San Diego | MO.com on www

May17

“The $0 ad budget marketing strategy that is driving Tower’s growth? Good old roll-up-your-sleeves PR! As my expertise is in search engine optimization (“SEO”), I knew exactly how to best leverage our exposure on ABC’s Shark Tank.”

Stephan Aarstol

Tower Paddle Boards

Founder & CEO

http://www.TowerPaddleboards.com

Tower Paddle Boards garnered an investment from billionaire Mark Cuban on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and was named one of the top 10 success stories in the history of the show by Entrepreneur Magazine. With only four employees, Tower has grown from $3K revenue in 2010 to a projected 2013 revenue of $4M.

Tower Paddle Boards is a design-centric, manufacturer direct stand up paddle board (“SUP”) company. We’re the brand, the importer, the retail shop, and the marketing arm all rolled into one. This allows us to sell comparable quality boards are $500 less than the competition. Tower’s intuitive website also simplifies the SUP buying process.

MO: How did you come up with the concept of Tower Paddle Boards?

May4

“I’ve been in love with running and racing ever since and became fascinated with the science of athletic performance.”

Dr. Jason Karp

RunCoachJason.com

Founder

http://www.RunCoachJason.com/

Dr. Jason Karp is a nationally-recognized running and fitness coach and owner of RunCoachJason.com. As one of America’s foremost running experts and the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, he has been profiled and interviewed in a number of publications. A rare combination of education and experience, he holds three degrees in exercise science, including a Ph.D. in exercise physiology. He is a prolific writer, with more than 200 publications in fitness and running magazines and five books, including Running a Marathon For Dummies and Running for Women. He is a frequent speaker at international fitness and coaching conferences.

MO: Where does your passion for running and fitness come from?

Apr12

“I believe that if you understand what you want out of life and have personal purpose, then its much easier for you to find purpose in what you do. With personal purpose, my business works for me, I do not work for it.”

Troy Hazard

Troy Hazard International

http://www.TroyHazard.com

Troy Hazard is an internationally renowned conference presenter who has literally ‘been there, done that’. Through the 20 years of private enterprise Troy has experienced and the 11 companies he has owned, he has amassed a great depth of knowledge, with literally hundreds of case studies and stories to tell on a range of topics.

In addition, his core business for the last 20 years has been as a business consultant to some of the world’s leading brands including Goodyear, Coles Myer, Flight Centre, Baskin Robbins, Subway and many more.

MO: Can you talk a bit about your journey from having no idea what you wanted to be when you grew up to becoming a successful serial entrepreneur? What did your turning point look like?

Nov19

“The biggest difference between a financial buyer and a strategic buyer has to do with their motives.”

Jim Wang

Plan for the Sale

Co-Founder

http://www.PlanForTheSale.com

Jim Wang worked on his first business at night and on weekends while working a full time job in corporate America. Jim has a background in computer science, having graduated Carnegie Mellon in 2001, as well as business, with an MBA from Johns Hopkins. He was able to bring the two together to start Bargaineering, a popular personal finance blog that has been featured in the New York Times, Business Week, and Marketplace Money; over 8 years ago and has been entertaining and educating people about personal finance ever since.

Plan for the Sale helps business owners of all sizes learn how to successfully sell their business. The core course has a dozen modules each packed with lessons from how to vet your sales team to negotiating with a buyer to reviewing the purchase agreement. There is also a rich library of interviews with entrepreneurs and other experts who have done this before and share their insights, regrets, and the things they’d do differently.

MO: How did you come up with the concept for Plan For the Sale?

Oct2

“I truly believe everyone deserves to have the wedding of their dreams regardless of how much they can pay for it.”

Kellene Fleischmann

Betty Blue Events

Founder

http://www.BettyBlueEvents.com

When Kellene Fleischmann was little she loved playing Barbies….well, that’s not exactly true, her sister would play with the Barbies and she would tell her what to make them say and do. Same goes for playing wedding, she never wanted to be the bride, or flower girl, or even the groom, Kellene was the girl telling everyone where to stand, what to say, and making bouquets out of dandelions.

Well flash forward and she’s still that same girl, she’s just found a way to make her perfectionism an asset, not the bane of her little sister’s existence.

Betty Blue Events is a full service wedding and event planning company focused on planning budget-conscious events that are still creative and impactful.

MO: What inspired you to launch your own company instead of working for someone else? Was it harder or easier than you expected?

May22

Find Guest Blogging Opportunities on Twitter

Jon Tucker

Compete Marketing Group

Senior Strategist

http://www.competeonweb.com/

written by MO.com Subject Matter Resource Jon Tucker

Guest blogging can be a great way to promote your brand in a way that your prospects will appreciate. In short, “guest blogging” is publishing compelling content related to your expertise (not just shameful promotion of your company) to someone else’s blog.

Guest Blogging is a Win-Win-Win Marketing Tactic

Guest blogging is great for everyone involved, if done right.

You’re providing compelling content about popular industry topics, so readers appreciate it. In addition, you’re demonstrating your expertise on the topic which makes you look good in front of prospective customers.

May21

Should I connect with people I do not know?

Rick Itzkowich

Rick Itzkowich Consuting

"The LinkedIn Guy"

http://www.rickitzkowich.com

written by Rick Itzkowich MO.com Subject Matter Resource

When does it become beneficial to connect with people I do not know? It’s a simple question, yet one that elicits different opinions based on one’s situation.

From a business development viewpoint, it’s important and will always work to your advantage to expand your connections. Besides, what benefit do you gain if you have built a network that’s limited to only people you know?

Connecting with people you do not know allows you to meet prospects, create new clients and expand your business. You increase your visibility, opportunity and marketability. You also extend your reach exponentially when searching for information on a particular subject.

May15

“They are not just for women…”

Anita Mahaffey

Cool-Jams

Founder

http://www.cool-jams.com/

interviewed by MO.com Subject Matter Resource Diane Welch

For some of us–and we know who we are–menopause is a hot issue. Synonymous with the dreaded night sweats and hot flashes caused by a change in hormones, these symptoms of menopause make it tough to get a good night’s sleep. Now thanks to a line of top-rated, innovative sleepwear, women around the world will sleep easy with Cool-jams. San Diego-based entrepreneur, Anita Mahaffey, is the brainchild behind the line that includes pajamas, nightgowns and bedding and thanks to her use of moisture wicking fabric, night sweats will no longer mean sleep loss. And they are not just for women, men can also stay dry, cool and comfortable during hot, humid nights thanks to Cool-jams line of men’s pajamas.

Diane: Your use of the patented, moisture wicking fabric for sleepwear is ingenious. How did this idea first come to you?

May14

“Customers want you to care as much about their problem as they do.”

Barbara Khozam

Barbara Khozam Inc.

President

http://www.barbarakhozam.com/

Barbara Khozam has delivered more than 1100 presentations to audiences of all sizes, sharing great strategies on customer service, leadership, motivation, and communication with difficult customers and co-workers . She is also the recipient of 27 awards for Sales Achievement & Outstanding Trainer Ratings.

Barbara Khozam Inc. focuses on Customer Service. Because at the end of the day, how you deal with your customers directly impacts your bottom line.

Through keynotes, seminars and coaching, Barbara Khozam Inc. educates, empowers and entertains using humor and down-to-earth strategies.

MO: Where does your passion for customer service come from?

Apr19

Should I connect with people I do not know?

Rick Itzkowich

Rick Itzkowich Consulting

“The LinkedIn Guy”

http://www.rickitzkowich.com/

written by MO.com Subject Matter Resource Rick Itzkowich

When does it become beneficial to connect with people I do not know? It’s a simple question, yet one that elicits different opinions based on one’s situation.

Apr13

“With perseverance, and dedication it is possible for anybody to found a successful business.”

Sean Gray

Cash For Trucks

Owner

http://www.cashfortrucks.com/

Sean Gray immigrated to the U.S when he was just 17 years old. When he first arrived he was living with his brother and they literally had nothing. In order to survive, they started buying and selling cars. This is how the basis of his business was formed.

Cash For Trucks main purpose is to make the car selling process extremely easy. Cash For Trucks purchases cars from private parties, making it possible to sell a car in 24 hours.

MO: Your story is so inspiring. Do you feel that the success of Cash For Trucks embodies ‘The American Dream?’

Page 1 of 312 3 »

Spotlight: San Diego, California

Spotlight Interview: Gordon Logan

Spotlight Interview: David Allen

Spotlight Interview: Chris Babel

“The $0 ad budget marketing strategy that is driving Tower’s growth? Good old roll-up-your-sleeves PR! As my expertise is in search engine optimization (“SEO”), I knew exactly how to best leverage our exposure on ABC’s Shark Tank.”

“I’ve been in love with running and racing ever since and became fascinated with the science of athletic performance.”

“I believe that if you understand what you want out of life and have personal purpose, then its much easier for you to find purpose in what you do. With personal purpose, my business works for me, I do not work for it.”

“The biggest difference between a financial buyer and a strategic buyer has to do with their motives.”

“I truly believe everyone deserves to have the wedding of their dreams regardless of how much they can pay for it.”

Find Guest Blogging Opportunities on Twitter

Guest Blogging is a Win-Win-Win Marketing Tactic

Should I connect with people I do not know?

“Customers want you to care as much about their problem as they do.”

Should I connect with people I do not know?

“With perseverance, and dedication it is possible for anybody to found a successful business.”

MO Partners

Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe

MO.com Best Places to Work!

Some Notable Past Interviews

Our Interviews By Area: