The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas
By Bela Musits
The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and IdeasAug 12, 2019
EP-173 Bring Out the Dead - Joe Connelly
In this podcast episode, Bela Musits interviews Joe Connelly, a former New York City paramedic who wrote the book "Bringing Out the Dead." The book was later adapted into a movie starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Martin Scorsese. Joe has since moved to a small town in upstate New York and became president of the local rescue squad.
The conversation focuses on Joe's experience transforming a 100% volunteer Not For Profit (NFP) organization into one with full-time paid paramedics, serving two communities. We discuss the challenges of organizational transformation and working in a volunteer NFP where everyone in the community knows each other.
The episode is a great example of entrepreneurship and can be inspiring to many. Be sure to give it a listen to learn more about Joe's journey and the transformation of the rescue squad.
You can find more info about about Joe’s book here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_Out_the_Dead
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-172 Steve Ovitt - Making the Wilderness Accessible - Steve Ovitt
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Steve Ovitt. Steve founded Wilderness Property Management after a 30 year career as a New York State Forest Ranger. His company works with municipalities and private organizations to provide recreational access to public and private lands properties preserving the wilderness character of the land. This is a great example of a 2nd career that brings together Steve's expertise and passion.
I found our conversation inspiring and a great example of entrepreneurship. So please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Wilderness Property Management here:
https://www.wildernesspropertymanagement.com/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-171 Maximizing the Value of Your Internship - Robert Khoury
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Robert Khoury. Robert has held leadership positions in the financial industry as an equity derivatives trader, portfolio manager, corporate strategist, chief operating officer, and private equity investor. He is co-founder and CEO of Agile Rainmakers, a high-impact business development consulting and advisory firm based in Chicago. He also recently wrote a book titled, How to Intern Successfully. In my interview with him, we focused on internships and how to make them successful for both the intern and the company.
I found our conversation inspiring and a great example of entrepreneurship. So please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Robert’s book here:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Intern-Successfully-Insights-Experience-ebook/dp/B09F743KSG
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-170 Psychology, Sailing, and Business - Chris Kubisiak
Welcome to The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas. Today we are doing something a bit different. As our long time listeners know, Mike and I like to change things up once in a while.
Today, Mike and I interview Chris Kubisiak. Chris is an organizational psychologist and avid sailor.
We interviewed him for the sailing podcast Mike and I do. We discussed how psychology and human behavior plays a large role in sailing. Many aspects of our conversation also apply to business and leadership. So, we decided to broadcast the episode on the Unconventional Path podcast.
You can reach Chris at CKYachting@gmail.com
We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.
So please give the episode a listen!
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-169 Bela and Mike Chat about all sorts of topics
Before Mike I record the intros to the podcast, we usually start chatting about something we are both interested in. On this occasion, I decided to hit the record button during our conversation. As usual, we had a great conversation and we decided to turn it into an episode.
Here is a summary of what we discussed:
What’s going on with Bela and Mike.
Mike comes back to Michigan for a visit. Some culture shock.
Bela’s summer job working for a small commuter airline.
The challenges of air travel
Mike’s teaching at University of Muenster
College education in Germany and the USA
A little political comment.
We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.
If you liked this episode, let us know and we will hit the record button again.
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-168 Hospital CEO - David Kruczlincki
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews David Kruczlincki, the retired CEO of a large community hospital. Bela and David discuss decision-making with limited information, culture, and the complexities of leading an organization in a highly regulated environment. This is one of our short video series podcasts where I converse with C-level business leaders about building great organizations. These interviews were originally taped several years ago when I was Dean of the Business School at Union Graduate College. I believe they deserve to be re-edited and presented to a broader audience. So, here is one of them. More to follow.
Hope you enjoy our conversation
We hope you found this episode interesting and thought provoking.
We also appreciate if you would subscribe or follow the show.
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-167 World Class Economist & Financial Advisor - Hugh Johnson
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Hugh Johnson. Hugh is a world-class financial advisor and economist. He has appeared on many News and Finance TV shows. This is one of our short video series podcasts where I converse with C-level business leaders about building great organizations. These interviews were originally taped several years ago, when I was Dean of the Business School at Union Graduate College. I believed they deserved to be re-edited and presented to a broader audience. So, here is one of them. More to follow.
Hope you enjoy our conversation
We hope you found this episode interesting and thought provoking.
We also appreciate if you would subscribe or follow the show.
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-166 Human Resources - Mary Cregut
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Mary Cregut - VP of Human Resources. This is one of our short video series podcasts where I converse with C-level business leaders about building great organizations. These interviews were originally taped several years ago, when I was Dean of the Business School at Union Graduate College. I believed they deserved to be re-edited and presented to a broader audience. So, here is one of them. More to follow.
Today's guest is Mary Cregut, VP of Human Resources. Hope you enjoy our conversation
We hope you found this episode interesting and thought provoking.
We also appreciate it if you would subscribe or follow the show.
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-165 Michael Segal - Skylight
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Michael Segal. Michael is the founder and CEO of Skylight. Skylight is a leading digital photo frame and digital calendar brand that helps families stay connected.
Michael founded Skylight in 2014 while he was a student at Harvard Business School living hundreds of miles away from family, and was eager to invent a device that made it easy to share photos with far-away loved ones in a unique way. After raising $55K on Kickstarter, he created one of the first Wi-Fi connected digital photo frames which started shipping a few months later. Since launching, Skylight has grown to over 5 million users, and has become the #1 best-selling brand of digital photo frames on Amazon. Despite coming from a VC background, Michael has managed to grow the company profitably for nearly a decade entirely through bootstrapping.
I found our conversation inspiring and a great example of entrepreneurship. So please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Skylight here:
https://www.skylightframe.com/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-164 Erica Cole - No Limbits
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Erica Cole. Erica is the founder of No Limbits. This is a super interesting company with a mission. No Limbits was created with the goal of providing easy and accessible solutions to everyday problems. After losing her leg in a car accident in 2018, Erica Cole found that her new prosthetic leg wasn't compatible with her existing wardrobe. So she went on to Shark Tank, received funding, and started a clothing company to solve the problem.
I found our conversation inspiring and a great example of entrepreneurship. So please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about No Limbits and Erica here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-163 How Successful Leaders Do Business With Their World - Stephen Barden
In this episode, Bela Musits interviews Stephen Barden. Stephen is a specialist in organizational leadership and strategy. He has worked with board-level leaders to help them and their successors develop and implement strategies that benefit and sustain the entire organization. Stephen has clients in Europe, the USA, the UK, and Africa. He is also the author of the book "How Successful Leaders Do Business with Their World."
We had a great conversation, so be sure to listen to the episode!
You can find more about Stephen here:
https://www.stephenbarden.org/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-162 Derek Slayton & Sean Magee - Founders Trampoline Design
In this episode, Bela Musits interviews Derek Slayton and Sean Magee, the founders and owners of Trampoline Design. They help companies develop branding and advertising campaigns to raise customer awareness and recognition. They have built their business slowly and steadily in this highly competitive field. We had a great conversation, so be sure to listen to the episode!
You can find more info about Trampoline Design here:
https://www.trampolinedesign.com/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-161 Jenny Tse - Sipping Streams Tea Show Notes
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Jenny Tse. She is the founder of Sipping Streams Tea Company. Jenny was born in Hong Kong but raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. She spent her summers selling her mother's vegetables at the local farmer's market and was very active in the local community. Her vision for Sipping Streams began in the summer of 2004 when she began to notice how tea brought different people together.
Traveling to different tea farms in China encouraged her to teach about tea in her local community. Tse is a certified tea specialist. Her custom hand blends and specialty teas have won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the North American Tea Championships, 2nd place at the Global Tea Championships, and 1st place for the Top Tea Infusionist Competition at the World Tea Expo 2011.
We had a great conversation so please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Sipping Streams Tea Company and Jenny here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-160 Paul Barron - The Wall Printer
In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews Paul Baron, he is the founder and chief executive officer of The Wall Printer USA. Paul is responsible for all executive functions, assuring the growth of the corporation and of the businesses that purchase a Wall Printer. His decades of business experience span B2B, B2C, retail, manufacturing, distribution, international business, and franchising. Paul has personally developed and launched business concepts and supported successful revenue growth, which lead to exits for several start-ups and established businesses.
We had a great conversation so please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about The Wall Printer and Paul here:
https://thewallprinter.com/en/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-159 Is Artificial Intelligence Really As Good As People Say It Is? - Devon Watson
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by repeat guest Devon Watson. Devon was previously featured on episodes 24 and 142. We engage in a three-way conversation with Devon, Mike, and Bela on the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Devon has written several posts about AI and is quite knowledgeable on the subject. We discuss the potential impact of AI and some of the positive aspects it can contribute to society. We also conducted a small experiment using AI, and the response we received was 90% incorrect.
You can find more info about Devon Watson here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-divide-how-ai-automation-creating-bifurcated-labor-devon-watson
Please give the episode a listen!
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-158 Rick Elmore - NFL Football Player Turned Entrepreneur
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Rick Elmore. He is an entrepreneur, sales, and marketing expert, and former college and professional football athlete. As the Founder and CEO of Simply Noted, Rick developed a proprietary technology that puts real pen and ink to paper to scale handwritten communication, helping businesses of all industries scale this unique marketing platform to stand out from their competition and build meaningful relationships with clients, customers, and employees.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Rick and Simply Noted here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-157 - David Dussault - P-1 Industries Part-2
Today’s guest on the podcast is David Dussault, the founder of P1 Industries in Schenectady, NY. This is part 2 of my conversation with David. David started P1 after leaving GE and has built a solid business in machining and fabricating precision metal components for the energy and defense industry. Listen to how David has grown this company by keeping a keen eye on building a customer service-focused culture. P1 is a great example of applying entrepreneurship to traditional manufacturing businesses. This was a long conversation, so I broke it into 2 parts. This a part 2.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about David and P1 here: http://www.p1ind.com
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path. If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening, Bela and Mike
EP-156 David Dussault - P1 Industries Part-1
Today’s guest on the podcast is David Dussault, the founder of P1 Industries in Schenectady, NY. He was a guest on the podcast black in EP-2. David started P1 after leaving GE and has built a solid business in machining and fabricating precision metal components for the energy and defense industry. Listen to how David has grown this company by keeping a keen eye on building a customer service-focused culture. P1 is a great example of applying entrepreneurship to traditional manufacturing businesses. This was a long conversation, so I broke it into 2 parts. This a part one.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about David and P1 here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-155 Anish Majumdar - The Hidden Job Market
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Anish Majumdar. He is a career coach and an expert in the hidden job market. We have a wonderful conversation about the most effective way to make new opportunities for yourself.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Anish here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishmajumdar/
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-154 Jeremy Ryan Slate - Podcast and Media Expert and Author
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jeremy Ryan Slate. He is an entrepreneur, media expert, author and CEO and founder of Command Your Brand. He studied literature at Oxford University and is a former champion powerlifter that helps visionary founders to impact the world and better mankind through podcasting and new media to create trust and opinion leader status. Podcast Magazine just included Jeremy on their 2022 40 under 40 in Podcasting list. He is also the author of “Unremarkable to Extraordinary”
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Jeremy here:
You can find his book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Unremarkable-Extraordinary-Passion-Passive-Observer/dp/1953153682
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-153 Jonathan Jay - Entrepreneur and Author, Founder - DealMakers.uk.co
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jonathan Jay. Over the past 30 years, Jonathan has built and exited businesses in publishing, digital marketing, adult education, and preschool education. This experience has given him special insights into what mistakes business owners and investors should avoid in order to succeed. His new book, “Business Buying Strategies” is a must read for anyone looking to grow their existing business or acquire a business.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Jonathan Jay here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-152 Steven Blue - CEO Miller Ingenuity, and Best Selling Author
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Steven Blue. He is the CEO of Miller Ingenuity, a Keynote Speaker, and a Best-Selling Author. We had a great conversation about leadership, building organizations, and focusing on your customer.
If you are watching the video version of this podcast, Steven’s video was not working, so the video is just me.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Steven Blue here:
Our podcast is now available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. For YouTube, just search for The Unconventional Path or use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcihgLJ_eTFCgFXADE7_reg
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-151 Robin Singhvi - Founder SmartCue
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Robin Singhvi. He is a first-time entrepreneur. He is the founder of SmartCue, a software as a service company (SAS) focused on helping customers sell software products and services in the B2B sector. We had a great conversation about the challenges of starting a software company, selling software, and all of the other things founders need to do.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Robin and SmartCue here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-150 Reiner Lomb
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Reiner Lomb. He is the author of “ASPIRE: Seven Essential Emotions for Leading Positive Change, No Matter Where You Are”. Reiner has been an executive at several major international corporations and turned his experience and philosophies into active coaching and leadership facilitation business.
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Reiner here:
Our podcast is now available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. For YouTube, just search for The Unconventional Path or use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcihgLJ_eTFCgFXADE7_reg
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-149 Brant Cooper
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Brant Cooper. He is a New York Times bestselling author of “The Lean Entrepreneur and CEO” and founder of Moves the Needle. Brant works as a trusted adviser to startups and large enterprises around the world. With more than 25 years of expertise in changing industrial age mindset into digital age opportunities,
Please give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Brant here:
Our podcast is now also available on YouTube as well as your favorite podcasting app. Just search for The Unconventional Path.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-148 Gary Frey
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Gary Frey. Gary has served as president of four successful companies, including Bizjournals.com, a business news portal that he helped transform from a three-person organization to a $100 million company. He has done two turnarounds and held executive positions in two Fortune 100 companies. Gary leads business growth coaching and business development efforts for a regional CPA firm that serves privately held businesses and their owners.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Gary Frey here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garydfrey/
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-147 Robert Mixon - US Army Major General (Ret)
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by retired Major General Robert W. Mixon, Jr. has achieved over three decades of extraordinary leadership success in diverse organizations, including the United States Army where he commanded the 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, Colorado prior to his retirement in 2007.
Subsequently, he served in executive leadership positions in for-profit and not-for-profit companies before starting his own leadership company, Level Five Associates, in 2014.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Robert Mixon here:
https://www.levelfiveassociates.com/
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-146 Ben Knegendorf - Entrepreneur
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Ben Knegendorf. He founded Paramount Pet Health. An e-comm store for cats and dogs. He started a business with $500 and after 2 years has achieved $11M in revenue. It is quite a contrast to the VC-backed businesses that raise $20-$30M and still do not make it to $11M in revenue after 2 years.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Ben Knegendorf here:
https://www.benknegendorf.com/
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EP-145 Steven Adjei - Author, Poet, and Entrepreneur
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Steven Adjei. He is a fascinating, multi-faced individual who is an author, poet, healthcare consultant, and entrepreneur. He is the founding partner of BlueCloud Health (www.bluecloudhealth.com), a UK-based, African-focused healthcare firm that exists to provide solutions to health businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Steven Adjei here:
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-144 Bela and Mike Discuss Life and Current Events
In this episode of the podcast, Mike and I chat about what is going on in our lives and some current events. This is another one of those pre-podcast recordings that we decided to upload for those of you who are interested. We talk about sailing, family, life in general, the economy, politics, the Jan 6th hearings, and energy prices in both the USA and Germany.
If you like this episode, let us know, as it is a bit different.
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-143 Michelle Seiler Tucker - M&A Expert
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Michelle Seiler Tucker. She is a 20-year veteran of the mergers and acquisitions industry where she is a leading authority on buying, selling, financing, and growing businesses. We had a fascinating conversation about how founders and company leaders often do not think about positioning the company for a successful acquisition.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Michelle Seiler Tucker here:
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-142 Devon Watson - Executive VP - Diebold-Nixdorf (Second time on the Pod)
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Devon Watson, Devon is the Executive Vice President of Global Banking & Chief Marketing Officer at Diebold-Nixdorf. Within his organization, he is also responsible for business development and acquisitions. The most common exit for entrepreneurs is being acquired or merged with another company. In my conversation with Devon, we discussed, what qualities Diebold-Nixdorf looks for in a potential acquisition, how Diebold-Nixdorf evaluates acquisitions, and why a good strategic fit is critical.
You can find more info about Diebold-Nixdorf here:
https://www.dieboldnixdorf.com/en-us/about-us/
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-141 Brad Svrluga - Primary Ventures (Second time on the pod)
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Brad Svrluga. Brad is co-founder of primary Ventures based in New York City. Primary is one of the premier early-stage VC firms in the United States. He has over 20 years of experience in early-stage investing and Primary is the second VC firm Brad has co-founded. We discuss how differentiating Primary from the crowded VC space has played a critical role in the firm's success. Brad also shares his investing hot buttons and how elusive success can be in the entrepreneurial community.
You can find more info about Primary Ventures here:
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-140 Jim Senall - Rochester Angel Network
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jim Senall. Jim runs the Rochester Angel Network, (RAN) in Rochester NY. We discussed how angel investing plays a critical role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Jim also described how RAN has evolved during the last 20 years, both in terms of its structure and the characteristics of the investments it makes.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about RAN here:
http://www.rochesterangels.com/
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-139 Mark Drager - Branding Guru and Founder Phanta Media
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Mark Drager. He is a branding expert and helps entrepreneurs and companies refine their brand strategy and ensure their brand is consistent across everything they do. Your brand is how the world views you. We had a great conversation about how to make sure your brand is not an afterthought. It is exceptionally important and once established, not easy to change. Mark emphasized how important it is to give branding some critical thought on day one of starting your business.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Mark Sheperd here:
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-138 Billie Shepard - How an acting coach can help you be a better presenter
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Billie Shepard. She founded Billie Shepard Associates, where she leverages her acting experience and training methods in the business sector. Her one-on-one coaching and group workshops help transform corporate speakers into influential leaders. We had a fascinating conversation on how many leadership speaking skills can be learned. Unless you are a communications major, it is something most of us have no training in. She has also written a wonderful book, “The Billie Shepard Presentation Method”.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Billie Shepard here:
http://www.billieshepard.com/intro/
Check out Billie’s book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Billie-Shepard-Presentation-Method-Relationships-ebook/dp/B084WZZMNM/
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP- 137 What I Learned from the Passing of My Mom
Hello and welcome to The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas podcast. Today we have a very different podcast topic for you. If you have been listening to this podcast you know that Mike and I like to try new things, well this one is way out there. It is about how the experience of losing my 95-year-old mother completely changed my view of death and dying. I went from fearing it and trying to ignore it to embracing the journey and experience.
This is an episode where I talk about things I have never talked about before. I debated with myself for many hours regarding if I should express my thoughts in public. With Mike’s encouragement, we hit the record button and had a wonderful conversation.
I hope it will help you think through and process these types of events. And for me, the most important thing was not running away from it, but accepting it and embracing the experience. One of the key things that helped in the process was over the previous 5 years, my mom made it very clear what she wanted when the end was near. This removed that facet of “what should we do” as the events unfolded. I encourage you to have those conversations.
Thanks for listening, I would love to hear your thoughts about this episode. Drop us a line at bela.and.mike@gmail.com.
Our next episode will be back on topic.
Bela and Mike
EP-136 Andy Binns - Corporate Innovation Expert
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Andy Binns. Andy is a corporate innovation guru, co-founder of Change Logic, and the co-author of “Corporate Explorer: How Corporations Beat Startup at the Innovation Game”. We had a fascinating conversation about innovation and entrepreneurship, both in large corporations and start-ups.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Change Logic here:
https://changelogic.com/team/andy-binns/
Check out Andy’s book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Explorer-Corporations-Entrepreneurs-Innovation/dp/1119838320
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-135 Pre Podcast Discussion 2022-01-07
This is another pre-podcast discussion episode. As mentioned before, these episodes were inspired by a listener. When Mike and I get together, to record a podcast, before we hit the RECORD button, we typically have a conversation about what's going on in our lives and the world. It’s basically, two good friends catching up. Back in EP 128, Mike and I did an experiment and we hit the record button as soon as our conversation started and we included this part of the conversation in the regular podcast. After receiving some positive comments from listeners, we decided to make separate episodes out of our pre-podcast conversations. That way, those listeners who are only interested in Sailing and Cruising can easily skip over them. Not sure what we are going to label these episodes, but for now, we will call them, “Pre-podcast discussion”.
In this episode, Mike and I talk about his trip back to the USA during the Christmas holiday in the midst of a large COVID - Omicron surge in the US. We also talk about COVID regulations and political donations and how Germany and the US each deal with these issues very differently. Hope you enjoy the episode!
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-134 Pre Podcast Discussion 2021-12-17
This is our second, pre podcast discussion episode. As mentioned before, these episodes were inspired by a listener. When Mike and I get together, to record a podcast, before we hit the RECORD button, we typically have a conversation about what's going on in our lives and the world. It’s basically, two good friends catching up.
Back in EP 128, Mike and I did an experiment and we hit the record button as soon as our conversation started. We included this part of the conversation in the regular podcast.
After receiving some positive comments from listeners, we decided to make separate episodes out of our pre-podcast conversations. That way, those listeners who are only interested in Sailing and Cruising can easily skip over them. Not sure what we are going to label these episodes, but for now, we will call them, “Pre-podcast discussion”
Also, we are not sure how often we will release these episodes, as sometimes our conversations are not podcast-worthy. Hope you enjoy the episode!
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-133 Matt Kopko - Daily Pay
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Matt Kopko, the VP of Public Policy at Daily Pay. We have a great conversation about on-demand pay and how it can positively impact the ability of employees to receive their pay daily and not have to wait 2 or 3 weeks for a paycheck. It’s an industry I did not know existed. Also, for the first time ever, you can hear Mike rant a bit about how the less fortunate often get the short end of the stick in life. And it is something that can easily be remedied if we have the will.
So give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Daily Pay here:
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-132 Pre Podcast Discussion 2021-12-10
Today’s episode was inspired by a listener. When Mike and I get together, to record a podcast, before we hit the RECORD button, we typically have a conversation about what's going on in our lives and the world. It’s basically, two good friends catching up.
Back in EP 128, Mike and I did an experiment and we hit the record button as soon as our conversation started. We included this part of the conversation in the regular podcast.
We received some nice comments from listeners who said they enjoyed the episode.
In addition, John sent us a very nice email, he suggested we make our pre-podcast conversation part of the podcast. Thank you John for the thoughtful email and suggestion.
Mike and I discussed John’s suggestion and we decided we will make separate episodes out of our pre-podcast conversations. That way, those listeners who are only interested in Sailing and Cruising can easily skip over them. Not sure what we are going to label these episodes, but for now, we will call them, “Pre-podcast discussion”
Also, we are not sure how often we will release these episodes, as sometimes our conversations are not podcast-worthy. Hope you enjoy the episode!
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-131 James P. Quinn - Tech Trends 24/7 & The Impact of COVID
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined excited to be joined by James Quinn. He is a managing director at JLL, a Fortune 500 company that assists organizations in developing and implementing their real estate strategies in the ever-changing world. He also recently wrote a book titled “Tech Trends 24/7”. We have a great conversation about technology and how COVID has impacted the pace of technology development and implementation.
Give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about James here:
https://www.us.jll.com/en/people/james-quinn
You can find his book, Tech Trends 24/7 here:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9781736648100&i=stripbooks&linkCode=qs
If you know of someone who would be a good guest for the show, let us know and we will try to get them as a guest. We also love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-130 Misha Rubin - Career Leap
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined excited to be joined by Misha Rubin. He is a mix of a psychologist, career coach, and job coach. It's one of those topics I never thought much about during my career. Maybe I should have. He started his career working at one of the major accounting firms for 20 years and one day came to the realization he was not happy and decided to blaze out on his own. He gives some excellent tips on finding your path to job satisfaction and happiness.
Give the episode a listen!
You can find more info about Misha here:
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-129 Andy Mowat - Founder and CEO of Gated
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by serial entrepreneur Andy Mowat, founder of Gated. At Gated, they are changing the way email gets delivered and read. We are all burdened by receiving way too many emails. With Gated you can apply some economic theory to sending and receiving emails with some very interesting results. Give the episode a listen!
You can find Gated here:
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-128 Trying Something New - Bela and Mike’s Crazy Idea
In this episode of the podcast, Bela and Mike trying a new format for the podcast. It’s been a while since we posted a new episode, that’s because, with over 120 interviews under our belt, we were not sure anything new was popping up. When we record a podcast, we usually spend 15 to 30 minutes talking about what’s going on in each other’s lives. This is with the recorder off, so you never hear it. Well, this time we decided to record our conversation.
We talk about fishing, the German elections and how the process is different from the one in the USA, a COVID update, life in general, and a few thoughts on some new podcast ideas.
Please let us know what you think!
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-127 Chris Bursey - Founder founder of Direct Communications Solutions.
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Chris Bursey. He is the founder of Direct Communications Solutions. Direct Communication Solutions is a provider of Internet of Things (IoT) products and services. The Internet of Things is a term that generally means the coordination of sensors that sit on devices or vehicles or structures (that tell you things like temperature, location, amount of vibrations, etc.), the ability for those sensors to share data using wireless transmission methods (often cellular technology), with both other devices and with bigger software programs, so that simple devices become smarter - they can help managers, suppliers, and customers understand what’s going on with their equipment or products, and make better decisions.
You can find Direct Communication Solutions here:
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-126 Kizzy Parks - Founder and President of K Parks Consulting.
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Kizzy Parks. She is the founder and president of K Parks Consulting, a firm that provides corporate training, executive coaching, analytics, diversity and inclusion guidance, leadership development, and team building services mainly to US federal government clients but also they partner with large companies and other non-profits. She has a wealth of experience contracting with government agencies. She shares with us what she had learned and how any business can successfully bid on government contracts.
You can find K Parks Consulting here:
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-125 Sean Folkson - Founder and CEO of Nightfood
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Sean Folkson. He founded Nightfood, a company that produces sleep-friendly and nutritional evening snacks. After a few rough starts, Nighfood is running full speed with a line of sleep-friendly ice cream. The ice cream is formulated by leading sleep and nutrition experts to satisfy our nighttime cravings in a better, healthier, and sleep-focused way.
You can find Nightfood here:
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike
EP-124 Tarin Calmeyer - Founder and CEO of Remote Team Wellness
In today's podcast, we are excited to be joined by Tarin Calmeyer. Tarin is the founder of Remote Team Wellness...a startup that provides live digital wellness coaching, retreats, and workshops for corporate clients. We discussed the large pivot Tarin had to make with the onset of the COVID epidemic, the valuable lessons she learned, and how it has shaped her company.
You can find Remote Team Wellness here:
https://remoteteamwellness.com/
We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com - we will answer your questions in a future episode.
Thanks for listening,
Bela and Mike