AmiSights: Financing the Future For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs MultiFunding

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Bradley Baer, founder and CEO of Crafted Action, an innovation consultancy that enables organizations to create impactful and seamless visitor experiences, both onsite and online. He began his career as an architect but soon realized his business acumen, which led him to become an entrepreneur.
“There's not a lot of those folks that are incredibly creative, but also business minded,” he said. “So, my career has kind of been a back and forth of ‘how do I be really creative, but how do I make something that actually is a business that I can be really proud of, as well.’”
The main topics of today's episode will be how having successful side hustles made Brad more comfortable venturing out and starting his own business, how the skills and experiences gained from his previous job of 10 years positioned him well for his entrepreneurial journey, and how taking a short-term dip in profit by hiring the right employees now will pay off in the long-term.
Connect with Brad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbaer/
Check out Crafted Action: https://www.craftedaction.com/
Recorded on 6/2/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to health and performance coach Danny Martoe, owner of Agent of Change, which empowers individuals and organizations to reach new heights of personal and professional success. He explains how changing your health habits can change your business.“What happens with a lot of successful men and women and professionals is they tend to put the business before themselves, but then they realize that when they start putting themselves first, that they show up even better for their business – and that’s the aha moment,” he said.

The main topics of today's episode will focus on how the former sports agent transitioned into life coaching and how specific life wake-up calls often prompt people to seek out a life coach. We'll also explore how accountability, self-awareness, and strategic planning are essential ingredients for sticking with a healthy life plan.

Connect with Danny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-martoe-7b5b3025/
Follow Danny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachdannymartoe/
Follow Danny on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachDannyMartoe
Check out Agent of Change: https://agentofchange.org/
Recorded on 6/3/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Deanna Walker, CEO of Venturity, a professional services firm that helps small and medium-sized companies with all aspects of their back office accounting and finance needs. She explains how, in 2012, the company made a purposeful effort to invest in its culture. 

“That's really where Small Giants comes into the picture,” she said. “We got introduced to that organization, and it really resonated with us – a lot of values, alignment, investing in your people and doing the right thing.”

The main topics of today's episode will be how transferring into an ESOP company has made all team members more committed and accountable, how having an in-house trainer and recruiter has helped the company deal with the accountant shortage, and how adopting open-book management has educated all team members on how they can make an impact on the company.

Connect with Deanna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannacwalker/

Check out Venturity Financial Partners: https://venturity.com/

Recorded on 5/17/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Verne Harnish, owner and CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 260 partners on six continents. Verne discusses the vital importance of field reporting and accounting in business operations.

“We were given speech a 100,000 years ago. We were only given Excel spreadsheets 50 years ago. I think we're much more highly developed to feel and sense patterns and get a good gut feel for the business by speaking and hearing the data instead of staring at Excel spreadsheets.“

The main topics of today's episode will cover how wealth is created through transactions and acquisitions, the importance of having your fundamental bookkeeping and accounting sheets in order before making strategic business decisions, and how you can achieve what a private equity firm can do for you, without the associated costs.
Connect with Verne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verneharnish/
Check out Scaling Up: https://scalingup.com/
Recorded on 5/15/24

In this week's edition of the AmiSights Podcast, we talk to Peter Winick, founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, a company that helps thought leaders, authors, consultants, and speakers monetize and scale their content and products. Despite their backgrounds or professions, thought leaders all have several traits in common.  

“The problem with a lot of thought leaders is that it's the curse of the expert. They're so good at what they do, and some of them are literally the best in the world, that they've lost the beginner's mindset in other things. So when you start to make changes and move the business in different directions, it's like, uh-oh, I might not be the greatest at that. Like no, you might not, but that's okay.”

The main topics of today's episode will be how thought leadership is the most cost-effective way to elevate your brand and acquire new clients in different spaces. We will also discuss why setting a strategy in place is the top priority in developing a thought leadership plan. Peter will also share how building a strong referral network helps all facets of a business. 
Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwinick/
Check out Thought Leadership Leverage: https://thoughtleadershipleverage.com/
Check out the Thought Leadership Leverage Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/60I6dYoR8A2Ljbu7M5i8CV
Recorded on 5/15/24

In this week's episode of the AmiSights Podcast, Ami talks with Pete Heald, CEO of Signature Analytics, and Jason Kruger, President and Founder of Signature Analytics, a firm specializing in outsourced CFO and business advisory services. They delve into why they started the business, emphasizing the crucial role of accounting and finance in driving value, and discuss the risks associated with relying on a single individual for accounting tasks.

“What I saw back then, and continue to see now, is the need for these types of companies in the small mid-market – they deserve better than what they're getting,” Kruger said. “A lot of them are looking at accounting and finance as a necessary evil. And what we want to do is educate them and show them how accounting and finance can drive value to their business.”

The main topics of today's episode will be how CEOs and leadership team members need to understand their financials and fundamentals, especially as they scale and grow. We will also discuss why it is critical to not have just one person in control of all of the financials. We will also talk about how, as a business owner, it is important to know every aspect of your business.
Connect with Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercheald/
Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-kruger-a0b159b/
Check out Signature Analytics: https://signatureanalytics.com/
Recorded on 5/2/24