This is a new lifestyle and healing direction for Americans who are admittedly, a bit behind on what Europeans know full well, about the benefits of sauna. Andrew gets personal with his own discoveries as a business owner, his journey and some sage advice for navigating the passion that is at the origin story of every start-up entrepreneur and business owner. 

This episode with Andrew covered so much turf and territory that many of us as entrepreneurs and business owners face. What’s particularly valuable here is a commitment to culture, from the inside-out. As a Founder and Owner, we have to inform our organization, our business operations and our passion around what we value most in order to be successful and rooted in the vision and mission of our passion to operate a business. For Andrew, people, planet and profit are at the center but I am also going to add one more element we discovered togethet in this podcast - a personal commitment to well-being. Without that, it’s clear that suffering is going to be part of the equation of our business experience. And most certainly, with a business focused on well-being, there is a daily reminder of that commitment.

We are indeed, on a threshold, a re-start and new beginning, looking forward against a challenging past...but a future with new opportunities to embrace.

Thanks for joining me, Trey Scott, and our guest, Andrew Locklin for  Season 5, Episode # 6 of the WatchPitch Podcast and You Tube Channel program.

For this Episode, our 5th this season, we are going west, to the Northern California coast of redwood forests and the world famous, “Emerald Triangle,” of Humboldt County. Husband and wife team Jon O’Connor & Amy Cirincione O’Connor launched a boutique hotel in the thick of COVID. And their other businesses, also squarely in the hospitality industry, have embraced the legalization of cannabis with both style and thoughtful considerations. Few entrepreneurs have forged this convergence of hospitality and cannabis as well, and as consciously, as Jon & Amy along with their nearly 60-employees. 

COVID and all of the many regulations in California was riddled with speed bumps for the hospitality industry. And for many states here in the US, Cannabis is still in a nascent stage of main stream acceptance and legalization. 

This is a new growth sector for entrepreneurs and we learn first hand, as parents and as shared leadership in their journey that these two have crafted with a deep commitment to communication and style along with a dedication to consumer-focused growth and scaling.

Lots to learn and discover together ...let’s get started!

This conversation with Jon & Amy was so revelatory and helpful ! Super warm to be invited to their home, surrounded by redwoods and that, crackling living room fire.

So as cannabis becomes increasingly normalized we will see this sector expand. Jon and Amy are proof-positive that this can be consciously done, with some grit and determination to work with regulatory groups and local rules, that are constantly adjusting to both...COVID, at the moment, and to the acceptance of cannabis as legal.

I want to encourage you to visit their Indiegogo campaign page - listed as the:  Scotia Lodge Swim Club for a crowdfund campaign raise for a year-round, outdoor community pool project. Great video and sweet perks!

We are indeed, on a threshold, a re-start and new beginning, looking forward against a challenging past...but a future with new opportunities to embrace.

Thanks for joining me, Trey Scott, and our guests, Jon O’Connor & Amy Cirincione O’Connor for  Season 5, Episode # 5 of the WatchPitch Podcast and You Tube Channel.

And in this episode # 54 we are doing a deep dive with Pitching during this time when we might indeed, start to find ourselves back-in person with a group of people

Angie Flynn -McIver is one of our pitch coaches and during COVID she decided to put the time to good use and write a book that cracks the code on everything you do...BEFORE you say anything.

Gold nuggets in here that you can use right away and I am confident there is lots to learn for those of you embarking on presenting anything with conviction and ease in front of a group of people.

This conversation with Angie was so helpful !

Love how intention is at the core of our connecting with ease, and clarity no matter who the audience is.

Angie’s Consulting Company, IGNITECSP.com is full of talent and coaches who can help you and your team members deliver successful presentations and pitches with ease.

Her eBook, look for it beginning on Oct. 6th and visit the website for more information about the book release for, Before You Say Anything

We are indeed, on a threshold, a re-start and new beginning, looking forward against a challenging past...but a future with new opportunities to embrace.

Thanks for joining me, Trey Scott, and our guest, Angie Flynn McIver for  Season 5, Episode # 4 of the WatchPitch Podcast and You Tube Channel.

For our Episodes 2 and 3, for Season 5, we are in Europe, across the pond as they say, to visit with two Founders who competed and were finsihers at this Year’s Virtual, Knowledge Graph Conference. Their companies depend on knowledge graphs for their business solutions, just like when you say, “Hey Siri” what’s the weather in London like today, or “Alexa, play me some jazz,” knowledge graphs are being accessed to give you those results.

AI or artificial intelligence is increasingly harder to avoid when building relevant business opportunities for the future. The runner-up at the Knowledge Graph Conference Pitch Competition, Sabrina Viitasaari, Co-Founder the Nusa Sentara, joins us from southern Portugal but based out of Lisbon to share how her company is using AI and knowledge graphs to help solve one of the biggest issues of our time - our waste... and moving solutions and connecting those solutions, globally, to local best practices. An important and future defining effort for our entire planet...this is an inspired conversation that takes us to Finland, British Columbia, Belize, Indonesia with lots to learn and discover together ...let’s get started!

For Episode 2 and 3, for Season 5, we are going to Europe, across the pond as they say, to visit with two Founders who competed and were finsihers at this Year’s Virtual, Knowledge Graph Conference. Their companies depend on knowledge graphs for their business solutions, just like when you say, “Hey Siri” what’s the weather in London like today, or “Alexa, play me some jazz,” knowledge graphs are being accessed to give you those results.

AI or artificial intelligence is increasingly harder to avoid when building relevant business opportunities for the future. The winner of the Knowledge Graph Conference Pitch Competition, Dennis Diefenbach, Founder the QA Company joins us from Paris to share how his company is engaging the European Commission as his anchor client to connect its citizens and its complex work of meeting the needs of its members to solve global challenges. An inspired conversation you are sure to learn from...let’s get started!

Welcome to the Season 4 Finale of the WatchPitch Podcast & LIVECAST where we pivot from our Season focus on exits to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the investor community. We also look at what start-ups need to consider as they seek an exit or additional capital during these unprecedented times. We visit with WatchPitch leadership, coaches, investors and fellow start-ups and business owners who are feeling the impacts of the pandemic directly. This is a global event with participants joining the LIVECAST from three continents. The arc of the exit just isn’t being talked about enough particularly because of the pandemic and that’s why we are here…so, let’s jump in, click on the LIVECAST link and get started!

EPISODE NOTES

The future ahead is unknown and this offers opportunities for both investors and business owners. The key will be accepting that the months and Quarters ahead will not reflect “business as usual” during this “new normal.” We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch LIVECAST Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

VISIT OUR WATCHPITCH YOU TUBE CHANNEL TO WATCH this and other Episodes NOW

So yes, there is a formula for determining value, especially when it is linked to 5-years in the future for investors. So if you are an owner, a Founder, building your business, if you aren’t planning for building your business to last, rather than just planning for your exit, your valuation and the interest of investors will fall way short of your expectations. Bottom line: build a team and business to last. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

Red flags, yellow flags and green flags for any exit strategy are real. Understanding how red flags can kill your exit strategy is reason enough to plan ahead and eliminate them so that what you have left is a structure for transition with your business that supports your exit...and, your partner’s newly acquired business. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

I especially love this story because Courtney’s heart never leaves the room. Never leaves the business and the people who she has partnered with whether it’s her customers, her employees or her supporters. And most certainly, if our hearts as Founders are not in our business, then as a leader, we will not get to that finish line, whether that is in 2-years, 5 or 50-ears. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

HUGE and personal story here with discoveries about everythng from the type of investor capital to engage for your start-up and the importance of your personal connections when seeking capital to acknowledging our strengths and our weaknesses when building your business life cycle from A to Exit. We will keep you posted as to Dan’s progress and the future of Auxbus in future episodes so be sure to SUBSCRIBE. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitons for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

Starting your relationship early with your exit strategy. This doesn’t mean this has to be at the center of your focus as a business owner. Quite the contrary, focus on your business but recognize that having a conversation and understanding the time frame for an exit, merger or acquisition is not going to be overnight. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitons for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

There is no telling how your next vendor partner might be the company that acquires you. But this is indeed what happens when a good relationship with your product or service and your commitment to getting it right can translate into your successful exit over time. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

Value. That has to be front row and center for any exit. For the investor and for the business with their customers and clients. Determining value for the return for an investor or for the Founder for that matter can be very speculative at an early stage. So count on your track record, your financial returns and the market for your product and service as driving any exit strategy in the future... We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitons for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

Time. That is clearly what it is going to take if you are looking to exit. And, internal structures and systems in place that can ensure continuous results that build your capacity, your productivity and results. So commit to those structures so that when there is an exit, your new partners are inheriting a proven system for those results. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitons for business Founders and Owners ! Thank you for listening and/or watching the WatchPitch channel and podcast.

So certainly, one of the keys for any business as you launch and grow and scale towards the goal of an exit are those financials, which means having a great CPA and a great business lawyer. But what is especially true is the principle of beginning, even if it is starting tomorrow, with your end in mind. To learn more about Viking Mergers & Acquisition visit: vikingmergers.com Thank you for listening. We are thrilled you watched and/or listened to this WatchPitch Episode as we continue to explore the world of exits, mergers and acquisitions for business Founders and Owners !

So clearly this episode deserves a few extra listens, and/or viewings too. Discovering how to collaborate and how to be more inventive as a collaborator is gold...for the organization you are building and the people who you work with in order to maximize your outcomes and success together. The problem-solution model may be seductive but it limits our ability to be curious, effective and innovative. To learn more about Maureen & Zelle’s work in over 138 countries...please visit collaborativeawareness.com Thank you for listening. We are thrilled you watched and or listened to this WatchPitch Episode !

We learned from Chris the importance of our intention, that when we get clear and take a specific approach vs. a broad approach we will get the results we intend. And even though there might be a gap between where we are now and where we are aiming, if we have the right support behind us our connections will be successful Thank you for listening !

We learned from Mary the importance of stopping our talking. And what comes after that...listening and understanding. When we do this, a shared empowerment now has the oxygen to thrive and to establish connection. And when we are connected, we can solve and improve life as we know it...for our team, for our customers and maybe even, our planet. Thank you for listening everyone !

We learned from Kelly the importance of partnership when any entrepreneur or start-up is looking for investors. Capital and returns are not the only measures of relationship with Investors. It is not about just the money. It is about the business, the operations and in this case, the community and how that will be impacted by the investment. If you can make it to Asheville for the Big Scary Fish Tank Pitch event on September 6th no doubt, you will see these principles in action. And if not, visit their website and discover the makings of an investment group committed to community. Thank you for listening !

Chris DiNicholas joins us, formerly a Graphic Designer with the National Football League here in the US, He works with Founders and CEO’s with a warning sign around his neck. It reads; this job can be dangerous. Pointing to stats that back this up we discuss how to avoid these dangers and build a business with underlying foundational practices that include the importance of Co-Founders... and the “yellow flags” that indicate you might be in trouble with your Co-Founder, understanding what is actually needed for your business and doing that by listening deeply both to your customers and to the marketplace. You will want to hear and watch all of this to learn how important the habits are of your customers.

We learned from Chris the importance of listening to our customers, and for those of us who are action-focused leaders, this means to pause...and to listen. We also learned about distinguishing between our self and our ideas...they are not one and the same and finally, about Chris’s upcoming class for Leaders and Founders focused on hacking customers at hacking customers.com. Thank you for listening !

We learned from these pitch coaches that pitching above all else, is presence, and connecting, the importance of your red team to reflect feedback and resting into your core passion at the center of who you are. Be sure to give this another listen when you need a few extra reminders as you approach that next pitch to investors or decision-makers so you get the results that equal a partnership. Thank you for listening !

We learn from Alexandra how she in fact won her grant application using the WatchPitch App and platform alongside the community development of creating a collective where everyone is partnered to deliver value to the special day of a wedding. Collective and community building may indeed be the eco-system that moves many of us from business as competition to business as cooperation. Thank you for listening !

We learn from Malinda how a company’s soul must be at the forefront of understanding by everyone on the team, sharing common values to help guide the business through both successes and failures as well as the importance of having advisors who you can lean in on for counsel. Starting a business is tough and not for the fair-hearted, but rather for those whose passion can fuel their ideas, their teams and their advisors with a willingness to connect through thick and thin.

We learn from Brian the importance of delight and focusing on the WOW factor while not forgetting your operational advantages and premium offerings that may find you initially in that 4th or 5th draft pick position but your fundamentals have the promise of a Tom Brady champion brand and company with delight as a driving force and focus. Check out the Data Myths Podcast while we look forward to Part 2 of this interview with Malinda Gagnon. Thank you for listening !

We learned from Simmons the importance of connecting the dots from our personal self-care and well being along and a sense of good flow, or friction, to determine for ourselves as leaders, how best to pivot when needed. And sometimes this means a closer look at what we are designing into the culture of our organizations...and the wisdom of having some fellow visionista’s or advisors and coaches nearby to help us along the way.
Thank you for listening !

We learn from Pete how the start-up nation is naturally geared for innovation, the three relationship deliverables for every entrepreneur with their partners, the mystery and backbone of ones and zeros and the logistics of 5G adoption and bandwidth against the backdrop of a new era of connective tissue between humans across the globe. What’s next will indeed be led by the Telco’s and content providers like Warner Media. Thank you for listening !

We learn from Matthew the importance of the heart and vision of the Founder informing everything from the people to the practices that build a business and help it to scale. And, I also discovered an extra bonus with the reminder that WatchPitch is really about connecting...and that includes, with you. Thank you for listening !

We learned a little bit more about what is under the hood of the passion behind WatchPitch, the global phenomena of entrepreneurialism and start-ups and how deal flow is changing to use tech like WatchPitch to get to solutions and partnerships sooner. Thank you for listening !

We learned from Paul the importance of asking deeper questions in order to expand our understanding of us, of what we share and what’s connects us. This is the core of what every entrepreneur wants with their customers, and every investor wants with their entrepreneurial team. Ask for their stories and your connection will thrive !

We learned from Brett the importance of self-awareness, the value of true mentorship, community and belonging. And during this season of the winter solstice our podcast also explored the role of listening and paying attention to the cycles of nature that welcome, not growth at this time but a willingness to release our leaves and pay attention to the sap of our life force, our purpose in relationship to our future.

We learned from Megan and Tory the importance of resilience and adapting, initiatives with scaleable tech that responds to actionable, real time climate data to support making smarter decisions for our cities, farms and our businesses in the future and why the keystones of communicating and partnering with easy on-ramps are core to any success, most especially when faced with the complicated equation of our climate and our future

We learn from Cedric as a Founder how solving a personal problem can be a huge advantage when launching your enterprise. And as education continues to bridge the gap between the classroom and the marketplace, we will be seeing more and more young entrepreneurs raised with the opportunities fueled by the world wide web...and a bunch of sticky notes.

We learned from Jeff the importance of understanding how critical doing the work is as an entrepreneur, that your classroom for those pursuing academic degrees is the marketplace, how ethics and being a good human all contribute to the economic development of people and our community both on a local and global scale

We learn from Yossi the importance of understanding the core DNA of your company and being willing to pitch that to investors perhaps more than 150-times ...how experience from a corporate track can absolutely contribute to your success as an entrepreneur and finally the importance of the wow factor, surprise and delight with your product or services with your customers. If you that kind of passion, well that my friends is a formula for success !

We learned from Emily’s work as Executive Director of HATCH AVL, her Presidential role with Femmcity and her leadership and passion for launching Camp Girl Boss that business can indeed, shape a community of innovators when the culture fosters the voice of women, vulnerability and trust...and sometimes, that might mean, leaving the guys outside for a spell.

We learned from Sharon the importance of structure in how we create the conditions for being open to and willing to change and transform...ourselves and the group and groups we are focused on. This could be our customers, our employees or even our community whether that is in our own backyard or part of our larger global community.

We learn from Tom about the piloting principles of OODA when inventorying business strategies, saw tooth analytics for capital raising as well as the larger picture of culture as it relates to place and the climate and comfort with change and finally, the importance of shifting our perspective from seeing problems as actual, opportunities.

We learned from Dr. Erin Stefannaci what functional medicine is and how great it is to look at our health not only when we are not feeling so great but also, when we are, the importance of tenacity and courage and putting yourself out there, even when you are an introvert and when building your business, the importance of taking a break, a day off, a good walk in nature and perhaps even, a glass of Malbec.

We learned from Cecily the importance of chemistry from a Founder and their passion... to a team and how they work well together, or not. Admittedly, there are shades of gray but key healthy dynamics in a team will evolve and your success is counting on it.

We learned from Kevin the fundamental building blocks of the pitch, the importance of pitching early to get feedback and the understanding that a start-up is actually not a business but an opportunity to build a machine with a repeatable process and predictable results with your customers

We learned from Porter the importance of a 24-7 ready-to-pitch story to deliver on a moments notice, the role of tenacity and timing as well as being honest as a Founder and CEO about where exactly you are right now, and your next step. The rest of that massive future ahead can just wait.