Launch Youniversity

Turning Good Intentions into Reality in Your Career, Business and Life

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072: How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of PullSpark

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How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of Pullspark
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
072: How to Launch and Grow Your Startup with Emma Pitts of PullSpark
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Summary:

Launching takes courage. Maintaining the launch takes wisdom. Emma Pitts, CEO of Pullspark, is joining us on the podcast today to talk about both. From making bold asks to vulnerability and building a team, we hope this podcast is both encouraging and inspiring for all first-time launchers.

Welcome to Episode 72 of The Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

PullSpark

PullSpark on Instagram

Emma Pitts on Twitter

The Small Business Bible by Steven D. Strauss

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmul

The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

Three Takeaways:

1. Be bold in your ask.

There’s a lot of opportunity in the world if we have the courage to ask for it. Emma has had to step out of her fears and ask friends and business acquaintances, “Who can you connect me with in the next 30 days to help me grow my business?” Don’t be afraid to put a deadline on your request, either! People love being a connection point; when you respectfully ask the right person at the right time, chances are they’ll be happy to help you.

2. You need at least one person who’s been there before.

It’s not uncommon to hear “it takes a village” or “find your tribe” when listening to startup advice. But that can be intimidating for first-time business owners. Where do you even find the village? What if you’re a tribe of one? It’s okay. Emma tells us to just focus on finding one person who’s been there before, someone you can call and ask, “Do I need to file this paperwork?”

3. You can build your own safety net.

If Pullspark lost all clients today, they would still be fully funded for 6 to 7 months. This is because Emma follows Dave Ramsey’s plan of having an emergency fund. When most startup founders think of having large safety nets, they think it means having investors. But you can be your own investor. Make wise decisions; give your extra profit to the business; and with each passing month, you’ll be further along in your savings goals.

064: CEO of Roam, Peyton Day, on People, Culture and Setting Yourself Apart

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Peyton Day of Roam Innovative Workplace in Atlanta, GA on the Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
064: CEO of Roam, Peyton Day, on People, Culture and Setting Yourself Apart
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SUMMARY:

Roam started the way that all the best businesses do… with a problem that needed to be solved.

When the recession hit in 2008, corporate businesses were cutting costs by shutting their office doors and sending employees home to work remotely. This happened to five friends in Alpharetta, GA. They could work from home, where their day would be filled with distractions. They could work from a coffee shop, where they’d have to fight for a good seat and a wifi connection. Or, they could open their own place to have coffee, share ideas and work alongside others.

Now, 10 years later, the space they dreamed of is called Roam. Roam is an innovative coworking space with multiple locations throughout greater Atlanta. Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Roam CEO Peyton Day as he shares the journey to get Roam launched and what all launchers can do to set themselves apart from competition.

Welcome to episode 64 of the podcast.

LINKS + RESOURCES:

Roam Innovative Workplace

Roam Locations in Greater Atlanta

Roam on Instagram

Roam on Facebook

Roam on Twitter

THREE TAKEAWAYS:

1. People and culture set you apart.

Every business has competitors who offer similar services. But a way to set your business apart is through your people and culture. Roam is very intentional about who they hire. When you walk into Roam, you’re greeted with a smile and immediate assistance for anything you need. Culturally, the goal at Roam is to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit. They aim to be the place where ideas can grow. And prospective members, looking for a remote workspace, get hit with that culture as soon as they walk through the door.

2. Choose the right business partners.

Choose and know your partner(s) well. If you don’t line up with your business partner on values, philosophy and culture… you’re in for a lot of sleepless nights. You might have completely different personalities, but you need to have the same goals.

3. Focus on the value you bring.

So many launchers focus on the pricing of their services, and for good reason. But it’s not just about the cost to the consumer… it’s the value that you’ll add to their life. Focus on what value you’ll bring to your customer, how you’ll make their life better, and keep striving to think of new ways to serve them. When you add a whole lot of value, the price begins to matter less and less.

055: Atlanta United’s Matt Moore on Launching a Sports Team and Building a Community

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The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
055: Atlanta United's Matt Moore on Launching a Sports Team and Building a Community
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SUMMARY:

If you live in Greater Atlanta, then you’ve heard of the city’s newest sports team: Atlanta United FC. In 2017, it’s inaugural year, excitement for the new soccer team completely took over the city of Atlanta. Today on the podcast, Jeff and Shane sit down with Matt Moore, the person behind the successful launch. He’s sharing his experiences over the last two years of building community buzz, testing content on social media and truly getting to know and connect with your customers.

Welcome to Episode 55 of The Launch Youniversity Podcast.

HELPFUL LINKS + RESOURCES:

Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United on Facebook

Atlanta United on Twitter

Atlanta United on Instagram

Atlanta United on The Launch Youniversity Podcast

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Bring your customers on the journey with you.

Atlanta United didn’t launch until 2017, but the efforts to build community excitement and sell season tickets began in 2015. Without a launched product, Matt used social media to take people along the journey as they staffed their team, created merchandise and signed players. By the time Atlanta United was ready for their opening season, the city was ready to support them.

2. Prototype as you get to know your audience. 

One of the best parts about social media is that you can listen to what your audience likes… and doesn’t like. Matt told the story about how, on President’s Day, they photoshopped Atlanta United scarves onto old Presidents. They quickly discovered that their audience didn’t like that. Not every idea is going to be the best one, learn and adjust each time.

3. Don’t be afraid to look at what other people are doing. 

When launching, there’s a lot of pressure to do something nobody else has done. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull inspiration from companies you admire. If you feel in over your head with a launch, find a brand you respect (in or out of your industry) and study their past launches. What did they do well? What didn’t they do well? What would you have done?

044: Launching Customer Experiences and Dreaming Big with Billy Boughey of Elevate Live Events

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SUMMARY:

To elevate means “to lift.” And that’s what Billy Boughey is an expert at. Sometimes it’s lifting the brand of a client. Other times, it’s lifting up his team by fostering a healthy culture. And often, it’s looking at what’s trending in the world right now (spoiler alert: it’s robots) and finding innovative ways to incorporate it into an experience.

Billy is the founder of Elevate Live Events, a creative event agency based in greater Atlanta. The vision of Elevate is to help people and organizations live and lead at a higher level. They do this by creating exceptional customer experiences.

Beyond his work at Elevate, Billy is a dreamer and a doer. We believe that his encouragement and practical advice for entrepreneurs and launchers might be just the thing you need to hear today.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. Welcome to Episode 44.

LINKS + RESOURCES:

Elevate Live Events

Take a tour of the elevate office (No, really! You’re invited!) by sending an email to: hello@elevateliveevents.com

Billy’s Twitter, LinkedIn and Email

Elevate Live Event’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Good business is built on relationships. 

Billy shared about a recent events his team put on for Auburn and Chick-fil-A. For the aspiring launcher thinking: “how do you even pitch organizations of that size?” Billy answers it for you. Build relationships and add value to them. Somebody you know knows somebody who could be your first client. When you genuinely invest in people and look for ways to bring them value, you’ll be surprised at what doors open up.

2. Don’t think about what it costs, think about what it’s valued at. 

One of the most common question launchers ask is: How do I price my product or service? Billy challenged that way of thinking. Instead of figuring out the math of how much it’ll cost,  figure out how much value it’ll bring. When you’re pricing based on value, not cost, you’ll know when to selectively say no to opportunities and when to give discounts for the sake of relationships.

3. Believe in talent, believe in people and go for it. 

One thing that’s pretty obvious when you talk to Billy is his belief in his team. There’s an intentionality with their work-place culture that weaves into everything they do. Billy also shared about his perspective on keeping the interests of your team above the interests of the client. When you believe in your team and equip and empower them to do their jobs well, they’ll care for the client and the business as much as you do. Hire people you believe in and then get out of their way as they go and do what they’re best at.

040: Starting and Scaling a Creative Business with William Warren

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Starting and Scaling a Creative Business with William Warren
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
040: Starting and Scaling a Creative Business with William Warren
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Summary:

What can happen when you combine your passion with your talent? That’s where William Warren of The Sketch Effect found himself when he decided to open his own creative business. The only problem with creative businesses is, as the creator, it can be tough to scale. Today William is here to tell us about his journey to launching his own business and the lessons he’s learned so far from starting and scaling a creative business.

Welcome to episode 40 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

TheSketchEffect.com

The Sketch Effect on Instagram

Jeff Shinabarger of Plywood People on Episode 13 + Episode 14

Three Takeaways:

1. Control what you can control, standardize what you can standardize, teach what you can teach.
When you own a business based on creativity and artistry, it can feel like an impossible task to scale. William’s solution is wise: control, standardize, and teach where and when you can. This means that no matter who the artist is, they are using the same materials as every other sketch effect artist from canvas to markers. There’s a methodology in place to choose the colors. There’s system in place for how each artist draws different objects or writes out typography. All of these processes help grow the business with new artists, while maintaining a consistent look for all products from The Sketch Effect.

2. Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Culture is everything when you’re growing your business. On a business side, when you have your mission, vision and values documented it tells you how to hire, fire and coach people on your team. On a personal side, don’t you want to build a business that you’d want to work at?

3. Don’t go at it alone.
William says that one of the best things he ever did was start an advisory board for The Sketch Effect. He needed more people looking out for the business, speaking into dreams, goals and plans. In addition to an advisory board, he’s involved in a peer group for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship can be isolating, but you don’t need to go at it alone 

039: Should I Quit My Job to Launch My Business? Karissa Norfleet of Simply Done Donuts

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Should I Quit My Job to Launch My Business? Karissa Norfleet of Simply Done Donuts
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
039: Should I Quit My Job to Launch My Business? Karissa Norfleet of Simply Done Donuts
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Summary:

Have you ever thought about quitting your job to pursue your passion full time? If so, you’re far from alone. Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Karissa Norfleet of Simply Done Donuts who has been in your shoes. She’s sharing her journey from leaving her corporate job to opening the doors to her first retail location. Karissa gets candid about the highs, the lows and everything in between.

Links + Resources:

Simply Done Donuts

Simply Done Donuts on Instagram

Simply Done Donuts on Facebook

For Simply Done Donuts catering, call: (678)772-0523

Contact Karissa: simplydoneatl@gmail.com

Three Takeaways:

1. Find a way to test out your idea first.
Karissa wanted to leave her corporate job to start her donut business, but wanted to figure out how the market would respond, where her customers were predominately located and what kind of product they would like best. Even though she dreamed about opening a retail store, she started with a food truck. The truck enabled her to travel to different neighborhoods and be able to work nights and weekends to test her vision.

2. There are hard moments.
When you’re working a full time job that you’re not passionate about, it can be easy to romanticize the idea of being your own boss. But the truth is: it’s hard. You’ll encounter issues you don’t know how to handle and problems you don’t have the expertise to fix, you’ll work incredibly and worry about things that don’t have to do with your passion (like accounting and permits and payroll). With those hard moments, comes big reward. But, remember to be realistic when deciding if it’s time to leave your job to pursue your dream full time.

3. If you think it’s for you, just start.
Yes, we just said that it’ll be hard (and it will be), but if this is journey your meant to walk then find a way to start. Karissa’s parting words of wisdom was just that. And she’s so glad that she took the leap to start her business.