Season 1 Episode 14 Innovating the Big Screen

An episode that subscribers to the podcast have been waiting for it is finally here! Innovating the Big Screen with our guest speakers Kyle Hester and Hilton Ruiz both icons in the Indie Film Industry! This is going to be a great show everyone so make sure you tune in and we even go over the importance of web presence for everyone to tune into and check out the great tips for you and your business. Make sure you leave us a great review on the platform you are listening in on. 

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Season 1 Episode 13 Health and Wealth

Another great podcast episode with our guest speakers Angus Burke from Vancouver, British Columbia and Erin Sexton-Sherwood from Norfolk, VA. Both specializing in their own industries with Angus and his great fitness company and Erin with her real estate company. While we also touch base on how a healthy living can increase your bottom line as an employer and an employee. So tune in, enjoy the great music, and remember to leave a great review!

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The little entrepreneur that could

Ever come into the office and know you are just going to dread the actions you need to take that day? Ever look at a project and just think that you will not be able to do this due to the nature of the project or the length of time it will take? Ever just want to give up knowing that there will be those hard days in the future? Well do not fear because you are not the first person to feel this way and you definitely will not be the last person. It would be sad to say this is the nature of the business but it is not easy to run your own business, hints why a lot of people do not do it.

Think about it like this, in the early 1900’s 90% of the population in the United States worked as entrepreneurs. Paving their own way in this new world and not stopping giving our country the beautiful name of the world of opportunity. Then when World War II started everyone was either sent to war or sent to the factories to support the war. When everyone came back and the war ended the change in our beautiful new world was changed to working for the bigger corporations, that everyone got so use to working for during the war. So, our countries population began to change and is now at 90% working for big corporations and 10% being entrepreneurs.

So, think about it like this, you are a part of the elite few in the United States that want more in this life. That is nothing to look down about, yes there will be hard days but there will be amazing days as well. Days that you make a great profit, help the masses, and remind yourself why you make it through the rough patches. I love when people tell me I am in it for the money and that is why I do what I do. That is great I always respond but the longer you are in a industry and the more people you help the more you get use to making great money.

Then your goals change to helping more people, if you help more people then you make more money. So chill think about it like karma, when you do good then you are returned with good things at tenfold. But that is all another conversation, this is all about confidence. Hints why the title of this new blog is the little entrepreneur that could, for everyone that remembers that bed time story. As the little engine thought he could not make it up that steep mountain, think about your business as the same. You believe that you cannot make it up that steep mountain, or even in your personal life. Everyone has those hard days, but remember the positive aspects of the day and what you can do with your hard work and dedication.

That will help you to keep pushing and give yourself that motivation to always strive for more. I will tell you this, when I am wanting a great motivation to push my day. I listen to Dr. Eric Thomas, you can find any of his motivational speeches on YouTube. Here is the one that is one of my favorites, it is called How bad do you want it? That man will get you psyched to attack the day even if you are feeling down and depressed, so if you find yourself like that listen to his stuff and hit that day like you mean it. There are quite a few motivational speakers out there that have great videos and audio to listen to.

There are also some great books that you can check out that could give you a great competitive advantage over your challenging days. Here is a list of the top 10 motivation books that you should definitely check out. There will always be the challenges in our life, but it is not about how great the battle was to get through it, no one remembers that. But they do remember who actually made it through the battle, so do not give up and continue fighting on and you will accomplish your goal. Once you get to the top of that mountain you can breathe easy but know that you are in a world of mountains and they sometimes do not tell you that they are coming up.

Some surprise us but remember why you do what you do, remember why you wanted to be in the job you are in now. You do not have to be all hopped up on Red Bull or any other energy drink every day, I am not saying they help a lot but try on a psychological level to pump yourself up. Then top it off with an energy drink if you need to, you will feel even better about your day and give the best service you can for your job, your business, and your family. Remember that it is a mind game when it comes to the projects or activities that are required of you to be successful, so change your thoughts on that project. If you have a negative outlook on making calls then the calls are going to be a dreaded activity.

The same goes for speaking to people, if you find this as a negative experience then it will be. So, change your outlook on that activity, change your thoughts and your day will change with it. This is a battle that not only entrepreneurs have, but even people that work 9 to 5. Everyone has a dream or a goal they want to accomplish, so remember your goal that you are fighting for and it will remind you when the times get hard why you are pushing so hard. Remember in the end that you made it and you are pushing yourself unlike your competition that is fine with making it by. You are challenging the system to push yourself to your limits, that is something to be proud about. So, push and win, Carpe Diem!

Season 1 Episode 12 Grinders are more than just sandwiches

Welcome back everyone to another great podcast episode! We are welcoming in Michelle Fedrizzi and Teresa Karam and their knowledge in their California industries. Michelle bringing a great holistic approach and Teresa and her Orange County real estate work ethic. Tune in for a great episode as you enjoy your Friday and as we speak on some great tips of starting a business while working a 9 to 5 job. Tune in and remember to give a written review on the platform you are tuning in with. 

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Season 1 Episode 11 Branded tech educators

Episode 11 of our podcast, this is only the beginning so tune in for a great show with Nick Mitchell and Felicia Young as our guest speakers! These are two individuals that put their students and players above all and want the best for their higher learning. Tune in as we go over personal branding and how you can improve your look in business and personal. As we enjoy some new music by Gyptian and Vybz Kartel as well. So whether you are on your way to work, at work, or just needing something to listen to. Enjoy the show!

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Back to the basics

Do you ever think of your business and think man……. I love this industry so much and I love what I do so much but why? Why do I feel like I cannot push any harder than what I am already doing? I feel that I have done everything I could for my business but I do not see any movement on the books. Why am I not seeing more profit than before? The reasons can be vast and you never know what is the actual reason until you sit down and look at it from another point of view.

Think about this in an elementary mindset, take it back to the basics per say. Sometimes we get so carried away with getting our business complex that we lose who we are ourselves and why we got in the business to begin with. Do not get caught up in the glamour of being a business owner but remember why you started from the get go. You had an idea when you first started that moved you so much that got you out of your comfort zone. An idea that moved you so much you told everyone about your new business and you couldn’t shut up telling your spouse about your day every day.

That is what a lot of people forget about is what brought themselves to the decision of starting their own business. Now there are other reasons why your business is “peaked” in your eyes but from an outside view you are standing in the way of your company advancing because of any of the following reasons: time management, mindset, not enough labor force, and lack of following up. These are only a few reasons why your business could not be seeing an increase in production. These are also crucial points of your business that you need to get under control, because if you do not you will not be seeing your business “peaking” but diving into the ground.

I want to cover these points because these are some of the basic rules that everyone should follow in their business if they would like a top performing company. Time management, I do not see how some people do not schedule their own day but hey, its business so don’t be surprised. Sometimes the day gets away from you then when you turn around the day is gone and you got nothing done. Time management is exactly what the name is, start from your calendar and when you book a meeting remember to give yourself travel time. Give yourself a time to when it is not valuable money-making time to brainstorm and innovate new opportunities for your business.

Remember that innovation is a key asset to companies, you are not trying to be like other companies you are trying to give the business your spin. Is that not why you got into business for yourself? Also remember that you still have to have time to relax in any given day, you do not want to burn yourself out. When you burn out, your business will hurt from it so remember to get a nice work and life balance in your day. Next mindset, this is your key to anything in your work or personal life.

A negative mindset is your worst enemy in business and can hurt your production just as quick as shutting the doors early for the day. So, what you want to do is give yourself a pep talk in the morning, listen to a motivational speaker, listen to workout music, you got to pump yourself up in the morning. This is your business!!!! Not some freaking Wal-Mart that you are greeting a bunch of strangers, this is YOUR BUSINESS!!! Your life can change because of the way your clients or customers see you. No one cares how the Wal-Mart greeter acts because honestly…………..they are going to shop there whether someone greets them or not. Wal-Mart is a billion-dollar company yours is not……………not yet that is 😊 so hit that day like you mean it.

Hit that day like a punching bag and you are putting energy into it, you want to make a change in your life do you not? YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE DON’T YOU!!!! Sorry about the all caps, here I am getting pumped up myself. Keep a winning mindset and you will be a winner, act like you are a loser and be all down in the dumps because the sun is up and guess what there champ? You will be a loser and you will lose, it is as easy as that. Yes, I know everyone has an off day and there is nothing you can do about that, but you do get to decide what you do with that day.

So, hit it hard and hit it like you mean it, you got this!! Where are we at now………ummmm oh yes not enough labor force. I know sometimes you actually do need to hire some people to work with you, do not use this as an excuse if your time management is straight jacked. This is last resort after you get everything else in check. How do I know I need more people you ask? When you are running to the red line all day and still in back to back meetings, hints you need someone to work at your business with you.

If you are constantly having to close the doors due to meetings you have to be at and no one to man the store, then you need to hire some help. You close the doors due to needing to get lunch…………. you do not need to hire any help it’s called delivery, so use it. Last but never least in our list of basics here, and this one will straight up crush your business if you do not do it and that is following up. Most transactions are not done until the 5^th to 7^th meeting. That means if you are giving up 3-4 times in then you are quitting too early.

This is not McDonald’s the customer you are trying to win over does not know that they need you as much as you know that they need you. They will procrastinate over and over again because they are not fully ready to do business with you. Don’t believe me? Ask a realtor! How many times do they need to show one of their clients a house before they see the one they want to buy? If a realtor shows a house to a person once and that is the first house they have ever seen and they buy it no questions asked…………..this is called a unicorn and you should saddle that puppy and fly it to space mountain!!!

Because that will happen about .000025% of the time. In the real-world people have to trust you, then they need to trust your knowledge, then they need to trust the weather……..they think of any reason not to sign the first time. But show them you know your stuff, earn their respect and their trust. You do this then the person will know they want to do business with you, it is a relationship people so treat it that way. I always tell people a first meeting is a first date, how nervous were you when you met your spouse or partner?

That is what this meeting is, so chill and take it slow, you know your stuff. Do not overwhelm the person with your massive brain power! But listen to them, know their problem, find the solution, then present that solution. That right there can be three meetings off the bat. So just remember some people take longer than others sometimes to do business, but it’s cool do not freak out just remember to do your follow up. They want to do business, so be that person they do business with and make your business thrive!

Season 1 Episode 10 Bright futures cost money, you ready?

Another great episode of What Benefits You as the podcast is joined by two amazing guest speakers Nichole Rhodes and Deshonda Coleman! Nichole joining us from Florida and Deshonda out of the great state of Louisiana! We also go over college funding and go over some great tips when looking at easing the saving process of such a big investment! Remember to give us a great review on your podcast platform and check out our crowdfunding to help us build an even bigger audience that can benefit from our podcast! Enjoy the show everyone!

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Season 1 Episode 9 Buying dreams and investing in them

We have a great podcast for you today! We have Deb Lord out of Arizona and Susana Rhoades out of California, bringing their knowledge and expertise to the show! Covering Reverse mortgage tips and the importance of retirement. What is the difference between baby boomers and the millennial generation? We will be going over that in the show! So tune in and make sure you leave a review.

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Tips to make the fight to your dreams easier!

Everyone knows that when you are a business owner you have to keep fighting. Well that is always easier to say than to do, also when we say business owner that is just the broad term. Business owner means any entrepreneur that is trying to work for themselves. For their dreams not for someone else’s dreams, I want to have that nice house, that nice car, that nice everything! You know your dream not others, so why should they fight for it if you are not willing to fight for it yourself?

As they say when the fighting gets hard the good get fighting. So, what makes this different than your own business? I will tell you a few key items that you need to keep strong, by doing this maybe your fight will be a little bit easier on you.

1.       Consistency

2.       Self-Discipline

3.       Stay Positive

4.       Network

5.       Self-Development

6.       Self-reliance

7.       Innovation

So, let’s get right into it, everyone knows that to get to your goal or your dream you must have consistency! The speed that you go means nothing if you are only doing it part time. This means the turtle will always beat the hare, because the hare keeps taking breaks. An example of this outside of a riddle, if you push your business for two weeks straight but then take two weeks off. You are only getting as far as the person pushing their business part time every day.

This means you need to be consistent in your business activities, people do business with people they see and trust. So, make sure you are doing what people know and love you for, if you do this than people will see you are consistent and they will want to do business with you because they know you know your stuff! Next is self-discipline this is definitely a key factor when you are looking at achieving your dreams. This is also when people will see if you are the dream chaser you say you are or you’re a procrastinator. This is the step that shows the way and reveals who you truly are. So, what do you do?

 To keep that self-discipline, you need to remove distractions in your day when you are trying to do your work. You need to focus on the problem at hand instead of losing focu…SQUIRREL!!!! This is when entrepreneurs will lose their drive and go back working for other people, because this is the step that will stop your cash flow. Stop the cash flow and you stop the dreams, sad how it works but that is the way it happens. So, remember stay focused, keep your goal in mind at all times, and remove distractions.

Do this and you will achieve your dreams! Next, I would say is one of the most difficult things for people to actually do, even though they think it is easy and that is staying positive. This is worse than losing focus and not being consistent, because this step will crush your spirit. Your drive is fueled by you being positive and knowing that you want more with your life, you want nice things, you want a family, you want to give your family the world. Everything is powered off of those positive thoughts, so just guess what happens when those positive thoughts go bye bye. You got it!!

Your drive gets crushed, you go into a melancholy state and in that state, you lose yourself. Yourself being the entrepreneur in this world, yourself being that dream chaser that wants more for themselves and the people you care about. Block out the negativity, when it approaches you say to hell with you!! I’m going to achieve my dreams! I am more than a paper pusher, low on the totem pole, being led by someone that is half my age!! I want to make people smile by solving their problems, I want to see my children smile when I can afford to take them on a vacation whenever I want.

This is staying positive everyone! Keep that fire lit in your soul, by doing this you will keep that drive and that spirit to achieve greatness. NETWORK!!!! I cannot say it enough, networking is key to your business. You do not have commercials, you do not have marketing campaigns in place. Networking is how we get in front of other people to let them know that we actually exist. Remember how many people live in the United States or wherever you live, you are just one person and there are many people in your industry.

You need to have something that puts you above your competition. Have something that gives your client or customers a special touch knowing that there is something special about doing business with you. You need to have something that puts you above your competition, this will show people you are different. Think of networking as your food, your nourishment. If you stop eating then your body will slowly die, just like your business if you take networking away.

Also, when I say networking some would call this prospecting depending on the industry you are a part of. So just had to make that clear, I do not want someone getting lost on the technicality of a word. The next part is very crucial, and that is self-development. This is very important to your business, why do I say this you ask? Because who wants to do business with a stock broker that is selling a stock that was hot 2 years ago? Who wants to do business with the realtor that is selling houses on the idea that was hot in the 70’s?

You must stay up to date in any industry you are a part of, you have to build your mind at all times. This goes from reading books to watching current events. You need to stay up to date with everything that comes into effecting your business. Your customers or clients will test you on your knowledge and do you really want to be the person that says………..ummmmmmmmm…..I don’t know but hey!!! Great question!! Absolutely not, you do not want to be that person!

So, take your continued education courses, read books about your industry, read current events, and above all stay motivated!!! Self-reliance, I know what some people are thinking and that is………. well I have a team so I can’t just think about myself when it comes to business. You are 100% incorrect on that, what is a team if they do not have a leader? What is a team if they have no guidance? That is like a ship with no captain at the helm to guide the ship to its destination.

So, think about it like that, you are the captain and you are guiding the ship. You need to make sure that you have everything under control that you do and make sure you are on point. If you keep yourself in check than your team will see this as well. You know who someone wants to join on a team with?? Successful people! People want to join winning teams, so if you are not networking, how do they know who you are?

If you are not networking how do you find business to make yourself that successful person? Everything ties into one another so follow all the steps and you will see a change in your business. Last but never least is innovation, you can say whatever you want about innovation but no everything has not been thought of already. No everything has not been created already, that is negativity sneaking up on you. If everything has already been thought of then how did a person create the pet rock? …………. A ROCK!!!! That person made millions on an idea of putting googly eyes on a ROCK!!!!

You need to stay innovative with your business, you want to keep that special part of you. Then make it that way, do something that has your own personal twist on it, if you love talking to people then go door knocking, drive a rideshare, go to events and have a booth. These are just a few ideas of getting in front of people to talk about your business. You have to innovate new ways that use your strengths to help your business flourish. Remember in the end you are an entrepreneur, a person trying to pave their own way in this world. Even if you are on a team you need to remember that you are trying to increase you and your family’s life so keep pushing. Never give up, no surrender!! Keep that fire in your soul, enjoy what you do, follow these tips, and the business will always come!

Season 1 Episode 8 Beautiful women of the workforce

Another great episode of What Benefits You podcast! Joining us today as our guest speakers will be Carey Yazeed and Nhakia Outland. Carey out of Louisiana and specializes in assisting transitioning women in the workplace. While Nhakia out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania specializes in health and sex education. While we touch bases on getting a great work to life balance with you career and personal life. 

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Season 1 Episode 7 Health, it effects you!

Coming for another great episode of the What Benefits You podcast. Our guest speakers this episode are Emily Edwards-Thomas and Audrey Grunst. Emily is a specialist in her field of Social Work as well as adding a healthy twist into her company, take notes on this one she has some great info! Audrey also in the field of Social Work brings her knowledge from the great state of Illinois. Enjoy the Show!

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My health insurance is going up......again!!

Yes, the topic of the blog says it all and I know that many people out there are dealing with this especiallysince open enrollment is coming up. Yes, your health insurance premium is going up and no they are not doing anything extra to charge extra for it. But did you

seriously think that because everyone in the country wants a higher minimum
wage that the health insurance was not going to change with the premium? Let’s
come back to reality everyone and know why is your premium going up and is
there anything you can do about it. So, first thing first, why is my health
insurance going up?

Although some people are going to look at this as the apocalypse is coming and the oil industry is increasing, or the government is wanting to charge more. It is none of those health insurance is increasing because our country wanted a higher minimum wage. Which means the cost of living is going to go up as well, which also means the people at the hospital also wants this higher minimum wage. With health insurance paying for the expenses of your medical care at the hospital that means it is going to go up as well so they can actually cover the expenses that you need. Also remember that it is a business and the health insurance company is trying to make a profit off of you as well so they need to actually keep the margins at a good amount so they can see that profit.

Which leads into the next situation we are running into in the health insurance market. That situation is switching from a group policy to an individual policy. This would assist you in being able to choose that lower premium. Instead of being stuck into a mandatory plan with the company you are employed with. The hard part about this is a lot of medical companies are getting out of the individual market, but they are staying in the group market. This is highly profitable to them to stay in the group market because they know companies are always going to have health insurance for their employees.

Also, it is higher premiums, higher premiums mean higher commission for the person that places the plan. Yes, I know what you're thinking wow that must be awesome for the person that lands a benefit plan for a 500-person company. In that case you are sharing a lot of the commissions with other people, but that is a story for another day. A great example is in the state of Arizona last year there were 13 health insurance companies that were in the individual market. This year that amount went from 13 to 3, this is a big problem when it comes to someone being self-employed or is an independent contractor.

Now that we have the problem in front of us we can now see what the solution is, and what are your options to saving some money outside of a group plan. Now remember there are four metal tiers when it comes to health insurance you have bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Of course, the higher you get on the middle tiers the more expensive it costs.  With a gold and platinum plan you will not have a deductible, but if you actually put a silver plan up against a gold plan the max out of pocket could possibly be different as well. These are all things that you would look through when you are choosing a health insurance plan, so make sure that you get all your questions answered by your insurance professional that is assisting you.

If anyone is needing any advice on the health insurance plan you are on right now we are always able to assist with that so please leave a comment below if you have a question that needs answered. You must also watch when choosing a metal tier  if you go with a bronze plan which means the premiums are low but the deductible is high, you need to have something in place to even that out. What do I mean about even it out, I mean to have a supplemental health plan in place that would assist you in paying those deductibles instead of everything coming out of your own pocket. There is a reason why we must say this when we are talking about health insurance. That reason is because 80% of the bankruptcies across the United States are due to medical bills. This is not all medical bills across every health insurance plan across every middle-tier there is.

It is because with a bronze health plan the deductible can range from $8,000 to $17,000, depending on the company you choose of course. So, what you can do is if you want to save on your premiums, you can get a bronze or silver health plan. Then get a nice supplemental health plan from a company like Aflac (Yes, we supply Aflac products) as in their Accidental or Hospital Indemnity plan. These plans are great because they pay you for each thing that is needing done with a trip to the hospital. (exp. Stiches, xrays, ambulance ride, overnight stays, etc.) These plans also pay you for doing an annual doctor checkup! (which you do anyways, so why not get paid for it)

With having this plan, it will decrease the amount coming out of your pocket due to the unexpected trip to the hospital. A great thing about those types of companies as well is they have a 24-hour payout when it comes to your claim. That helps exceptionally with families that have accident prone children, or you just want that extra protection for your loved ones. In this case we are using it as a bridge between affordable healthcare and high deductibles. This is something that everyone needs to understand because open enrollment is approaching and if you have not received an update yet at your place of work, your health insurance premiums will be increasing as of January 1st, 2018.

If you need an update on if your company is staying in your state as of January 1^st, 2018 with your individual health plan, please comment below with the name of your company and the state you live in. I will be able to give you the current update to your company and your state. If you have any questions please post below in the comment section, I would love to be of assistance. This is not just a present-day problem but a situation that has been occurring for decades now. So, let's get you and your family covered, without breaking the bank and keeping that security that you have in your life.