The Revenue Maze

The Revenue Maze

Valerie Cobb helps guide C-Suite Execs through the halls, dead ends and U-turns towards upward growth trajectory. Each week, Valerie meets with a new guest to share how you can get yourself out of the maze to grow your small business! Listen on all major podcast platforms and watch the full videos on our YouTube channel, The Revenue Maze. read less

The Speed of Trust - Michael Neece - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 032
Nov 2 2022
The Speed of Trust - Michael Neece - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 032
Today’s guest has given star shows at a planetarium and is the author of Tony Jenzano, Astronaut Trainer: The Man Who Made the Stars Shine. Michael Neece is the Director of Statistical Programming at Gilead Science. Michael joins the host Valerie Cobb to share his tips for helping to grow your company's revenue.    Takeaways: If you are looking to grow your revenue, it’s important to focus on the human component of your business. As humans, we flatter ourselves and make ourselves think we make decisions based on sound logic but sometimes emotions get in the way of that. When you are trying to build a team or working with a team, consider moving at the speed of trust. That means that you want everyone to feel comfortable speaking up or feel comfortable sharing their voice. People often want peace of mind and that they want to know that things are going to be OK. Coming off of the COVID pandemic, there were a lot of people who were unsure how things were going to be and how to settle back into the workforce during these times.Reading is a good way to gain clarity and gives you the time to relax and focus on the big-picture items in your life. At the end of the day, your business will always come down to the people that you surround yourself with and work with. You won’t remember all the deals you made but you will always remember the relationships you built along the way.A company's culture is incredibly important to make sure that runs smoothly. If the culture creates a positive environment, then employees will feel welcomed in and work harder as well as feel more comfortable sharing their beliefs and opinions.    Quote of the Show: “You don't want to go down the wrong path because somebody was too afraid to say, hey, I think there's a better way of doing this” - Michael Neece   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelneece/Website: https://www.gilead.com/Personal Website: https://michaelgneece.com/Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1469659921/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/A3u279SrNWA The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
A Digital Market - Olle Widén - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 031
Oct 27 2022
A Digital Market - Olle Widén - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 031
Today’s guest helped to create the largest online marketplace for consumer credit in Brazil. Olle Widén is the CEO of FinanZero. Olle is a world traveler and has made Brazil his home for his startup company in the FinTech space. Olle joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some tips on how companies can grow their business.    Takeaways When you are building your business, you need to have trust in your business model and focus on the long term, not the short term. You will also want to put your customer first as they are the ones who will be supporting you the most. It takes time to build up a brand and your presence as well. It can take up to 6 years to see a payoff from building your business, so it’s important to stick with it and see it through.The market is becoming more digital now, so it is the right time to look at investments for companies in the tech industry. It’s easier to move in on new and emerging markets. When you are looking to start your business, you should consider not only your area of expertise but also what markets are out there that have untapped potential.Being an entrepreneur and starting your own business can be a risk, but it’s better to take the risk while you are young before there is too much in your life that becomes dependent on you.If you want your business to be successful, then you need to work with people you get along with and can trust. You want to make sure that you are getting someone who has an impressive background but you want to be able to connect with them as well.When building a business, it’s a good idea to talk to someone that you are connected with so that you can vent to them or get their opinions on what you are going through.   Quote of the Show: 19:18 “Take the step, especially before you have too many other things going around with family and so on. Take the risk.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olle-wid%C3%A9n-3b6873/Website: https://finanzero.com.br/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/XyqqgcY6oBM   The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Know Your Channel - Brian Ketchum - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 030
Oct 19 2022
Know Your Channel - Brian Ketchum - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 030
Today’s guest is a former disc jockey who uses his passion for music to create fantastic speakers. Brian Ketchum is the CEO at Pangissimo. Brian started from working at a radio station in small town in Maine to being a CEO. Brian joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his insights into how companies can increase their revenue.    Takeaways  As a business owner, one of the most important things to consider is to look where your business is and understand the channels that you can afford to be in. You don’t want to stretch your business too thin at the start.Some people will always come back to the brand if they have any questions or are looking for support, even if they ordered something through a third party. People like to have their speakers be portable and at a cheaper cost. The cost is the biggest reason why people don’t get speakers. It’s no longer about trying to find out where your target audience is but the issue has transition to how do you reach that target audience, especially if they are younger. Brian got his career started in radio in a station in Norway, Maine by going up to the station and checking in to see if he could get a job. You have to understand who your network is and find out ways to use that network to get interesting job opportunities that you are passionate about.   Quote of the Show: 5:40 "What profit margin can my business accept in order to potentially be in a channel?"   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianketchum/Website: https://www.pangissimostudio.com/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/O2Rh6UCS5Ko   The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Know Your Product - Dennis Thankachan - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 029
Oct 12 2022
Know Your Product - Dennis Thankachan - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 029
Today’s guest is an angel investor in many products. Dennis Thankachan is the Co-Founder and CEO at Lightyear. After studying Computer Science and Finance at The University of Texas, Dennis went to work with Goldman Sachs. He also was part of a $10 billion hedge fund. Dennis joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about increasing your revenue at your company.   Takeaways  It’s essential to think about the product that you have and how the buyer of your product would intend to discover and buy your product. The founder of the company needs to be very focused in the early stages of the company and they also need to be open-minded. This can help you pick the right venue leader afterward. Businesses spend way more on telecommunication services than consumers do. If you are looking to break into the telecommunication space.The way in which businesses buy their telecommunication services was invented in the 90s and hasn’t adapted to modern times. You want to make sure that you have adequate cash on your balance sheet and a level head in regards to how you analyze that. That will help your company through a recession.It’s good to keep an eye on the market and hear the other perspective on the market. It’s always a good idea to market check.Dennis was introduced to Mark Cuban through a mutual friend who ended up investing in his company along with other NBA team owners.    Quote of the Show: 1:28 “Think about the product that you have and how the buyer of your product would intend to discover and buy your product.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thankachan/Website: https://lightyear.ai/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/dnsCKerbAM0 The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Empowering Your People - Andrew Denton - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 028
Oct 5 2022
Empowering Your People - Andrew Denton - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 028
Today’s guest is an innovative thought leader that is focused on empowering the powerless. He is passionate about building better methods for how we interact with our relative world and helping people to better understand how their brainworks. Andrew Denton is the Founder of Glia Health and Prosper AI. Andrew shares how to connect with your team, what happens when you come to a wall, and the importance of staying humble as a leader.   Takeaways: Your leadership, team, and, ultimately, company culture are what really drive your business forward and make it easier to attain your revenue goals. To get out of the revenue maze, you need to invest in your team in every way that you can. Not everyone is motivated by money, you need to find what matters to your people.  When you’re helping everyone reach their goals, they’ll help you reach yours.Set up one-on-one conversations with your employees every two to three weeks to discuss how they are doing, what they want, and what they think about the organization. This will help you know how to incentivize them and check in on their own goals.Get creative with how you reward your employees and how you solve problems for them. There are many ways to empower your team that don’t revolve around money.No matter who you are, there will be walls that you hit in your life. Some walls are meant to be passed by others are meant to be broken down, what you do when you come to that wall will show who you are. You need opportunities and people around you that can keep you humble. If you and your business are going to succeed, you need people that will shoot you straight. Make sure that the product that you are making is worthwhile and will make a real impact on the world.   Quote of the Show: “Learn what they want out of life and then figure out how you can help them attain those goals, and you'll often find that they'll help you attain yours” (3:51)   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdenton07/ Glia Health website: https://www.gliacare.com/ Glia Health Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gliahealth/ Prosper AI website: https://www.prosperjobs.co/    Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube -   The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
The Guiding Northstar - Fabian Geyrhalter - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 027
Sep 28 2022
The Guiding Northstar - Fabian Geyrhalter - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 027
Today’s guest launched a product startup Toneoptic in 2022. All three of his books became International Amazon Bestsellers. Fabian Geyrhalter is the Principal at FINIEN. Fabian is also the host of the “Hitting the Mark” podcast. Fabian joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about the importance of everyone working together in a company and shares his tips on how to increase your revenue.   Takeaways  It’s important to rethink your brand strategy on a yearly basis. Take the time to get the core C-Suite together and for about half the day think about your goals as a company and review the last year.There needs to be someone who has an outside perspective on the brand and is able to see the big picture. The CEO is way too deep in it to see it from the outside so it can be helpful to bring in an outside perspective. When it comes to running your business, you want everyone in the company to be on the same page. If everyone works together and does the roles that they are assigned and it all works, then you start branching out and making the company bigger and get more clients.Bringing someone in from the outside is a great idea as they can help push you and motivate you to be responsible for what the goals are going forward.From a young age, Fabian was obsessed with logos, and he found a passion for helping brands establish themselves in a world cluttered with so much competition.There is a large need for thinking outside the box. Too many companies stick with the status quo and that makes them less likely to innovate and expand on their brand.When you are rebranding, don’t be afraid to go with a company that is different than yours because they could help push you in a new direction that can be beneficial to your company.   Quote of the Show: 7:34 “You have to create the word before you spread the gospel.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geyrhalter/Website: https://www.finien.com/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hitting-the-mark/id1439135187Books: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H81MN3U/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0789FBDJS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1734939702/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/Lc_IW7dMJ90 The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Don’t be a Bottleneck - Graeme Scott-Dodd - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 026
Sep 21 2022
Don’t be a Bottleneck - Graeme Scott-Dodd - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 026
This week’s guest is a highly skilled innovator. Graeme Scott-Dodd is the CEO at Action Insight Management (AiM). Graeme brings his insights on how to grow profit in your business and talks with the host Valerie Cobb. Listen in this week, to hear Graeme's amazing tips and trick on improving your companies revenue.   Takeaways: Make sure to figure out what you are trying to strive for in your company.  Try to narrow down your wants and focus on your needs to make your business skyrocket above other competitors.With your company, make sure you prioritize the clients that are helping your business grow but be sure to fix the ones that may have fallen through. Utilize the lost opportunities for any new clients.To keep a consistent amount of investments coming in, you have to be able to show your category growth in the company to future investors.Make sure you know what your needs and wants are for your company because if you make the wrong move and decide to go head first into something you don’t know, you could be losing a lot of money and not getting the results you’d hoped in order for your company to improve. You would only be digging yourself further down.If your company's total profit is higher than your average goal, then you don’t need to be promoting yourself. If customers already know your brand name, then don’t promote it. Promoting is what will be costing your company money, which will eventually leave you broke. There's a difference between the need to know and the want to know. People always get caught up in the want to know rather than the need. People would rather just get any form of information rather than focusing on what they actually need. If you drop the price at your company and you will sell more which means more total profit comes into your business. But if you've given away all of your margin because you are paying for all of that promotion, you may sell a lot, but your profit may go down in the process.   Quote of the Show: “So what are you chasing? Is it volume? Is it revenue? The key thing most businesses are now moving to is profit, because, without the profit, you can't survive. All the other things lead to that profit.” (03:04)   Links Twitter: https://twitter.com/AiMTradePromoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemescottdodd/Website: https://www.aim-eu.com/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/AshEB7oVKzg The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Two-Pronged Approach - Thai-Anh Hoang - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 025
Sep 14 2022
Two-Pronged Approach - Thai-Anh Hoang - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 025
This week’s guest is highly skilled at management. She also led an international team for a Fortune 500 company. Thai-Anh Hoang is the CEO and Founder at EmBeba. Thai-Anh brings the unique perspective of being a female CEO to the show and talks with the host Valerie Cobb to share her tips on how companies can increase their revenue.    Takeaways: One way to get out of the revenue maze is to take a chance. It may be risky, but you can’t increase revenue without taking chances on different ideas or approaches.The people who will most support you when you start out won’t be your friends or family, but other entrepreneurs. Imposter syndrome has increased among many people now. CEO’s don’t like taking 50/50 shots so they feel like they are pretending to be qualified to do something new.Men and women view risks and failures in different ways, which causes them to take other actions in these cases.You have to realize there might be a difference between your users and buyers. It boils down to knowing who your customers are and targeting them.When developing a product or a service, you want to make sure that what you are coming up with actually solves a problem for people in the real world.   Quote of the Show: 35:36 “Try to start a company a lot earlier, and take more risk. Take a lot more risk.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thai-anh-hoang/Website: https://embeba.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/F9MSuJVirPc The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Showing Empathy - Mike DiCosola - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 024
Sep 7 2022
Showing Empathy - Mike DiCosola - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 024
Today’s guest has designed several patents over the years. He was inspired by the idea of Amazon using drones to deliver their products, so he went back to school to learn how to make drones and use them for everyday purposes and make jobs more efficient. Mike DiCosola, the CEO at Drone Industry Systems Corporation. Mike joins the host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how a company can increase its revenue.    Takeaways One way to increase the revenue for your company is to find a problem and solve that problem by using the current technology you have available.A drone isn’t just a flying robot, it can be anything that is autonomous. This means you can create a unique type of drone to fill a gap in your company.When it comes to building drones, it’s a long-term commitment and endeavor but it will pay off for the future use of a drone to make jobs more efficient. You need to feel empathy for the problem that you are trying to solve because you don’t want to sacrifice all your time on one single issue unless it is worth it.You want to have empathy for the consumer. It’s important to feel that connection with your consumer and build that relationship with them.Surveying your customer constituents is one way to find a gap in your company is see if you are able to fill it. Even if you can’t get away for a full vacation, appreciate the moments when you can step away and recharge your batteries a little bit.   Quote of the Show: 1:44 “Filling a gap, a gap that might be a boutique gap or an all-encompassing gap that is not necessarily being paid attention to or has just been avoided for some time. And now new technology that has come can fill that gap.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedicosola1/Website: https://www.droneindustrysystems.com/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/_t_i1-dMTXw The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Credible and Relevant - Melanie Asher - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 023
Aug 31 2022
Credible and Relevant - Melanie Asher - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 023
Today’s guest is a marketing extraordinaire. She’s at her best when juggling rapidly changing priorities and has a reputation for taking risks grounded in practical realities. Melanie Asher is the Founder and CMO at Omicle. Melanie is not confined by "we've always done it this way". She finds new and unique ways to help companies increase their revenue. Melanie joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of her tips on how to find your way out of the revenue maze.    Takeaways  One way to get yourself out of the revenue maze is to be crystal clear on the messaging you send. The message is not from your perspective, it’s from the client's perspective.Daily, most people get anywhere between 30,000 to 90,000 messages. It is your job to make your message different and stand out from the rest of the noise. As an expert on a certain subject, you don’t need to feel like you have to demonstrate your knowledge. You can show you are the expert by simplifying the value you offer. It’s important to know why you are running a business, but your clients are more interested in how you can help them solve their problems.Being able to connect with your clients can help increase your revenue. Building a relationship between you and your clients can help lead to bigger deals.There is a difference between consultants and fractional employees. Fractional c-suite executives typically give you the advice of a c-suite-level person at a fraction of the cost. Spend less time worrying about what other people think and focus more on what your gut is telling you. Trust your instincts to lead your business to success.   Quote of the Show: 1:31 “Be crystal clear on your messaging and it is not from your perspective, it is from your client's perspective and your perspective clients.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omicle/Website: https://www.omicle.com/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/PNxWHd7jHSI   The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Simplicity Is Clarity - Mike Adkins - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 022
Aug 24 2022
Simplicity Is Clarity - Mike Adkins - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 022
Today’s guest sees the importance of making a process clear and concise. He is an avid Jayhawks fan and also enjoys playing the guitar. Mike Adkins is the Vice President of Sales at WarehouseQuote. Mike joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his tips for how companies can increase their revenue.   Takeaways One way to increase the revenue for your company is to have clarity on what you are doing. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and think about what you are doing at a very base level.There are plenty of books out there that claim to have the secret revenue growth or revenue ops, but you don’t need to read all those. Instead, take a step back and write down a list of the process you want and think about your ultimate objective.When you are trying to make a clear process for your company, you want to try to simplify it. Simplicity can help make the process clear to others. Indecision is a decision. If you are not clear about why you are the right decision for a customer, then you have already killed the deal and the client won’t want to work with you.Every day you want to think about the value you are bringing to your clients and make sure you are meeting their needs.Use your time to improve your knowledge and skillset about your profession rather than spending time on social media.Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out a little bit. You can learn a lot from an opportunity that didn’t work out and use those lessons on your next journey.   Quote of the Show: 7:40 “simplicity is one of the keys to clarity.”    Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-adkins-whq/Website: https://www.warehousequote.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/i-rLe50lwSg The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Mapping Out The Future - Zach DeAngelo - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 021
Aug 17 2022
Mapping Out The Future - Zach DeAngelo - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 021
While today’s guest lives in Colorado, he was born in New England and still carries that Northeast spirit in his heart. He grew up with his mom who had her own catering business, which opened his eyes to what he does today. Zach DeAngelo is the CEO, Founder, Investor, and Food & Beverage Strategist at Rodeo CPG. Zach joins the host Valerie Cobb to share some of his tips for how companies can work to increase their revenue.    Takeaways  One way to get out of the revenue maze and build up the profits for your business is to clearly define what your goals for success with your business are very early on.You have to be mindful of your cash flow as a business owner. It’s the lifeblood of your business and you need to keep a watchful eye on it.You should try to map out your business and see how much it would cost you to make your product and how much you can sell it to make a profit.There is always going to be a high element of unpredictability with a business. The most successful businesses are the ones that are able to adapt to changes. We as humans have the capacity to learn most things and figure them out, so don’t be afraid to really dive into something new and learn it.It’s hard to get a bunch of people in an organization to change direction when something isn’t working, so you need to practice the change to make it a smooth transition.   Quote of the Show: 1:27 “One piece of advice is to clearly define what your goals for success with your business are very early on.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-deangelo/Website: https://www.rodeocpg.com/   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/_ubInKoQ48Q The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
ExtraBold Sales - Catherine Brown - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 020
Aug 10 2022
ExtraBold Sales - Catherine Brown - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 020
B2B sales teams are struggling to find new ways to reach their buyers. Today’s guest sees these issues and has answers to this problem. Catherine Brown is the Inventor and Chief Trainer at EXTRABOLD Sales and the author of How Good Humans Sell. Catherine joins host Valerie Cobb to share some of the tips on how companies can sell better and increase their revenue.   Takeaways: One way to increase your revenue is to have a strong call to action. This will hold you accountable while also driving attention to your company.Part of the sellers' job is to make it easy to work with them and set up everything for the client.It’s important to be crystal clear with clients. If you are clear with them and they understand everything that is happening, they will appreciate that clarity and honesty.You need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to go out there and sell yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, it is obvious and you won’t be able to get the most out of your work.When you are sharing your point or opinion, you should have the base intention of being a good human. Sales shouldn’t feel like there is external pressure that they have to handle along with their regular job.If you want to be an entrepreneur, start in the corporate world and let a corporate company train you and develop the skills you will need to succeed.    Quote of the Show:   5:15 “The seller's job is to meet that part of the good humanness and to make it easy to work with us.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineleebrown/Website: https://extraboldsales.com/Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/How-Good-Humans-Sell-Success/dp/B095MD3HQK   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenue-maze/id1638644167Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/BZ87w8Ithms The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Taking Ownership for Entrepreneurs - Gil Allouche - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 019
Aug 4 2022
Taking Ownership for Entrepreneurs - Gil Allouche - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 019
Today’s guest is a bit of an adrenaline junky. He’s done everything from skydiving to bungee jumping and more. Gil Allouche is the CEO of metadata.io. After suffering through 8 years of pain that all marketers go through, he built his company to take some of that stress away. Gil joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to find your way out of the revenue maze.      Takeaways  To get out of the revenue maze, you want to lead with action. If things are slowing down at your company it’s your responsibility to take ownership and get it back on track.Starting a company during a recession is a great way to get your company started. Necessity is the mother of invention.During a recession, there aren’t as many high valuations and it will help so that when the recession ends your company will boom.Marketing in this day and age is more about A B testing rather than being something similar to Mad Men.The sales and marketing teams at companies should work side by side and have enough trust with each other.You want to build up your brand because it’s going to be hard to sell your brand and product if no one knows about it.You need to have a company culture of trust and accountability, and everyone should know that it takes time to build up a company.      Quote of the Show:   2:10 “If you show up every morning and you work on it, 200%,. I guarantee things will happen. Magic will happen. All the things that you hope for will start happening”   Links   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilallouche/Website: https://metadata.io/ Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/GIXjzcOONyA The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Simplified Behavior - Jordan Schindler - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 018
Jul 28 2022
Simplified Behavior - Jordan Schindler - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 018
Today’s guest is skilled in the art of entrepreneurship. He is a Global Leader in HealthWear and launched a new category of health and wellness products to 8-figures revenue and nationwide retail. Jordan Schindler is the CEO & Founder at Nufabrx. Jordan joins host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how companies can find their way out of the confusing maze of revenue.      Takeaways One way to get out of the revenue maze is by showcasing perseverance. You have to keep going forward and keep growing your company. You want to try and do one more thing than you did yesterday. As an entrepreneur, that is the way to build success.While it may not seem like an immediate impact, getting 1% better everyday is going to help your business grow more and more. Give yourself permission to say no and yes to certain things and clients. You want to work with the right people and they fit into your profile.Set goals for yourself that you can keep track of. They don’t need to be lofty goals but as long as they show progress or areas to improve they will help you.Having “rocks” or quarterly goals for your company will help the employees focus on a 90 day project and use that to improve the company. You want to simplify your customer's life. Your goal as a company is to make their life better and take away the pain points that they are experiencing.     Quote of the Show:   0:51 “It's all about showcasing perseverance. You gotta put one foot in front of the other and you gotta keep growing.” Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschindler/Website: https://nufabrx.com/ Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/Ne-3fnb09wE The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Test Before You Invest - Diane Moura - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 017
Jul 14 2022
Test Before You Invest - Diane Moura - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 017
Today’s guest has been a consultant for 30 of the  Fortune 500 companies and has over 30 years of business experience. She focuses on business simplification, growth and profitability. Diane Moura is the CEO of ZenChange Marketing. Diane joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how companies can drive up their revenue.   Takeaways A great way to get out of the revenue maze is to test before you invest. Before you invest into a new tool, you want to test other ones and make sure you are comfortable with the software you will be using. Before you put some money and marketing behind an idea, you want to make sure there is a target audience for it and that it can be a profitable idea. Your competitors are not just offering the same service as you, they are also filling a separate need that your clients might have.In the big picture, you aren’t selling stuff or things. You are selling a solution to a client’s problems.You need to understand your target audience in sufficient detail so that you can identify the needs and problems that you can try to solve for.If you’ve chosen the right investors and board members then they will have a mind for being nimble which is very helpful to an entrepreneur.The product or service is the most important part of marketing.     Quote of the Show:   10:53 “At the end of the day, you’re not selling stuff. You're selling a solution to a problem.” Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianemoura/Website: https://zenchange.com/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rB16M3vIB8oziLaRjW1aH   Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/mZgGVFJgUe4 The Revenue Maze is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Creating A Closed Loop - Robert Rose - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 016
Jul 7 2022
Creating A Closed Loop - Robert Rose - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 016
Today’s guest has more than 30 years of experience engineering and operations management, manufacturing space. He’s a six sigma black belt and an executive champion. Robert Rose is the CEO at MedWand. Robert joins host Valerie Cobb to share his tips on how companies can grow their revenue and work their way out of the maze.   Takeaways: Listen to the voice of your customer. If you know what your customers want, then you will have a good chance of succeeding.You want to be adaptable to what your customers' needs are. That is more important than ever in an emerging market.You have to introduce your engineering group to your call center group and make it a closed loop.Revenue goes both ways. It covers what is coming into your company but also what is going out which can show how well you run your company.As a chief revenue officer, you need to look at the direction the company is going in and identify any needs that might come up.Don’t sell past the close. Surround yourself with a great team. If you have the right people then you won’t need to micromanage them.   Quote of the Show: 2:18 “We could learn as leaders of companies to kind of abandon your preconceptions of things, listen to the voice of your customer and be ready to pivot.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-rose-549b926/Website: https://www.medwand.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
Things My Customer Said Today - Alex Reed & Jay Manouchehri - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 015
Jun 30 2022
Things My Customer Said Today - Alex Reed & Jay Manouchehri - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 015
Today’s episode features two special guests. Alex Reed is the Co-Founder & President of Fluence Analytics. He’s also a mentor to local entrepreneurs and very active in the New Orleans, Houston and Portland communities. Jay Manouchehri is the CEO and Board Director at Fluence Analytics. Jay has more than three decades of global experience in technology commercialization. Together, they sit down and join host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways growing companies can increase their revenue.      Takeaways One way to get out of the revenue maze is to listen to your customers. If you get them talking and actually listen to them, they will tell you exactly what they need. Don’t feel like you need to sell all the bells and whistles. If you listen to a customer and work collaboratively then the sale will come back to you. You want to make the lives of your customers easier, so you need to find the right client so they can work with you. There is a balance between having the sales person come in with all different requests or focusing too much on your product market fit and ignoring your customers.Collaborating with other parts of the team allows you to figure out what works best and how to improve your company. Part of being strategic allows you to narrow down the things that won’t work so you can focus your energy on things that will work. With two people working together on something, you get two ways to analyze the problem and find a solution.     Quote of the Show:   1:26 “One of the best things I would say is to listen to your customers. Because if you get them comfortable, you get them talking and you actually listen, they're gonna tell you exactly what they need from you.” Links   Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-reed-504/Jay’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmanouchehri/Website: https://www.fluenceanalytics.com/ Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/t28zvphg17k
Professionals Have Standards - Marcelino Dodge - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 014
Jun 23 2022
Professionals Have Standards - Marcelino Dodge - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 014
There is a difference between a tax professional and a tax preparer. Today’s guest falls into the tax professional category, and he is a long time friend to the host of the show. Marcelino Dodge is the President and Owner of Cash Tracks Financial. Marcelino joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how business owners can work their way out of the confusing maze of revenue.      Takeaways: Keep tax planning in mind when dealing with a tax professional. There are many successful businesses where the owner is the sole proprietor but it can be helpful to have another person look over the fine details of the company. A tax preparer is the person who seasonally gets taxes ready for people, while a tax professional is someone who works year round.Every company needs a good cash flow statement and you can also get good credit for your business by taking the time to look at ways to get R&D credits.A tax professional can help you to better understand the confusing parts of getting your taxes in order.A piece of equipment that you want to offload could become a future deductible in future years and actually help out with your cash flow.You want to start your tax preparation earlier than when the season starts because that can give time to really understand it be best prepared.     Quote of the Show: 1:16 “Always keep tax planning in mind in dealing with a tax professional.” Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cashtracks/Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cash-tracks-financial-inc/ Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/FZQ_gicqxjA
Drive My Car - Todd Cripe - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 013
Jun 16 2022
Drive My Car - Todd Cripe - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 013
Todd Cripe is the Co-Founder at BlueConnect Automotive. He has a passion for cars and is an innovative industry leader. He has come up with an app that keeps track of all the work that your car needs and to make sure it is at its optimal performance. Todd joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how businesses can work their way out of the confusing maze of revenue.    Takeaways: You don’t want to be the same as everyone else. You really want to make yourself stand out and that will help you out of the revenue maze. There’s a little bit of science when it comes to interacting and building a relationship with your clients. You don’t want to reach out to them too much and bother them but you also want to keep in touch with them to show you are interested. Maintaining a relationship with your client is important. If they feel connected to you then they will keep coming back. As technology advances, it allows for unique and innovative ways to make cars more compatible with technology.Listen to the needs of your customers. If you can have a solution for their problems, you will grow your revenue and business.Adapting to the changes in time and technology are key for making sure that your business stays afloat. You want to try and make your business “future proof” so that it won’t be obsolete within a few years.      Quote of the Show: 2:03 “It really all comes down to relationships and building relationships and communications.” Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddcripe/Website: https://bca4cars.com/ Ways to Tune In Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-mazeSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1sYouTube - https://youtu.be/uu69OR0tpa4