As an energetic author, artist, podcaster, journalist, teacher and fashion designer, Win Kelly Charles cannot afford to waste time nor let a physical disability slow her down. “Just Do It!” is her response to anyone contemplating their next business move, especially aspiring authors. In this episode, Win shares the essential people and tools sh ...…

“When you call yourself the CEO, you have to make hard decisions.” This is how Forrest Tuff describes the revelation that led to him redefining what success is at his film production company. In this episode, he describes the two specific actions he took to reduce overhead that radically transformed his business model. Find out how this transfo ...…

In this first episode of Season 4, Paul Nicholaides shares an example of how he used processes to help a fast growing company scale without compromising their culture. He specifically explains how he helped shape his client’s business infrastructure based on their value chain and processes. Processes are a valuable component of business infrast ...…

Alicia is the founder of Equilibria, Inc. – the world’s largest repository on business infrastructure for small businesses. And it happened quite by accident. In this episode, she candidly shares the story of how this came to be by weaving together the messaging of each expert featured in Season 3 while acknowledging the mistakes she’s made alo ...…

Just because the word “cult” is a part of “culture,” it does not mean that your company has to function like one in order to attain sustainable success. As small businesses grow larger, the transformation into becoming more corporate can be jolting and founders and employees alike may fear losing the very essence of what makes a business so spe ...…

Visionaries, whether executives or entrepreneurs, are great at developing and articulating strategy but may find difficulty in execution. This is where Kim Farmer comes in. As a certified project management professional with 30+ years in corporate business experience, she knows how to get stuff done! In this episode, Kim graciously gives us an ...…

As your small business grows, it will eventually need a layer of middle management. These front line leaders are the change agents who ensure the execution of your company’s growth strategy. But they cannot live their proverbial best life unless you, as the top leader, help them realize their best work. In this episode, leadership consulting ex ...…

Strategy represents the vision, purpose and long-term position of a company, but it does you no good to develop one unless you “plan your work and work your plan.” So says strategy expert Mark Pegues. In this episode, Mark compares the relationship between strategy and execution to a camera – zoom in to execute and zoom out to strategically pla ...…

“Kill Bill.” Kill the hourly bill to be exact. This summarizes the sentiment of investment banker turned CFO-for-Hire and pricing consultant, John Ray. John reminds us that our clients care most about results. Therefore, charging the right price means having a value conversation with your clients to understand how to price. In this episode, Joh ...…

“Don’t be flashy” when operating your business warns seasoned commercial lender, Charles H. Green. Armed with 38 years of experience in funding small businesses, Charles knows plenty about running a business by the numbers and not by hunches. In this episode, he stresses the importance of being able to interpret your financial statements to und ...…

Kymone Hinds is in the business of helping people get stuff done! As an implementation strategist, he prides himself on bringing ideas to life. Every solution to a problem and every business starts with an idea, so its important to jot them all down no matter how far-fetched they may seem. In this episode, Kymone explains his 4-stage ideation p ...…

There’s nothing more frustrating than to invest in a newer software technology only to discover that it does not “play nicely” with your existing software. In this episode, software and web developer Garrett Massey talks about the benefits of middleware as a cost-savings solution to facilitate communication between software. Listen as he reveal ...…

Making decisions is risky business. As a small business owner, you might not have the deep pockets of a larger enterprise, so making the right decision the first time around can be critical. Decision science gives you the ability to compare multiple ways of solving a problem with the opportunity to add value while minimizing risk and bias. This ...…

According to global freelance matchmaker, Upwork, 57.3 million people freelanced in 2017. In 10 years, they predict that the majority of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers. As a small business owner, this means you will likely have more freelancers rather than employees performing work for you. Managing these dispersed, virtual teams can be ...…

Can you keep a secret? Your answer to this question can determine your ability to capitalize on your company's intellectual property (I.P.). In this episode, seasoned patent attorney Steve Wigmore breaks down the different types of I.P. using examples of well-known brands. There is both monetary and intrinsic value in your ideas and Steve offer ...…

Do you have the audacity to take your business to the next level? Listen as staffing and recruiting expert, Dee Williams describes how to identify your niche and expand it into an empire. With a combination of laser-like focus, determination, and investment in continuous education, Dee identified a niche within the staffing industry and her apt ...…

Promises are not made to be broken, they’re made to keep. And customers will hold you to that promise, whether you verbalize it or not. In this special 25th episode, hostess Alicia Butler Pierre takes a deep dive into using customer-centricity to drive a company’s culture and performance. Using an example from her book, she describes how shifti ...…

Racecar driver Chris Grigalunas stopped by to share some analogies between his love of driving racecars and his passion for driving business faster. With a background in data analytics and business intelligence, Chris foretells of the importance of pacing yourself and implementing a Just-in-Time approach when getting critical processes, people ...…

Jim Stroud is a man of many talents. Over the past decade, he has built an expertise in sourcing and recruiting strategy, public speaking, lead generation, video production, podcasting, online research, competitive intelligence, and online community management and training. He combines all of these skills to bring a fresh approach to help compa ...…

In this episode, Alicia shares things she observed during a recent trip to Cuba and how those observations apply to how we run our small businesses. A notable observation was the admirable and continuous preservation of cars, culture, and cuisine. However, many buildings have succumbed to the lack of maintenance primarily due to economic factor ...…

According to quality expert Jarvis Gray, assessing the culture of an organization is one of the first things to consider when improving processes to ensure better quality. As a certified Project Management Professional and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt consultant specializing in healthcare, Jarvis shares some of his favorite tools and techniques fo ...…

In this episode, entrepreneur Andrea D. Smith provides a practical and easy-to-remember definition of marketing. And she explains that it is NOT the same as sales. In fact, Andrea and Alicia talk about how to connect marketing to operations and eventually balance these two areas during the expansion phase of a business. The key is in recognizin ...…

Look at any generic small business conference or workshop and the likelihood that a discussion on operations will be included is infinitesimally small. Oftentimes fast-growing companies looking for help in scaling their businesses find that the lion’s share of resources for processes and systems are reserved for manufacturing companies or large ...…

Imagine if you could grow your business 10x faster. Better yet, imagine if your business could be “infinitely scalable.” How? Through artificial intelligence (AI). According to Scott Evans, founder and CEO of Markamind, AI is not only a catalyst for exponential growth, but it also makes data more useful and convenient. In this episode, Scott pr ...…

“Know Thyself.” Thousands of years later, this ancient adage still rings true. In this episode, Keith Finger opens up about how globetrotting solo across 10 countries in a four-month period led to a period of self-discovery and not only made him rethink the way he operated his current business but also gave way to a new business altogether. Spe ...…

In this heartfelt episode, serial entrepreneur and real estate mogul, Nia Imani, explains how her personal mantra of “demonstrate, duplicate and delegate,” has enabled her to create and implement key systems that facilitate her bi-coastal lifestyle while expanding her business across multiple states and most recently, multiple countries. Tune i ...…

At just 15-years-old, Sharron Lee knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Her dreams came true when she opened her seafood restaurant — just one of several businesses she’d successfully start, grow and manage all while working a full-time job as a master data analyst! This episode is unique in that Sharron is the first guest to talk about how sh ...…

Tim Fulton is no stranger to business infrastructure. In fact, he’s built and sold several businesses in his 30+ year career as an entrepreneur and small business advisor, executive coach, and facilitator. “Operations,” he says, “is highly underrated.” In this episode, Tim draws from both his research and experiences in working with thousands o ...…

“The fortune is in the follow-up,” proclaims Corey Moore as he kicks off the first show of the Business Infrastructure podcast’s second season. Corey, a serial entrepreneur, is the owner of Atlanta’s largest resource center for business and networking events. He’s also a professional networker and in this episode, he shares his tried and tested ...…

Technical Writer, Process Analyst, Lean Six Sigma Consultant, Black Belt, Master Black Belt…with all the process-related resources available, who exactly do you need to hire to improve your company’s operations? In this episode, Tony Curtis, serial entrepreneur and owner of Curtis Process Consulting and gigPATH, explains how the answer lies in ...…

Do you feel stressed out? Maybe a weekend hike can help! According to a 2018 report by the Journal of Travel Research, backpacking is not only good for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. In this episode, Tim Walter, an operations consultant, shares his experiences in hiking the Appalachian Trail for five months. Learn how ...…

The digital revolution is here and there’s no turning back! We are increasingly becoming more dependent on web-based apps and software technologies as tools to facilitate and enhance the way we communicate and operate our businesses. With infamous data breaches (not to mention cover-ups) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulati ...…

Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, even if competent staff surround you. The daily decisions to make are innumerable, the pressure is high and giving up is not an option. Sometimes you just need a sounding board or a person in a neutral position on the outside of your business to confide in. It’s during these moments when we can benefit from ...…

Think the lean methodology is only for large corporations and government entities? Well, think again! This episode features John Kamp, an entrepreneur, Lean Six Sigma expert, Project Management Professional, instructor at Purdue University and U.S. Navy veteran. As you can imagine, he has a wealth of experience to draw from and you’ll get a fee ...…

Do you need to hire more people for your small business, but feel that good help is hard to find? Listen as my first guest and serial entrepreneur, Essie Escobedo, explains that good help is out there and why you have to do your part to attract them. Essie shares specific tips for attracting great people to hire or contract as well as some key ...…

Have you ever heard the expression, “The devil is in the details?” In terms of small businesses, the “devil” represents those proverbial landmines, booby-traps, and gotchas that lurk in the background (or back office operations), often going undetected. When they surface, the results can be catastrophic. Details, in fact, do matter! But sometim ...…

Necessity is the mother of invention. History teaches us this is true wherever there is a need to do things more efficiently and effectively. Business infrastructure is needed wherever there is more demand for your goods or services that you can provide or supply. You need to scale operationally while maintaining or increasing value for your cu ...…

Unmanageable fast growth usually makes the decision to invest in business infrastructure a no-brainer. But what if it’s too late? In this episode, you’ll learn the ideal time to implement business infrastructure as well as the symptoms of unmanageable fast growth. Find out the impact the Oprah Effect can have on how you manage and operate your ...…

It takes guts, grit, and gumption to start a business. Taking it to the next level, whatever that level might be for your company, requires the right people, processes and tools. It might also require an infusion of cash. This episode not only describes who business infrastructure is for but also tackles the realization that you might have to s ...…

Being insane isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to managing fast growth in your small business. Find out why in this episode as Alicia Butler Pierre makes the case for insanity in your business operations and why business infrastructure is vital to not just talking about taking your business to the next level, but actually ...…

Welcome! This is the very first episode of the Business Infrastructure: Curing Back Office Blues podcast. This podcast is targeted to entrepreneurs and owners of fast-growing small businesses. We all know the importance of marketing and growing your business, but what happens when the dollars you’ve invested in marketing are paying off and you ...…