21st Century Entrepreneurship

Martin Piskoric
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  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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The 21st Century Entrepreneurship Podcast is a 4 x Gold-Award weekly show that features interviews with cutting-edge leaders and successful entrepreneurs. We talk about the fundamentals of starting and growing a business, achieving and maintaining success, as well as the difficulties of entrepreneurship and its future. Subscribe to the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Podcast and never miss an episode, so you can stay on top of the curve and gain the knowledge you need to succeed in today's competitive landscape.

  1. 3D AGO

    Peter Holtz: How Do You Cut Business Taxes by 40%?

    Peter Holtz is a CPA and certified tax planner with nearly 40 years of experience, and we spoke about why most entrepreneurs misunderstand taxes, profits, and the real role a financial advisor should play in growing wealth. Rather than acting as what he calls “box fillers,” accountants who simply submit returns, Peter focuses on helping business owners understand their numbers and build what he calls a business wealth cycle — a repeatable system for turning profits into long-term financial security. His approach starts with clarity: know where your margins come from and repeat what works. As he explains, “business is very, very easy… figure out what makes you money and do it over and over again.” From there, the cycle moves through four steps: understanding profitability, minimizing taxes (often achieving an average 40% reduction), reinvesting savings back into the business, and making strategic investments that compound wealth year after year. Without planning, he warns, entrepreneurs may lose “up to 50% of your profits… to the government,” leaving far less capital available for growth. Peter also explains why tax strategy must be integrated with business strategy — entity structure, compensation planning, write-offs, and long-term exit planning all interact. He emphasizes that judgment matters: AI can provide averages, but real tax decisions require context and experience because “anytime you take a write-off, it’s a legal position.” Entrepreneurs need CFO-level thinking long before they can afford a full-time CFO, especially once revenue passes $1M or profits exceed $500K, where strategic planning creates leverage with banks, investors, and future buyers. This conversation gives entrepreneurs a practical framework for keeping more of what they earn, reinvesting intelligently, and building a business that creates both wealth and optionality over time. Key takeaways Understand margins before chasing growth opportunitiesTax planning should start before profits arriveIntegrate business strategy with tax strategy decisionsReinvest tax savings to accelerate compounding growthTrack clean financials to enable borrowing and exitsAI assists research, but judgment drives tax decisions

    21 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Julie Wilson: Can Doctors Work Less and Grow Faster?

    Julie Wilson is a Canadian family physician and healthcare entrepreneur, and we spoke about how she built one of the largest primary care groups in British Columbia by redesigning work itself to eliminate burnout instead of accepting it as inevitable. During the pandemic, when clinics were closing and healthcare workers were overwhelmed, she saw an opportunity to rethink the system—creating workplaces where flexibility, autonomy, and culture became growth drivers rather than perks. As she explains, “burnout is the norm in health care,” so her strategy was to build clinics where preventing burnout became the competitive advantage. Her turning point came when pandemic pressures forced impossible daily decisions: work faster and risk mistakes or slow down and turn patients away. Instead of pushing productivity harder, she redesigned workflows. Doctors set flexible schedules, teams share responsibility, and staff are encouraged to take more vacation—even when critics argued it would hurt revenue. The opposite happened: “if you get people to feel happy and be rested, they do better work,” and physicians ended up billing more while working fewer hours. Culture rules were made explicit—no workplace drama, mutual respect, and autonomy within safe medical boundaries—allowing rapid expansion while maintaining morale. Wilson also uses technology and organizational design as practical anti-burnout tools. AI manages thousands of daily faxes, writes clinical notes through AI scribes, searches patient charts instantly, and automates administrative tasks that previously drained staff energy. Her guiding principle is removing work that lacks purpose: repetitive tasks “below someone’s skill level” create disengagement and turnover. Combined with team-based care—dietitians, therapists, nurses, counselors, and social workers working at their specialization level—clinics became more efficient, patients received better care, and staff satisfaction increased. Her long-term goal is systemic change: proving healthcare organizations can be humane workplaces and successful businesses simultaneously. This conversation offers a concrete blueprint for leaders in any industry: redesign roles, remove meaningless work, and treat wellbeing as infrastructure—not a benefit—to unlock sustainable growth. Key takeaways Make culture a hiring and growth strategy, not an HR initiativeReduce burnout by increasing autonomy and schedule flexibilityUse AI to remove low-purpose administrative workEncourage more vacation to improve long-term productivityBuild team-based roles aligned with skill specializationPrevent workplace drama through explicit behavioral rules

    18 min

  3. FEB 25

    Bo Jacob: How Do You Turn 1 Hour a Day Into Wealth?

    Bo Jacob is a CPA, investor, and entrepreneur, and we spoke about his book Unstuck Economics: How Ordinary People Turn Smart Hustles into Real Wealth and the practical path to financial freedom in a world where the old career blueprint no longer works. He argues that many people feel trapped because “the blueprint that we saw a long time ago… has changed,” with unstable careers, rising costs, and fewer traditional safety nets—but also more opportunity than ever to build income independently. Instead of promising shortcuts, Bo built his approach from personal experience and frustration with overly simplistic business advice. As he explains, many books make success sound effortless, while others rely only on mindset without tools. His method starts with foundational “moves,” beginning with time awareness and opportunity cost—recognizing that distractions quietly consume earning potential. He reframes daily habits by saying that spending an hour scrolling can mean “I’m essentially paying Instagram $20 or $30 of my time,” encouraging people to reclaim even one hour daily to build something of their own. From there, Bo focuses on turning small effort into scalable results through what he calls “owned income.” He distinguishes between rented income—working one hour for one hour of pay—and income generated by assets, systems, or teams that earn beyond direct labor. Practical examples include using side work to build seed capital, launching small services that later hire others, investing early in stocks or real estate, and delaying lifestyle upgrades so capital can compound. His philosophy is grounded in long-term thinking: start early, reinvest consistently, and prioritize assets before luxuries—waiting for the “second marshmallow” instead of immediate consumption. Throughout the conversation, Bo returns to a deeper motivation: becoming a “generation breaker” by building financial habits and entrepreneurial thinking that can be passed on to children and future generations. The episode ultimately shows listeners that financial freedom is less about genius ideas and more about disciplined time use, small consistent moves, and learning to recognize opportunities already around them. Key takeaways Protect one hour daily to build long-term income assetsConvert rented income into scalable owned incomeDelay purchases to invest in income-producing assets firstUse small side hustles to create seed capitalStart investing early to maximize compound growthTeach financial thinking to the next generation

    27 min

  4. FEB 18

    Karen Green: How Do You Sell More by Knowing the Buyer?

    Karen Green is a sales consultant, former retail buyer, and author of Buyology: Know Your Buyer, Sell More and Sell Better, and we spoke about how understanding buyer behavior can dramatically improve sales outcomes. After sitting on both sides of the table — buying for major UK retailers like Boots and Tesco and later selling into them — she developed a structured approach to decode what truly drives purchasing decisions. Her core method, the Biology Model, is a three-pillar framework that examines the company, the individual buyer, and the relationship between them. Too many sellers stop at surface-level research, but Karen argues that real advantage comes from deeper analysis: understanding what you can change, what you cannot, and how to adapt your message accordingly. As she puts it, “it’s actually getting into it a little bit more deeply — the biology… the study of buying.” A major turning point in her work came from recognizing how irrational business decisions often are. Research shows that “95% of B2B buyers make decisions based on emotion,” even in highly structured tenders where pricing and criteria appear identical. The difference often comes down to what she calls “that little element… the magic dust” that makes one provider feel right. Karen translates this insight into practical execution. Sellers must modify communication based on personality, adjust positioning when corporate constraints cannot change, and clearly articulate their unique value — especially in crowded markets. She also stresses that rapport remains a competitive edge in an AI-heavy world: “Meet someone, phone them. Try not to do email because the moment you do email you take out all the emotion.” For founders and growth-focused leaders, her process is intentionally fast and results-oriented — combining personality profiling, 360-degree feedback, and structured planning to help clients achieve promotions, accelerate revenue, or reposition their businesses within months rather than years. This conversation offers a practical blueprint for selling more effectively by understanding how people actually decide — not how we assume they do. Key takeaways Analyze the company, buyer, and relationship before crafting your sales message.Identify what cannot change — then adapt your positioning.Remember: 95% of B2B decisions are emotional.Tailor communication style to the buyer’s personality.Clarify your unique value in crowded markets.Prioritize meetings or calls; email strips emotional connection.

    25 min

  5. FEB 17

    Julius Lassalle: How Can Leaders Stay Out of Autopilot?

    Julius Lassalle is an international executive coach, leadership consultant, and embodiment trainer, and we spoke about how founders and C-level leaders can sustain performance without sacrificing well-being. After building his career in high-performance environments—including management consulting and a global tech organization—Julius hit what he now describes as a burnout turning point, realizing, “This is not the way that I want to work forever.” That experience reshaped his philosophy toward long-term leadership success. At the center of his work is self-regulation—the ability to access peak performance while also recovering mentally and physically. Julius emphasizes that true leadership success balances “impact and effectiveness” with “well-being and satisfaction,” because many admired leaders are privately “deeply dissatisfied, unhappy, exhausted.” His model encourages leaders to avoid operating on autopilot—where they are “stuck in old patterns”—and instead return to the “driver’s seat,” a state where thinking, feeling, and action are aligned. He teaches a practical framework called the 4A Model: Awareness (sense your emotional and physical state), Attraction (clarify focus and commitments), Action (build healthy routines that sustain energy), and Alignment (reflect, digest, and recalibrate). Leaders, he explains, must strengthen both sides of the “leadership medal”—leading from within while staying attuned to external realities—to prevent what he calls a “crippled wing.” Listeners will gain a clear method for maintaining high performance while protecting their health, helping them lead with clarity, energy, and long-term resilience. Key takeaways Balance impact with personal well-being for sustainable leadership.Build self-regulation to access performance without burning out.Use the 4A Model: Awareness, Attraction, Action, Alignment.Avoid autopilot by recognizing emotional and behavioral patterns.Strengthen both internal purpose and external awareness.Create routines that maintain energy and support recovery.

    23 min

  6. FEB 13

    Michael DeLon: Create a Book in 24 Hours of Your Time?

    Michael DeLon is a marketing strategist turned author-advocate, and we spoke about how entrepreneurs can create a book without writing it—and use it to build trust and gain clients. After leaving what he describes as an “emotional prison” in a family ministry, he faced a credibility gap when prospects questioned his experience. His turning point came when he realized he needed proof of expertise, leading him to write his first book and discover that “I instantly was an expert in their mind… because I had a book.” His core method is simple: don’t write—speak. DeLon encourages business owners to communicate their ideas while professionals shape the narrative, because “people buy who you are more than what you do.” Through a structured interview process, entrepreneurs invest about “24 clock hours” of their time while the production unfolds over several months. The goal isn’t just publishing; it’s creating something prospects can spend time with so they “already know you… and they already believe in you” before the first meeting. Practically, he urges founders—especially in high-trust industries like law or financial advising—to uncover the personal story behind their work and connect the dots for their audience. He cautions against relying heavily on automation, noting that “AI flattens everything,” and argues that real human storytelling builds deeper bonds. With a long-term asset that outlives most marketing campaigns, the book becomes a first conversation that lowers anxiety and accelerates trust. For listeners, this conversation reframes a book from a vanity project into a strategic trust-building tool—one that can differentiate you, attract referrals, and turn expertise into lasting business growth. Key takeaways Speak your book; let professionals craft the narrative.Invest roughly 24 hours; production can take about six months.Use your origin story to differentiate from crowded markets.Send prospects your book before meetings to pre-build trust.Focus on human storytelling; automation can dilute authenticity.Treat a book as a long-term marketing asset, not a campaign.

    18 min

  7. FEB 9

    Tamiko Messenger: What Changed After She Died?

    Tamiko Messenger is the author of The Word: There Is No Other Way, and we spoke about surviving a near-fatal accident, returning from death, and carrying a message of faith, accountability, and compassion. Before the accident, she endured years of bullying, harassment, racism, and injustice that shaped how she saw the world and herself. Then came the moment that redefined everything—when her “heart stopped,” and she experienced what she describes as overwhelming safety and love, realizing later that “the safety and the security… was something I had never felt before.” Her turning point wasn’t just survival—it was recognition. After questioning where God had been, she recalls the realization: “Oh, Lord, you were there for me… I have always been there for you.” That shift reframed her life from resentment to responsibility. Today, her approach centers on rejecting retaliation, strengthening inner discipline, and choosing prayer over revenge. As she explains, when someone hurts her, she pushes the reaction down and says, “I’m gonna say a prayer for you,” focusing instead on peace. Tamiko connects her personal story to a broader warning about how people treat one another. Having lived through cruelty both before and after the accident, she urges listeners to interrupt what she calls the “domino effect” of harm—because “when you do something ugly to one person, that person is going to go out and attack somebody else.” Her message is grounded in gratitude for everyday abilities many overlook, reminding us that everything “can be taken away.” This conversation offers a direct reminder to examine how we respond to suffering, how quickly life can change, and why choosing compassion may be the most practical path forward. Key takeaways Interrupt the “domino effect” by refusing to pass harm to others.Replace retaliation with prayer or reflection before reacting.Recognize everyday abilities as privileges, not guarantees.Question resentment; perspective often follows survival.Treat others with dignity regardless of status or differences.

    29 min

  8. FEB 4

    Isaac Getz & Laurent Marbacher: Why Care Beats Profit?

    Isaac Getz and Laurent Marbacher — authors of The Caring Company (Wiley) — join us for a deep exploration of a powerful idea: companies that genuinely care outperform those that merely optimize. Their work challenges the dominant narrative of modern capitalism and introduces a disciplined, research-backed alternative — one where the common good becomes the organizing principle of business. Drawing on years of global research and real-world observation, Getz and Marbacher reveal that most entrepreneurs are not primarily driven by profit. They seek freedom, meaning, and the chance to build something that leaves a mark. In this context, profit shifts from being the objective to becoming evidence that the system is working. At the center of their thesis is a provocative leadership choice: stop balancing competing priorities and commit to one clear aim. Organizations that pursue the common good — and redesign their core processes around customers, suppliers, employees, and communities — often unlock higher trust, stronger loyalty, and more durable financial performance. But this transformation does not begin with strategy. It begins with the leader. Caring companies are built by leaders willing to question inherited assumptions about transactions, growth, and success — leaders who understand that inner clarity is not soft thinking, but operational strength. Across continents and industries, the patterns are striking. Banks that support local economies during crises instead of retreating. Supply chains rebuilt to protect human dignity rather than simply cut costs. Companies that treat employees as responsible adults and partners in value creation. Again and again, when care becomes embedded in the operating model — not delegated to CSR initiatives — resilience follows. The implication is profound: the future of capitalism may belong to organizations that choose contribution over extraction and long-term relevance over short-term gain. This conversation offers more than inspiration. It provides a strategic reframe for founders, executives, and investors alike — suggesting that caring is not the opposite of performance, but one of its most reliable drivers. Key takeaways The philosophy behind The Caring Company positions care as a strategic advantage, not an ethical add-on.Entrepreneurs are often motivated by autonomy, meaning, and impact — not money alone.Treat profit as a consequence of a well-designed system.Redesign business processes to serve the full ecosystem, not just shareholders.Leadership transformation is the first step toward organizational transformation.Trust, resilience, and long-term performance compound when care is operationalized.

    40 min
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5
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About

The 21st Century Entrepreneurship Podcast is a 4 x Gold-Award weekly show that features interviews with cutting-edge leaders and successful entrepreneurs. We talk about the fundamentals of starting and growing a business, achieving and maintaining success, as well as the difficulties of entrepreneurship and its future. Subscribe to the 21st Century Entrepreneurship Podcast and never miss an episode, so you can stay on top of the curve and gain the knowledge you need to succeed in today's competitive landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Martin Piskoric
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    506
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 21st Century Entrepreneurship
  • Show Website
    21st Century Entrepreneurship