Founder’s Dinner

Episode Summary:

Paul Grenauer’s entrepreneurial journey began with a youthful landscape business, reflecting his early passion and his family’s strong entrepreneurial spirit. His perspective on the entrepreneurial journey emphasizes a relentless drive, a passion for new challenges, and the fulfillment that comes from helping others. Grenauer acknowledges the difficulties along the way but believes that setbacks offer valuable lessons, which he shares with other entrepreneurs to aid their journeys. His diverse ventures, from a salon and spa in Buffalo to real estate development, showcase his ability to strategically navigate and sustain growth while balancing daily tasks with long-term planning, often through delegating responsibilities.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Paul Grenauer diversified his business ventures from landscaping to salon, day spa, cosmetology school, and real estate development showcasing evolution and growth.
• Transitioning from salon and spa business to real estate development was a strategy for diversification and risk mitigation in entrepreneurship.
• Entrepreneurs need to delegate tasks, like hiring a bookkeeper, to focus on strategic decision-making and business direction for success.
• Taking clarity breaks in business is essential for making strategic decisions and seeing the bigger picture, leading to effective decision-making and growth opportunities.
• Transitioning from tactical work to strategic decision-making is crucial for efficiency and growth, emphasizing the importance of financial stability before delegating tasks.

Connect with Paul Grenauer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-grenauer-2b029b11/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Trevor Buccieri, a driven entrepreneur from Orchard Park, has a unique perspective on the entrepreneurial journey that underscores the importance of passion, risk-taking, and continuous growth. Initially following a conventional path in accounting, Trevor pivoted to fitness and nutrition, leveraging his personal transformation to establish a thriving personal training business at just 19. His subsequent success in developing a personal training program at Erie One BOCES revealed to him that fulfillment lies not in static roles but in the dynamic process of building and expanding his vision. Now, focusing on online sales and weight loss, Trevor’s story exemplifies how channeling scattered ideas into a focused vision can lead to both business success and personal happiness, all while continuously embracing new challenges to stave off boredom and depression.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Valuable insights and guidance are provided to fellow entrepreneurs through real stories of wins, losses, and lessons.
• Practical advice and inspiration are offered to the audience through personal entrepreneurial journeys highlighting successes and failures.
• Taking risks and following one’s passion can lead to business success and growth.
• Effective marketing, attention to detail, and follow-up systems are crucial for sustaining growth in business.
• Efficient delegation of tasks is essential for focusing on high-value activities and achieving maximum impact.
• Finding one’s core focus and niche is crucial for success as an entrepreneur.
• Focusing genius in business drives success and growth, leading to increased happiness and productivity.

Connect with Trevor Buccieri

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-a-buccieri/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Billy Lewis embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the late nineties, quickly transforming his business from a modest $6 million in sales to an impressive $50 million by 2005. Reflecting on his journey, Lewis reveals a mix of pride in his achievements and humility regarding his early mistakes, such as letting pride inhibit his willingness to seek advice. Despite these initial hurdles, his ability to learn from failures and adapt played a crucial role in his subsequent successes, including taking his company public and leading significant expansion projects. Today, Lewis’s story stands as a testament to the importance of humility, continuous learning, and balancing visionary ambitions with operational execution, offering valuable insights for both aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Family roots and personal experiences can have a significant impact on entrepreneurship.
• Strategic decisions and selling to a private equity firm can lead to business growth.
• Adaptability is crucial in seizing new opportunities in entrepreneurship.
• The relationship between visionary thinking and operational execution is key for long-term success.
• Learning from failures, seeking advice, and being mission-driven are crucial for entrepreneurial success.
• Asking questions, seeking advice, and being open to feedback are important for personal and professional growth.

Connect with Billy Lewis

https://rl-hospitality.com/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Wade Swikle, a proficient entrepreneur, transitioned from his position as a fractional chief marketing officer to establish a moving company. His perspective on starting a moving company highlights the significance of proper business practices and continuous learning. Initially, Wade dove into the business with little understanding of the essential legal requisites, such as licensing and insurance. It was only after acquiring advice from a competitor and gaining more industry knowledge that he took the necessary steps to formalize his enterprise. This experience led him to appreciate the role of education in entrepreneurship, prompting him to enroll in an entrepreneurship program. His journey also underlines the necessity for business strategy evolution, as evidenced by his transition from hiring college students to professionals and his focus on clients with higher incomes and businesses with office moving needs. These strategies have been instrumental in the growth and success of his moving company.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Zitto Brothers and Two College Brothers are moving companies discussed by Wade and Stas.
• Entrepreneurial journey requires adaptability, learning from mistakes, and applying lessons to succeed.
• Focus on targeting upscale clientele with higher incomes and larger moving needs for growth.
• Franchising can accelerate growth and success in the moving industry.
• Adapting marketing strategies based on customer demographics is crucial for business success.
• AI technology is revolutionizing the moving industry by automating inventory and quoting processes.
• Adapting business strategies to changing market conditions is essential for businesses to thrive.

Connect with Wade Swikle

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadeswikle/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Michael Williams, founder of Williams Media, began his entrepreneurial journey unexpectedly at the age of 27 while working in sales and marketing for his family’s business. His perspective on the entrepreneurial journey and its associated learnings stem from his improvised entry into the business world and his subsequent experiences. Williams asserts that entrepreneurship often involves taking risks, admitting mistakes, and learning from those errors to grow and improve as a business owner. Having grappled with challenges and the constant feeling of being behind, he highlights the value of perseverance and learning from tough moments. His experience, therefore, underscores the necessity of grit, resilience, and continuous learning in the entrepreneurial world, influenced by his own journey from design and marketing neophyte to successful business owner.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Entrepreneurs often learn more from their failures than their successes.
• Starting an agency can be a challenging journey, focusing on internal growth rather than external competition is crucial.
• Entrepreneurs often fall into the trap of constantly comparing themselves to others, hindering their own success and progress.
• Pitching and winning business is about showcasing the unique value you bring and celebrating the success of others.
• The importance of expertise and collaboration in professional growth is emphasized.
• The concept of an abundance mindset in competition is discussed, highlighting the importance of serving many people and fostering a sense of community.
• Competing with One’s Best Self involves focusing on personal growth, improvement, and celebrating the successes of others.

Connect with Michael Williams

https://www.linkedin.com/in/imichaelwilliams/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Dan Ballister, a native of western New York and a navy veteran, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey with a unique transition from digital media to hot sauce production, founding General’s Hot Sauce in 2012. His journey is marked by his passion for creating, building, and his constant quest for authenticity and hard work. Uniquely, his entrepreneurial spirit is deeply rooted in his commitment to social impact, specifically in supporting veterans and their families, showcasing his dedication to giving back to the community. His successful inclusion in the Inc 5000 list is a testament to his drive and his ability to build a sustainable and growing business. In summary, Dan Ballister’s entrepreneurial journey is characterized by humility, gratitude, constant improvement, and significant community impact.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Building a great American brand and giving back to military and veteran families through donations and hiring initiatives.
• Business growth requires navigating uncertainties, identifying potential risks, and addressing problems proactively.
• Importance of cash management as the lifeblood of a small business and learning from mistakes to prevent future setbacks.
• Maintaining high product quality standards by avoiding shortcuts, using natural ingredients, and establishing a competitive edge.
• Gradual automation of the bottling process to optimize efficiency, balance supply and demand, and enhance overall operation.
• Making the veteran community equity holders in the business, giving back through a $1 million check in the event of a liquidity event, and empowering veterans.

Connect with Dan Ballister

https://www.generalshotsauce.com/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Michael Wright, the CEO of ODL, an orthodontic laboratory, and co-founder of several other ventures, including a school for grades K-8, has a deep-seated passion for entrepreneurship and has faced his fair share of challenges along the way. Wright’s perspective on the role of fear in entrepreneurship is shaped by his own experiences and is grounded in the belief that it is essential to trust one’s gut instinct and make tough decisions, even if they might not be popular. He underlines the importance of self-awareness and understanding the motivations behind one’s decisions, as well as learning from mistakes and failures. From his standpoint, growth and success in the entrepreneurial sphere stem from taking calculated risks, meeting challenges head-on, and continuously adapting to an ever-changing environment, despite any uncertainties or doubts. His journey underscores the value of perseverance, resilience, and a readiness to step out of one’s comfort zone for long-term success.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in seizing new opportunities and pivoting directions when needed.
• Enduring short-term pain is necessary for achieving long-term success in business.
• Recognizing emotional and physical cues is crucial for guiding decision-making in challenging situations.
• Pushing past fear and recognizing underlying fears are essential for personal growth.
• Trusting instincts and seeking mentorship are key in the entrepreneurial journey.
• Listening to one’s instincts despite skepticism can lead to significant successes in business.
• Embracing failures, making tough decisions, and trusting instincts are important aspects of entrepreneurship.

Connect with Michael Wright

https://odlortho.com/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

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Rob Mikulec is an accomplished entrepreneur who transitioned from a career in stockbroking and banking into a successful journey of entrepreneurship, equipped with insights from his experience in a family business and expertise in commercial credit analysis and portfolio management. From his perspective, the entrepreneurial journey is a challenging one that requires risk-taking, decision-making under pressure, and a deep understanding of partnership dynamics. Mikulec believes that resilience and focus are key elements for success in entrepreneurship, as evidenced by his own experiences of triumphs and trials. He views entrepreneurship as a continual learning process that demands adaptability, perseverance, and a readiness to seize new opportunities. Alongside running three different companies, he is passionate about giving back to the community by sharing his knowledge and skills through speaking engagements and mentorship activities.

Here’s what to expect this episode:

• Resilience, adaptability, and seizing opportunities are crucial in the business world.
• Continuous learning, embracing new ventures, and personal development are key in entrepreneurship.
• Reflecting on challenges, missteps, and learning from failures are essential for long-term success in business.
• Trusting gut instincts, gathering data, and working with trustworthy individuals are important in making informed decisions.
• Optimizing saleable metrics, setting aside ego, and utilizing expert guidance are vital in maximizing company value.
• Implementing Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) ensures organizational growth, alignment of goals, and enhanced efficiency.

Connect with Robert Mikulec

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmikulec/

Connect with Stas Balanevsky:

https://www.eosworldwide.com/stas-balanevsky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many believe that the true essence of entrepreneurship lies not in unblemished success, but in the rich learnings drawn from setbacks and challenges. ‘Founder’s Dinner, Stories of Entrepreneurial Wins, Losses, and Lessons,’ hosted by Stas Balanevsky, invites you to delve into the captivating narratives of entrepreneurs, uncovering the pivotal moments that shaped their journeys. This podcast is a must-listen for aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike, offering invaluable insights into the transformative power of resilience and adaptation.

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