Tag: Entrepreneurs
Avoiding Regret: How to Plan Your Business Exit with Geoff Eliason (Ep. 87)

Avoiding Regret: How to Plan Your Business Exit with Geoff Eliason (Ep. 87)

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Did you know that over 70% of business succession efforts fail, and even successful entrepreneurs often regret their decisions a year later?

This week on Smart. Money. Simplified, Brent Mekosh sits down with Geoff Eliason from SDR Ventures to delve into the critical aspects of business succession planning, the importance of having a coordinated team, and how to prepare for a successful exit strategy. 

Geoff’s extensive experience in investment banking and understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape provide invaluable insights into preparing business owners for the most significant financial decisions of their lives.

Episode talking points include: 

  • The importance of a holistic succession plan for business owners
  • Key reasons behind the regret and dissatisfaction post-business sale
  • The role of financial advisors in successful business transitions
  • How to assemble a supportive team for a seamless succession process
  • And more!

Connect with Geoff Eliason:

Connect with Brent Mekosh:

About Our Guest:

Geoff Eliason joined the SDR Ventures team in 2021. In his role as Principal, Geoff brings 16 years of industry experience to the organization and its clients. His primary responsibilities are building and sustaining operational efficiencies across the firm and maximizing the client service model. Geoff is dedicated to providing strategic solutions specific to the complexities of the M&A process. Embracing SDR Ventures’ firm-wide commitment to serving its clients, Geoff channels his years of experience and strategic relationships towards enhancing business valuations and providing thought leadership to the entrepreneurial community. Geoff holds his Series 79, 24, and 63 securities licenses and serves as SDR Capital Markets Chief Compliance Officer. Geoff is passionate about teamwork, given his commitment to both education and athletics.

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From Wealth to Well-being: An Inspiring Journey with Mark Fujiwara (Ep. 68)

From Wealth to Well-being: An Inspiring Journey with Mark Fujiwara (Ep. 68)

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Mental health struggles can often be overshadowed by the glitz of financial accomplishments. 

It’s time to bridge the gap between professional achievement and emotional well-being!

In an effort to destigmatize mental health challenges, Brent Mekosh sits down with Mark Fujiwara, Director at Baird Private Wealth Management, who courageously shares his personal battles with depression and anxiety. This episode offers listeners a unique perspective on the intersection of mental health and financial success, promoting open dialogue around mental well-being.

Mark discusses:

  • The power of vulnerability
  • The 100-day challenge of moving out of your comfort zone
  • Common pressures faced by high achievers and entrepreneurs
  • An effective visualization exercise that helped him battle panic attacks
  • His upcoming movie “Big Stages” where aspiring public speakers go on a journey of deep transformation
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Mark Fujiwara:

Connect with Brent Mekosh:

About Our Guest:

In addition to being a Certified Portfolio Manager® and Director at Baird Private Wealth Management, Mark is a strategic investor in over a dozen high-character and high-alignment companies. He is an international speaker, recently speaking on the Private Wealth Reset at Oxford Union in England. He is the executive producer and a featured speaker in the award-winning documentary Big Stages.

Mark is also a dedicated supporter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Alliance on Mental Health, and To Write Love on Her Arms. Mark is a life-long student of optimizing his longevity, mental health, and fitness. He enjoys running marathons and is currently training for the World Senior Games track and field 200-meter sprint. His most recent charity is called The Ikigai Court, which supports the mental well-being of entrepreneurs by providing a safe space to speak openly about their mental health.

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Visionaries at Work, Partners at Home: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to a Successful Marriage with Rachel Lebowitz (Ep. 66)

Visionaries at Work, Partners at Home: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to a Successful Marriage with Rachel Lebowitz (Ep. 66)

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The entrepreneurial lifestyle can be thrilling, but it also brings unique challenges to a marriage. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur yourself or married to one, it can be a struggle to navigate the complex relationship dynamics that come with it.

In this episode, Brent Mekosh speaks with Rachel Lebowitz, a Professional EOS Implementer®️, speaker, and author who also describes herself as the wife of a driven entrepreneur and the mom of three entrepreneurs in the making.

Listen in as they explore the impact of entrepreneurship on marriage and family life, with practical advice for fostering a healthy balance.

Rachel discusses:

  • The psychology of entrepreneurs and their spouses (WHY they behave the way they do)
  • The significance of open communication between partners
  • How to tackle barriers like narcissism, compulsivity, resentment, and jealousy
  • Actionable steps for both spouses to manage stress and promote mutual growth
  • An introduction to the Driven Spouse Forum
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Rachel Lebowitz:

Connect with Brent Mekosh:

About Our Guest:

Rachel Lebowitz is a third-generation female entrepreneur. Since the age of 10, the school bus dropped her off every day at her parents’ school supplies store, where she helped out and punched a time card. By the age of 12, Rachel asked for a raise, and at 15, she convinced her parents to take their business on to Amazon and helped them build their website. But the most interesting part was observing the employees when the boss wasn’t around.

Fast forward to 2015, Rachel and her husband acquired a flexible packaging printing business. They were doing well, but inevitably, with the rapid growth, they hit the ceiling. In 2018, they discovered EOS and implemented it into our business. They have since grown their business from 17-30 million in revenue and from 30 – 100 employees. As a partner in business, Rachel got a unique vantage point into the day-to-day stress and struggles of running a company. Therefore, she is passionate about sharing those EOS tools they discovered to help businesses like yours get more peace of mind and your life back, like they did!

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Epic Lessons on Life and Business with Justin Breen (Ep. 29)

Epic Lessons on Life and Business with Justin Breen (Ep. 29)

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Balancing a successful business and a fulfilling life can come with many roadblocks. 

So, how can you build your epic business while maintaining an epic life? 

In this episode, Brent Mekosh speaks with Justin Breen, best-selling author and the founder of BrEpic Communications, LLC. Justin unveils the tips you need to balance your business and personal life while detailing how his family influenced the way he does business.

Justin discusses:

  • The trade-off between family time and business meetings
  • Four major struggles entrepreneurs face when trying to build successful businesses
  • Why entrepreneurs prefer in-person meetings
  • Ways our habits influence the type of people we meet
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Brent Mekosh:

Connect with Justin Breen:

About Our Guest:

Justin Breen is the founder and CEO of BrEpic Communications, LLC, and the exclusive connectivity platform BrEpic Network. His first book, “Epic Business,” was a bestseller in six countries and No. 1 for Entrepreneurship in the US.

Justin started BrEpic Communications in 2017 and launched BrEpic Network in 2022. He has built an international network of extraordinary people and believes strongly in the power of introductions and creating essential relationships.

Justin is an active member of Strategic Coach 10x Ambition Program and Abundance 360 Summit. He also mentors countless emerging entrepreneurs.

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Focusing On The Wine In Wining And Dining with Arden Montgomery (Ep.28)

Focusing On The Wine In Wining And Dining with Arden Montgomery (Ep.28)

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Wines are a product no one can ever experience from start to finish. From the ever-changing flavor as wine ages to the international options that aren’t available everywhere. 

In this episode, Brent Mekosh is joined by Arden Montgomery, the co-founder, and head of marketing and sales of Argaux, in discussing the wine industry and how it has evolved during the pandemic. She shares the journey to where the business currently stands and how it continues to evolve with each challenge they face.

Arden discusses:

  • The struggles Argaux faced during the pandemic in terms of supply and demand
  • Ways the pandemic impacted wine perception and consumption 
  • Reasons why the company is so passionate about sharing new wines with clients
  • How climate changes the availability of certain wines
  • Her favorite experience with wine
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Arden Montgomery:

Connect with Brent Mekosh:

About Our Guest:

Arden Montgomery is one of the co-founders of Argaux and oversees sales and marketing for the company. After graduation from U of A (where she met Margaux), she enrolled in The International Culinary Centers Intensive Sommelier Training program to become a Certified Sommelier to kickstart her desire to pursue a career in food & wine. She is incredibly proud of how Argaux is shaping the way consumers discover wine and how the brand shows up for consumers in their lives. For her, Argaux is a way of living life through delicious wine, good food, and storytelling. 

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