Motivation

Build Beyond Yourself

Don Wilkes knew when he started AZ Technology that he could not achieve his dreams alone.

Share The Glory

Founder Don Wilkes gives employees public recognition for  their accomplishments. His daughter, and the current CEO, Lynn Leeper, carries on the tradition.

Prepare Yourself

Pamela Rodgers knew that selling herself meant she had to be as smart about people as she was about the business. More...

Keep Growing

Pamela Rodgers could have easily retired but instead she sets even bigger goals to keep herself learning and growing.   More...

Give Employees Key Indicator Responsibilities

Jim Schell recommends sharing financial tracking responsibilities for reports identified in "the little green book" with employees.  Here are more insights from Jim:   Staying Power,   On selling the business, and  Opportunity Knocks.     Even more...

Import A Good Idea

What does New Zealand have in common with Southern California?  Beaches and fair-skinned children.  The hat that helps kids in one part of the world turns out to help kids everywhere. More...

Put People First

The Flap Happy customer is easy to love!  Laurie seems to transfer her love for these adorable customers to her hard-working employees.  As we have heard from other owners, if you don't love people it's hard to build a business. More...

Be Mission-Driven

Donna said her mission is, "To bring awareness about natural skin-care products to people through education and through the joy of using them."     More...

Leave To Learn

The three Souto brothers, the oldest being Enrique pictured here, went off to college in order to  work for big business.  They all came back to make what their father started into the major player within an industry segment.   More...

Give Employees The Newest Tools

Jose Souto explains that new tools and cutting-edge technology improves morale and productivity. 

Keep Dreaming

These brothers seem to have it all. They keep dreaming about a better future.  Someday they will sell coffee in a free Cuba.  This is Enrique, Jose and Angel Souto.   More

Start A Business To Fund A Cause

Debra St. Claire shows that customers will buy from you when they know they are helping a good cause.  She is helping to fund the Ethno-Medicine Preservation Project.

Attract Others With Your Vision

With a startup, sometimes the idea of being part of something new is all the founder has to offer.

Educate Yourself

Jimmy Fand is the perfect example of a new American who understands what a person can do with their life in this country.   More...

Make Room For Just One Boss

The founder of  Texas Nameplate was smart to step aside when his son, Dale Crownover, was ready to lead the company.  You learn that  employees deserve to know who is in charge so seniors have to remove themselves to make room for fresh ideas.

List What Drives Your Business

Here we study the first small business to win the Malcolm Baldrige Award.  Hattie says that at Texas Nameplate priorities are put in writing and this helps everyone stay focused. More...

Be A Good Place To Work

Your employees will tell you by their attitudes and their actions if your company is  good place to work.   All of the owners we know agree that happy employees are productive.

Prepare For Hard Times

The good business owners make running a business look easy but don't be fooled.  It's harder than it looks.   There are always struggles that require cash and determination.

Keep Employees Happy

There are nearly 200 employees at Calise so the task of making sure everyone is happy is a big one.  Tony Cappozi is director of human resources and he knows people are happy because they bring their friends in when there is a job opening.

Keep On Keeping On

When Eddie died, Darlene was ready, willing and able to lead the company.  Their son Jesse runs the recycling division.

Be The Company People Want To Work For

Many people have worked at Jet-A-Way for over a decade and the company has been recognized by the Small Business Administration as an outstanding employer.

Be The Person Others Will Follow

Darlene grew up in the school of hard knocks.  She paid attention and learned how to win and keep customers with a great attitude and fabulous service.

Lay the Groundwork

Starting and growing a business is not for the weak or the uninformed.  To prepare, Ron Altoon and Jim Porter did their homework before they opened their architectural firm.  This is Ron Altoon.  More

Learn What Not To Do

Ron Altoon and Jim Porter both worked in the firm of Frank Gehry who may be the most famous living American architect. This is Jim Porter.  Homepage

Organize To Inspire

Leave it to a couple of architects to think of their company as a three-legged stool. Homepage

Volunteer

Ron is the immediate past president of the American Institute of Architects.

Recognize That You Need Others

Today talented people can quit working for you and go someplace else, therefore, a  leader must win the hearts and minds of employees. Meet partner Carl Meyer. Homepage

Help Others Excel

Glenn says there are no two people alike. If we could all grasp this, it would save us a lot of frustration and even heartache.

Keep Your Family Engaged

Your family should be in the front row cheering you on.  Glenn and Wanda have cleared the way for their extended family to take over.

Let Employees Do What They Do Best

In his work at Oscar Mayer Paul practiced the art of marketing and was never involved in the day-to-day manufacturing process.  This made it easy for him to let the cheese makers do their thing.

Admit What You Don't Know

When you start a business or buy one you will face a steep learning curve.  This is Vicki Scharfman.

Quit Your Job

If things aren't ducky at work, maybe it's time to seek your bliss in a different pond.

Do Whatever it Takes

Master the mystery behind your business success.

Be Number One

Earn your position in the market by being the best at what you do.   

Now, pictured here is the statue of Mary Dyer.  She was hanged, June 1, 1660, on Boston Common for being a Quaker. She died a martyr and became the symbol for religious freedom for this new country.   More...  (between 1:51 and 2:58 minutes)

Make More Than Money -- Make Impact

Hattie says that the real riches of success can't always be measured in dollars and cents.

Get Some Rose-Colored Glasses

Optimism wins every time.

Buy A Business You Love

Mickey Finn's has been "a place to go" when all others abandoned downtown.  It has been a drinking establishment for over a hundred years.  More...

Do What It Takes

Bill Sugars said that most people just don't realize what owners do to make things work. Obey the law, treat people with respect and as Bill admits, clean the toilets if they need it. More...

Find Your Place To Serve

All of us who own our own business expect to make money. In fact, the more money we make the more people we can hire and the more customers we can serve. In addition to making money, the business owners in our library are big-hearted and generous. Bill Sugars loves his little town and he is part of why it is such a great place to live.

Keep Work In Its Place

Ken MacDonald likes working with Ashley and Darrell because they started a business so that they could control the type of work they do and the work culture.

Work For More Than Money

Host Hattie Bryant says that the founders of this company are happy to make money but it is the stuff of their work that gets them out of bed in the morning. More...

Feed And Trust Your Instincts

Nicole Miller's inspiration starts big and works its way into every detail of her seasonal line.

Create A Win-Win

Nicole Miller's designs and Bud Konheim's sales skills helped  build a profitable division of a conglomerate which they "bought out"  to create their own business. Be sure to study the transcript.

Prepare For Perpetual Problems

Nicole Miller and Bud Konheim have taken a company from an idea to over $130 million in annual sales and they warn us all that it never gets easy. More...

Create Opportunity for Others

Ebby Halliday's strong work ethic and leadership have inspired other's to achieve their own success.

Turn Raw Talent Into Leadership

Mary Frances Burleson (pictured at far right), president of Ebby Halliday Real Estate turned raw, talent into leadership with Ebby Halliday as her mentor.

Hold On To Quality People

Ebby Halliday says that great people will stay in a learning and growing environment.   

Work Yourself Into Youth

Host Hattie Bryant discovers that Ebby Halliday doesn't believe in retirement for herself. 

Be Good To Attract Good

Founders Jonas and Anne Beiler are good people doing good and attracting people like them to their business.  Anne says, "...love in the workplace.  Yeh, it works."

Make Your Mission Statement Inspirational

Anne Beiler's mission is to be a guiding LIGHT for her employees and franchisees.   More...

Let Your Childhood Inform You

Anne has a "feel for the cloth." Many say she started the "little yellow ducky" fad.  A craftsman, George Kartsotis, says that Anne's ideas have been key to his success.

Commit to Commit

Michael McGilvray has fun solving the problems of growth.

Hire Good People

Sounds so simple. If someone new in business had told us this we would have thought, "how sweet and how naive." But when a person who has been building a strong company for over three decades says it, we listen.

Hire Slow Fire Fast

It is always better to take time to find the right people than waste energy on the wrong people.

Turn Stress Into Strength

Janet and David Milly suggest that working together is not for married couples who do not already have a strong marriage.

Give Back

David Milly gives Hattie a tour of his beloved hometown, Huntsville, Alabama.  Both of his parents were scientists who helped send the USA to the moon.

Have Fun

David said, "At Theatrical Lighting, we make money doing lights." The reason this is so powerful --  to him and everyone in the company, just doing lights is fun!   More...

Keep Learning

Zubi Advertising has deep roots in being open to learn how to overcome big challenges.  They are all open to being mentored and to mentoring others.   More...

Take Time To Understand Yourself

Teresa Zubizaretta capitalized on the fact that she was a woman in an industry that had been historically dominated by men.  She knew being a woman and a Hispanic were assets.     More...

Manage Your Children With Your Head Not Your Heart

Tere's son, Joe,  balances the needs of the business with client expectations as he leads Zubi's account management function.

Keep Employees Happy With Fascinating Work

Time flies and the hours pile up but no one cares when they are working on a project that is exciting or innovative.

Keep Family First

Teresa Zubizarreta learned that the most important communications are with family.

Reward Great Performance Even When There Are No Profits

Zubi Advertising pays bonuses even when the company loses money in recognition of the hard work employees put in all year long.

See Ownership As Your Calling

Michael Novak says that Christians and Jews believe it is their duty to improve the human condition.  This is Albert Black, owner of On Target Supplies and Logistics.  He told us that creating jobs is, "God's work." A devout Christian, Albert feels called by God to be a business owner.  He feels God has given him the ability to help people develop themselves so he has built a business where employees are learning and therefore earning.     Homepage

Do What Interests You

The founders of Diversified Chemicals are interested in chemistry. They love coming up with new products to solve hard problems. They make many types of coatings and adhesives and are working now to capture the rubber in old tires for new purposes.   Homepage   Go to Diversified Chemicals

Be All You Can Be

Michael Novak says that small business is the most important institution in a civil society because every business owner must develop themselves and become the best that they can be.  The demands of leadership in a small company are such that the owner becomes confident, articulate, bold and tough even in the face of his own government.  Michael goes so far as to say that a small business owner becomes a sovereign. Home

Business owner, Enrique Souto, says,  "...the most important thing is honesty.

Smile At Your Problems

Jack and Ruth Ellen solve problems best when they step away from the office.  They love to laugh and they love to debate the very nature of light.  It is all about the photon, of course.

Attract A Courageous Team

Bob Simpson and his partner were thrown out of a company they had worked to grow.  They took what they had learned and today they are worth millions. More...

Tell Your Story With Passion

This sculpture, "I'll Be Back" is the image the founders wanted to project at the launch.

Think Positive

Big things are only accomplished by those who think positive.

Answer Every Question

Host Hattie Bryant says that Frank Jao methodically learned what he needed to learn to launch and build a multi-million dollar operation in his new country.

Be A Giver Not A Taker

Frank has done so much for his community, the city leaders gave him his own exit off a busy Southern California freeway.

Treat People With Deep Respect

Pam McNair knows that people are the raw materials you must commit to working with, day in and day out, if you want to grow a company.     More...

Think Hard About What People Need

For founder Pam McNair, employees are family and making--and admitting--mistakes is the basis for building trust.

Teach Communication Skills

Pam understands that communication is the oil in the service machine and gives her employees tools to keep interpersonal communications running smoothly.

Inspire Employees To Learn

Gadabout sets high expectations but helps employees achieve them through expert training and state-of-the-art facilities.

Set Your Ego Aside

Pam McNair's philosophy is to treat her employees as she wants them to treat the customer.

Be Minister, Social Worker & Therapist

Host Hattie Bryant heard employee after employee at Gadabout speak to the tremendous impact Pam McNair has had on their lives.

Take Time To Give

Through their Chambers of Commerce, business owners work hard on business-friendly public policy.  Toby Malachi (pictured here), founder of Malichi International, of Indianapolis has a favorite cause; promote global trade for small businesses. More...

Find The Cause That Fits

Toby Malichi (0.23 to 0.31) opens this segment.  John Bachmann, a Managing Partner of Edward Jones Investments of St. Louis (0.32 to 1:08) has been the chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce.   More...

Make A Positive Impression

Leon Trammell, founder of Tramco, Inc. says that the media makes owners look like crooks.  That has to change.  Business is the world's foremost force for good and innovation.   More...

Transform Your Community

Host Hattie Bryant says that gracious giving by owners is noticed by their communities.

Say Yes

Several people talk about their community spirit.  Tere Zubizarreta,  founder of Zubi Advertising   based in Miami, when asked to give money and time to local charities, says, "Yes."   

Add By Subtracting

Marc Katz loves giving in the name of his business, Katz's Deli and Bar.

Engage Your Team

Owner Arnold Joseff encourages employees to volunteer on company time.

Be Bold

Oregon Log owner Mike Neary shares the mystique of log home living from his first 20-by-20 cabin at the base of Mt. Hood to his present day masterpieces.   More...

Win An Award

Whenever there is an opportunity, submit your work for peer review within your national trade association.

Prepare To Succeed

Remigius Shatas, founder of Avocent, was ready to start a business because he had done his homework and he shifted his thinking from an employee mentality to a problem-solving mentality.   More...

Stop Thinking Me And Start Thinking Us

Hattie points out that Remigius Shatas grew his company by putting others ahead of himself.

Give More Than Money

BizTech's director, Joanne Randolph, explains that money and time donated by successful entrepreneurs keep her doors open.

Ignore The Word No

Refuse to take "NO" for an answer. This has been Reed's mantra. Most people who don't own their own business would look at him and say, "Why didn't you just go get a job?" 

Give Employees Respect

Every strong small company builds a family atmosphere for employees. 

Do What You Know

Ken Buechler and his two partners, Gunars Valkirs and Kim Blickenstaff,  worked together before they launched Biosite.  They respected each others talents.

Leave The Nest

Gunars Valkirs and his two partners, Ken Buechler and  Kim Blickenstaff,  were bored by big business and its lack of courage and insight.  More....

Stop And Think

This tiny machine is busy saving lives because the inventors wouldn't give up on their dream.

Give To Add

Ken Buechler says that employees of Biosite are offered stock because he and his partners believe in the idea that giving something leaves the giver richer. 

Keep Working Even When You're Rich

Gunars Valkirs, Kim Blickenstaff and Ken Buechler love the challenges work presents.

Use Metaphor to Teach

Darby searches the world for products and for ideas to help grow his business. Go to the Jackalope homepage linked within the Episode tab. More...

Act on Your Dreams

Darby has an MBA and worked on Wall Street but he's much happier shopping the world and bringing it back to his store in Santa Fe. More...

Go for the Impossible

Shiv Krishnan always dreamed big and today he has what most of us consider a big company.  It didn't happen overnight and he prepared with education and by doing things very small when he started on his own.  Now he has over 500 employees and  the biggest customer in the world.   More...

Find the Good

The founder sets the tone at INDUS and he expects plenty of laughter.       More...

Make Sure Your Spouse is Cheering

Shiv Krishnan could not have succeeded without the 100% level of support provided by Meena. She believed in her husband’s dream because she believed in him.

Fill A Need

You've heard, "find a need and fill it" many times. We say, "find a pain that people will pay money to relieve." This is the only way any business makes money.  Joe Dannis is deaf himself and didn't like the way he was taught to communicate so he changed the world.  He is our hero.

Don't Look Back

Optimists don't look back. Joe Dannis could be sad about his past struggles to invent a product that helps so many people.  However, he chooses to focus on his success and the next catalog and the next great product. There's no time to fret.

Do What You Know

Wing Lee was taught how to cook by his parents who own a Chinese restaurant.    More...

Measure the Right Things

At Wahoo's learning a customer's name is more important selling extras.

Work On Your Entire Ecosystem

Ahmad Chebbani owns property on Warren Avenue and he has organized all of his neighbors and the Arab-American Chamber of Commerce to improve the street with lighting, fresh pavement and plantings.  More...  

Be The Person Your Employees Look Up To

When we taped this story Michael Guido was the Mayor of Dearborn.  He was happy to meet us on the steps of City Hall as he and Ahmad are friends who work hard to make Dearborn a great place to live and work.  

Set Goals And Measure Yourself Against Them

Ahmad's wife, Michelle Chebbani, has worked in the business since they opened the doors.  She says that Ahmad's secret to success is to always be striving for new and bigger goals. More...  

Seek Out Mentors

Don DeBolt is President of the International Franchise Association and as a member Gary can depend upon sold support and advise from Don.

Tap Into Experts

Dr. John Hayes is just one of the country's franchise experts. Gary and his team take advantage of training offered by John and the International Franchise Association.

Keep Raising the Bar

Iguanas were once the new thing at Fluker Farms. Now the owners are looking for the next winning idea which they expect will be something that eats something that they sell.

Have Fun

Owner Lorraine Miller works hard to get employees and customers to laugh.

Give Back to Your Community

The day we taped this story about Monica Morgan, we saw her in the library of the local middle school.  Pictures like this one were in a display she was showing the children while she talked about her  trip to South Africa where she took the photos.

Find a Mentor

Harold Robinson worked for 50 years as a professional photographer before he retired and took on the job to mentor a young talent.

Prevent Burnout by Sharing the Load

The average life expectancy of a bed and breakfast is seven years. The two owners of the Inn on Mount Ada beat these bad odds by sharing the heavy workload.

Turn Workforce Planning Upside Down

Owner Carol Schroeder has taught her team to staff the shop on their own and she rewards them for being collaborative.

Treat Employees Like Family

We found this artwork on the wall in the owners' office.  We're sure that there's a new family tree being created to include employees who have joined the company since the 20th anniversary.

Love People

It is not enough to love the products you sell. You must also have a profound love for people to build a successful specialty retail shop.

Live, Eat, Sleep the Business

Entrusting the vision behind the Sundance Catalog is not for people who want to work 8-5.

Be Thoroughly Authentic

Using a famous face and cause marketing can help get you in the customer's door. Authenticity and customer service keep it open for you.   More...

Sell a Lifestyle, Not a Product

People who visit Sundance Lodge want to take a piece of the lifestyle home with them, and the catalog offers it to them every month.

Expect to Fail

Experience teaches that you will fail along the path to growing your business.

Provide a Learning Environment

At On Target learning is a priority and it isn't just learning how to do a specific job for which a person has been hired. It is about every employee improving their lives.   More...

Create Opportunity

Albert Black believes that creating jobs is one of God's assignments for him.  Albert embraces the challenge and not only teaches people how to do a job but how to be productive and prosperous.   Virtually all sole-proprietors will benefit from knowing Albert.      More...      Homepage...

Grow Your Own Leadership

Albert Black has developed his own team. In the beginning, he didn't have money to hire people with loads of experience. So, Albert hired people who he believed he could turn into leaders. More...

Use Tough Love

Albert Black says everyone needs to the learn the basic lessons of cause-effect.   More...

Get Yourself a Big Goal

Albert's mission is to create jobs and make the American Dream possible for his employees. The American Dream he talks about is ownership. He wants employees to own stock in the company, to become what he calls a 20% saver, to go to college and build happy, productive lives.   More...

Solve Problems with New Thinking

Sohrab Vossoughi says that there is a solution to every problem.     More...

Go After Awards

Sohrab Voussoughi's Ziba Design became the first firm in the world to ever win four Gold Awards in one year in the annual Industrial Design Excellence Awards Competition run by the Industrial Designers Society of America.   More...

Improve Form and Function

Ziba wins customers because it wants the next new thing to work and to be beautiful. First, we hear from Nancy Pinney, and then Rich Fox (pictured), and then founder, Sohrab Vossoughi.

Post Your Values, Vision and Philosophy

Put in writing your values, vision, philosophy and methodologies because they aren't real until you write them down. And after you write them down, put them up on the wall so employees and customers can see them.

Hire People Who Challenge You

Sohrab Vossoughi came to this country from Iran at the age of 14 and 14 years later he opened his own design business. Today,  Ziba Designs is internationally recognized as a leader in design innovation.  In this video Sohrab works with young employees who came from all over the world to join him in this Portland, Oregon-based firm.  More...

Depend upon Mentors

Sohrab has mentors and he works hard to mentor the young talent at his firm.

Turn Great Employees into Owners

At Ziba Design employees can earn shares in the company.    More...

Be Grateful. Be Happy. Get Inspired.

We hear people all the time echoing Sohrab's comment, "I didn't start the business because of money. I started because I loved what I was doing." And after 20 years, he still jumps out of bed excited to go to work that morning.

Choose Words Carefully

Everything about Tom Gegax is about expectations: from white shirts and sneakers to language that communicates and inspires.

Use Four Steps To Coach Employees

Employees at Tire Plus know what is expected of them and if they are meeting those expectations.

Deploy the Four Steps of Execution

Tom Gegax's success is based on a well thought out and faithfully executed people strategy.

Learn How to Achieve Results

Tires Plus follows "ATE" steps to achieve desired results from employees: Delegate, Motivate, Educate,  and Terminate  is one of many continuous improvement methodologies. For more...

Coach Yourself First

Tom Gegax learned the hard way that you have to coach yourself before you can be an effective coach to others.

Win the Recognition of Your Peers

Winning awards wins business. More...

Love the Work, Not the Business

Eric Rose loves the stuff of his day.  He is challenged by the problems and works long hours to make sure he exceeds the expectations of his customers.  More...

Be Bold

Host Hattie Bryant says that the eHarmony team is a success because it doesn't compromise.

Tap Into The Universal Power

Universals open the mind in powerful ways. Michael Novak examines the motivation of people like a thought-leader like Albert Black, an inventor like Glenn Walser, and risk-takers like Lupe Fraga and Jose Navarro. All are examples of people who were deeply motivated by their belief systems. Throughout the history of the USA, Judeo-Christian beliefs gave rise to rapid scientific and business breakthroughs.     More...

Help People Find Their Gifts

The small team at Country Supply works hard to get their customers to smile. More...

Generate Energy Naturally

Founder Scott Mooney is energetic because he is doing what he does best.

Make Work Your Play

Scott reflects on his years going to bat and swinging to make things work.  He hit several home runs only because he was willing to try to hit that ball.   More...

Find An Energizing Place

The business owners in the rest of this episode all live and work in a high-rise condominium building in downtown San Diego.  This is the set of Small Business School which is created by film makers inside Bruce and Hattie's home in the high-rise.

Sell From The Inside Out

Host Hattie Bryant helps us understand how a few high achievers do what they want to do where they want to do it.

Work Hard for the People Who Work for You

The artists who produce work for Blue Dome Gallery are treated like valued partners by the gallery owners. More...

Flaunt What You've Got

Joe Burgess and his wife Terry Mingus own  Zia Publishing.  They create books that display the stunning beauty found throughout the state of New Mexico.   More....

Form Informal Partnerships

Host Hattie Bryant says that all of the growing companies in this episode are involved in building the community as a whole. More...

Hire for Life

Joseph Semprevivo, founder of a Joseph's Lite Cookies in Deming, New Mexico believes that creating a job is creating a sacred trust.   Next video...

Set High Standards

Two million Joseph's Lite Cookies are made, baked and bagged everyday and the key to that growth is letting employees set and achieve difficult goals.  Prior video...

Help Employees Accumulate Wealth

Employees at Mo's have excellent medical benefits and a 401(k) plan.

Find Meaningful Ways to Reward and Recognize Employees

Cindy had a jeweler design a golden chowder bowl. When an employee reaches her 10-year anniversary she receive the gold charm on a necklace.

Create Value for Others

Host Hattie Bryant says that the founders of Triplex Cinema chose to create something useful rather than stay bored by retirement.

Be Patient

Veteran entrepreneurs Joe Wasserman and Richard Stanley knew it would take years before they started earning real money from their theater.

Give More Than You Take

Host Hattie Bryant says that when companies deliver value to customers,  profits follow.     More...

Make It Convenient to Work

Marty Edelston has a home office and is only a short drive from his company headquarters.  More...

Cultivate Ideas

Employees brainstorm in groups everyday and ideas are valued.

Ask Questions and then Listen

Every person on your payroll should be treated with respect.  If can't do this you will never be able to grow a business because smart people won't work for you.

Read

Marty Edelston suggests that reading is key to the success of any leader.

Be the Person Your Children Want to Work For

Although all her children worked in the restaurant while growing up, each was encouraged to pursue work that fascinated them. Hope's light touch won over all seven as you can see in this family photograph.  More...

Find Joy in Every Task

At Joe T's everyone is working hard to have fun.  Music adds more joy.

Make Work Your Recreation

The kept expanding into the entire block. This patio had a swimming pool, added by Hope so her children could swim between shifts. Now customers enjoy eating outside under the live oaks and surrounded by bright flowers.   Homepage and all the video...

Follow Your Heart

To realize his dream of taking super-wide pictures, Ken Duncan gave up a big money-making opportunity with New York City talent agencies.     More...

Keep Improving

David Bowden, a partner in Transition Associations, says that capturing what employees learn so that it can be passed on to others is a precursor to growing the company.

Admit Mistakes

The owners of Transition Associates fired a bad hire as fast as they fix mistakes in their code.

Give Employees Unlimited Connections

Employees at Transition Associates can work from any where in the world.

Automate the Mundane

Take away the dull boring jobs to free smart employees to sell and service customers.

Adopt the Musketeer Mentality

The KMP Internet partners inspire a team approach to getting work done.

Win Coveted Awards

Small companies can look big by winning international awards.

See the Good

Bob Sakata depends upon optimism to guide him through difficult situations.   More...

Learn from Mistakes

Thomas Keller's story is as much about failure as it is about success. He tells about falling in love with cooking as a young person and about making the grand leap to owning his own restaurant.  These perfect chocolates are the result of plenty of practice. More...

Be True to Yourself

Thomas Keller teaches us that sticking to your core beliefs may force you to leave a comfortable situation.  This is a table at the Yountville restaurant. More...

Keep Dreaming

Dreams fire our imaginations but a dream without action goes cold. Thomas was broke when he saw the location he now owns and by taking action he kept the dream alive.     More...

Win Awards

Your struggle to reach perfection can land you in the world's most elite group.  When customers walk from the parking lot of The French Laundry into the restaurant, they see this plaque.  It is a signal that they are entering hallowed ground.  More...

Follow Your Heart, Your Mind, Your Soul and Your Strengths

Host Hattie Bryant says that Thomas Keller's guiding philosophy would be laughed at by Wall Street. More...

Hire a Maitre D'

Every business needs to have someone who is responsible for customer happiness. More...

Hire People You Like

You own it and you should like all of the people who are working with you. More...

Be Confident and Bold

Pamela Rodgers' Chevrolet dealership succeeds through personal mastery of business fundamentals. 

Ask for What You Want

Vicky continues her discussions about being clear about your wants and desires and working as a team.  In another episode, Nicole Miller demonstrates that teamwork is always in fashion when it comes to growing a company.

Take Action

It's a simple law of physics applied to business. It is the one that about "an object in uniform motion in a straight line will continue unless compelled to change that state by external forces acted upon it." In business-speak,  those that keep moving will continue to move in the direction of their goal based on the successes along the path they've begun.

Build on Your Past Success

Jim Toya-Brown joined Steve Hoffman in 1986.  Today he is Senior Vice President, friend and confidant to Steve.  The two took the building blocks of an old business and turned it into an eBusiness.

Put Others Ahead Of Yourself

Hattie learned at Navarro that customer service starts with deep respect for other people. From their customers and their employees, the overwhelming sentiment we heard from all the Navarro's was that people, not inventory, are what matter to them.

Develop Core Beliefs

Many people within business make references to their religious beliefs. Yet, business, science, and religion generally operate independent of each other. It is rare to find people who align all three.

Treat Suppliers Like Family

Parties and gatherings plus speaking Italian to the growers from Italy keep everyone happy.

Become a Local Icon

Katz's has earned the reputation as local icon on 6th Street in Austin, Texas. 

Do What You Know

Like so many owners, Marc Katz started with no money but with deep knowledge and experience in the industry he chose.

Find a Deep Spiritual Connection

Marc Katz dresses the part of a successful businessman out of respect to his customers, his employees and his profession.

Make Marketing Fun and Funny

Marc Katz hands out his own currency all over town and promises a lifetime guarantee that keeps customers coming back.

Give, Give and Give Again

Host Hattie Bryant explains that Marc Katz's heart is bigger than his corned beef sandwiches.

Recharge Your Battery

Too much of a good thing led Marc Katz to the best thing that ever happened to him: a break from the business.

Face Down Problems

Marc Katz evokes physical strength and presences because he knows, as ever owner knows, "Running a business is not for wimps."

Fuse Beauty and Function

Eric Goshow is the great drawing talent at Goshow.  He is surrounded by other architects and the team works to deliver to clients both beauty and function.

Develop a 40+ Year Vision

As an architect, Nancy Goshow knows that some European cathedrals took hundreds of years to build and some renovations on the Great Wall of China took 200 years. 

Respect the Talents of Others

Nancy and Eric Goshow profoundly respect each other and they have deep and abiding respect for every person on their team.

Pay for Performance

Learn how employment experts pay themselves.

Be Involved in Your Trade Association

Keep up with rules, regulations, technology and product trends and meet the kind of people who can advise you by being involved in your trade associations.

Stay Fresh

Host Hattie Bryant says that Don has three techniques for gathering fresh ideas.

Give to Your Community

Don helped to build this soccer field in his neighborhood.

Do What You Love

Joan and Bill Keller started trekking some of the world's most remote places in the early 70s. They are explorers and adventurers who have tales to tell about places most people have never heard of before they become customers of Joan and Bill's shop, Le Travel Store.     More...

Respect Your Partner's Talent

Bill Keller and his wife Joan are a two-person admiration society.

Inculcate Quality

Arnold Joseff says that every person is a quality expert.  This means that any person in the manufacturing process has the power to stop work and send back a product.   More...

Be Generous

George Hill says that they always win when they give.When they see a need, they try to fill it.  This ranges from helping kids be successful in a summer job to rebuilding the entire neighborhood.  More...

Invest In Your Community

Arnold says, "You can have ethics and you can have the desire to renovate and to be an uplifting spirit within an area.   More...

Set Big Goals

One of the key activities give to back to the community is when employees volunteer at this nearby school. The principal told Arnold and George that the children need male role models. More...

Have Fun with Employees

The owner and other leaders enjoy basketball and weight lifting right in the warehouse.   Employees laugh as the owner tries but fails to out lift them.   More...

Enjoy the Hard Parts

David Arnold expects things to go wrong and believes it is his job to deal with the difficult problems.    More...

Join a Peer Group

As a cashed-out entrepreneur, Jim Schell started an organization to provide business owners with a place to go to give and receive advice.  Here are more insights from Jim:   Understand your financials,   On selling the business, and  Staying Power.

Ask Peers for Help

Cristiana Ocosta is the founder of Ocosta Designs.  As a member of Opportunity Knocks she feels she gets real-time advice from people who have often learned lessons the hard way.  More...

Share Problems with Other Owners

Pamela Hulse Andrews, founder of Cascade Business News, says that going to Opportunity Knocks is refreshing.

Take Advice to Heart

Bill Hayes owns The Bend Guitar Shop and he is a member of the retail Opportunity Knocks group.

Thrive on Competition

These owners are happy to go after the challenging jobs.

Spot A Niche

Maragret Quenemoen started a company to make affordable clothing for extreme mountain, rock and ice climbers.  Her  first product line included sizes for petite women.

Keep Climbing. And, No Matter What, Keep Falling in Love.

The founder warns that you must love your company and what it does for its customers.

Discipline Yourself

Leonor Ferrer says that to succeed as a business owner you have to have a good idea, be willing to do without, and have a hunger inside to be independent.

Make the Cash Flow

In 1948 Angelo DeLucia started selling an old family recipe.

Work Long and Hard

When it is hot, customers want a Del's morning, noon and night.

Find the Right Opportunity

Milton Moses started selling insurance in 1962. He discovered early that he is a natural at finding the right solution for customers looking for insurance.    Homepage... More...

Become an Institution

Host Hattie Bryant points out that it took decades for Milton Moses to see his dreams actualize.

Invest in Your Profession

Young people are experiencing success because Milton Moses takes time to mentor.

Be Willing to Reinvent Yourself

To move out of an executive office and back to serving customers, George Granoff bought an anemic little chain of art supply stores.

See Problems As Challenges

Small business owners are tough because we face big problems everyday and we can't let one of them bring us down.  Rick Presant turned a major snow storm into a positive experience.

Believe in Yourself

To start, run and grow a business, Linda Benjamin, says you need confidence.

Embrace the New

Carolyne Fox talks about the firm's early adoption of technology and how they were one of the first CPA firms to go paperless. More...

Celebrate Often

Partner Carolyne Fox insists that having fun together increases overall productivity. More...

Keep Learning

The growth of a company depends upon its leadership's willingness to keep learning.

Have a Life Plan

Bill Hagstrom believes in planning for both business and personal success.

Work Long, Hard Hours for Years

One college course in wine tasting and Bob Orenstein was in love for life. His hobby became his business when he quit his job running the tax department at American Airlines to become an entrepreneur.

Convince Your Family to Invest

Starting can be shocking. In the beginning you will need both financial and psychological support from your family.  The founder and his wife invented a safe way to put wine glasses through the dishwasher.

Start With An Atmosphere Statement

Tom Pace invited employees to help him put in writing the values and goals of the business.

Decide to Build People

Tom Pace talks about his transformation from a 2-and-a-half packs per day smoker to a leader and a teacher.  It is not always easy.  We all have clay feet.

Put Your Values In Writing

Minneapolis-based Mike Wethington, now CEO of Outsell, discusses his earlier thoughts when he started Synet.  Your integrity and ethics should never be compromised by your business.

Be a Teacher

Albert Black is founder of On Target Supplies & Logistics which is based in Dallas.  People want to work for him because they know that  they will be given an opportunity to learn.

Set High Standards

The walls at On Target are full of sports figures who have achieved greatness with their integrity and ethics in tack.  The employees decided that these are the people who inspire them most.

Help Employees Become Prosperous

Albert Black teaches his employees how to read financial statements and how to manage their personal finances.

Make Work About More Than Money

On Target is a place where achievement is a core value and this is just one of the posters in the On Target Achievement Series.  

Put People First

Hattie discovers that all three of the men in this episode are convinced that by putting people first some kind of magic happens and the business prospers.

Do What You Love

The founder has been picking and cooking up Oregon berries since he was tall enough to stir a pot in his Mom's kitchen.  More...

Reinvent Your Life

Gary Walls' poor health forced him out of teaching so surprisingly he became an entrepreneur who built a strong company.

Look on the Bright Side

Gary Walls' life was an inspiration to us all who don't appreciate what we have.  He proved that optimism is attractive and will win you customers, employees and loyal suppliers.

Leave a Bad Boss

Cheryl Womack had the courage to leave a bad boss and then she went on to build a multi-million dollar operation.

Make Work Beautiful

Wallpaper, wainscoting and hardwood floors can make work feel like a luxury home.

Find Fun Ways to Reward Employees

Diamond bracelets for women who were being promoted put a smile on everyone's face.

Be Inspiring

Employees are quick to say that the founder is excellent at communicating the vision of the company.

Put Plans in Writing

Veteran entrepreneur, Jim Schell, says a written plan is just as important for your employees as it is for you.

Steel Yourself for Rejection

The big dog food makers laughed at Sissy in the beginning but she doesn't mind because she has proven her case that good food extends a dog's life.

Do What Excites You

Craig Caryl was an extreme sports athlete before he started making films his friends.

Step Out Ahead of the Crowd

Florists  were very slow to embrace online ordering so it turned out to be a non-florist who pulled the entire industry onto the web. Bill Tobin's life is all about planting, cultivating and harvesting businesses.  He loves business.  He has a passion for life.   More...

Learn from Your Childhood

Bill Tobin says he knew early in life that he wanted to work for himself.  Like most of us, he got his first business loan from his Mom.

Keep Your Job

Bill Tobin points out that starting and running a business is harder than it looks.

Build Barrier Free

The market for barrier-free living is large and growing.

Sell A Cause

Jim Morris Environmental T-Shirts works to educate the world about nature.

Let Your Mission Attract Employees

Employees at  Jim Morris Environmental T-Shirts are proud to be part of the environmental movement.

Be Patient

Jim has slowly cultivated his customers.  He writes a personal message for every catalog.

Act Like Your Customers Act

Jim Morris is one of those owners who is literally his own customer.  He loves nature and his customers depend on him and his web site to inform them about the environmental movement.

Be The Place Where Good People Stay

The experienced team at Angell & Phelps delivers the quality they promise to customers.

Create A Learning Environment

Candy making is an art and using recipes developed in 1925
makes Angell & Phelps almost a sacred place to work .

Enjoy The Problems

A leader's job description always includes:  solve problems.

Demand Happiness From Employees

Ken and Judy love coming to work and they expect everyone around them to want to be there, too.  Ken is great at initiating his encounters with a smile and that sets the tone.

Live, Breathe, Eat, Sleep Your Work

Ken Done wakes up in the night with ideas he can't wait to try.  He even paints on his dining room table.  More...

Integrity selling is not an oxymoron.

Ron Willingham is the author of a dozen books and hundreds of courses.  Among his books  are: Integrity Selling for the 21st Century, The Inner Game of Selling, Integrity Service, The People Principle, Hey, I'm The Customer, and The Ten Laws of Wealth & Abundance (new window).

Needs-focused selling has integrity.

Needs-focused selling is when you attempt to understand what a person's needs are (a reflection of their problems) and what they are doing about it. The focus is totally on the customer or the potential customer. Go to video about Integrity Selling. ...about Customer-focused Mission statement.

Follow your dreams

From an episode of Small Business Today, we discover a high-end women's dress shop which is named after the founder, Yvonne La Fleur. Yvonne has us consider six key ideas (right column). Each key idea has a key question. Cursor over the question and click. Sometimes it opens up more answers!

Hattie Bryant Speaks

Hattie Bryant's commentaries, anecdotes, and powerful video excerpts bring wisdom and enthusiasm into meeting rooms across the country.

Hattie and her husband, Bruce Camber, are the most successful independent producers in the history of PBS.   With sponsorship from IBM, Verizon, Microsoft, Qwest, MassMutual, the United States Postal Service, Travelers, Dun & Bradstreet, AT&T, and Thompson Learning,  their series, Small Business School, was taped in 34 states and 150 cities.  Each episode stars a business owner who has grown their business from idea to millions in revenue.  Watch Hattie as she presents live to an audience of small business owners. 

Hattie brings access to the entire Small Business School video library to your next meeting.

Small business is about courage, risk-taking...

These are opening words of every episode of the show; Hattie continues,

"...and we small business owners are survivors. Everybody has an idea for a business, but how do you take that idea from mind to market? This is the place to learn."   Hattie live...

Go to the closing of every episode of the show where these first principles, the very foundations of every episode, continue to unfold.