Rob McNealy interviews Gail Goodwin, founder of Inspire Me Today, a company that provides daily inspiration to people around the world.

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Gail Goodwin’s Bio

Gail Lynne Goodwin, known as the Ambassador of Inspiration, has been lifting people’s spirits for years. Motivated by mentors like Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer and others, Gail realized the importance of daily morning inspiration in her own life. After years of gathering and sharing some of the best available inspirational wisdom with others, she founded Inspire Me Today in 2008 to make the Best of the Best Inspiration Daily, easily available to the world.

Inspired by a Marine named Jesse, Gail returned to the US and was determined to follow her dream to create Inspire Me Today. After nearly a year of preparation, Inspire Me Today was launched on April 6th, 2008. Still in its infancy, Inspire Me Today already reaches members worldwide. Touched by Gail’s experience with the troops, Inspire Me Today has donated a one-year FREE Premier Membership to all active US military troops - more than 2.5 million memberships! Gail’s goal is to inspire the world, one morning at a time.

Gail and her husband Darryl reside with their Samoyed puppy, Koda, in Boulder.

Rob McNealy interviews Ori Brafman, co-author of the best selling book Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior.

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Ori Brafman’s Bio

Born in Israel and raised in El Paso, Texas, Ori Brafman has been a lifelong entrepreneur in business, government, and the nonprofit sector. His projects include launching healthy fast food restaurants, leading political and advocacy campaigns, and co-founding Courtroom Connect, a wireless network company. In 2001, Ori co-founded a network of more than 1000 CEOs working for peace and economic development projects. The network was supported by the likes of venture capitalist John Doerr and the Ford Foundation and has catalyzed projects in the Middle East, Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, Ori has facilitated a course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Ori’s first book, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations (Penguin Portfolio) was released in October 2006. Ori wrote his second book, Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior (Doubleday, June 2008) with his brother, Rom. The book explores why perfectly rational people make irrational decisions. It is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Rob McNealy interviews Brian Schwartz about his 50 Entrepreneurs interview project, which has served to inspire him towards a goal of entrepreneurship himself.

Download audio file (BrianSchwartz-50Interviews.mp3)

Brian Schwartz’s Bio

Brian Schwartz has been a loyal, dedicated employee for 15 years, never taking more than 2 weeks off since the day he left college, raised with a strong work ethic and always striving to be a people pleaser.

According to Brian:

“I’ve always been a good employee, evidenced by surviving every layoff and merger I’ve been through over the years. Circumstances never arose where I had a needed to create employment for myself. But, shortly after I turned 37, I started to feel that something was missing. Two questions that really caused me to think were, ‘where do you see yourself in 10 years?’ and ‘if you could know the exact moment when you were going to die, would you want to know?’ My answer to those questions: If you had asked me that 10 years ago, I would have said ‘not here’ and yes, because there are a lot of things he still wants to do!”

In searching for his passion, he asked himself what he enjoys doing most when he’s not getting paid to do it. Writing and meeting with others were the answers, and thus the idea of 50 interviews was born.

Rob McNealy interviews Erin Kotecki Vest (a.k.a. Queen of Spain), a popular blogger and journalist, about new media and citizen journalism.

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Erin Kotecki Vest’s Bio

Erin Kotecki Vest spent ten years as a broadcast journalist in Los Angeles, Orlando and Detroit winning six Golden Mic Awards with LA news institution KFWB. She now serves as Political Director and Election 08′ Producer for BlogHer.com as well as contributing regularly to the Huffington Post, MOMocrats.com, and her own site Queen of Spain Blog.

You can find her on Twitter @queenofspain and make sure to ask her about her interview with Barack Obama.

Rob McNealy interviews Curt Richardson, CEO of Otter Products, LLC about the startup story behind OtterBox.

Download audio file (CurtRichardson-OtterBox.mp3)

Curt Richardson’s Bio

Curt Richardson, CEO of Otter Products, LLC., is an entrepreneurial inspiration. His commitment to his company, employees and customers is evident in the service provided and quality of the rugged and now semi-rugged cases the company sells. With three decades experience in manufacturing, Richardson demonstrates the importance of leadership, honesty and hard-work. Listening to needs and quickly adapting to changing markets has proven a successful tactic. Richardson’s magnetic personality provides a sense of unity and platform for success by offering a fun, rewarding work environment known as the “Otter Family.”

He generously gives back through scholarship donations as well as partnering with the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade to help in the fight against breast cancer. Richardson’s desire to experiment with new ideas gives customers a dynamic product selection. Additionally, a 100% quality guarantee emphasizes a commitment to excellence.

OtterBox specializes in protecting the world of technology. Working with companies such as Palm ®, RIM, Apple, HP, Motion and Fujitsu, OtterBox provides optimal solutions for safeguarding valuable PDAs, BlackBerry® and Treo™ smartphones, iPods®, iPhones®, laptops and Tablet PCs. Unlike other cases on the market, OtterBox allows user interaction right through the case.

Rob McNealy interviews Jason Seiden, an author and management consultant who improves the professional development of Gen X and Gen Y talent.

Download audio file (JasonSeiden-HowToSelfDestruct.mp3)

Jason Seiden’s Bio

Jason Seiden is the author of How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What’s Left of Your Career. He also helps organizations hire, manage, and develop their Gen X and Gen Y talent. Before he went into consulting in 2000, Jason was Executive Producer for Tunes.com, an online suite of music destination and e-commerce sites that had over 25 million visitors a month. Jason received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business, with dual concentrations in organizational behavior and finance. He received his bachelor of science in economics, with a concentration in entrepreneurial management, from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He teaches leadership at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is a frequent speaker on the topic of personal responsibility. Jason can be reached at jason@seidenleadership.com.

Rob McNealy interviews Cameron Reilly, Owner and CEO of The Podcast Network, and host of numerous podcasts, including the very first Australian podcast, “G’Day World.”

Download audio file (CameronReilly-GDayWorld.mp3)

Cameron Reilly’s Bio

Cameron Reilly is the Owner and CEO of The Podcast Network (TPN), the world’s first podcasting business. TPN is one of the largest independent media companies in Australia with over 500,000 monthly listeners. He is the host of the podcast “G’Day World”, as well as an eclectic mix of other podcasts on TPN, covering topics like Napoleon Bonaparte, philosophy and people who shaped human history.

Reilly entered into the internet/e-business industry as a consultant in 1995, and he’s worked for major companies like Microsoft and OzEmail. He was named one of the “40 Biggest Players in Australia’s Digital Age” by B&T Magazine, and The Podcast Network was named one of the Top 100 “Companies that matter most in the digital content industry“ by EContent Magazine.

Rob McNealy interviews Matt Galligan, CEO and Co-Founder of Socialthing, Inc., producer of Socialthing!, a digital life manager that pledges to make your online life easier.

Download audio file (MattGalligan-SocialThing.mp3)

Matt Galligan’s Bio

Matt Galligan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Socialthing, Inc., a company that was chosen to be part of the inaugural year of TechStars, a program that provides seed capital and mentorship for startups. Socialthing, Inc. produces Socialthing!, a first-of-its-kind digital life manager that pledges to make your online life easier.

Currently in private beta, Socialthing! created a strong buzz at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2008, and since then, the Socialthing! team has been working hard on creating, and releasing version 2.0 of their digital life manager.

Matt’s background is in graphic design and user interface, working for MonsterCommerce, now Network Solutions, based out of St. Louis, MO. He got his start in computers and design while working for Evans Services, Inc., a disaster restoration company out of Illinois before he turned 16.

Socialthing! is a Boulder, Colorado based provider of services and applications that make interacting with web-based content easier and more productive. The company’s first service is a digital life manager designed to offer a single, interactive window into multiple social networks and make interacting with social networks more efficient.

Rob McNealy interviews Louis Foreman, Creator, Executive Producer and Lead Judge of the Everyday Edisons® television show.

Download audio file (LouisForeman-EverydayEdisons.mp3)

Louis Foreman’s Bio

In 2004, Louis Foreman began developing the concept for a reality show that would help make inventors’ dreams come true, while educating America about the complex product development process. Today this award winning national PBS reality series is known as Everyday Edisons® and its mission reflects Louis’ biggest aspiration: to fuel the innovative American spirit. In addition to being an inventor, Louis is also committed to educating others on the topic of intellectual property.

Louis’ experience as Founder and Chief Executive of Enventys®, an integrated product design and engineering firm, led him to develop this educational reality series featuring ordinary inventors. A surprising number of inventors are ordinary people with great ideas that aren’t necessarily interested in developing a business around their invention. Most are looking for someone to take their idea, validate it and develop it for them. Louis developed this concept for Everyday Edisons, a show which could develop the brilliant ideas of ordinary people who otherwise would never pursue their innovative dreams.

In December 2007, he was appointed by United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez to serve for a three-year term on the nine-person Patent Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Over the past 20 years, Louis has also created five successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of more than 10 others. His interest in entrepreneurialism and developing innovative products began while a sophomore in college, with his first company founded in his fraternity room. Louis graduated from The University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science in Economics.

Rob McNealy interviews Patrick Michael Byrne, Chairman and CEO of Overstock.com, about Deep Capture, his effort to increase awareness and knowledge regarding the facts, culprits and economic implications of naked short selling.

Download audio file (PatrickBryne-Overstock.mp3)

Patrick Byrne’s Bio

Patrick Michael Byrne is Chairman and CEO of Overstock.com, Inc., a publicly traded, Utah-based internet retailer. Under Patrick’s leadership the company’s annual revenue has soared from $1.8 million in 1999 to $760.2 million in 2007.

Before founding Overstock.com, Patrick served as Chairman, President and CEO of Centricut, LLC, a manufacturer of industrial torch consumables, then held the same three positions at Fechheimer Brothers, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company and manufacturer of police, firefighter, and military uniforms.

In 2001, Patrick began Worldstock.com, Overstock.com’s socially responsible marketplace for handcrafted products created by artisans from developing nations and in rural areas of the United States. On average, artisans receive about 60% of the sales price. To date, more than $30 million dollars has been returned to artisans, allowing them to better their lives through re-training and making improvements to their housing and healthcare.

A self described “classical liberal,” Patrick believes that sound financial policy is essential to our nation’s economic health. In 2005, he began a vigorous campaign against securities manipulation. His stance quickly caught the attention of Wall Street analysts and reporters and remains a point of high controversy today.

Patrick has a black belt in tae kwon do and once pursued a career in boxing. After surviving cancer, he cycled across the country four times. His last ride, in the summer of 2000, helped raise awareness and record-breaking funds for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Rob McNealy interviews Becky Prater, co-founder of Beckons Organic, a company that makes yoga clothes from organic cotton and other sustainable natural fibers.

Download audio file (BeckyPrater-BeckonsOrganic.mp3)

More About Becky Prater and Beckons Organic

Becky Prater (right), and her business partner Ann Sather, have been a design team since 1987, jointly designing children’s wear, snowboard clothing and dance costumes. They got their start working on projects together as stay-at-home moms. When their children entered high school, Becky and Ann decided it was the right time in their lives to set out on their dream of bringing flattering eco-conscious clothing to the market.

Beckons began in 2005 because Ann and Becky recognized a need for colorful yoga clothing that fits the average woman, rather than just the refined yoga body. They found an outstanding domestic manufacturing facility and a supplier of organic fabrics to create a package they could be very proud to bring to the consumer.

“Our biggest challenge is that people do not understand what organic cotton clothing is. We need to educate the public on the benefits of organic cotton and the problems associated with conventional cotton,” states Becky Prater. Through information on their website, hang tags, and point-of-purchase displays, they strive to increase consumer awareness.

Rob McNealy interviews Danielle Gilbert and Jay Iglehart of Gilberto’s Gourmet Goodness about how they got their start home canning and then grew their business into a line of products carried in chain stores throughout Colorado.

Download audio file (DaniellGilbertIglehart-Gilbertos.mp3)

Danielle Gilbert and Jay Iglehart’s Bios

Gilberto’s Gourmet Goodness, LLC is a product of both love and hard work on behalf of its owners, Danielle Gilbert and Jay Iglehart. They got their start home canning their products for friends and family. Then, when they realized that getting their products into grocery and specialty stores was a real possibility, they did everything they could do to meet their goal of getting into the Fort Collins Whole Foods Market. Today, Gilberto’s Gourmet Goodness can be found in many stores all over the state, and will even be arriving at King Soopers in the summer of 2008.

Danielle Gilbert, Owner and Executive Chef of Gilberto’s Gourmet Goodness, LLC, graduated from Colorado State University in May 2006 with a degree in English Writing, but her true passion in life is cooking. Growing up in a Sicilian family, Danielle spent countless hours in the kitchen, on the heels of her Nanna, tasting sauces and sneaking bites before dinner. Since meeting her husband Jay (who helped her realize her passion and get her sauces into jars) in 2002, Danielle has been perfecting all of her recipes from salsas and sauces to pastas and antipasti to create a cookbook.

During the summer of 2007, Danielle got the call she’d been dreaming about. A company based in Illinois, called eCountry Lifestyles, contacted her about filming three short cooking shows. Just weeks after filming at her mom’s house in Lone Tree, Colorado, eCountry Lifestyle offered her something very special, her very own cooking show! Danielle’s Savory Creations is available to view online at www.ecountrylifestyle.com.

Jay Iglehart, Danielle’s husband, and Co-Owner of Gilberto’s Gourmet Goodness, LLC, spent his college years studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Colorado State University, where he received his bachelor’s in May 2006. On top of his responsibilities with Gilberto’s, he also operates another small business, The Perfect Touch Paint Company.

Aside from his impeccable sense for business and organization, Jay is also a very talented guitarist and enjoys playing whenever he gets a chance. He loves to do anything outside, from camping to snowboarding. Not unlike his wife, he enjoys traveling, hiking, writing, and reading.

Rob McNealy interviews Elissa and Jerèll Klaver, owners of SALUS® Customizable Bath & Body Care, and inventors of Muscle Relief Gel, about their business.

Download audio file (JerellElissaKlaver-Salus.mp3)

Elissa and Jerèll Klaver’s Bio

Elissa and Jerèll Klaver are successful young entrepreneurs and inventors. Previously Elissa earned a degree in Internet Marketing and choose the same career as so many women today, to be a a full time stay at home mom. Jerèll is a US Marine who went the uber corporate MBA route to keep a roof over their heads. Following the loss of their second son, they realized that their family and healthy living was more import than climbing the corporate ladder, and decided to follow Elissa’s dreams.

As an incredible team they have successfully launched a retail store SALUS® Customizable Bath & Body Care. The SALUS® concept is different than anything on the market today. Customers can 1) choose their unscented, premium bath and body care products that are made with natural and organic ingredients and then 2) customize it with their choice of over 300 fragrances and essential oils.

After one year in development they are also excited about the launch of ‘Muscle Relief Gel’ which is FDA approved for use as a topical Over The Counter pain relief product. Different from any product on the market today they designed it to, “Get back into the action of life!” while emphasizing their belief in a natural and organic product that is good for you.

Still not being content, they are always thinking of new ideas. They even have a patent pending invention that is so cool they are currently in final consideration for the Emmy & Telly award winning PBS invention show Everyday Edisons.

Rob McNealy interviews Jim Kukral about his passion for online marketing and building online business success.

Download audio file (JimKukral.mp3)

Jim Kukral’s Bio

Jim Kukral has been working on the Internet since 1996. Since then he’s pretty much had his brain exposed to everything and anything Internet-related you can think of.

He’s started his own firms, worked for small and large companies, and has built, designed, written, marketed, planned and promoted thousands of websites and online ideas.

What he really loves to do is help businesses find success online. He enjoys creating ideas and building them into money-making ventures, as well as taking existing online ideas and finding new and effective ways of promoting them. Visit Jim’s blog at www.JimKukral.com.

If you think you’re awesome, check out another one of Jim’s sites at www.AwesomeMillion.com.

Rob McNealy interviews Justin Short, of JRD Steam, a company that sells, distributes and installs custom and modular steam showers as well as walk in tubs.

Download audio file (JustinShort-JRDSteam.mp3)

Justin Short’s Bio

Justin Short is a graduate of Cal State Chico in Northern California, where he obtained a degree in Communications, specializing in speech and radio, and a minor in English. While in college, Short was a disc jockey for the town radio station and the college radio station, as well as a club DJ. He also owned his own DJ business, Justin Time DJ Company.

Upon graduating from Cal State Chico, Short joined a Wine Distributor featuring over 5,000 wines and had the coveted “South Bay” territory including such places as Las Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale. Short received many awards for sales, and while living in Silicon Valley, he was persuaded to enter into the semiconductor industry.

JRD Steam has been selling, distributing, and installing quality custom and modular steam showers as well as walk in tubs for almost three years and consists of seven employees and a storefront called Colorado Steamin. Last year, Short received “Associate of the Year” by the Remodelors Council of Metro Denver and will chair the council in 2009.

Short takes a steam shower almost every day and swears by it . . .

Rob McNealy, interviews Jeffrey Prager, the President of Backroom Management Services, about the unique accounting services offered by Backroom.

Download audio file (JeffPrager-Backroom.mp3)

Jeffrey Prager’s Bio

Jeffrey K. Prager is the President of Backroom Management Services. This company serves small to medium sized businesses and is designed to relieve some of the frustration and stress of running the financial side of a business. Backroom provides hands-on bookkeeping assistance using a proprietary web-based accounting system. In addition, the company offers the kind of guidance, financial interpretation and strategic planning associated with having a CFO in-house, but without the expense. A CPA with 36 years of experience, Prager also serves as a teacher of managerial economics (applying economic theory to business decisions) at the University of Colorado -Denver.

He authored courses called Business Planning (A Cookbook Approach to Writing a Business Plan), Monitoring Your Company’s Vital Signs (An Approach for Analyzing and Reacting to Conditions Impacting the Profitability of a Business), and Marketing Your Professional Services which were taught at various state societies of CPA’s.

Mr. Prager has taught courses on accounting, management and finance for the National Association of Homebuilders (HBA). He also assisted in writing the business section for the “Certified Remodeler” designation, which is a program run by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

Rob McNealy interviews one of his most popular guests, multi-level marketing scam expert Jon Taylor, about the dangers lurking behind an MLM exemption in the Business Opportunity Rule. If the rule goes into effect in it’s current form, it would exempt MLM companies from having to provide basic information to consumers that would help them determine the legitimacy of a company. Current commentary about the rule can be found here. Rob and Jon strongly urge listeners submit rebuttal comments to the FTC by July 1st!

Download audio file (JonTaylor-FTC.mp3)

More on the Business Opportunity Rule from Jon Taylor

According to Jon,

My big concern is the FTC proposal for a Business Opportunity Rule that would require promoters to reveal minimal information to protect consumers from scams. The MLM lobby screamed bloody murder and got 17,000 of their pyramid participants to write in and protest including MLM in the rule. They also got over 80 Senators and Congressmen to write in – for whatever political favors they had to offer – mostly money.

My position is that by excluding MLM the Rule would be more negative than positive because it would give MLM the excuse to say they the reason they were excluded is that they are legitimate businesses, etc.

Again, rebuttals can be submitted on the FTC website. Note that rebuttals can only be written in response to comments that have already been submitted. If you’re looking for a particular comment to rebut, check out this comment from the Direct Selling Association. The window for original comments is closed, and rebuttals must be submitted no later than June 16th!

Rob McNealy interviews singer/songwriter Rob Anthony about the music business and being an entrepreneur.

Download audio file (RobAnthony.mp3)

Rob Anthony’s Bio

Singer/songwriter Rob Anthony believes that the true measure of a successful artist is reflected in what he gives back to his community. Through his lyrics, Rob is able to arouse interest and raise awareness for a number of different causes. ‘Down the Road’ - a tribute to the men and women in the trucking industry, is a prime example. Anthony’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of Americana and the struggle that the truckers face in order to keep this great country of ours moving day-to-day. Anthony’s desire is to increase appreciation for an industry that is often times overlooked.

Anthony’s soulful style of songwriting comes right from the heart where it exuberates emotion. His lyrics are full of passion and life in a way that can really speak to the whole audience. His honest and truthful personal experiences welcome the listener in (regardless of their musical tastes) and make them feel comfortable and secure.

In addition to the intimate connection that is made with his fans at over 150 live performances every year, Rob has also made a connection with a younger audience. He shares the story of his entrepreneurial journey by speaking & performing at high schools and colleges. By sharing his experiences, he hopes to inspire & encourage students to follow their dreams.

The music community has a powerful voice that such organizations like www.411Gina.org can benefit from. This group of individuals has made it their mission to locate missing persons throughout the country. Rob raises awareness of their mission through social networking on the internet as well as at live performances.

Anthony’s journey started off at an early age in an alternative metal band. After several years of touring nationally, Rob decided to return to his Midwestern roots and focus on songwriting. His debut album “Hard to Believe” was released in 2000 and received critical acclaim. Anthony’s sophomore release “Where I Belong” in 2004 earned him awards with the Wisconsin Area Music Industry including ‘People’s Choice Artist’ and ‘Acoustic Artist of the Year’. Anthony’s latest release “Inside You Inside Me” (2007) breaks new ground as a breadth of raw emotion fills the quiet intimate moments while at other times the music builds with massive rhythm. Rob Anthony’s pure love of music has won the hearts of fans throughout the country.

Rob Anthony ~ where rock and hope crash into craft and song.

Visit www.robanthonymusic.com or www.myspace.com/robanthonymusic for more information.

Rob McNealy interviews Trina Hoefling of GroupOne Solutions about telecommuting and other options for working virtually.

Download audio file (TrinaHoefling.mp3)

Trina Hoefling’s Bio

Trina Hoefling, President of GroupONE Solutions, LLC has been self-employed for over 26 years. She has founded or co-founded six businesses. She has sat on the National Association for the Self-Employed Women’s Advisory Council, helped found and sat on the board, including 2 1/2 years as president, of the Colorado Business Council. She sat on the Denver Metro Chambers’ Co-Chairs for a year, facilitated the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce annual board and staff strategic planning retreat, ran the metro chamber’s executive training for 2 years, chaired the Metro Denver Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Council for 2 years, and many other active volunteering that demonstrates her expertise and commitment to business growth.

She is the author of Working Virtually: Managing People for Successful Virtual Teams and Organizations and several other business articles. Hoefling is also a founding partner and art director of Tennyson Gallery, Denver, Colorado. She holds two M.A.s, in Communication & Industrial / Organizational Psychology.

Rob McNealy interviews Heidi Flammang of Camp Bow Wow about how she grew her startup into a rapidly expanding international franchise.

Download audio file (HeidiFlammang.mp3)

Heidi Flammang’s Bio

Albert Schweitzer once said, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” This is how Heidi Flammang feels about Camp Bow Wow. In the Spring of 1994, Heidi and her husband Bion and put the finishing touches on a business plan that represented their dream of owning a business, and their wish to create a happier place for dogs to stay for the day or night. The thought of leaving their own beloved furry friends in a kennel just wouldn’t do, so they created a plan for a fun, safe, camp version of the traditional kennel. At the same time they were developing the plan for Camp Bow Wow®, the pet care industry was growing by leaps and bounds. A new concept called “dog day care” was starting to pop up around the country, which was an integral part of the Camp Bow Wow® concept.

Soon after they began their search for the first Camp Bow Wow® location, Bion died tragically in a plane crash, but Flammang never gave up on the dream they had, and eventually opened the first Camp Bow Wow® in 2000.

Rob McNealy interview Stephen Leeb of Leeb Capital Management about his book