Today, I’m talking to Megan Greenwood, founder of Greenwood Brewing, where she’s making woman-owned, woman-inspired real beer for all.

Megan was an enthusiast and a homebrewer before venturing on her own as an entrepreneur. So, how did she get from Boston to Phoenix and from 8 taps in a garage to 14 taps downtown?

In this episode, Megan shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she faced along the way, and why beer has to be better than good to succeed in an ever-crowded industry.

Key takeaways:

• How homebrewing went from a hobby to a profession for Megan–and why her backgrounds in industrial engineering and manufacturing proved hugely helpful.
• The steps Megan took to get her product into bars and to customers when she didn’t have her own facility.
• How Megan found power in telling her business’s unique story in a male-dominated industry.
• What happened when Megan was finally ready to open at the height of the COVID pandemic.
• How Megan navigated growing pains as her business grew, manages an ever-growing staff, and continues to create opportunities for herself and her staff.

Interview Resources

• Greenwood Brewing
• Greenwood Brewing on Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
• Megan Greenwood on LinkedIn | Instagram
• Samuel Adams
• Boston Lager
• Sierra Nevada
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Fat Tire
• First Draft Book Bar
• Fresh Start Women’s Foundation

Please enjoy this relaunch of one of our favorite episodes with Terri Sjodin.

Whether you’re an executive speaking in front of your colleagues, an entrepreneur leading a sales presentation, or even just talking with your friends, at some point or another, you’re going to have to speak in public. If you’re like a lot of people, it might terrify you.

Fortunately, there are self-proclaimed speech geeks like Terri Sjodin out there in the world to help us improve. Terri has spent the last 30 years working to help people and businesses build and deliver more polished, persuasive, and effective presentations – and, since March, has focused her work on the tools and technologies you can use right now to forge more authentic connections.

Today, Terri and I are talking about the shocking mistakes that tons of professionals make when they speak in public, as well as sharing some techniques you can use right now to become a better speaker, no matter where or how you’re meeting.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Everyone can benefit from improving their presentation skills, even if you don’t work in sales or ever have to get up on a stage
• The three benchmarks people use to measure the effectiveness of a presentation
• Why storytelling is such a big component of almost every successful presentation
• Three things you can do right now to improve your presentations - and the tools and technology that can help you deliver higher-quality virtual presentations
• What makes someone a great presenter.

Interview Resources

• Sjodin Communications
• Scrappy: A Little Book About Choosing to Play Big
• Logitech BRIO
• Rode Microphones

When celebrities, musicians, and the ultra-wealthy want toget their time back and become more productive, they call Tarra Stubbins. Tarra made a career providing concierge services and assistance to artists like the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Kiss, and Drake–and now supports a wide range of business owners at the highest level at Take It Easy Personal Concierge.

In our conversation, Tarra and I dig into how her pursuit of success as an artist helped her find her lane behind the scenes and what she’s learned about time management and routines from her time around the world’s biggest superstars.

You’ll also hear how the most successful people in the world are laser-focused on their goals, projects, and pursuits and how having the right people in executive assistant roles make huge contributions to the success of both CEOs and rock stars, even remotely or virtually.

Interview resources, including show notes and links to resources mentioned, can be found on the episode page: https://www.bayntree.com/91

Key Takeaways:

• How Tarra launched her career by hopping on a tour bus with Kenny Rogers and doing the behind-the-scenes work that needed to be done.
• Tarra’s approach is to build trust and credibility with VIP clients and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
• Why is no celebrity or CEO’s daily routine going to be the single thing that makes you as successful as they are, and how can you meaningfully start taking back your time?
• The power of controlling your schedule, building discipline in your practice, and simply showing up.
• How remote, hybrid and virtual executive assistants can continue to add value without being in the same place as their clients.

Interview Resources:

• Tarra Stubbins
• Tarra Stubbins on LinkedIn | X/Twitter
• Take It Easy Personal Concierge Inc. on LinkedIn
• The Rolling Stones
• Lady Gaga
• Kenny Rogers
• Mick Jagger
• Drake
• Keith Richards
• Jack Daniel’s
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Tim Ferris

Today's guest is none other than Bayntree's Director of Corporate Development, Brian Hartstein. If you're a business owner looking for advice and strategies on tax planning or creating pensions, Roth IRAs and 401(k) plans, you've come to the right place.

In our conversation, Brian and I are exploring different ways business owners can start preparing–especially with our pretax dollars–to create the best possible financial outcomes not just for themselves but also for their employees.

We'll cover some of the big mistakes business owners make when it comes to pretax spending, how Brian analyzes a prospective client's business to recommend solutions, and why it's so important for entrepreneurs to have a solid financial education of their own.

Interview resources, including show notes and links to resources mentioned, can be found on the episode page: https://www.bayntree.com/90

Key takeaways

• The common issues business owners face when it comes to paying themselves out, creating a great company culture, and avoiding tax pitfalls.
• Why so many business owners lack the proper guidance when it comes to financial planning and especially taxes.
• How a third-party administrator can fit into your business structure to help meet your financial goals.
• The ABCs of employee benefits and contribution matching and how to find the sweet spot that works best for you and your employees.
• Why tax planning is only going to get more important over the next 10-15 years–and why there’s no better time to get started than right now.

Interview Resources

• Bayntree Wealth Advisors
• Bayntree Wealth Advisors on YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter
• Brian Hartstein, MSFS, CLU, ChFC on LinkedIn

Life as a business owner doesn't come without daily challenges to overcome. The marketplace is constantly changing with new competition and technology, in addition to managing your team, inbox, and voicemail.

So, today's episode is all about the obstacles that most entrepreneurs face in 2024 and the strategies I've used to overcome them.

I'll focus on navigating the relentless bombardment of information overload, overcoming perfectionism, and preventing the fear of failure from limiting growth in your business and stunting progress. You'll learn how confronting challenges and being adaptable and resilient are critical to entrepreneurial success in today's fast-paced economy.

Key takeaways

• Stay focused and organized when dealing with information overload with emails and social media. Overcome perfectionism and embrace progress.
• Waiting for perfection limits business growth.
• Resist the temptation to chase new technologies like AI and ensure new tech is a fit for your business.
• Never be afraid to fail. Embrace failures as learning opportunities.
• Adapting to economic uncertainty and focus on the things within your control.
• Comparison is the thief of joy.
• Creating a great culture will retain top talent.

Interview Resources

• Entrepreneur's Organization
• Slack
• Blackberry
• Apple

Today, I’m talking to my good friend and serial entrepreneur Aaron Chamberlin. Aaron is a well known chef here in the Phoenix area who has owned a number of restaurants, including Saint Francis, Taco Chelo, and Phoenix Public Market, diversified across industries, and achieved success in a field notorious for its extraordinary challenges.

In our conversation, Aaron shares lessons from his 37 years in the restaurant business. You’ll hear the story of how he honed his skills under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, why it’s so common for “successful” restaurants to barely turn a profit, and the hard lessons he learned that helped him experience remarkable growth, personally and professionally, since 2018.

Key takeaways:

• How Aaron discovered his passion for cooking and survived 70+ hour weeks while earning very little money in New York City.
• What inspired Aaron to open Saint Francis in his home state of Arizona, why the business was an immediate public success, and what drove him to sell it.
• How Aaron shifted his mindset as he opened Taco Chelo and the Phoenix Public Market to improve his profit margins and his growth.
• What Aaron has done to diversify his investing, share his passion with his family, and weather the storms along the way.

More interview resources can be found on the episode page: https://www.bayntree.com/87

Interview Resources:

• Watch Episode on YouTube
• Aaron Chamberlin on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
• Taco Chelo
• Taco Chelo on Instagram | Facebook
• Phoenix Public Market Cafe
• Tempe Public Market Cafe
• Ghost Ranch
• Michel Richard
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten
• Daniel Boulud
• Restaurant DANIEL
• La Grande Orange Grocery
• Robert Lynn
• Craig DeMarco
• Postino
• Chelsea's Kitchen
• Radio Milano
• Gennaro Garcia
• Fife Symington
• Scott Barker
• Copperstate Farms

Today, I’m talking to Ryan Madrid, co-founder of Bison Ventures and host of the Into The Storm Podcast.

After leaving corporate America, he joined VIP Mortgage as the Director of Business Development. Before long he was bringing in one billion in mortgage loan sales on his way to being in the area's top 1% of mortgage lending.

In this conversation, Ryan talks about his entrepreneurial journey with deep family roots, how Bison Ventures’ corporate culture has helped them become one of Phoenix’s leading mortgage companies, and the power of building a culture to create great client experiences.

Key takeaways:

• Why incredible customer service is key to weathering tough times in any industry.
• The advice Ryan’s uncle gave him to help him leave corporate America and find his true calling.
• How Ryan survived tough personal times, left the corporate world, found his business partner, and got on a new track to success.
• What differentiates Bison Ventures from other mortgage firms.
• The humbling business challenges Ryan has faced in the last several years–and how he got through them.

Interview Resources

• Bison Ventures
• Bison Ventures on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
• Ryan Madrid on LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Into the Storm Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Instagram
• Abbott
• Johnson & Johnson
• VIP Mortgage
• Fantasy
• Stuart M. Crawford
• Breanna Burton
• Jeremy West
• Jay Barbour
• Keith Teegardin
• Anthem
• Brian Moore
• Liz Kleven
• Trisha Madrid
• Lana Ambrose