The Revenue Maze

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-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/FZQ_gicqxjA

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-maze
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/uu69OR0tpa4

Remote First - Annil Chandel - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 012

Annil Chandel is the Co-Founder & CEO @ Wurkr.io. He has built a business with over 1 million sign ups, and he is the recipient of the coveted Red Herring Top 100 Europe of 2021. He has spent two decades in technology and finance staffing, so he has plenty of information to share. Annil joins the host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways to successfully navigate your company out of the confusing maze of revenue. 
 
 
Takeaways 
The best way to grow your company and increase your revenue is to keep it simple. Overcomplicating can lead to confusion and getting stuck in the same spot over and over.
Start out with an easy idea and then develop it from there. If you start with a complicated idea it will be hard to flesh it out and bring it to market.
Working remotely is more commonplace now but there isn’t enough technology to support it logistically.
Remote first allows for a wider option of employees but it doesn’t provide the same feeling as being in the office and can make employees feel disconnected to the culture. 
When you are coming up with a product, you need to think about the product market fit and how your product or service will work in that space.
Be passionate about what you do. If you don’t believe in what you do and the process you are putting out there, it will never take off.
Remote work started to become very popular around 2017 - 2018 and it has taken the business world by storm.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
3:13 “I think we overcomplicate this too often and as soon as you start looking at it in a very simplistic form, you'll find the jigsaw pieces do actually start connecting together and paint this picture quite well.”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annilc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annilchandel/
Website: https://wurkr.io/
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/ilvnTu4Mvvs

Powering Up Your Company - James Wagoner - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 011

James Wagoner is the CEO at Joule Case. He’s passionate about impacting lives through new technology. When he was coming out of college he saw the need for a better system to provide power to heavy machinery rather than using gasoline. James wanted to find a solution that was better for the environment and was more efficient for the companies as well. James joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how he found his way out of the maze of revenue and some of his tips for others to grow their business successfully.
 
Takeaways 
To get out of the revenue maze, you want to start with one thing and make that your product market fit. Once you have that, then you can really narrow down to what exactly you can do.
Gaining the trust of current and potential clients is how you can make deals work for you. Sometimes you have to demonstrate that you are worthy of their trust.
The electric power space is gaining a lot of popularity right now as an alternative to using gasoline and hydrogen power. 
You can expand your hold in your market area once you are sure about what your company does and the goal of the company. 
When it comes to running a business, expect things to take longer and cost more money than you were expecting.
Don’t go into your business thinking you know everything or be too proud. Approach each situation as an opportunity to learn.
Have a growth mindset and be open and honest with yourself and your clients, and you will see the benefit for your business.
 
Quote of the Show:
 
23:47 “Come in with this curiosity mindset, come in with a growth mindset. Come in to any type of conversation open and willing to ask questions and also to offer up your own knowledge.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswagoner3/
Website: https://joulecase.com/
Ways to Tune In
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7d80f727-4d62-4d16-a0c9-96ec7bda6c6b/the-revenue-maze
Apple Podcast - 
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/AzoHMvtZIDc

Pushing The Right Buttons - Jay Williamson - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 010

Jay Williamson is the President/CEO at American Southwest Credit Union. He understands how to cultivate an award winning corporate culture and he’s passionate about growing leaders. Jay joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about leadership and how to find your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and increase your profits.
 
Takeaways 
One way to get out of the revenue maze is to feed your “cash cow”. If you don’t put enough resources into that then it will starve and your company will fail.
You have to grow your top line income so that you can grow your bottom line as well. That can help you maximize your opportunities. 
It’s not about the money that you make, but the positive impact that you have on society. You want to leave a positive lasting legacy.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to push the right buttons to motivate people and have them invested into their work.
You want to find the strength in each person and have them work at what they do best. This will increase their work performance as they are happier doing something they are good at.
Set others up for success. If you can put others in a good position of success then your business will be better off.
Take the time to get to know your employees. It will help them feel more connected to their work and their performance will be better. 
 
Quote of the Show:
5:00  “You've got to feed your cash cow at some point in time, figure out where you're making money and maximize those opportunities because you got to grow your top line income all the time so that you can grow your bottom line.”
 
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-williamson-a27379a1/
Website: https://ascu.org/
 
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/VA7yIqY_rWY

A Different Perspective - Lou Hughes - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 009

Lou Hughes is the Founder and CEO at MovingMinds.io. He has worked with many prominent companies and wants to help others figure out how to increase their ROI. Lou joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to increase the value of your company and work your way out of the confusing maze that is revenue.  
 
Takeaways
There are so many things in marketing that can create tremendous ROI, and you might not know it so having someone come in and help point it out is a good idea. 
You need to stay persistent. Change doesn’t happen overnight and you need to be consistent with your change and make sure it stays within your core and brand. 
Neglecting your business pipeline is something that can be done at your own peril. It only hurts your company to not keep up with your pipeline.
You can be successful even with a small budget. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin, so focus on where your customers are and make yourself strong there.
Data collecting and CRMs are more of a science now with all the tools that are available to everyone. 
You need to remember that you aren’t selling to just the companies, you are also selling to humans and those who work in the office. You need to market your product to them as well.
You have to find what the pain point for your customers and try to take that away and make their lives easier. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
10:44 “As long as you're doing the right things you need to stay to it. And that's true of your identity, your brand identity. People's slogans change, their branding changes. You gotta kind of find the right mix and then be consistent with it.”
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louhughes/
Website: https://www.movingminds.io/
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/1ceKSiOnOrQ

The Global Economy - Murray Wilkinson - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 008

Murray Wilkinson an Independent Consultant at Claim Tax Credits UK. He helps fund turnarounds and small businesses, and he sees how confusing it can be for companies to increase their revenue and grow their sales. Murray joins host Valerie Cobb to talk about how to work your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and scale your business.
 
Takeaways 
Plenty of companies have not properly invested in designing their sales system. If you don’t have a proper system you can’t properly run your company. 
The buyers now are more sophisticated and are looking for a high degree of professionalism from their representatives. 
Revenue ties into marketing and all other aspects of your business. You need to make a note of what works with clients and what doesn’t.
We went through the great resignation during COVID but now we are looking at the great rehire.
Executing a service or product properly is what brings the money into your business. 
The owner, founder or CEO is the one who can control how a product ends up going out and they can help the success or hinder it. 
Know your target clients and market. If you are targeting the wrong people you won’t be successful.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
5:49 “We see a lot on social media and, and, you know, within some forms of training where they talk about closing techniques, high ticket, closing techniques, all this sort of stuff. And for me nowadays, it's less and less relevant that may be worked in the past, but the bios. And in my opinion, and we have more sophisticated and they are looking for a different type of engagement from the reps, and they're looking for a high degree of professionalism.
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/growsalesandrevenue/
Website: https://meeting.calendarhero.com/meeting/new/5f72e780dca143002046760f/call
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s 
YouTube -https://youtu.be/b9ZuWl64N6g

The Road Map to Success - Sharon Means - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 007

Sharon Means is the Fractional Integrator /COO at Entrepreneurial Advisory Institute. She is a Maestro with numbers and can see where a problem is just from looking at the data. Sharon joins host Valerie Cobb to share her expert tips on how to work your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and provide a growth in revenue to your company. 
 
Takeaways 
One way to increase your revenue is to have a plan and that plan is a budget. It needs to be a roadmap of what kind of revenue you are looking for and keep the company on track.
Don’t let perfectionism get in the way. Your budget or your revenue target don’t have to be perfect, you get better at it over time. 
A lot of people don’t want to look too deep into the numbers for their company because they don’t fully understand it. 
Budgeting isn’t something you do once a year, you need to make it a quarterly thing to do for your company. 
If you want people to thrive in an organization then they need to fit into the organization. It costs a lot of money to rehire and you spend a lot of time training people, so you want to mitigate mis-hiring someone or having someone leave.
Every company needs to have someone who shares the vision of the CEO but makes it work within the framework of the company and budget constraints.
Make quarterly objectives for yourself and the company, also known as rocks. This will help to give people clear directions for a project and promote creativity. 
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
1:47 “You need to really have a plan and that plan is a budget and you have to know where you're going. It has to be a roadmap of what kind of revenue that you are looking for. Um, and from there, um, just a host of other things to keep yourself on track.
 
And so that the company knows where it's going and everybody's rowing all in the same direction
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meanser
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmeans/
Website: https://www.eai.vision
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/F1Xw9IzIbsk

The Ringmaster of Marketing - Casey Cheshire - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 006

Casey Cheshire is the CEO and Founder of Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. He is also the author of “Marketing Automation Unleashed” and the host of the “Hard Corps Marketing Show”. He has found a unique way to turn the world of marketing upside down; podcasting! His time in the Marines has brought him laser sharp focus on his goals, and he is ready to spread the word about how podcasting can be the perfect way to get to know your ideal customer. Casey sits down with host Valerie Cobb to talk about ways that you can successfully find your way out of the confusing maze of revenue and grow your business.
 
Takeaways 
90% of what we think we know about our customers isn’t even accurate and you don’t know why they are buying your product.  
Talking to your customers isn’t the same as a sales conversation, but a lot of people get that mixed up. You can have a normal conversation and get to know them as a person.
Starting a podcast and having your ideal customer on as a guest and just listening to them is the best way to get to know their needs and them as a person
You want to listen to your client to really understand them better. You can't truly be listening if you are talking. 
Make sure that you are highlighting the clients. They are the ones that are paying for your services so you want to make sure that you make them feel special.
Everyone plays the same game of trying to get your clients attention and then trying to get them on the phone, so you need to stand out to be different from the rest.
Casey used to perform magic tricks at birthday parties, which led to the name of his company, Ringmaster Conversational Marketing.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
2:35 “All we need to do to fix this is actually talk to our prospects, talk to our customers and we're just doing it wrong. We think that talking to them is like a sales conversation. That's a different kind of conversation. We're not actually asking and giving them attention and this drives me bonkers”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caseychesh?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycheshire/
Website: https://ringmaster.com/
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Automation-Unleashed-Strategic-Growth/dp/1599327384
Podcast: https://www.hardcorpsmarketing.com/
 
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube - https://youtu.be/kbKjDDXWhVs

The Oxygen of a Business - Frederick Akpoghene - The Revenue Maze - Episode # 005

Frederick Akpoghene is the CEO/Founder at JeGO Technologies Inc. He started working on autonomous vehicles after he experienced a tragic loss, and he used that emotion to motivate him and help make the world a better place. Frederick sits down with host Valerie Cobb to talk about how companies can work their way out of the confusing maze that is revenue.
 
Takeaways
Tap into the growth of the company. Revenue and capital are like oxygen to a business, without those your business will likely close.  
Customer data can show you what a customer needs are or what some issues are that they are running into that you might be able to solve. 
Customer data now is more protected than you used to be. You now have to opt in to give your data over to a company. 
Electric and autonomous vehicles are becoming more and more popular everyday. They are safer than humans driving cars and can create a cleaner environment.
The biggest challenge for electric cars and autonomous driving is capital. The the demand for these vehicles are on the rise. 
You want to have clarity on what your objective is with your company. Having clarity draws the attention of stakeholders and connects them to the purpose of the company. 
Be able to tap into your mental strength. If you are empty on the inside, you can’t change the world on the outside.
 
 
Quote of the Show:
 
1:18 “Revenue and capital are the oxygen of pretty much every business and the lack of those two things there can lead to the closure of the business.”
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/abovav_mind
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-a-kevbe/#experience
Website: https://jegopods.com/
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/6azAXp0qFgrmjcql0jeJM8
Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmV2ZW51ZW1hemUuY29tL2ZlZWQueG1s
YouTube -https://youtu.be/jfw8bGIOOnU