If you've ever thought about starting your own business, this is the podcast for you. Perhaps you've had a career doing something else and are ready to finally jump into the entrepreneurial waters. Maybe you're looking to build a profitable side project. Or perhaps there's an idea you've had for a long time and you're ready to finally take action. Whatever the situation may be, when people go into business for themselves, there's a LOT to know: accounting, sales, marketing, production, customer service, billing, finance, legal, human resources, etc. In addition to not knowing enough about each aspect, the larger reality is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and often don’t know whom to ask for help. Our podcast guests offer insights into each area of business, helping you to gain knowledge and focus on the most important elements. We'll discuss everything from overcoming common obstacles to selling and promoting yourself and your business or service, and lots more. We want to give you an advantage because we've been there and done that and we want you to learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.
66. Omnipresence and personal branding with Craig Stuart Adams
Craig Stuart Adams is a real estate broker, musician, poet, film producer, and local politician in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. His success is largely influenced by his omnipresence and personal branding in the local market.
He discussed the importance of personal branding beyond just his real estate business identity to include his personal interests, such as playing guitar, to help create additional connections with potential clients. But it took him a while to commit to that strategy. Craig revealed that he wrestled with the decision to branch out from “just real estate” relating his experience of coming out as a musician on LinkedIn, describing it as a "coming out of the closet" moment. He conducted surveys and posted videos to gauge audience reaction to sharing his creative side beyond real estate, receiving unanimous positive feedback about wanting to see more of his musical interests.
Craig also shared his strategy of leveraging multiple social media platforms and the importance of original content over canned materials. He touted the effectiveness of video content over static posts, sharing the significant impact of adding video content to his online material, noting that video posts generate 30-50 times more engagement than text-only content.
Highlighted the unique value of in-person interactions at networking events, Craig described his approach to networking as a strategic game, emphasizing the importance of attending live events, focusing on others rather than himself, and leveraging tools like LinkedIn for follow-up.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigstuartadams/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigstuartadams/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@craigstuartadams (https://www.youtube.com/@craigstuartadams)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigandMayra (https://www.facebook.com/CraigandMayra)
Also mentioned during the show:
Marketing your business just got easier with the Jump Start Marketing Academy.
Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com (https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com)
6 Oct 2026
65. Where music and entrepreneurship intersect with Sarah Nagourney
Sarah Nagourney is a songwriter, producer, manager, artist development strategist and host of the podcast, SHE CREATES NOISE, about women in the music industry. She mentors young artists, providing advice and guidance to those seeking career development in the music industry.
Sarah shared her journey from being a singer-songwriter to becoming a platinum-selling songwriter, and now an artist development strategist. She started early, booking music gigs at age 13 and later launched her own record label and jewelry business with her brother. She discussed the evolving nature of the music business, the impact of streaming, the importance of self-promotion, and the need for artists to also be good businesspeople.
Crossing over to the topic of entrepreneurship, Sarah gave advice on nurturing ideas, starting small, and leveraging personal networks to get ventures off the ground, drawing parallels from her experience running a jewelry business with her brother. She also talked about the challenges of translating social media engagement into sales, the importance of persistence in building a personal brand, and the importance of maintaining a can-do attitude when launching new ventures.
Website: https://www.sarahnagourney.com/
Podcast: “She Creates Noise”
Also mentioned during the show:
To get your Free Guide, The 5 A.I. Tools Guide
Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com (https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com)
22 Sept 2026
64. Thinking big (and working less) with Trevor Blake
Trevor Blake is a serial entrepreneur, physicist, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, Three Simple Steps. He described starting his first company, Qual Medical, which he built over six years and sold for $105.5 million. Trevor emphasized that with the right business model, quick exits are possible in today's market, and he has repeated this process multiple times throughout his career.
As an entrepreneur who has founded seven businesses, Trevor encourages entrepreneurs to embrace the uncertainty and adaptability required in starting a new business, rather than relying on corporate experience or detailed planning. He emphasized the importance of learning multiple skills to avoid hiring expensive specialists and advised treating current employment as paid training for future business ventures.
Trevor explained his approach to building and scaling businesses which relies on a hub and spoke business model, comparing himself to an orchestra conductor who relies on independent contractors as instruments to create harmony. In this model, contractors and vendors work on a flexible schedule based on specific tasks.
Trevor also discussed business structure and cash flow management, emphasizing that companies should focus on being capital efficient rather than lean, and highlighting the importance of understanding cash flow over cash itself.
Website: https://scienceofmakingit.com/ (https://scienceofmakingit.com/)
Book: Three Simple Steps - https://www.amazon.co.za/Three-Simple-Steps-Success-Business/dp/1936661713 (https://www.amazon.co.za/Three-Simple-Steps-Success-Business/dp/1936661713)
Also mentioned during the show:
To get your Free Guide, The 5 A.I. Tools Guide
Visit https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com (https://www.newbusinessjumpstart.com)
Inside a recent episode
54. Building 7-Figure Businesses While Raising Kids with Beth Mazza
Published 5 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] But if I do make that phone call, and then maybe if I make 10... One of them pans out, okay, I can do that. So to me, it's turned into mindset, which is not, when I started, I thought you had to have the perfect idea, the perfect formula, the perfect business, and then you could be successful. I can attest you don't have to have any of those things. Yeah, and that probably will never, well, you'll never get started for one thing. But you'll be cheating yourself out of a great experience by doing that. Because it is that, you know, making 10 phone calls and it's like, oh, wow, I got two people that are interested. […]
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