Tag Archives: interview

Ep. 173 – Developing the Confidence it Takes to Lead a Business: An Interview with Get Out Mama’s Mara Watts, Part 4

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Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

When Mara Watts was still in elementary school, she had plans to start her own business. Not just any business, but a project that would have meaning and ultimately help people. As the founder and CEO of Get Out Mama, she’s finally taken her first steps towards living up to that 5th grader’s dreams.

In this final installment of the interview with Mara, host and business coach Tom Ryan and co-host and co-producer Natalie Pyles talk about the challenges of running a business while being a full-time mom, why motherhood is great training for being an entrepreneur, and what it’s really like to work with Tom. Continue reading →

Ep. 172 – Offering a Valuable Service to the Market: An Interview with Get Out Mama’s Mara Watts, Part 3

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Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

If you want an honest, straight-shooting assessment of your restaurant or retail location’s bathroom, ask a mom about it. A woman who has to change a diaper learns pretty quickly which locations are well-maintained, and which are disgusting and grungy. If Mara Watts, founder and CEO of Get Out Mama, has anything to say about it, every restroom in the greater Asheville, NC, area will soon be ranked by a crowd-sourced army of hygiene-focused mamas.

In today’s episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan and co-host and co-producer Natalie Pyles continue their conversation with Mara, discussing everything from organizing startup events to the untapped power of stay-at-home moms for market research. Continue reading →

Ep. 170 – Creating a Local Network: An Interview with Get Out Mama’s Founder Mara Watts, Part 1

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Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

Get Out Mama founder Mara Watts

Shortly after the birth of her first child, Mara Watts wasn’t feeling like her usual, bubbly self. She was in a dark place, struggling with the isolation of postpartum depression. In her recovery from the isolation of depression, she realized that she couldn’t possibly be the only new mom going through this experience. There was a need for community building among new moms. Thanks to Mara’s entrepreneurial spark, Get Out Mama was born.

In addition to running Get Out Mama, Mara is also the Program Manager for the Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur In Residence program, working alongside Success In Business host Tom Ryan. To keep the conversation fresh on today’s episode, Tom hands over the show’s reins to co-producer and occasional co-host Natalie Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 166 – How a Business Partnership is Like a Marriage: An Interview with Grava Bike Co., Part 4

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Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

In a marriage, one of the thorniest issues tends to be managing money. As Grava Bike Co. co-founders Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore explain, a business partnership is kind of like a marriage where the only thing to think about and talk about is money. Handled poorly, a business partnership can easily turn into a stressful and tense situation. Not surprisingly, both Jeff and Shawn believe strong communication to be key to a long-lasting business partnership.

In today’s episode of the Success in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff and Shawn. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 165 – Listening for the Pearls of Wisdom from Manufacturers: An Interview with Grava Bike Company, Part 3

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Grava Bike's Revenuer frameset

Grava Bike’s Revenuer frameset

What business misstep would you take a mulligan on? For Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of Grava Bike Co., that do-over might be starting a bike shop in the first place. As it turns out, running a retail location while trying to get an internationally sourced manufacturing business of the ground takes a lot of work.

In today’s episode of the Succes in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff and Shawn. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 164 – Market Driven Design and Customization: An Interview with Grava Bike Co., Part 2

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Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

Grava Bikes, straight from the paint booth.

As a small bicycle brand competing against the biggest names in the industry, Grava Bike’s founders need every advantage they can get. As co-owners of a retail bike shop, they already had an edge, hearing customer feedback and frustrations with existing products firsthand. One of those biggest issues — the lack of color choice — might just be a major factor in Grava Bike’s future success.

In today’s episode of the Succes in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan continues his conversation with Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of Grava Bike Co.. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 163 – Being the Hole-in-One for Your Customers: An Interview with Grava Bike Company, Part 1

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Grava Bike's Revenuer frameset

Grava Bike’s Revenuer frameset

Biking can be an expensive hobby. Between your light, sleek racing bikes and beefy, rugged mountain bikes, there are a range of frames, wheels, saddles and other options. A serious cyclist could easily end up with a garage filled with bikes and bike parts, each suited for a specific kind of riding. But what if there was a single bike that could do it all?

In today’s episode of the Success in Business podcast, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks with Jeff Welch and Shawn Moore, co-founders of the Grava Bike Co., makers of a bike that is shaking up the cycling status quo. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 135 – Alan and Mark Baumgarten of PRO-Hydro Beverages, Part 4

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SIBP-Blog-NEW-2Breaking into the health market is one thing, but could a company like PRO-Hydro Beverages actually find customers in Coca-Cola’s demographic? With generational shifts away from carbonated, sugary beverages and vitamin-enhanced flavored water drinks on the rise, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. What is the H2Pro go-to-market strategy, and how will their soon-to-launch “2.0” distribution model expand their market reach”

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks to the Baumgarten brothers about the perils and appeal of today’s fizzy drinks, their take on the lean startup approach, and the lessons learned from Dollar Shave Club’s market disruption. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 134 – Alan and Mark Baumgarten of PRO-Hydro Beverages, Part 3

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h2pro-box-paired-smWith established players already staking out their turf in the probiotics market, a small startup like PRO-Hydro Beverages needs an edge to establish their niche. What’s their unfair advantage over the mainstream pill-makers and national brand yogurt peddlers? Expertise and reputation. Not only is company founder Dr. Alan Baumgarten an established family doctor, he also began his career as a public health nutritionist and registered dietitian.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks to the Baumgarten brothers about the ways consumers will use their products, as well as competitive landscape H2Pro has become a part of. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →

Ep. 133 – Alan and Mark Baumgarten of PRO-Hydro Beverages, Part 2

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SIBP-Blog-NEW-4Running as business wasn’t an entirely foreign experience for Dr. Alan Baumgarten. As a managing partner at a family medical practice, he had a solid grasp on the basics of running a successful company. Or at least he thought he did. As it turns out, building a new, consumer-product focused involves plenty of unexpected roadblocks and challenges.

In this episode, host and business coach Tom Ryan talks to the Baumgarten brothers about the challenges of building a health-focused startup from the ground up. As always, Tom is joined by co-host and producer Jason Pyles. Continue reading →