Author Archives: producer

Ep. 074 – An Interview with Brian Walker, Part 4: Brand Narrative and Messaging

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SIB-Blog-2Brand perception is a huge factor in a startup’s long-term success, and getting that brand narrative right isn’t something you want to rush. As AE Marketing Group founder Brian Walker recalls, his company didn’t even have a website for most of their first year of business, opting instead to build the fundamentals of their business over their online messaging.

But does that mean that your online branding isn’t important? Hardly! In part four of this five-part interview, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles talk with Brian about seeking out customer feedback, knowing when to “fire” a customer, the importance of your brand’s online reputation, and much more. Continue reading →

Ep. 073 – An Interview with Brian Walker, Part 3: C-Suite Relationships and the Trouble with Hype

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SIB-Blog-1As the founder of the Chicago-based AE Marketing Group founder, Brian Walker, knows a thing or two about building a sustainable brand. Surprisingly, hype-generating advertising and marketing isn’t always the best answer. In fact, Brian claims it can be a distraction from the important business of building the brand narrative.

In part three of this five-part interview, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles talk with Brian about building C-Suite relationships, big mistakes young brands make, the problem with the MVP approach, and much more. Continue reading →

Ep. 072 – An Interview with Brian Walker, Part 2: The Value of A Sales & Marketing Background

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Brian Walker

Brian Walker

How valuable is a sales and marketing background for entrepreneurs? For AE Marketing Group founder Brian Walker, it can mean the difference between a slow burning startup and one that hits the ground running.

In part two of this five-part interview, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles talk with Brian about sales as a tool for business development, branding as a core business value, and much more. Continue reading →

Ep. 071 – An Interview with Brian Walker, Part 1: “Whitewater Growth” and Startup Priorities

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Brian Walker

Brian Walker

After spending over a decade working at marketing and advertising agencies, Brian Walker had an epiphany. “Everyone is expendable.” In that moment, Brian decided that making others wealthy without even the promise of security wasn’t a sustainable life. In the middle of one of the worst economic climates in modern history, Brian struck out on his own, launching his own marketing firm from a walk-in closet turned office.

He’s done pretty well for himself. As the founder of the Chicago-based AE Marketing Group, Brian has overseen 18 straight quarters of profitability, and 200% growth. He’s also a Graduate of Goldman Sachs Small Business 10K Program. In this episode, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles talk with Brian about his background, his company, and his mission. Continue reading →

Ep. 070 – The Four Ps of Sales

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FourPs-ImageFollowing on the heels of the earlier “4 Ps of Marketing” episode, this week host Tom Ryan explores his newly minted “4 Ps of Sales” concept. Unfortunately, he’s not entirely sure that this content is the most engaging, particularly for a Friday.

Thankfully, he’s joined by co-host Jason Pyles, who is always ready to bewilder Tom with an off-handed reference to a semi-obscure ’70s sci-fi cult film. Continue reading →

Ep. 069 – An Interview with Brenden Fitzgerald, Part 3

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SIB-Blog-3As an entrepreneur who has spent substantial time in the crowdfunding space, Brenden Fitzgerald has a few thoughts for listeners about growing a community, building collaborations and exploring partnerships as a means of creating a successful campaign.

In this final installment of this three-part interview, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles also chat with Brenden about his favorite startup resources, balancing priorities, time management, and what it means to be a “slasher” entrepreneur. Continue reading →

Ep. 068 – An Interview with Brenden Fitzgerald, Part 2

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SIB-Blog-2In his role as a serial entrepreneur, Brenden Fitzgerald has spent a lot of time building community, connecting with influencers and mastering the fine art of raising money through crowdsoucing.

In part two of this interview, host Tom Ryan and Brenden discuss these challenges, as well as managing outsourced talent and courting technical co-founders, all while creating solid products for the market. As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 067 – An Interview with Brenden Fitzgerald, Part 1

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SIB-Blog-1 In today’s episode, serial entrepreneur and GoWorx founder Brenden Fitzgerald returns to the show to talk about his new app-based venture Taggd.

Brenden and host Tom Ryan discuss how the app came to be, lessons learned in the development, and Brenden’s process for working with collaborators.

As always, Tom is joined by co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 066 – The Pros and Cons of ABC’s “Shark Tank” Reality TV Show

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Shark TankWith the high-drama of a business pitch and razor-sharp commentary by celebrity-level investors, it’s no surprise that Shark Tank is a popular show among entrepreneurs. It’s good reality TV, but how does it stack up against the real-world process of pitching a business to investors?

As it turns out, host and business coach Tom Ryan has advised two companies that got pretty far into the Shark Tank selection process. In this episode, Tom shares his thoughts on this entertainingly vicious show with co-host Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 065 – Interview with Joel Robertson, co-founder of HalfSizeMe.com, Part 3

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SIB-Blog-1As HalfSizeMe.com has grown, they’ve found themselves with an unexpected problem: Not wanting to grow too much. As co-founder Joel Robertson explains, part of the appeal of their business is the personal, somewhat exclusive relationships they build with their clients. Growing too quickly could mean losing that connection. As a result, HalfSizeMe.com’s biggest priority is sustainable retention rather than rapid growth.

In this episode, host Tom Ryan and co-host Jason Pyles wrap up their conversation with Joel about the next steps for growing HalfSizeMe.com, while retaining the strong, individual connections they’ve developed with their clients. Continue reading →