This episode of Business Decode It features Billy Burke, a multi-talented individual with a career spanning radio, entertainment, and security. Billy shares how his father's advocacy helped him overcome early challenges to become a top radio personality.

Listen to Billy's Radio show on iHeart

• Overcoming Adversity: (00:03:40 - 00:06:21) Billy shares his inspiring story of being mislabeled as a child and how, with his father’s support, he honed his communication skills, ultimately leading him to a successful radio career.

• Manifesting Major Market Success: (00:06:21 - 00:11:23) Billy details his journey from a small-town radio station to becoming a top radio personality in major markets, including New York and Los Angeles, showcasing the power of perseverance and positive thinking.

• Creative Business Ventures: (00:20:46 - 00:28:07) Beyond radio, Billy shares his diverse experiences, from partnering with Hollywood giants to working as a bodyguard for the Saudi Royal family, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability.

• Giving Back through Martial Arts: (00:31:14 - 00:31:20) Billy discusses his passion for empowering youth through a martial arts gym, emphasizing the importance of discipline and confidence building.

Serial entrepreneur and author, Jay Rodgers, joins Business Decoded to share invaluable insights on building and scaling businesses. From a $60 startup to a billion-dollar global enterprise, Jay details his journey with Smart Start, highlighting the power of customer focus, ethics, and social impact. He delves into his book, "The Bet," emphasizing unconventional thinking and collaboration, while also stressing the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong network of mentors and like-minded individuals. His passion for supporting entrepreneurs shines through his non-profit, Business Owner Ed, dedicated to helping businesses achieve significant growth and lasting success.

Business Decoded welcomes Gabriela Spellman, a Gen Z college student and intern, to discuss her journey and perspective on entering the workforce. Despite generational assumptions about technological proficiency, Gabriela emphasizes the importance of diverse experiences, highlighting her internships in investment and food services, her time as a top-ranked gymnast and coach, and volunteer work in Guatemala. These experiences, coupled with her biomedical engineering studies, have shaped her understanding of leadership, dedication, and the importance of embracing opportunities. Gabriela encourages fellow Gen Zers to seek knowledge, explore different fields, and showcase their unique skills and experiences to future employers, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and a willingness to learn from failure.

This interview showcases Bobbie Lynn Weir, a former private sector executive turned educator, who has revolutionized hotel management education with her innovative program.

This episode of Business Decoded features an interview with Monty Bennett, CEO and chairman of Ashford Inc., a hotel investment and operating company. Bennett shares his journey from following in his father's footsteps in the hotel industry to building a successful, vertically integrated business.

Mr. Bennett has over 30 years of experience in virtually all aspects of the hospitality industry including hotel real estate, finance, hotel ownership, operations, development, asset management, project management, and others. In 1989, Bennett joined Remington Hotels, a hotel company and grew the business from six hotels to over 130 by 2020, including Braemar real estate investment trust which operates 13 resort properties. He served as CEO and Chairman of Braemar Hotels & Resorts. He is also the founder of Ashford Inc. Ashford is a publicly traded company that generates nearly $1.4 billion in annual revenue and serves as an alternative asset management company with a portfolio of strategic operating businesses that provide global asset management, investment management and related services to the real estate and hospitality sectors. Ashford's principals have a long track record of success and many years of experience investing and operating in the hospitality industry. Currently, Ashford serves as the advisor to two NYSE-listed real estate investment trusts, Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT) and Braemar Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: BHR). In addition to his roles at Ashford, over his career Mr. Bennett has been a member and leader in numerous industry associations. He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Cornell's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the School of Hotel Administration also at Cornell. He is a life member of the Cornell Hotel Society.

This episode features Jessica Bartnick, a successful entrepreneur and community leader, as she shares her journey from knocking on doors to running her own business and nonprofit.

Your host Ronnie Spellman has more than two decades of leadership experience ranging from established Fortune 500 companies to private equity owned growth based businesses, Ronnie brings a unique comprehensive approach to building efficient, sustainable, and scalable operations. Additionally, he has served the community as a volunteer on many nonprofit boards and universities advisory boards. His exciting and rich history of experience coupled with his energy and positive outlook on business brings to life these conversations with other leading business executives.

Summary

* **Early Career & Building Resilience (00:00:17:28 - 00:05:52:02)**

* Jessica discusses her early career in sales, her move to Dallas, and how her experiences in middle school and college soccer built her resilience and confidence.

* **Entrepreneurship & The Grind (00:05:52:02 - 00:08:22:16)**

* She describes her experience running a coffee shop while working a full-time job, highlighting the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

* **The Birth of a Business Idea (00:08:22:17 - 00:12:05:09)**

* Jessica shares how her idea for a new business came to her while getting her lashes done, and how she overcame initial doubts and regulations to bring it to life.

* **The Importance of Passion & Drive (00:12:05:09 - 00:13:40:17)**

* She emphasizes the importance of passion, drive, and a supportive network in turning an idea into a successful business.

* **Scaling a Business & Giving Back (00:13:40:20 - 00:16:38:12)**

* Jessica reveals her ambitious plans to franchise her new business and shares her passion for investing and giving back to the community.

* **Nonprofit Work & Empowering Youth (00:16:38:12 - 00:20:09:03)**

* She discusses her work with a youth mentoring program and how she has seen the organization transform the lives of countless students.

* **Overcoming Setbacks & Finding Recession-Proof Industries (00:20:09:03 - 00:34:02:16)**

* Jessica addresses the challenges of running a business during the pandemic and emphasizes the importance of finding a recession-proof industry.

* **Building a Culture of Motivation (00:34:02:18 - 00:34:45:06)**

* She shares her philosophy on motivating employees by investing in them, fostering a culture of collaboration, and empowering them with knowledge.

* **Creating a Shared Future (00:34:45:06 - 00:35:25:25)**

* Jessica emphasizes the importance of shared ownership and the benefits of creating a system where employees have a stake in the company's success.

On This episode, Ronnie talks with Amber Olson Rourke Co-Founder and President, Neora. Neora is a global relationship marketing company with age-fighting products crafted from cutting-edge research and science. Founded in 2011, Neora has shattered industry sales records while developing a strong customer base in North America, Latin America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. In 2013, the company received the prestigious Bravo Growth Award from Direct Selling News for hitting $100 million in ...