Anything But Typical Gary Frey & Ben McDonald

“I want someone when they look at what I’m doing, to say, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’” – Chris J. Loucy For many years, Chris’ entrepreneurial journey was the stuff of dreams. Following a successful stint in sales, he rolled the dice on his own flooring company & won…big time. He blew his competition out of the water & experienced almost unreal growth.Until one day, when the dream became a nightmare. An unfair lawsuit filed against his company eventually became too big to fight. Chris was forced to close his doors.Which is where the story would end if he was a “typical” entrepreneur. Of course, he’s anything but! Today, you’ll find Chris helping small business owners mitigate their financial risk in their own companies by establishing business credit & the company’s financial foundation.His mission? To prevent others from experiencing the kind of heartache & ruin he personally experienced.Service & purpose. Well done, indeed.To learn more:Check out how Chris is impacting others at JGalt.ioServing others instead of wallowing in self-pity... It’s like Rick Warren said, “Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others.”

"We think that we are providing benefits to somebody and incentives. Actually, we're creating little fires and warring factions." - Kevin D. Monaghan Most organizations incentivize key employees with creative pay & perks like equity splits. Better pay + better benefits = obviously happy employees who stick around, work hard, & grow the company.t's easy and great math, except for the fact that it doesn't work. As Kevin can speak to personally, equity splits often produce arguments, jealousy, and resentment. Key employees are left at risk.It's a tough pill he was forced to swallow, sleeping on the floor of a 9'x9' apartment, rebuilding his life after losing everything to a work "family" who promised him the moon & then burned him badly.So, what's the alternative to splitting equity & keeping good people? Kevin knows now, & he's on a mission to tell the world.Check out IntuitiveCompensation.com for more info & download his FREE book at BucketsBook.com.

“I hated it, hated it with a passion.” — George Ramsay When George looks back on music lessons of his youth, he remembers only misery. Stuffy piano teachers, monotonous scales, and the dread of upcoming recitals made faking sickness a weekly occurrence. Music lessons were the enemy, and he’d do anything to miss them. But watching a high school friend learn from a teacher who taught improvisation & the rock music he loved changed his perspective. Music instruction could bring students alive, not just “make them better.” It could be FUN!He picked up the guitar with that teacher in mind and fell in love. Then he knew, “I just had to do something in music.”Together with his business partner, George has turned in-home music instruction on its ear. Equally as important, his business model provides a level of financial security for gig workers (his instructors) unheard of in the industry.People, passion, perspective. It’s all here!To learn more:👉Find him on LinkedIn & at BoldMusicLessons.comRobert Ballard said, “Follow your own passion—not your parents’, not your teachers’—yours.” George did.

“It’s important to us to help people see that they matter.” – Christina BartolottaChristina & her husband, Titus, are no strangers to business success. From car sales to consulting, this dynamic duo seemingly does it all & very well. Today, you’ll find them in the kitchen of their newest endeavor & one of Lake Norman, NC’s newest & deeply loved restaurants, Rise Cafe.Serial entrepreneurs with a passion for growing their bank accounts?Not even close.Behind every business the Bartolottas own & operate, a deep passion & love for people resonates. They simply have a heart for building businesses that richly improve lives & communities.It’s a noble cause, one made even more exceptional once you hear Christina’s journey. With no exaggeration, she has endured & found purpose in one of the most traumatic childhood journeys we’ve ever heard.
Both Christina & Titus embody a favorite quote by Simon Sinek: “Profit isn’t a purpose; it’s a result. To have purpose means the things we do have real value to others.”This one will leave you speechless.To learn more:👉Find her & Titus at Rise Cafe & Collaborative Solutions Group.

“I love our business model. It’s one where we can be truly honest with our clients.” Broc BuxtonWhen cousins Jeffrey Wanner & Broc Buxton were growing up together, neither of them imagined that Broc would eventually join Jeff in building a company that would revolutionize the way other small businesses select professional employer organizations (PEOs).But as they matured, they recognized important qualities in each other that would fuel that endeavor: diligence, integrity, & a mutual love for solving problems that plague business owners.(If PEOs are unfamiliar to you, take heart. This episode will show you how you can outsource important HR functions, drive down costs, & how Jeff & Broc do it so differently.)Jeff & Broc turned their love for people & business into their passion for simplifying clients’ lives. Their one-of-a-kind, free (yes, free!) service helps business owners just like you sift through the marketing noise & select the best option for their workforce.Family, friendship, passion. How often do those collide?
Check out Pair PEO and try out their calculator.

“I want people to recognize my passion for things – my passion for living, my passion for ensuring other people’s success.” — Reece M. Arlin, MBAWhen this car-loving, fitness-focused, self-proclaimed “terrible employee” graduated from college, he was certain buying & operating a gym was the path before him.But like most entrepreneurs, his first big plan never materialized. When a good friend suggested they start a marketing company focused on fitness sales, Reece took the chance & said yes. Together, they’ve built something extraordinary.Marketing geniuses? Not necessarily (though they certainly have the chops!). Passion for finding their niche, hiring the right people, staying true to their voice, pivoting in the face of adversity, & seemingly effortlessly growing a company with a totally remote workforce?Absolutely.Reece wasn’t born with all the answers. He was gifted with the passion to find them. And that has made all the difference.
Check out Business Marketing Solutions Group.