke  Episode Highlights: 01:38 The Culture of Trust 07:08 Setting the Culture at the Forefront  15:31 The Role of EQ 19:44 Scalability vs Giving Hono

“It's good customer service to show your customers that you care enough to give them a quality professional product.” -Kelly Wilson    In this episode, Jay chats with Kelly Wilson, who has been running a voice over business as a side hustle for several years, and just left corporate to go all-in and make it her primary income.  Jay and Kelly discuss: how to plan for success when going from side hustle to business launch, saying no to bad clients, how to find your magic, the terrifying experience of going all-in, exercising extraordinary focus while engaging the creative, and so much more....   Visit https://jayrooke.com/087-Kelly-Wilson  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook  LinkedIn  Twitter Episode Highlights: 02:18 Voice Over Calls Over 07:37 Get a Coach 09:44 Running the Side Hustle 21:54 How to Get Premium Pricing From VO 27:20 Are You Giving Quality Professional Product 32:47 Focus on ONE 41:57 Solidify Your Foundation

“We need more empathy, but we need to put empathy into action.” -Maria Ross   In this episode, Jay brings on author and founder, Maria Ross for an eye-opening dialogue around harnessing the power of empathy in the workplace.  Maria is the owner of a brand consultancy, and recently published the book, The Empathy Edge.  Jay and Maria discuss: entrepreneurial timing, not parking your values at the door, the business case for empathy and its connection to innovation and sales, curiosity in business, "it's just business", getting triggered, situational fluency and so much more....   Visit https://jayrooke.com/086-Maria-Ross/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook  LinkedIn Twitter Episode Highlights: 02:30 Empathy in the Business Context 09:39 How Empathy Boosts Innovation and Productivity 15:00 Empathy and Decisiveness 19:47 The Practical Applications of Empathy 23:50 Empathy and Curiosity 27:09 The Science of Empathy Work Out  34:35 Empathy for

“The more room you have to fail, the more space you have to innovate.” -Christopher O’Donnell   In this episode, Jay interviews Christopher O'Donnell, SVP of Product at Hubspot, and founder of the rock band The Providers.  Christopher manages a rapidly growing creative team at Hubspot, and thus he and Jay chat deeply about fostering creativity as a small business owner, but also: adaptability as an entrepreneurial skill set, celebrating the little wins, soliciting feedback from the right people, imposter syndrome, gap awareness, running controlled experiments and viewing one's self as a talent agent/coach.    Visit https://jayrooke.com/085-Christopher-ODonnel/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke/  Episode Highlights: 02:07 Shifting the Power in Shop & Buy  07:11 Implementing Peer Leadership 16:19 Be “The Agent”

“As we get to be more in control of our own lives, we feel differently in terms of how burned out we are or how balanced and happy we are.” -Sarah Argenal   In this episode, Jay chats with Sarah Argenal, founder of the Argenal Institute.  Sarah is a speaker/author/coach that specializes in dealing with burnout, which is rampant in the entrepreneurial community.  Jay and Sarah discuss identifying the symptoms of burnout, learning how one gets burned out, what to do about it if you are, and how we, as a culture, became so burned out so fast and how to leverage self-awareness to avoid burn out.     Visit https://jayrooke.com/084-Sarah-Argenal/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke  Episode Highlights: 02:14 A Must Talk- The Burnout Hitch  06:45 Burnout Markers (the High Achiever and the Overachiever) 10:47 Where Burnou

“Doing this whole entrepreneurial, personal development journey by yourself is hard. It's really really hard and it's unnecessary.”   In this episode, Jay chats with the master of masterminds, Sara Christensen, founder of Kickass Masterminds.  Jay and Sara have a candid conversation about the predatory nature of marketing "gurus," the isolation of entrepreneurship, how to find the right mastermind fit for you and your business, using "borrowed beliefs," the art of masterminding, and accelerating success through group dynamics versus the lone wolf mentality.   Visit https://jayrooke.com/083-Sara-Christensen/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 03:24 What is a Mastermind  09:08 How to Get the Right People Together 14:18 Curation and the Common Mistakes    18:50 Factors to Consider in Mastermind I

“Just pick something and go for it; and go for it really, really hard.” -Helen Pritchard   In this episode, Jay talks with Helen Pritchard, a LinkedIn expert who helps clients increase inbound lead generation.  Brace yourself--Helen is not afraid to swear in delivering her message as she shares insights with us such as: why you should never ask for feedback, that you want to repel as many people as possible with your messaging, writing love letters to your prospective clients and how she grew her business as a stressed out single mom.     Visit https://jayrooke.com/082-Helen-Pritchard  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 01:54 LinkedIn- A Cash Machine 05:41 4 Pillars of Content  14:26 Repel as Many People as Possible  23:16 Rule of 10 29:54 A Love Letter to Clients 36:30 Inbound Lead Generation

“It's really important that we have that growth and expand the canopy and generate revenue and profit and keep expanding. But on the other hand, to bear in mind that if we don't also nurture those roots, that tree becomes really fragile when they start to blow.” -Dennis Kiley   In this episode, Jay interviews Dennis Kiley, founder of the Ecopsychology Initiative in Maine.  Dennis has developed a training series that helps business owners understand and repair their businesses through the medium of the principles of nature.  As such, the two discuss the value of nature in keeping the entrepreneurial mind calm, how to leverage nature to increase your problem solving ability, viewing your business as having seasons and acting accordingly, etc--it was a refreshing and out of the box dialogue with some immediately applicable takeaways.  Check it out!     Visit https://jayrooke.com/081-Dennis-Kiley/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/     Follow me on: Facebook: https://www

“Your true happiness comes into your relationships, your health and your wealth and having that balance between those three worlds.” -Ody Andrianos   In this episode, Jay chats with Ody Andrianos, founder of Ody's Gym.  Ody is a wellness coach that is working on launching a retreat center; he currently owns two gyms and teaches his clients at the intersection of the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual planes.  Ody and Jay talk about: how it's all about mindset, surrounding yourself with a culture of confidence, unpacking the limiting beliefs that hold us back, allowing success versus forcing it, the masculine and the feminine of business, quantum physics in entrepreneurship and so much more....   Visit https://jayrooke.com/080-Ody-Andrianos/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 02:13 A Pas

“Authenticity ...is about being able to show up and be yourself, because that's what people are going to connect with. And being willing to ask for help when you need it, and accept help when it's given.” -Brandi Johnson   In this episode, Brandi Johnson joins us; Brandi is a marketing consultant for small business owners and entrepreneurs and she brought a wealth of knowledge to the table.  If marketing is your challenge, this is your episode. Jay and Brandi discuss topics such as: introducing sequencing to your marketing, SIMPLIFYING your marketing strategy, brand congruence, how to retain marketing companies and identifying which risks you want to take when marketing your product or service.     Visit https://jayrooke.com/079-Brandi-Johnson/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke/    Episode Highlights: 01:56 Helping

“Entrepreneurship is tough… So you better have a bloody good reason for doing it that's beyond the money. You gotta find your purpose, because otherwise you will throw in the towel.” -Dov Baron   Jay says this is one of his favorite episodes to date--here he chats with Dov Baron, a powerhouse coach, best-selling author and speaker.  They cover: why every entrepreneur needs to be pissing people off, how to create a purpose-driven culture (even if you're a solopreneur), navigating entrepreneurial shame, identifying the rational lies in our decision making, benefiting from massive setbacks, and so much more.....   Visit https://jayrooke.com/078-Dov-Baron/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/     Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 01:08 Why Be A Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur 08:48 How to Find Your Purpose 13:17 Who’s the Enemy? 19:25 Sham

“We all get hijacked by those bad moments, and it ruins our day. And it doesn't have to.” -Michael O’Brien    In this episode, Jay talks with former pharma executive, Michael O'Brien, who after suffering a near-fatal cycling accident now serves as an author, speaker and coach.  Michael's newest book is "My Last Bad Day--Shift" where he focuses on not letting bad moments turn into bad days. Jay asks him about that process during the podcast, as well as: learning to trust the process, playing Superman in your business, how to exercise patience as an entrepreneur, chasing band-aids, not personalizing setbacks, and how Michael responds to bad moments by taking a PBR.   Visit https://jayrooke.com/077-Michael-OBrien/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 01:48 When Superman Has A Last Bad Day 12:11 Wa

“It's valuing our audience and what their plight is.”  -Neil Gordon   In this episode, Jay has a great conversation around creating effective messaging with content coach, Neil Gordon.  They discuss how to effectively position yourself relative to the problem you solve, and where it fits in the marketplace, as well as: how to get your expertise recognized, being more effective in networking situations, how to inspire a belief that change is possible, the importance of differentiating yourself from your competition, and so much more...   Visit https://jayrooke.com/074-Neil-Gordon/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 01:25 The Content Coach 07:33 No Drama Selling 10:35 Frame Your Work Right  18:06 Empowered  27:27 Get it Right the First Time 33:42 Creating the Trust 39:50 Get Them Invested

“If you can describe what you're doing, it can be done. “ -Jeremy Redman   In this episode, Jay interviews Jeremy Redman, app builder and founder of Your VOne.  His mission is to make app creation available to everyone who wants one. Jay and Jeremy discuss all things app related, such as: why would a small business want an app, what stage of business does it make sense to create an app, insights around design and core functionality, iterating and getting market validation before you spend money, the app as an extension of your brand, and so much more....    Visit https://jayrooke.com/073-Jeremy-Redman/  for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 03:00 A Tech Entrepreneur From Sunset Boulevard 09:16 It’s About Market Opinion 12:22 Should You Have a Business App?  18:52 Boosting Branding and the Anti-App

“Just having a great product isn't enough, you actually have to know how to leverage marketing, and how to reach your market in order to build a business.”  -Jill Soley    In this episode, Jay interviews Jill Soley, a Strategic Product and Marketing leader and author of Beyond Product.  In Beyond Product, Jill interviewed over 50 startup founders, and in this episode, she shares some of the common mistakes that early-stage founders make with regard to marketing.  Jay and Jill discuss her theory on the 5 stages of marketing, placing small bets, how to remain optimistic in the face of failure, how marketing needs to be thought of as a 2-way conversation with your customers, and so much more.   Visit https://jayrooke.com/072-Jill-Soley/ for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke  Episode Highlights: 01:50 Beyond Product 07:27

“Self awareness and responsibility, those are two key things.” -Gail Carruthers   In this episode, Jay brings on Gail Carruthers, founder of Sky Blue Acres, an executive leadership and team building facility where she works with horses to facilitate insightful and transformational sessions for corporate clients.  Gail's work is quite rare, and as a result, Jay and Gail have an episode where they cover topics such as: why horses are ideal for identifying our blindspots, learning (and enforcing) our boundaries, the balance between responsibility and self-awareness, what the herd mentality can teach us about team dynamics, how horses are hard-wired to perceive energies, and so much more....   Visit https://jayrooke.com/071-Gail-Carruthers for resources and show notes.    Check out my website: https://jayrooke.com/    Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TribeCreator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayrooke/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayRooke    Episode Highlights: 01:29 Out of Your Jargo