Ask Brien Show Peter Bronstein and Traci DeForge

NFIB is a wonderful home for small businesses. This week, John Kabateck is joining the show to talk about NFIB and all the work they are doing to keep small businesses safe and get their voices heard. John talks about the amazing benefits that members of NFIB receive as well as the top three goals they are currently working on. John discusses Proposition 47 and how it will help hold criminals accountable for retail crimes. He also talks about being an entrepreneur and why partnering with other entrepreneurs is such a passion of his. Tune in to learn more about NFIB and how you can get involved.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[6:04] John provides his background and his variety of past roles.[9:08] What does the NFIB do?[11:19] What are the three top goals NFIB is currently working on? [15:02] What is Proposition 47?[18:37] How can people get involved with NFIB?[23:13] What resources can be found on the NFIB website?[26:20] Does NFIB have alliances with other industry trade organizations? [28:53] What is John’s favorite thing about being an entrepreneur and supporting other entrepreneurs?[32:57] Is there criteria to enter into the NFIB?[34:12] What is the biggest challenge NFIB faced with their organization?  
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Proposition 47 will hold criminals accountable for retail crime. It will also address the fentanyl crisis, and provide a pathway for rehabilitation for the criminals.NFIB supports small businesses by being the voice at the state and federal levels, providing networking opportunities, giving workplace education, work webinars and information to make them compliant, help them save dollars, and be their voice.Members of NFIB feel that they are not alone and have a family of other businesses and support to help them. Join today!

LINKS MENTIONED:
NFIB Website
Email: john@kabstrat.com 
Kabateck Strategies
Ask Brien Radio Show

BIO
Raising the relevance of people, associations, and causes with the California policymakers who shape their future has been the specialty of John Kabateck for more than a quarter of a century.
From keeping small-business owners at a safe distance from the taxes and regulations that threaten their solvency to mobilizing restauranteurs and their employees for fights against legislative proposals harmful to their way of life to giving voice to hundreds of mom-and-pop construction companies working to rebuild California, his Kabateck Strategies firm has made the cause of his clients unmistakably heard, unavoidably registered, and universally respected in the State Capitol.
After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in English, Kabateck went to work for Gov. Pete Wilson as his appointments secretary responsible for finding the best qualified people for more than eight state agencies. His reputation for spotting talent caught the attention of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who selected him to serve as his director of external affairs.
After his service to two governors, Kabateck later became vice president and senior legislative director for the California Restaurant Association. Soon after, he was recruited by America’s voice of small business, the National...

Building a side hustle while working a full time job can be difficult, but this week's guest was able to turn that side hustle into her now full time job after years of work. Jenn Trepeck joins us this week to talk about her transition from working in hedge funds into creating her business, Better Life Now LLC, and her podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries. Jenn talks about how she utilizes her podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries, to help promote her health coaching business and how she helps her clients live happy, healthy lives. Jenn teaches her listeners how to make healthful decisions in their everyday lives (yes, even when we eat out). Jenn and Traci talk a little about their new business which they are co-founders of, and why Jenn decided to take that leap. Tune in to learn more from today’s expert. 
IN THIS EPISODE:
[6:43] Jenn shares her background prior to starting Better Life Now LLC.[8:23] How did Jenn transition from working in hedge funds to health coaching? [10:39] How did Jenn turn her side hustle into a full time job?[12:38] Where did the catchy name, Salad With a Side of Fries, come from?[14:06] Jenn shares how the podcast is structured, including expert guests.  [15:07] How do you monetize a podcast?[16:43] How many employees work at Salad With a Side of Fries?[17:25] Is Jenn certified with a nutrition certification or how does she provide the information she shares?[19:30] How can you make restaurants and take out fit into your health goals?[22:30] How do you understand what’s in the food when you choose to eat out? [26:20] Why did Jenn decide to be a co-founder of an industry trade organization?[29:43] What should you think about when getting into a business partnership?[32:03] How can people get in contact with Jenn?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Protein and fiber at every meal makes removing fat no big deal. It is 100% possible to get these things into a meal even when you are eating out. Jenn offers an affordable and info-packed membership that includes a weekly recipe, a monthly curated article or study to dive into topics not covered in-depth on the show, discounts from Jenn and her partners, and a one on one quarterly live session to help keep you on track and meet your health goals while enjoying your life. That’s a steal! Getting into a business partnership is not something that you want to jump right into. You want to feel like you have a good relationship with the person that you’re going to be working, ensure that they have the same mission, values, and work ethic as you.

LINKS MENTIONED:
Salad With a Side of Fries Website
Salad With a Side of Fries Podcast
Better Life Now Website
Ask Brien Radio Show
Podcast Professionals Association

BIO
“My passion for nutrition and helping others stems from “kicking my food issues” with my own weight management saga.
I believe that the greatest accountability is paying it forward! That’s why I teach the nutrition education we are all supposed to know but no one ever taught us, along with the science behind food, fitness, and health.
After I graduated from the University...

Inspired by his three years teaching at a junior boarding school in the Adirondacks, Chuck Schwerin wrote a fiction book about a 15 year old ninth grader and a 63 year old headmaster who are haunted by events that they’ve caused and for which they struggle to address. Chuck joins Peter and Traci to talk about his writing process and why he chose to write a book. He walks through the pros and cons of self publishing vs. using a traditional publisher. Chuck shares how he went about finding an agent to help get his book published and promoted as well as the biggest challenges he faced throughout the whole process. Tune in to learn more about publishing options and to hear a bit more about his new book, Ghosts of Glencoe.  
IN THIS EPISODE:
[6:18] Chuck introduces himself and shares his background.[9:01] What made Chuck decide to write a book?[11:17] Is the book fiction or nonfiction?[14:12] How did Chuck find an agent for publishing his book?[17:41] What were the pros and cons of self publishing vs. using a publisher?[19:48] Did Chuck already have a social media following to promote his book?[21:21] What has been the most difficult part of this process?[22:48] What is Chuck’s workflow when writing?[28:34] What was the biggest challenge in the book process?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Publishing through a publisher gets you a real advantage because you have more access to bookstores. You also get editorial support which can include designing the cover art, layout, font, the type of paper, how it gets put together, etc. It’s important to be concise and edit yourself, but you can become immobilized if you can’t let it go and move on. Hiring an editor can help move the process forward. You may need to get out of your own way and push yourself to get uncomfortable in order to promote your book. It is essential to promote your work because your readers are out there! 
LINKS MENTIONED:
Email: ChuckS@beadjarstrategies.com 
Ghosts of Glencoe Novel
Rowman & Littlefield
Ask Brien Radio Show
BIO
As a committed environmentalist, Chuck’s volunteer work reflects those passions. Through his editorship, he transformed Adirondack PEEKS magazine for the Adirondack 46ers and produced a quarterly online newsletter for the Edward L. Rose Land Conservancy. He is also on the Advisory Board of the World Trails Network-Hub for the Americas that supports field schools and an expedition program which promote trail conservation, sustainability, and stewardship.

Are you looking into retirement plans for your employees and are not sure where to start? There are many different types of retirement plans available, so we brought on Courtenay Shipley from Retirement Planology to help understand the different types of plans and when businesses should start implementing them for their employees. Courtenay breaks down the top 4 retirement plans and who each plan is made for. She also discusses when businesses should consider putting plans in place. Towards the end of the episode, Courtenay discusses who Retirement Planology’s ideal client is and how they market their business. Tune in to learn more! 
IN THIS EPISODE:
[7:06] What is Courtenay’s background?[8:35] How Retirement Planology works with businesses. [11:58] What are the top 4 retirement plans that Retirement Planology works with? [13:04] What is a Simple IRA and SEP IRA?[18:23] How does it work if the profit sharing plan is higher than the maximum amount? [20:14] What do businesses need to be thinking about when putting retirement plans in place?[22:17] When should a business start to plan for retirement benefits?[24:09] Who is Retirement Planology’s ideal client?[25:21] How do they market for lead generation to reach their target market?[29:21] How does Retirement Planology’s business model work?[31:42] What was one of the biggest challenges Courtenay has had to deal with?[33:30] How did they get new clients during COVID?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
[11:21] A simple IRA is a good option for smaller employers as they have less fiduciary liability than the 401K.[20:14] Before setting up a retirement plan, businesses should get clear on why they are putting the plan in place to begin with. [27:28] When promoting your business, choosing to be a guest on podcasts and doing radio shows is a really efficient and successful marketing tool because people are able to hear your story and your expertise to learn they can trust you. 

LINKS MENTIONED:
Retirement Planology
Courtenay Shipley, CRPS, AIF, CPFA, CEPA | LinkedIn
Ask Brien Radio Show

BIO
Our Chief Planologist, Courtenay Shipley, has a diverse background in the retirement plan industry providing a unique foundation for her clients in the areas of fiduciary responsibility, investment analysis, and participant education. During her career she has provided institutional investment consulting to qualified retirement plans, developed business strategy for a boutique third party administrator and recordkeeper, conducted over 9,000 education meetings to groups and individual employees, and served the nonprofit market.
Courtenay is an enthusiastic and focused retirement plan advisor who is committed to the idea that everyone should have the luxury of deciding how they spend their time later in life, on their terms. She is passionate about her work and thinks the key to making change in a complex world is listening to people and enabling them with the tools and knowledge they need to meet their goals and retool their habits.
Courtenay is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, and is licensed as an investment advisor representative (Series 66). She holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary™ (AIF®) designation through thea...

How do you get potential new customers to inquire about your business? Jason Kramer, the Founder of Cultivize joins the show to discuss several tactics that can be used to drive potential customers to inquire about your products or services. He breaks down what funnels and lead magnets are and the best way to use each to your advantage. Jason discusses how to get people engaged in the online world through social media and email marketing. He dives deeper into what services his business, Cultivize, offers and at what point a business may want to utilize their services. Tune in to learn some great information on guiding your ideal clients to your business! 
IN THIS EPISODE:
[7:18] Jason shares about his background prior to opening Cultivize.[9:00] What is Cultivize? [10:46] How do you calculate a referral/networking? [14:12] How does Joson quantify a successful lead magnet?[17:41] What is a funnel? [20:19] What is a lead magnet? [23:25] How do you get people engaged in the online world?[25:27] What is the business model for Cultivize? [29:29] Jason describes the team at Cultivize and their roles. [30:53] What is the ideal place for a client to hire Cultivize for their services?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
[15:52] To gain customers, you have to have a process to nurture people. It's about staying in front of the person from the point of them showing interest to the actual point of them making a decision to utilize your business’s services.[19:25] Funnels are designed for a longer sales process, typically a few months or longer to actually sell whatever is you’re trying to sell. [24:10] Email marketing is the most cost effective, cheapest option out there for marketing. In order for it to be successful, you have to be looking at the data to determine the percent open rate, contact rate, etc. 
LINKS MENTIONED:
Cultivize Website
Jason Kramer’s LinkedIn
Ask Brien Radio Show
BIO
Jason lives in NY with his wife, two children, and two dogs…you guessed it, it’s not a quiet house.
He is formally trained as a brand strategist and holds a communication design degree from Syracuse University. He started his career as a graphic designer at NYC ad agencies working with global clients in the travel, food, and liquor industries. Seeing an opportunity to help startups and small businesses with an alternative option in lieu of hiring several freelancers, Jason started his first company in 2002, a pioneering virtual agency long before that concept even existed. For over 15 years Jason’s agency, JLK Creative, worked with a wide variety of service-based companies in the Metro NY area helping them with branding, web development, print, and email marketing.
In 2018, Jason founded his 2nd company, Cultivize, and leveraged his existing partnership with SHSP. Today, Cultivize is one of only a handful of Platinum Certified partners in the world and 100% focused on coaching, empowering, and implementing lead nurturing strategies for its clients.

Today on the Ask Brien Podcast, our resident experts Peter and Traci interview Jen McFarland, founder of Merit Digital, a digital operations agency. They discuss various topics related to small businesses like digital support, business skills, technology, and artificial intelligence. Jen shares her insights on website development and support, SEO rankings, and the use of AI tools for time management and efficiency. She also talks about her journey as an entrepreneur and her decision to make her company a B Corp. If you’re a small business owner in need of digital support, this episode is for you!
IN THIS EPISODE:
[4:13] Introducing Jen McFarland, Founder of Merit Digital[6:39] Jenn shares the services and support offered by Merit Digital[8:33] Maintaining SEO rankings with a new website. Jenn discusses redesigning an existing website vs building a new site[10:01] WordPress and website compatibility issues that many small businesses struggle with[11:27] Advice for small business owners searching for digital support[12:56] Choosing the right digital agency for your business[19:38] Jenn discusses becoming a B Corp[22:33] Insights on Artificial Intelligence and how it can be a helpful tool for business owners[25:53] How to connect with Jen McFarland[27:46] Challenges and advice for new business owners
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Many small businesses can streamline their workflow and lessen their workload with the help of a digital agency. You don’t have to do it all on your ownWhen creating your company website, start small. Use a platform that offers clear features and is a pleasurable experience for your customers. You can always upgrade your website as your business growsWhen choosing a digital agency, look for testimonials, subscribe to their newsletter, and have a conversation to gauge compatibility and trust
LINKS MENTIONED:
Marit Digital Website
Ask Brien Radio Show
BIO
Marit Digital helps small businesses and teams plan, implement, and improve the digital solutions that help them succeed.