Idaho Business Podcast
478 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 13 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 15 ratingsIf you LOVE our town and LOVE small business, you are in the right place!! We interview local legends, learn business and have way too much fun doing it!!
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Episodes
Improving our Workforce by Teaching our Kids to Do Hard Things - Featuring Spencer Ward
July 02, 2024 14:30 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBWe hear it so much nowadays: “This workforce isn’t what it used to be,” etc. Well, we can keep complaining about it or we can help change it. How do we do that you may ask? It starts within the walls of our own homes. Teaching our kids to do and accomplish hard things is so important. If we want future employees who we can trust to do the job right and get things done, even when it’s tough, we need to teach our kids to do the same. Letting them fail, speaking truth to t...
Creating and Maintaining Operational Strength - Featuring Spencer Ward
June 25, 2024 14:30 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MBHow many of us have dealt with a particular problem over and over again in your businesses? First you need to think: how can I prevent this problem from recurring? Second: what steps do I or my team take to solve this problem when it does happen? As leaders and owners we can keep ourselves up at night with what if scenarios and be our own worst enemy. Or we can put insurance policies in place (ie inspections and additional training from experienced staff). We also need to trust in your ...
How to Sell by Standing Out - Featuring Spencer Ward
June 18, 2024 14:30 - 21 minutes - 29.9 MBSales is the lifeblood of a company. How much easier is it if you have a differentiator that makes you stand out from the crowd? That helps you to offer more value to your customers. With sales being the life of the company, it’s not the end all solution. What if you don’t know your labor costs or supply costs and you're bidding out and selling jobs with the wrong margins? It’s like having a hole in your boat and adding more sales to the equation is just making the hole bigger! This is whe...
Continuing to Learn and Maintaining Consistency - Featuring Camille Gilbert
June 11, 2024 16:09 - 20 minutes - 27.6 MBCamille has been in the crepe-making business for over 12 years now. Many people think owning a food truck is just showing up, bringing some ingredients, and flipping on the light, and BOOM! Here comes the money! What they don’t know is that understanding your income statement and providing a consistent product is most of the battle. This is the difference between companies that come and stay and companies that come and go. It’s the “boring” information that you need to k...
The Importance of 90 Day Employee Reviews: Featuring Spencer Ward
June 04, 2024 14:30 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBIf you are constantly trying to improve your team or business but you’re still feeling like there is something missing or disconnected, try conducting regular employee reviews. These are great opportunities to meet with your teams to hear what they are dealing with and possibly what you’re not seeing from your perspective. It’s a game changer and a great way to streamline your processes and systems. Not to mention you get to meet some hidden rockstars on your team that you can start bui...
The Importance of 90 Day Employee Reviews - Featuring Spencer Ward
June 04, 2024 14:30 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBIf you are constantly trying to improve your team or business but you’re still feeling like there is something missing or disconnected, try conducting regular employee reviews. These are great opportunities to meet with your teams to hear what they are dealing with and possibly what you’re not seeing from your perspective. It’s a game changer and a great way to streamline your processes and systems. Not to mention you get to meet some hidden rockstars on your team that you can start bui...
How to Make Sure You’re Making Money - Featuring Spencer Ward
May 21, 2024 14:30 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBIf you were like me years ago, you went by the word of your bookkeeper and CPA as to whether you were making money month in and month out, and not really looking at the books yourself. It’s time to stop that foolishness and start dedicating a few minutes each month to reviewing your financial statement to check for key indicators. If you and your bookkeeper haven’t organized your financial statement, AKA P&L statement, check out our previous episodes that tackle that in detail. ...
Simple but Game Changing Routines to Implement - Featuring Spencer Ward
May 14, 2024 14:30 - 13 minutes - 18.2 MBAre you worried that you might be unorganized? Are you the type of person who checks your business bank account several times a day to know if you can make certain decisions or not? Do you wonder why you aren’t making the money you expected from your business? I’m here to tell you that if you do just a couple of things differently every month, you can drastically change the outcome of your business! You don’t have to wait until the end of each month for your bookkeeper or CPA to ...
No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders - Featuring Spencer Ward
May 07, 2024 14:30 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBIf you haven’t picked up the book Extreme Ownership by Jaco Willink & Leif Babin you need to! Both of them were Navy Seals with awesome experiences within battle that they relate to business. Too many times we think when our teams or companies aren’t performing we need to dissect everything when it could be as easy as replacing a leader. I won’t ruin the story within the podcast I tell from the book about this but tune in and see how this episode and book can change the way you run yo...
AI for Business - Featuring Brian Hanson
April 30, 2024 14:30 - 34 minutes - 47 MBYou’ve certainly heard about AI and all that it’s doing out there in the world, but did you know what it can be doing for you and your business? Prepare to be blown away! Let’s just say you are leaving way too much on the table if you’re not looking into this as a solution for your company. In this interview, marketing and artificial intelligence guru Brian Hanson tells podcast host Spencer Ward about the huge variety of business tasks that can be offloaded to AI. You will be ama...
Accomplish Two Needle Moving Goals in Q2 - Featuring Spencer Ward
April 23, 2024 14:30 - 9 minutes - 12.7 MBWe all want the best for our businesses and teams but at times we put too much on our shoulders and try to bite off more than we can chew. It’s time to choose only two items/goals that will move the needle forward for your business or team this quarter. Why only two? It’s too easy to say you’re going to tackle a whole list of goals in 3 months and then keep pushing tasks down the line because you know it’s too many items to accomplish or you don’t know how to delegate. Decide today what ...
How to Hire Slow and Fire Fast - Featuring Spencer Ward
April 16, 2024 14:30 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBYou are crazy busy, we know it and you know it. When it comes to hiring for positions in your company are you just dialing in a boilerplate template you found on Indeed to post a job? If so, how has that worked for you so far? I’m here to tell you there is a better way! Starting with the rules of that position first then moving to outcomes you are halfway there to writing a great description for that position in your company. After interviewing and hiring, how are you deciding that thi...
How to Stay Positive to Increase Performance - Featuring Spencer Ward
April 09, 2024 14:30 - 12 minutes - 17.7 MBNowadays it seems like everyone is so negative—the way people talk, the way they drive, and especially with comments on social media! In the midst of all of this aggression, rudeness, and oftentimes jealousy, how do you stay positive and happy? You might think, well, I just tune it out; this stuff about being cheery is dumb, who has time for that? But did you know that positive thinking will increase your overall performance? It’s true! It’s time to take back your life, f...
How to Stay Organized When You are Busy - Featuring Spencer Ward
April 02, 2024 14:30 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBWe all have those days and or weeks where we look back and say what did I even do today. Even though you know you were busy. Have you thought certain events were a certain day to find out they were the following day? If you can relate, this episode is for you. I can be the king at this! This is why I have to go back to the basics and track my time when I feel disorganized. It’s simple but so easy to do to make all the difference in your output. You will also find yourself getting out o...
How to Create Systems While You’re on Vacation - Featuring Spencer Ward
March 26, 2024 14:30 - 11 minutes - 15.9 MBIf you are a business owner/leader who finds it nearly impossible to delegate certain tasks and obligations to others in your organization, I would implore you to force yourself to go away on vacation for one, if not two weeks. While you’re away, identify problems that arise which you typically handle, but under the circumstances, suddenly require intervention by someone or something else. Doing this forces you to be creative and think outside the box while identifying others in yo...
How to Cover Any Position in Your Company - Featuring Spencer Ward
March 19, 2024 14:30 - 9 minutes - 13.3 MBIt’s about cross training your staff. When Betty in accounting is sick for a week or Peter is away for XZY reason, you have other people that know their roles enough to fill the gap while they’re absent. So your company doesn’t have to be at a standstill in that area. Having your staff create a “cheat sheet” for their positions. This is huge. Especially as these rockstars get promoted, you can hire another person with a cheat sheet created from the previous employee that was promoted that ...
How to Thrive the Week After Acquiring Your First Business - Featuring Spencer Ward
March 12, 2024 14:30 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBYou’ve closed the deal and you’re probably chomping at the bit to get your hands on your new business and start working it. First off, remember: Your new employees and leadership have their caution radars going off all over the place. So you need to love on them, and not change much as you first take control. They need to know that their jobs are secure and that you are going to take care of them. So what do you do when the manager/supervisor quits after three days...
How to Close Your First Acquisition - Featuring Spencer Ward
March 05, 2024 15:30 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBMy business partner Jackson Wood and I just closed our first deal. I wanted to share some of the things we learned as we went through this process and now executing our transition plan. What a great time to be alive and looking for opportunities! We have at our fingertips millions of businesses owned by baby boomers going up for sale. Many of these businesses are fantastic. The problem is that only one out of eleven businesses actually sell. This is where the opportunity lies, if you ar...
How to Disrupt Your Industry - Featuring Neal Smith
February 27, 2024 15:30 - 17 minutes - 23.4 MBJust as Uber did to the taxi industry, Neal Smith and his company NSJ Construction are disrupting the framing industry! After two decades spent framing walls for new buildings, Neal decided there had to be a streamlined and more modern way of getting the job done. Now, NSJ Construction produces pre-built, high-quality wall panels, designed to be erected far more quickly, compared to traditional framing techniques. Neal’s system reduces overall labor costs, and wear and tear on framing te...
How to Add Value to Close the Sale - Featuring Doug Dvorak
February 20, 2024 15:30 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBHow long has it been since you’ve googled your business? What about looking at your own website? Have you made any changes or edits in the last 1-3 years? You are probably missing out on some key sales opportunities. It’s time to really pay attention to who we are trying to reach as our customers. For example- you are only offering a chat contact feature but many older generations also want the option to talk to someone on the phone at times. Tune in and listen to the amazing insight tha...
How to Track and Measure Your Way to Profitability - Featuring Spencer Ward
February 13, 2024 15:30 - 21 minutes - 30 MBHow many of us are putting in hard hours of work day in and day out just to end the day, week, month with less than stellar results? Are you blaming your teams, managers? Are you tracking anything in your businesses or teams to actually measure productivity? If you’re not, this episode is a great jumpstart on how to start putting some of this into practice so you don’t have to wait until the books are reconciled at the beginning of the following month to see if you got kicked in the pant...
How to Be Productive While Being Away - Featuring Spencer Ward
February 06, 2024 15:30 - 13 minutes - 18.9 MBHow many of us have left our offices for a work trip or vacation thinking “I hope this place is still here when I get back!” Then, do you proceed to worry about things as you are away; checking up on your team incessantly to make sure everything is still operating? That’s not the way to live or manage a team. You attract negativity and things actually do go wrong. What if I told you that you could leave, and it would be possible to check your email just once a day and maybe take ...
How to Retire Without Your Business: Featuring Jackson Wood
January 30, 2024 15:30 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBToo many of us are tying everything we have to our businesses and aren’t planning for our retirements. Did you know that the average baby boomer business owner has an average of $202,000 saved for retirement? They need to sell their businesses to retire with dignity. Did you also know that only 1 out of 11 businesses actually sell? It’s time to take action, know where the money in our businesses is going. It’s time to get a plan in place to make sure our families are taken care of and you ...
How to Do What is Most Important in Your Business - Featuring Spencer Ward
January 23, 2024 15:30 - 12 minutes - 16.5 MBMany of us are still pushing ourselves to the limit physically and mentally with all the tasks of operating and running our businesses. What would you do though if your physical abilities were taken from you permanently or temporarily? Would your business be able to function still? If you are the one changing every tire, servicing each HVAC or pounding every nail you are going to be in trouble. How do you pivot and make your business run without you being there for every aspect of it? ...
How to Stay Organized and Dominate - Featuring Spencer Ward
January 16, 2024 15:30 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBHave you ever been asked at the end of the week, “How was your week? What did you do?” And as you paused to respond, did you recall only how busy you were; not a single thing you actually did? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This happens to many of us. We’re 100 percent “taking care of business,” but are we being proactive or reactive? Too often we’re being reactive; just handling what comes at us and then getting to the other important stuff as we have time for it. The key is to be proact...
3 Things I Wish I Did When I Started My Business - Featuring Spencer Ward
January 09, 2024 15:30 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MBI think when we are starting a business and we are new to the whole experience, it’s overwhelming. We are just trying to keep our heads above water and learn progressively through our experiences. This works but only so much. Especially when you think about all those who have gone before you and have been successful in your business. This is why reading books from professionals is on my list today and will pour fuel on your business fire! Tune in for the other two! If you are feeling the...
5 Rules to Client Attraction - Featuring Spencer Ward
January 02, 2024 15:30 - 21 minutes - 29.9 MBIt’s a new year and you have benchmarks to hit and life to enjoy! What can you do to drastically increase your client attraction abilities? There are five important rules we cover today that will give you the superpowers to get the job done. The most important thing though is to enjoy your life and enjoy the process throughout this year! - Spencer Ward If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever y...
Why Email Marketing and Websites are Important - Featuring Brian Hermansen
December 19, 2023 15:30 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBToo many of us are hesitant to spend money implementing email marketing or designing a great business website. Or maybe we don’t have time to do it all ourselves. Instead of constantly avoiding these potentially huge advancements for your business because “you’ve never done it before,” why not just dive in, and see how much your business can grow along with your customer loyalty. Learn what a sales funnel is, why email marketing is important, and why you shouldn’t be afraid...
How to Appreciate Moments with Those You Love - Featuring Spencer Ward
December 12, 2023 15:30 - 12 minutes - 17.1 MBWe’re all busy! How do you want to be remembered by those you love, your children, your spouse, your friends? After your professional life is over will you have friends or family wanting to be a part of your life? Will they want to come home for Christmas? You can’t change what has happened in the past but we can change the future. Find time now to spend with your family/friends without having your phone or computer attached to you. It’s the little moments that matter. If you are fee...
How to Pull Your Business or Career Out of a Stall - Featuring Spencer Ward
December 05, 2023 15:30 - 10 minutes - 14.9 MBAre you putting in the work day in and day out without getting the advancement opportunities you've been hoping for? If you own your own business are you growing without seeing the additional money you thought you’d see as you grew your business? So much can change with just a one degree course correction or change. Relying on our own abilities and knowledge sometimes is not enough. Are you humble, motivated, tired enough to make the change? Just as an airplane has to change course to n...
Six Ways to Work on Your Business (Not in): Featuring Spencer Ward
November 28, 2023 14:30 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBIf you have not read the E-Myth you are missing out! Many of us are working for lunatics because in the business we own the business cannot run without you! How would you set up your business if it was going to be used as a model for 5000 other businesses? Would you run it the same way as you do now? If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking that you could be doing things better. It’s time to get your life back and have your business serve you, not the other way around. If you are ...
How To Be Successful by Placing Quality First - Featuring Jake Erickson
November 21, 2023 15:30 - 39 minutes - 54 MBWhen you place quality first, the volume will follow. From volume, your organization will benefit from profits. Placing quality before the profits is how Jake Erickson from Bingham Memorial Hospital does it and it’s how many organizations will survive the tests of time. If you are constantly striving to add value to those you serve, your business will naturally grow. If you’ve ever wanted to sit down and learn from a talented CEO here is your chance to learn, grow and take key takeaways to...
How to Make a Decision and Not Die - Featuring Spencer Ward
November 14, 2023 15:16 - 29 minutes - 41 MBYou may not want to listen to this episode. I tell a story that even my own mother doesn’t know. It’s a near death experience I had in Zimbabwe when I was serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I relate this story to making decisions in our lives, not being scared to take action, and allowing our first attempts to not be perfect. It’s time to not listen to the negative people around us and just take action. They aren’t the ones who we’re doi...
What can you Accomplish in Two Months? Featuring Spencer Ward
November 07, 2023 14:30 - 16 minutes - 22.2 MBWhat’s still left undone on your goal sheet? Why? What’s stopping you? Is it something you should even be doing? Looking at the goals that are worthwhile and knocking them out of the park within these last two months of the year can be done. Even if it’s a weight loss goal and you haven’t started yet. Make the step, hire a dietician, invest in your future. If it’s wanting to get a few more X amount accounts…what are the 3 things you can do today or this week that will move you closer? ...
Idaho’s Economic Snapshot - Featuring Spencer Ward
October 31, 2023 14:30 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBFor the first time we take a look at a snapshot of the economics of Idaho. I promise it’s not all boring numbers though. Spencer continues to discuss looking at a snapshot of your business or team’s efforts for the year. Do you ever review your different streams of revenue vs. how profitable they are? Do you look over your turnover rates? Do you want to know you want to know your customer acquisition cost? If so, you’ve found the right episode to stream today! If you are feeling the love, ...
Make Burdens into Opportunity
October 24, 2023 14:30 - 12 minutes - 16.6 MBIf you’re not looking at the trials in your business and your life as opportunities to get smarter, stronger, more humble, etc. you are doomed to repeat those same trials. On top of that you’re going to be impossible to be around because you won’t be happy and you will most likely have the attitude that the world is out to get you. It’s time to kill the negative talk and thinking and step up and use these trials as what they really are, opportunities to grow! If you are feeling the lo...
Are You Talking Too Much in Your Business? Featuring Spencer Ward
October 18, 2023 02:30 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MBWe all know that person, right? That person that turns a 10 min meeting into a 45 min meeting because they just wanted to hear themselves talk. Ask yourself, am I that person? Even from time to time? People who dominate the conversation are looked at as arrogant, or they don’t care or does not value others. Being a skilled listener takes practice but yields better results. People don’t care about you, they care about themselves and or their business. When you can actively listen and ask in...
Learning How to Exit Your Business - Featuring Spencer Ward
October 10, 2023 23:46 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBIt may be a distant thought or it might be currently hitting you in the face: You’re going to need to exit your business. Have you ever sold a business? Do you know what buyers are looking for? Understanding what the process is like will help you know what steps to take before you make the decision to sell. - Spencer Ward If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you are!! If you'd like to be featured on an ep...
Intentional Business Owners - Featuring Spencer Ward
October 03, 2023 14:30 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBWhat got you here, is most likely not going to get you there. How intentional are we being with our days, who we spend our time with, and our businesses? Just because you can cover the hands-on tasks in your business doesn’t mean you should. If you own a service station, should you be the one changing the oil? No! Be intentional with your time by creating systems that generate more time and freedom for you to be more productive in your business and in the lives of your family. - Spenc...
What’s Stopping You from Your Vision for Your Life? Featuring Spencer Ward
September 26, 2023 14:30 - 15 minutes - 21 MBIn the words of Rob Dyrdek, “see it, believe it, do it”. If you constantly are seeing reminders of your goals in front of you it’s easier to stay motivated to accomplish them. Creating a vision board for yourself, having a note in the instrument panel of your car, or seeing them written on your bathroom mirror every day are ways to keep it fresh in your mind. Why, you may ask? How often do we come out in the beginning of the year or week swinging for the fence and ready to rock to only sta...
How are You Adding Value for Other Business Professionals? - Featuring Kristina James
September 19, 2023 14:30 - 23 minutes - 32 MBConsumers are getting smarter and more aware of thinly disguised sales tactics. Networking with the mindset of “how can I add value to people’s lives and listen to them” will get you further than having a goal of handing out 3200 business cards in a single networking session. People want to do business with those who they like and trust. We hear more about this from Kristina James, who’s an account executive for IT services provider TruLeap Technologies. - Spencer Ward If you are...
Finding a Vision and Value for Your Life - Featuring Scott Stephens
September 12, 2023 14:30 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MBWhen we’re younger, we’re mostly focused on taking one planned out step after another. As we get older we’re focused on how to make more money, how to be a good spouse or significant other, and how to be a good parent. Instead of being caught up in the busyness of life, we should take a step back and ask ourselves what do we want out of life, where do we eventually want to be, and what do we hope to achieve. Having some clarity can help people young and old make the best decisions for th...
Are You Moving the Needle with Current and Potential Customers? Featuring Spencer Ward
September 06, 2023 14:30 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBComplacency kills, it kills deals, it kills relationships and it kills businesses. Learning how to continually connect with current and potential customers is key. Even if you have a company 50+ years old and you’re happy taking your nice salary out of it, customers don’t always stay forever. It’s up to you to continue to bring in leads, bids and sales to replenish your revenue when you aren’t actively trying to grow and to grow your revenue and profits when you are. If you are feeling ...
Who are you to Your Family when you Come Home from Work? Featuring Spencer Ward
August 31, 2023 14:30 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBI get it. Being a business leader and or owner is hard and not always just fun in the sun… We go through bad days, but who are we to our family when we open the door to our homes as we return from work? Are we transferring the stress from your professional life onto them? Are you avoiding time with those who really matter because you are “too stressed” or “too busy”? Let’s dig into that topic today! If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Stitcher...
Who Will You Become From the Hardships You Go Through? - Featuring Spencer Ward
August 22, 2023 14:30 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBFrom reading Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, learning more about Damon West, and going through plenty of tough times myself, I’ve learned there is always something to gain and a way to grow through challenges. No matter what you are facing, there will always be a positive way out and a way to improve as a person. Yet the process of receiving these all-important lessons is usually not fun. - Spencer Ward If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on i...
Who Will You Become From the Hardships You Go Through? Featuring Spencer Ward
August 22, 2023 14:30 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBFrom reading Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, learning more about Damon West, and going through plenty of tough times myself, I’ve learned there is always something to gain and a way to grow through challenges. No matter what you are facing, there will always be a positive way out and a way to improve as a person. Yet the process of receiving these all-important lessons is usually not fun. - Spencer Ward If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on i...
Creating Stronger Bonds in Business and in Ourselves - Featuring Camille Winter
August 15, 2023 14:30 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MBAs Admissions Coordinator, Camille understands that providing value in the sales process is the way to success. Also understanding how to read the room when you are on a sales call to make sure you don’t overstay your welcome. As a nurse, she understands the importance of taking care of your health through choosing the correct home health company, when needed, and keeping up your strength as you age through staying active to live a longer and healthier life. If you are feeling the love, ma...
Volunteering Can Help Build Our Youth Into Great Adults - Featuring Sheriff Tony Manu
August 08, 2023 14:30 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBAs Sheriff of Bannock County, Tony sees the best and the worst every week. One way to continue to keep Idaho such a great place to live is to volunteer, and help build up our youth through sports, and other activities to be a positive influence in their lives. Learning how we can assist in our community is how we will keep Idaho great. If you are feeling the love, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you are!! If you'd like to be featured o...
Having Success Through Community Involvement and Adding Value - Featuring Cassey Leatham
August 01, 2023 14:30 - 33 minutes - 45.9 MBIn this competitive world it’s not enough to just get good grades in college and hope to get a great job. It’s also not enough to just build something new thinking people will automatically show up, without actually getting to know people in your community and also adding value to their lives. Cassey Leatham is a Select Employee Group (SEG) Relationship Manager at Mountain America Credit Union, and also a business owner. She’s an awesome example of someone who is serving others an...
Don’t Be Content with Snakes and Sparklers - Featuring Spencer Ward
July 25, 2023 14:30 - 14 minutes - 20.1 MBWe all know the classic comedy Joe Dirt. In that film Joe tries to buy some fireworks that explode “and go boom!” Unfortunately, the owner of the fireworks stand only sells snakes and sparklers, because that’s all he likes. We can compare this with the experiences we’re having in our lives. Are we going to new places, meeting new people, listening to new broadcasts, trying new things personally or professionally, etc? Diversity of experience directly correlates to success...