Episodios

  • The Human Touch: Building Trust in Modern Sales and Branding

    The Human Touch: Building Trust in Modern Sales and Branding
    Mar 19 2025
    In the latest episode of "Love Your Sales Podcast," Beatrice Gutknecht explores the importance of team integration in building lasting businesses. She emphasizes that companies engaging their teams effectively are more likely to thrive, especially as Gen Alpha and Gen Z emphasize trust and human presence in brands over logos and names. Beatrice discusses how relatability to a brand is crucial, highlighting that businesses fostering genuine human connections will stand out and endure over time. Contact Beatrice Email - beatrice@badasserybyb.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatricegutknecht Website - https://www.badasserybyb.com Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Channel Subscribe link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-O7W9DzaRv4waodQKCprIg?sub_confirmation=1 Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. I am joined today by Beatrice Gutknecht She is the Founder of Badassery by Bee . She's About taking seamlessly boring business and shaking up how they're seen inside out through practical strategies and actions to stand out, not 69 page documents, pretty design or templates. Beatrice, I'm so excited to have you join me [00:02:00] today. Welcome to the show. Beatrice Gutknecht: Thanks so much for having me on, Leighann, I appreciate it. I'm so excited about the conversation we're about to have. Leighann Lovely: Yeah. So tell me a little bit more about your business and what you and how you, um, help people. Beatrice Gutknecht: So basically I'm all about perception and breaking those unwritten rules in industries where we're just so used to following and looking to everybody else. In the industry, especially when we get going, it's like, there's so much to do. You're like, Oh, you know, actually, what, what, what are they already doing? Let's just follow that. Like, we'll make it easier, but in a way that kind of makes you follow and be a little bit behind. So where I come in is to reposition you in a way where you're kind of leading your own way. And often our way [00:03:00] that's it's earlier in the process. So you stand out and you're actually sticky in minds and you're proud about your brand. Leighann Lovely: That's awesome. And in today's world, you have to, you have to be able to define your brand and yourself as something that is unique and different. Otherwise people, they're not paying attention. Or, and I shouldn't say not paying attention because let me, let me rephrase that today's world we are bombarded with so much information and so many, um, loops and bings and so many things are happening that it's hard to grab somebody's attention in a way the information is retained. Exactly. Beatrice Gutknecht: Exactly. And even more so, the idea of a rebrand has just been [00:04:00] so. commercialized. It's like Valentine's Day and people like, you know, businesses are just like, Hey, so let's, we're going to rebrand, but it's basically just change up the colors, change up the logo, change up maybe some wording, but the real rebrands is what happens from inside out, right? Like you're making sure that the entire team has the buy in because otherwise it's not. Going to work. It's not going to stick. It's a, you know, if we're talking about the Twitter to X shifts, right? I see you there going, yes. There is no alternative for tweeting, right? They didn't do it. They didn't think of it. It's just, they put that surface, but using. Using the platform, using the software, it's still exactly the same. Maybe even you're dealing with customer service, it's [00:05:00] still going to be the exact same. So what's the point? Leighann Lovely: Other than that, it's broken now. Beatrice Gutknecht: Exactly. It's like surface level and. Real, like if you're going to rebrand, I would recommend more like, Hey, let's have a look at a refresh, Leighann Lovely: you know, let's, let's talk about that because this, this is wildly, I find it really interesting because yes, I could very easily put, you know, stamp a new logo on my brand. I could, you know. And companies do this all the time where they're like, Hey, it's, and stamping a new logo, let's make something crystal clear. Rebranding is not just simply putting a new picture on. old logo was. I mean, yes, that is, yeah, technically you're rebranding, but when I [00:06:00] think of that, , , that's not, you're not, that's, there's so much more to it. So let's get into the, , the meat and potatoes of what you are talking about. You're, you're talking about almost a mind. A shift, a mindset ...
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    36 m
  • Securing Your Sales: Navigating IT and Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

    Securing Your Sales: Navigating IT and Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
    Mar 12 2025
    Join Leighann Lovely on this episode of the Love Your Sales Podcast as she hosts Ari Milner, a technology and cybersecurity expert with over 15 years of experience. Ari shares insights on how small and medium-sized businesses can protect their digital assets and secure their systems in an ever-evolving cyber landscape. They discuss the critical importance of cybersecurity, practical solutions for IT management, and the intricacies of dealing with modern cyber threats. With real-life anecdotes and expert advice, this episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs aiming to safeguard their business from digital threats. Tune in now to learn how to build a robust IT infrastructure and ensure your business's security and continuity. Contact Ari Email - ari@planitinnovate.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arimilner/ Website - planitinnovate.com Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. I am thrilled today. I am joined by Ari Milner. , a small business technology and cyber security expert with over 15 years of experience. As the founder of Planned IT, he helps business secure and streamline their IT web. And compliance needs all while working entirely remotely from Mexico city. Ari is also the president of the center of natural medicine in Portland, a [00:02:00] clinic founded by his father in 1991. Now managing the clinic with his brother as their father battles Parkinson's. Ari is deeply committed to helping small businesses, whether through technology or healthcare operate efficiently and securely. Please join me in welcoming Ari. I am really excited to have this conversation with you. You and I talked previously, obviously, and, um, yeah, I'm just, I'm really thrilled to have you join me. Ari Milner: Yeah, thanks so much for having me on. Leighann Lovely: So why don't you tell us a little bit more, You know, what I absolutely love is starting your own business. There are so many nuances as an entrepreneur that we do not think about in the beginning. You know, we're like, okay, I've got my laptop. I'm armed with, you know, this product I'm armed with this widget. I'm going to go out and people are just going to show up and buy my stuff. [00:03:00] There are so many layers that as you all of the sudden become a real. company, a real boy, as I like to say, or a real girl, , that we don't think about. And one of those is security. Ari Milner: Yeah, security, I. T. Totally. This is before plan. I.T. I had a computer repair shop in in Portland, , where I'm from. And that's where I got into doing the business. I. T. managed services and, uh, started supporting businesses there. Um, going on site and, , setting up networks, securing networks, , and the landscape has changed so much in the last, uh, 9 years of doing plan I. that the cyber security needs have gotten. , way more complex, and there's just so much that [00:04:00] you really can't do on your own as a small business anymore. Like, it used to be that you could just go by, like, the Norton or McAfee and you'd be fine. Right? But those days are long gone now and like, 1 example is. In gosh, it was, I think about 2018, 2019, we rolled out a Sentinel one as a security service option for our clients. And it's a, it's a service that is incredible with how it's actually using AI to Combat cyber threats, and that that's probably the first product in our stack that really had AI as an important component of it. Leighann Lovely: Interesting. And you're right. The landscape has drastically changed. I remember I was actually talking to my husband and I and we were watching a show from the 90s and there was this, you know, like. Big [00:05:00] huge computer sitting in like the family, you know room of the of the show the house that we were watching and it's like this Gigantic computer. I'm like you remember that do you remember when you had? That huge computer the dial up you weren't worried about somebody Hacking in and stealing your information, you know the games that I would run home from school I'm like, I'm gonna play a computer game and it was the little the little line that got bigger as it ate The dot on the screen, you weren't, yeah, the snake, is that what it's called? The snake game, you know, it was a DOS prompt in order to get into it. I don't know if, you know, my daughter's not even going to know what DOS prompt means and I, you know, I'd call my mom up and be like, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to play this game. I can't remember what's the DOS prompt to play this game. And then I'd have to hang up with her and try it because now I have to use the phone line to dial into ...
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    39 m
  • The Power of Persistence: Sales, Service, and Success

    The Power of Persistence: Sales, Service, and Success
    Mar 5 2025
    Join Leighann Lovely as she hosts Steve Wallace, CEO of Maverick app, on this episode of the Love Your Sales Podcast. They dive into the struggles and triumphs of sales, from missed opportunities to the importance of hard work and exceptional service. Steve shares his journey from bartender to business leader, emphasizing the value of putting in the effort and the human element in sales. They also discuss the significance of creating meaningful customer experiences and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on automation without human input. Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into building lasting sales relationships and driving business growth. Don't miss Steve's advice on leveraging sales automation and setting up your business for success right from the start. Contact Steve Email - steve@maverickapp.io LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefsalesnerd/ Website - https://maverickapp.io/ Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Channel Subscribe link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-O7W9DzaRv4waodQKCprIg?sub_confirmation=1 Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. I am joined today by Steve Wallace. Steve is the CEO of Maverick app. Steve's journey from humble beginnings as a bartender to becoming a trailblazing force in the world of business and sales is a true testament to his hustle and relentless drive. I love that behind the bar. Steve learned the importance of hard work and exceptional service, adopting the mantra. [00:02:00] If there's time to learn, there's time to clean. The mindset always pushing to go faster, serve better, and never stop improving has fueled his success in the business world. Today, Steve is helping companies grow by leveraging his unique experience and insight into sales, leadership, and customer relationships. And I have to say, I absolutely love, the mantra. I love, just the tenacity, you know, that's the type of personality that truly creates a really well rounded and just self driven human. So Steve, I'm so thrilled to have you here. Steve Wallace: I'm glad to be here. We're overdue. This is gonna be fun. Thank you. Yeah. Leighann Lovely: So tell me a little bit about, you know, your business Steve Wallace: Yeah. Where do I start? Right. Uh, as a child or a little bit later on, right. And what more of my professional journey, right? Um, I think the best place to [00:03:00] start is, is the why I was never particularly well taught in sales and that's now my why. So everything that I now speak about that I teach about I've experienced. And, and had the pain of experiencing it, not in like a visceral paper cut or type of way, but the emotional pain attached to, to not being great at sales. I was never taught sales, never had great leadership until later on in my sales career. I never had the money for a sales coach. Matter of fact, when I first started, it was as an insurance agent and I did okay. I hit. Certain records and won some awards in that world. That doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot. And fast forward, I actually got in my car repossessed and went into some really difficult financial and emotionally distressing times.[00:04:00] My brain wasn't ready and I wasn't ready to have remarkable accountability in my, my sales process and my business ownership. And it took some time for me to pick myself up by my bootstraps and diagnose what went wrong. I don't think you can ever have a real conversation about how to improve unless you identify what went wrong and attach it. To yourself or to something, somewhere you cannot improve unless you, I, unless you anchor yourself in some reality. And I had that come to Jesus moment, call it. And I said, Oh, wow. Like I could have done a lot better along the way. Sure. I made some money, but I could have done a lot better. And once I identified what those betters were, what those factors were, then I could fix them. Marker Steve Wallace: And what that involved was study of sales that involved putting myself in uncomfortable positions, learning how to cold call, learning how to network. I I'm a big subscriber to giving other people what they want as often as possible, even if it's [00:05:00] not something that I can personally financially or professionally benefit from just finding a prospects, common enemy. And helping them attack that enemy. So to speak, I'm a big fan of that. Even if it means that I don't get to work with them right away. Anyway, I learned all these lessons on my own over time...
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    42 m
  • Mastering Sales: Efficiency, Mentorship, and Lighting the Path to Success

    Mastering Sales: Efficiency, Mentorship, and Lighting the Path to Success
    Feb 26 2025
    In this episode of the "Love Your Sales" podcast, Leighann Lovely hosts Ryan Jaso, the Founder of Lighting Boss, one of the largest independent suppliers of outdoor lighting in the U.S. Their engaging conversation delves into the art of sales, the importance of continuous learning, and leveraging technology like AI and sales programs to build lasting customer relationships. Ryan passionately shares his journey and provides valuable insights on finding sales efficiencies, the significance of mentorship, and navigating the ever-evolving sales landscape. Leighann and Ryan also discuss the critical role of emotional intelligence and adapting to change in achieving long-term success. Tune in for an inspiring discussion packed with practical tips for both seasoned sales professionals and budding entrepreneurs. Contact Ryan LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/64743211 Website - https://www.lighting-boss.shop/ Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. I am joined today by Ryan Jayso, founder of Lighting Boss, which is one of the largest independent suppliers of outdoor lighting in the country with locations in both Ohio and Florida. He also created LB Pro, which is a mobile design and. Proposal software meant specifically for lighting professionals. Ryan has spent 15 years in the outdoor lighting industry. He currently spends most of [00:02:00] his time either overseeing his team of 20 plus employees serving on the board of the association of outdoor lighting , professionals, or teaching his two children to be little entrepreneurs. I absolutely love that. And. It's one of the best things to do, right, is to, to, to raise our children properly to, um, you know, go out there in the world and be little entrepreneurs themselves. So, Ryan, welcome so much to the show. I am excited to chat with you today. Ryan Jaso: I'm excited to be here. And honestly, I want to, I'm more intrigued with you and what you're building than I want to talk about myself here. So expect some fire back questions and it may just came, come right off the shoot because you know what you're doing. I'm so fascinated with people who build, build their careers in sales. Cause that was something I never envisioned. Um, and something that I'm still learning [00:03:00] and talking to true sales professionals is, it's always so cool for me. The one thing that I've always been good at is finding efficiencies and. You through efficiency, you find a way to generate sales. Cause there's no sense in making a hundred phone calls. If I know I'm only going to close one or two, you know, unless I'm selling. 100, 000 product, which, which we're not, you know, we're selling, we're selling fixtures anywhere from that 30 to a hundred dollars. Um, you know, you gotta sell a lot of those to, to make a good living. So we've found efficient ways to reach out to prospects and close leads, but, you know, being good at sales is not something that. I never envisioned I was terrified of it. I'm still, you know, I still hate rejection. I don't like rejection. So I've kind of tailored my approach so that I feel much less rejected [00:04:00] when, when people say no, and you're, and you're always going to get nose, right? So this is, this is a cool program to be a part of. I'm looking forward to hearing a bit, a bit of your journey to the end. Leighann Lovely: Well, first, the way that I have built my career is reminding myself that they are not rejecting me. They are simply saying, I don't want to buy your product right now. And that is, as long as you have a mindset of they're not rejecting you, Ryan, they're just simply saying, I'm not interested right now, unless they're literally saying, F you leave me alone. Ryan Jaso: Which happens. Leighann Lovely: And it does. It does. Absolutely. But, um, you just, I mean, that just comes down to, you know, you got to have a tough skin. You got to, you got to eventually go, okay, they're having a bad day. Understand that maybe they hit their mailbox on their way out of the, on the way out of the [00:05:00] driveway, um, that morning. And, um, Hey, so they're having a bad day. And so that's why they reacted that way to you. But sales is literally just having a conversation like you and I are having today to figure out what it is that you can assist them with and if it matches with the product that you are offering. Being able to say, well, great, I have a solution for you. Let's talk about it. And if it matches your price ...
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    46 m
  • Unraveling Sales Mysteries with AI

    Unraveling Sales Mysteries with AI
    Feb 19 2025
    In this engaging episode of Love Your Sales, Leighann Lovely interviews Gillian Utesch, the founder of Broken Glass Ceiling Marketing. They delve into the transformative power of AI in modern business, exploring its role in automating mundane tasks and enhancing human connections. Gillian shares her journey from a traditional marketing career to becoming an accidental AI enthusiast, emphasizing how AI has allowed her to focus on what she loves and connect more deeply with clients. Leighann and Gillian also discuss the common fears surrounding AI and how it can actually free up time for more meaningful interactions. This episode is a compelling exploration of how embracing AI can lead to greater efficiency, innovation, and personal fulfillment in business. Contact Gillian Email - gillian@brokenglassceilingmarketing.com Website – www.brokenglassceilingmarketing.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gumoney/ Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Leighann Lovely: This podcast is presented by Genhead. Genhead leverages AI so small and medium sized businesses can find their ideal clients to make more sales. Other companies talk about AI, but we are using it every day to drive down marketing costs and increase revenue. Learn more at genhead. com. That's genhead. com. Another episode of love yoUr sales today. Leighann Lovely: I am joined by Jillian Utesh. Jillian is the owner and founder, of Broken Glass Ceiling Marketing. I'm thrilled to have her. Jillian is an entrepreneur, accidental AI enthusiast, and a visionary behind Broken Glass Ceiling Marketing. With a career spanning two decades in marketing, she built a reputation for her innovation. Innovative approach to [00:02:00] create connections in a digital world. Her story is one of reinvention and resilience. After realizing the traditional rules of business didn't work for her, Jillian built a company that tackles the tasks most of us dread. Oh yes. Most of us dread, uh, data mining, outreach, and engagement. So entrepreneurs can focus on what they love. Her work combines. Cutting edge AI technology with the timeless power of human storytelling, providing that the future of marketing is both innovative and deeply personal. And I absolutely love that. Obviously, as you know, me and my company also are very into that. So I'm excited to have this conversation, Gillian, about, you know, your story and, uh, you know, your career. So welcome to the show. Gillian Utesch: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to share my journey along with the destination I've accidentally arrived at and hopefully it resonates and helps someone else. Leighann Lovely: [00:03:00] Yeah, absolutely. And so tell me where, you know, I, the first question I always want to ask an entrepreneur is why, what made you, drove you, led you into starting, you know, this journey. Gillian Utesch: It was kind of multifaceted. I did not sit down and say, what do I want to do? I want to be an entrepreneur and I want to do that. Via a software as a service company, there was not that much linear thought put into it at all. I simply followed my heart that was driving me away from things I didn't want to do. I wanted to focus my day and that's, that's as, as detailed as the original business plan was. My heart is drawing me away from things I don't want to do. And so then as time went on, I realized what those tasks were, and that was kind of phase one. And then phase two was, oh golly gee, I don't [00:04:00] want to do these tasks. And then phase three was, how can I do them differently? Leighann Lovely: That's awesome. And you know, when we're driven by our heart's desire, I think that we, we go in full blown passionate about it. And there's no stopping us. Absolutely. I mean, passion drives the true success, you know, of, of entrepreneurs. You know, I couldn't run a business, that I did not truly believe in and nobody can run a business. I don't think that they truly don't believe in. And when you find that sweet spot of like, wow, now I'm, now I'm doing something I'm passionate about and it's helping somebody. Gillian Utesch: Wow. That feels good, right? Leighann Lovely: Yeah. That feels really good. Yeah. When I get that call or that text or that email from a client, that's like, Oh my gosh, do you know what just happened? Like I, and I remember the first time that one of my clients text me and said, I've [00:05:00] increased my sales or I'm getting, I'm actually getting. leads from my marketing. Like I'm, I have, I had ...
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    39 m
  • Navigating Success and Setbacks in Business

    Navigating Success and Setbacks in Business
    Feb 12 2025
    In this episode of "Love Your Sales," host Leighann Lovely sits down with Mike Long, founder and lead designer of LightQuest, an outdoor illumination company. Mike shares his entrepreneurial journey, recalling the evolution of his businesses from lawn care to lighting, emphasizing the importance of a strong work ethic, adaptability, and passion. They discuss the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, such as constant change and the necessity of hiring smarter to grow effectively. Mike offers valuable advice on forging ahead despite difficulties and underscores the need for continuous learning and improvement. Tune in for an inspiring conversation packed with practical insights for budding entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike. Contact Mike – Website - https://calllightquest.com/ Email - mike@calllightquest.com LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-long-cold-clvlt-659b6959/ -Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com -Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ -The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 -Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann -Channel Subscribe link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-O7W9DzaRv4waodQKCprIg?sub_confirmation=1 Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. Today, I am joined by Mike Long. He is the founder and lead designer of LightQuest, an outdoor illumination company. Mike Long grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin and has been an entrepreneur most of his life. He started his first business in 1994 and has never looked back. From 1997 to 2017, he was the founder and partner in a very [00:02:00] successful landscaping and lawn care company. And in 1998, one of his lawn care clients asked about landscape lighting. Mike has never. Looked back ever since he was hooked on that. And I am extremely excited because Mike, you have owned four successful businesses over the years and, and maybe more in there, as a serial entrepreneur, but, you tell us a little bit about yourself. Mike Long: All right. Yeah. My name is Mike Long. So I started in lawn care. We actually started mowing in 1994. We started a mowing company, small landscape jobs, stuff like that. Built it up. Big enough that we could sell it and we did. Um, we wanted to learn the lawn care side of it, the spraying, the chemicals and all that stuff. So we sold the company. We actually went to work for TruGreen for 2 seasons, learned that business, left, started our own company, and that's, that's, in 1997, that's the company we started, was, our first company was called Green Masters. [00:03:00] We built that up, you know. And in 2001, so literally 4 years, we had a national company wanting to buy us out. So we sold to the Scott's Fertilizer Company in 2001. That's when Scott, you know, the big Scott's Fertilizer Company, they used to be in lawn care. They got started in this area, in Southeast Wisconsin, by buying our company. So then, the next day, they literally left with a floppy disk. That's all. They left with a floppy disk and they transferred a whole bunch of money to our account. And we're like, hey, what are we So they left us in business, we went back to work the next day, and we started this professional lawn service. And we went to fertilizing commercial properties only because they didn't buy a commercial business. We built that up huge. We're doing a couple million dollars a year and just commercial business. Doing realizing, uh, stuff like that. We also started a landscaping company at the time because we had a 3 or 9 compete. Let's start a couple of different businesses and keep going. Great journey, we brought some partners in. Um, [00:04:00] we've sold the landscaping company to 1 of our employees. A month before the 1st bank collapsed in 2009, so when the whole big economy, we literally lucked out timing wise, and we sold it a month before that., because a lot of those, a lot of those builders that we're doing work for actually went out of business. Then once the solely focused on, uh, long care again. Built that up huge again and true green big national competitor was after us for a couple of years. It was no, we're not ready to sell and I'm ready to sell. So we ended up in South result was sold in August of 2017. And then I was full time in lighting the next day. I started the lighting company a couple of years before that, just part time on the side while doing the lawn care. So I had some business already lined up, but, you know, I just, I just set little goals. So we sold August of 2017. I said, all right, I want to do 125, of work before the year. Guess what? We hit on 20, hours of work before the end of the year, then just kept building and building and ...
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    34 m
  • Transforming Sales Through Effective Communication

    Transforming Sales Through Effective Communication
    Feb 5 2025
    In this engaging episode of "Love Your Sales," Leighann Lovely chats with Eric Forrestal, a master communicator and founder of Workforce Renegades. They dive deep into the intricacies of effective communication, focusing particularly on the DISC behavioral assessment and its impact on sales and team dynamics. Eric shares insightful anecdotes about understanding and adapting to different personality types, offering practical tips for improving interactions in both professional and personal settings. Listeners will find valuable strategies for enhancing their communication skills and building stronger relationships with clients and colleagues. This episode is a must-listen for sales professionals looking to refine their approach and achieve greater success. Tune in now to discover how to better connect, understand, and communicate with those around you! Contact Eric - Email - eric@workforcerenegades.com LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericforrestal/ Website - www.workforcerenegades.com Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com and Accelerategrowth45 – www.accelerategrowth45.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Channel Subscribe link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-O7W9DzaRv4waodQKCprIg?sub_confirmation=1 Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of love your sales. I am so thrilled. I am joined by Eric forestal master communicator, original renegade from workforce renegades, Eric. Welcome to the show. I am so excited to have this conversation. Eric Forrestal: Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here. Leighann Lovely: So what is workforce renegades and what do you, what do you do with your time? Eric Forrestal: Oh, well, uh, workforce renegades. So I create renegades in the workforce. I feel like every company needs a workforce renegade, [00:02:00] uh, someone that knows their sales, they can recruit, they can train what they do, and then they can lead a team. So, what I try to do is, is make other master communicators and all those kind of pillars of a business. And, uh, and, and yeah, like I said, create workforce renegades. Leighann Lovely: That's awesome. Because one of the most important things to any business is being, well, in my personal opinion, an over communicator, but a good communicator and understanding how to appropriately communicate to different personalities. Right. Eric Forrestal: Yeah. Yeah. To, you know, different strokes for different folks. Uh, there's, there's different ways to communicate with different people. You know, the, the golden rule is treat everyone the way that you want to be treated, but I think it's a little bit more, you gotta, you gotta treat them the way that they want to be treated. So I try to instill that a little bit more and, um, and really show people how they can, you know, if they have a message to deliver, how they may have to adapt their message to deliver it. Leighann Lovely: [00:03:00] That's So well said, because I used to do the, we'll treat everybody the way that I want to be treated. And I realized really quickly that does not always work. You know, I am, I'm very much, I'm a very bold personality. Sure. I'm, I'm one of those people who's, you know, just get to the details and what you, what you need, um, what you want. And I came to realize that there are people out there who really need the, hello, how are you today? And, uh, got myself in a little bit of trouble early on with not doing the niceties before the demands or. Yeah. They weren't so much the demand, but I find myself saying, Hey, and then spilling out what I need and then going, I'm sorry, how you doing? Eric Forrestal: Sure thing. Sure thing. Leighann Lovely: So it used to be, you know, treat people as you, you know, want to be treated, but at the same time, not everybody is like me. Eric Forrestal: [00:04:00] You Leighann Lovely: know, my brother used to say like, Oh, Monday, niceties. I hate it. I don't want to work in an office anymore. And I'm like, a lot of people need that. Like they, other people, they don't. Eric Forrestal: Yeah. Leighann Lovely: How do you, you know, start getting people to understand? Cause it's not that easy. It's how do you start to understand or help other people understand? the nuances of other people's personalities. Eric Forrestal: Yeah, it's, you know, it's, it's really tricky. And I've been in sales and team building and, and kind of this world of communication for, you know, going on 20 years now. So, um, I think it was a lot harder to explain before I felt like I felt like I used to just tell people, Oh, you just got to know, you know, you just got to read them. You got to get a, ...
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    41 m
  • Building Trust and Relationships in Commercial Lending

    Building Trust and Relationships in Commercial Lending
    Jan 29 2025
    In this episode of Love Your Sales, Leighann sits down with Dan Hanson, a commercial lending officer with Kohler Credit Union. They dive deep into the intricacies of building successful relationships in sales and the importance of authenticity when dealing with clients. Dan shares insights from his 21-year career, discussing the value of networking, the role of mentorship, and how to balance professional goals with personal integrity. The conversation emphasizes the significance of giving back to the community and the shared mission of helping small businesses thrive. Additionally, Dan offers practical tips for young sales professionals on how to harness their people skills for career success. Don't miss this enriching dialogue that combines practical advice with inspiring stories from the field. Contact Dan – LinkedIn – Linkedin.com\danjameshanson Email - dhanson@kohlercu.com Special Thank you to our Sponsors – Genhead – www.genhead.com Robb Conlon – Intro and outro – Westport Studio - https://www.westportstudiosllc.com/ The Brave Ones – Instrumental Version Song by Jan Sanejko - https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/the-brave-ones/119489 Ready to grow your business? Schedule a call with us today - https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/discoverysalesleighann Channel Subscribe link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-O7W9DzaRv4waodQKCprIg?sub_confirmation=1 Leighann Lovely: Welcome to another episode of Love Your Sales. I am joined today by Dan Hanson. He is a commercial lending officer with Kohler Credit Union with vast experience in cash flow management, merchant services, treasury management, and commercial lending. He can originate SBA loans, both in 405 and 7a products, as well as in commercial and investment, real estate, equipment, [00:02:00] and vehicle financing. I am so thrilled to have Dan join me today because I'm excited to talk about the nuances specifically in the business that he's in. So welcome Dan. Dan Hanson: Thank you, Leanne. Great to be here. And I appreciate the conversation today. Leighann Lovely: Yeah. So you have what, five years in your current industry, but you're no, spring chicken when it comes to sales 20 years. Dan Hanson: Yeah. Just over 21 years, going back to 2003 and I graduated with my undergrad. Leighann Lovely: Awesome. So let's, let's dive in and, uh, let's talk about sales because, well, that's the topic I love to talk about. First, Why don't you, you know, kind of introduce yourself anything that I missed on that short little brief introduction? You know, let's, chat. Let's. Dan Hanson: Yeah, yeah, you pretty much nailed it. It is the it's the 504 product on the SBA, not 405. Yeah. Oh, minute detail, but, [00:03:00] um. Yes, as a commercial lending officer, you know, I've worked with businesses and investor groups specifically in my role currently, just in the real estate transactions. Mostly I should say mostly, you know, I've done work with previous FIs where I have. Worked with businesses on their treasury management, you know, the fraud protection mitigation side of things, as well as, uh, payments and also merchant services and, you know, credit cards and everything. So I've got a, and the reason why I think that's important is because in my current role, while I'm just focusing on lending, I'm able to talk to business owners about their overall business and what I can do to either introduce them to people in my network, such as yourself. Or give my own advice on things or opinions and, mostly introductions. So, uh, it's really served me well. Again, I focus primarily right now just on lending, which is my favorite side of the business. Most of the transactions I do a real estate and the reason why I love that is everybody understands it right? There's an appraisal value that everybody understands. This is what we [00:04:00] need and this is how the, uh, this is how the cash flow supports the property. But I, you know, as you mentioned in the bio, I can do equipment, financing vehicle, all that fun stuff. I can do lines of credit. I can do a B rock on an investment property and then the SBA catches kind of everything else. Leighann Lovely: Very interesting. And something that we were talking about prior to jumping on here was that, you know, Hey, I'm a business owner. I need a loan. I'm just going to walk into the bank and, um, I'm going to talk with this person, but you kind of mentioned that, you know, that's, that's not really how your industry works. So let's, let's talk about that. Dan Hanson: Yeah, I think, you know, when people think about banking, they don't really think about sales necessarily, uh, especially in my role. It's different on the retail side, right? You know, if you're going to get a car loan, you know, oftentimes, if you're a member of a credit union, you're going to call them 1st, you've got a relationship with them. You know, somebody at the branch, you know, that's just kind ...
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    39 m
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