Lisa Michelle Guenst – When boredom turns into innovation and entrepreneurship

Lisa Michelle Guenst – When boredom turns into innovation and entrepreneurship

by | Jan 14, 2021

Business Insights

Lisa Michelle Guenst – When boredom turns into innovation and entrepreneurship

January 14, 2021

ToothShower interview on Enterprise League

Many business ideas, some good, some bad,  live in the back of the mind for years, even decades. They don’t get the chance to come to the surface often due to lack of time, too many responsibilities, different priorities etc. But then suddenly, the timing feels right and all the pieces fall into place.

This is what happened to Lisa Michelle Guents, a dental hygienist with 20 years of experience under her belt. Once her children moved out and boredom kicked in, it was time to dust off her innovative idea and finally bring it to light. The entire family then hopped on board and offered their skills to help their mother and wife succeed in her business venture. 

ToothShower was born, and Lisa began a revolution in water flossing.

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

My children were grown, and as an empty-nester, I was getting bored easily. I wanted a challenge. I thought about going to law school and even took the LSAT’s. But deciding between the two, I decided to take the plunge and see if my oral care idea from years ago could actually sell.

How did you come up with your business idea?

After being a dental hygienist for over 20 years, I saw a great need for an easier and more enjoyable way to clean between teeth where toothbrushing misses. Gum disease commonly starts between the teeth due to most people hating to string floss. As a hygienist, I saw that water flossing is very helpful to flush out food, bacteria and healing inflammation. However, many people ended up putting their water flosser under their sink and not using it on a regular basis. It took up countertop space, had a noisy motor, made a mess at the sink, the batteries died or the product needed an electrical outlet. ToothShower solves all of the problems of traditional water flossers.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

My son was a senior in engineering school when I was ready to do something with my idea. He needed a senior project so I asked him to make me a prototype. So he did! He made a 3-D printed concept and it worked. My husband supported me in using some of our savings to hire an engineering and design firm to move from the 3-D stage to a working prototype. My daughter did our modeling and video for all of the social assets needed to start promoting ToothShower on crowdfunding to raise the money to move into manufacturing.

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

No, I was able to move into winning two University Business plan competitions and raising my first round of funding with an investor. Temple University offered a variety of businessmen mentors to me. They were incredibly welcoming and helpful.   

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

I am very competitive and once I decided to move forward with being an entrepreneur I was determined to be successful at it. All my life I have been a competitive swimmer and I think this taught me to never give up. 

The talent and resourcefulness of creating an idea from years in the oral care industry keeps my passion for the idea going. Knowing that the need for ToothShower is so great keeps me successful and overcoming obstacles. The lack of having business traits has been detrimental. I have learned through many mistakes what not to do in the future.

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

New ideas and success are always right around the corner if I hang in there. 

It is exciting to create something from nothing, especially a product that is helping others to improve their health. Reading our reviews is so encouraging!

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

Many third party companies advise me that I need their services. So I would believe them and move forward into using companies that I really did not need. One was using a large fulfillment center early on. It was WAY TOO COSTLY for a startup. Another company promised sales if I poured thousands of dollars into ads. Instead, I now allow word of mouth and affordable ads to grow awareness for my company.

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

ToothShower is a water flosser in the shower. The ToothShower allows you to floss using only a stream of water sent between your teeth. It is powered by your shower with an endless supply of water. There is no mess to clean up at the bathroom sink or mirror. It makes oral homecare easy, enjoyable, and convenient. Each product includes three attachments. Our dual-head toothbrush simultaneously brushes the cheek and tongue side of your teeth. The irrigating tip sends a concentrated stream of water to flush away the food and bacteria that hides between teeth. Our seven stream gum massager flosses seven spaces at once; there is nothing else like it on the market. It solves all the problems of traditional water flossers. ToothShower has no need for batteries, an electrical outlet, countertop space, or a water reservoir to refill. The convenience creates compliance which creates a habit. This habit turns into a healthy solution for your whole body. Healthy oral care leads to being healthier overall.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

Get ready to do everything yourself and learn a lot. In the early years, you need to be part of everything to know and grow your business. No one will have the same passion as you do for the product.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

To double our sales and revenue every year and decrease expenses. To know what we really need to spend on and what we do not. To start collecting a salary.

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Amy O. Chambers – It’s never too late to become an entrepreneur

Amy O. Chambers – It’s never too late to become an entrepreneur

by | Jan 12, 2021

Business Insights

Amy O. Chambers – It’s never too late to become an entrepreneur

January 12, 2021

Amy O'Meara Chambers - It’s never too late to become an entrepreneur

Being consumed by the hype around entrepreneurs who build multi-million companies by the time they are thirty, we often discredit the success of entrepreneurs who started at a later stage of their lives. For what it’s worth, entrepreneurs who started their ventures with a few silver hairs on their head carry more evergreen business wisdom. 

Such is the case with Amy O’Meara Chambers, the co-founder and COO of HealthBridge, a solution that removes the financial insecurity that comes with health plans in the US. It took her 20 years of working for others to finally put her entrepreneurial mind (inherited from her father) and avid experience to good use. 

Here’s an entrepreneurial story that’s not about making quick money and “fake it ‘till you make it”.

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

I experienced almost all the above prior to becoming an entrepreneur, so these were contributory factors. But the real trigger for me occurred 10 years ago when opportunity met with long-harbored desire. I had wanted to be an entrepreneur for a long time but feared the financial instability.  My father was an entrepreneur, so as a child, I watched him ride that roller coaster.  

But, here I was almost 20 years into my career, financially stable, kind of tired working for other people, and full of ideas…and then the perfect invitation to be part of an interesting start-up came along.  While it wasn’t the perfect start up in terms of becoming a financial success, it was the perfect start up because I learned an enormous amount, met two people who I still collaborate with today, and kick-started my entrepreneurial career.  Plus, it gave me the opportunity to finally work side-by-side with my father, who died three years ago. 

Great memories, and an amazing experience. Leaving the everyday working world to become an entrepreneur was the best decision that I’ve ever made.

quote by Amy O'Meara Chambers

How did you come up with your business idea?

My co-founder and I met 15 years ago when I was designing consumer-driven health plans for my health plan employer. Greg was the founder of a first-of-its kind revenue cycle company that understood what the advent of high patient out of pocket costs would mean to his provider customers. I had just written “HSA’s for Dummies” and worked down the street, so he called the main switchboard and asked to speak to me. That was a good call, because we’ve been friends ever since. 

What we realized – even all those years ago – was that if these high deductible plans grew in popularity (which they have), there would be an inevitable strain on the healthcare ecosystem due to lack of patient funds. Back then, it was way too early for us to launch a solution for a problem so far into the future. 

But, fast-forward a decade: we had just sold the start-up we had worked on together, and recognizing that the problem we spotted all those years back was now bigger than ever, we jumped in with both feet. Along with another colleague of ours, we kept the money we had made on our last sale on the table, and seeded HealthBridge. Four years later, we’re raising a C-Round, have 40 employees and are actively in market.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

My cofounder, Greg VandenBosch, is the most supportive partner an entrepreneur could ask for.  We are on age with each other, so we are at the same stage with our families and our careers.  He has always been an entrepreneur, so he’s gained a lot of wisdom along with some battle scars.  It’s nice to have a partner to go through all the ups and downs that come with being a venture backed startup.  

Daily support and encouragement is key, and we find that when one of us is weak, the other one musters up the courage to be strong, which keeps us moving forward, even in the toughest times. 

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

I am fortunate that healthcare is filled with women leaders, so when it comes to most of my meetings with healthcare stakeholders, I usually see myself reflected around the room.  Because I’ve worked in the industry for so long, it is rare that I am not met with respect.  

When it comes to the venture capital world, it’s the rare event when I stare into a webex and a female face stares back at me. With that said, while it may be a little more difficult to navigate the small talk that starts each pitch (I’m not sure that I’ve ever watched an entire football game and I definitely don’t fly fish), I have to say that once we start talking shop, we all just become experts in our respective areas.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

You need to have all of the above.  Plus, be a player/coach, a good presenter, a good writer, a level-headed decision-maker, be able to fix the copier, and not too proud to beg…as the song goes. 

My successes to date have probably originated from the expertise that I developed in health insurance and healthcare over my first two decades as an employee benefits attorney and a product developer at a leading health plan. Nothing is better than first-hand experience. Most of what I know can’t be learned reading articles.

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

I get to make peoples’ lives better. Period. That’s my ultimate goal as an entrepreneur.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

Before I jumped into start up, I spent two years at a job that I didn’t love so that I could make money while slowly transitioning into entrepreneurship.  I can’t recall if anyone gave me advice to do it that way. (Most likely, I gave myself that terrible advice.) But, looking back, I should have jumped in completely.  Having your attention divided between two important bodies of work is unsustainable and a recipe for failure. 

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

We’ve created a first-of-its-kind benefit designed to help bridge the gap between the high cost of healthcare and a person’s ability to pay for it.  When a member consumes healthcare, HealthBridge covers the costs immediately on their behalf – copayment, coinsurance and deductibles. HealthBridge provides the member with a consolidated monthly statement, plus guaranteed, friendly repayment terms, giving them financial security and flexibility. 

HealthBridge becomes a financial safety net, so that when patients want or need care, they can get it with confidence. Often, people will delay necessary care because they can’t afford the deductible, which has costly consequences. People stay sicker, for longer. Employers lose worker productivity and providers see their outcomes erode. By giving patients financial security alongside the health plan they select, they prevent the unhealthy ripple effect from happening. It’s a game changer. HealthBridge benefits every stakeholder —the provider, the patient, the employer, and the payer—so that everyone wins. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

You can always get a job. Dare to become an entrepreneur – it will propel you into the adventure of a lifetime.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

I’m committed to 10x the size of the company and evangelize the need for financial security around patient out of pocket costs.  It’s imperative for the healthcare ecosystem.

Any final words to end this interview?

How about…Is it ever too late to become an entrepreneur? 

No, never.  I waited 20 years, and hopefully I have another 50 doing this. Take the leap.  It’s worth the risk.

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Jodie Hewson disrupting and reinventing the tourism industry

Jodie Hewson disrupting and reinventing the tourism industry

by | Jan 7, 2021

Business Insights

Jodie Hewson disrupting and reinventing the tourism industry

January 07, 2021

Logo of Stay Wilder

“Who could I be if I stopped bringing everyone else’s dreams to life and focused on my own?” This question was vital for Jodie Hewson to hand her resignation letter and start making the world a better place through her company Stay Wilder.

She set on a mission to make the tourism industry more environmentally friendly and sustainable, not through hard work, but through smart work instead. Her disbelief that one has to grind 24/7 in order to succeed as an entrepreneur is challenging the perception of modern entrepreneurship.

Meet Jodie and find out what urged her to start her own business.

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

The first trigger that made me question my place and my purpose was when I did my 16 personalities test for a company exercise. I was an ENFJ, and they listed other people who fit that category. Obama, Oprah, Khaleesi from Game of Thrones were just a few of the names that came up. Seeing all these strong, powerful figures pop up made me stop and think “who could I be if I stopped bringing everyone else’s dreams to life and focused on my own?” 

A month later, a series of circumstances on a vacation with my husband made me realize I was spending over 60 hours a week on miserable work, only to contribute to the problems of the world that kept me up at night. At the same time, I realized I had the power to create a better solution for the world. It all hit me hard, and in a second I knew I was just not doing what I was supposed to be doing.

How did you come up with your business idea?

On that same trip I also realized I was not where I was supposed to be, I realized exactly what I wanted to do instead. 

My husband and I were burnt out and miserable in our jobs, so we went traveling. We spent three weeks exploring gorgeous islands in the Philippines, but with every island we went to, I was just getting more and more upset about the damage of tourism on local ecosystems and people. 

I realized we were literally paying hotels to sweep garbage into the ocean, pollute local streams, and pay people unfairly. 

I knew that there had to be a way to make eco-friendly accommodations more affordable and a better option than traditional accommodations – I’d just have to figure out how. 

Within a few months, I’d quit my job and set out to figure out how we could make eco-travel easily scalable to a global level, yet local to each location, while still being affordable for the average traveler.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

I’m lucky to have the endless support of my husband and a few choice people in my inner circle. I think it’s important to have different types of people in your life, who offer varied perspectives and ways of support. My husband and close friends are my confidants and cheerleaders. I know I can share fears, risks and issues with them and have their endless support and encouragement – they’ll usually tell me to take a break and be less hard on myself, which is most often the advice I need most. 

I also have a couple of friends who will most often give advice about getting back to our vision/why and purpose and help me realize what my gut is telling me. These friendships are so valuable when I’m feeling off-course. 

Lastly I have two other hyper-rationale pragmatic friends, who will always give me straight up reality checks, ask me questions I know I’m avoiding, and tell me exactly what they think without holding back. These voices are so important for staying rooted in reality.

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

On one hand, I feel like the women’s business community in Vancouver, Canada, is extremely strong. I feel incredibly grateful for being a woman and getting to connect with so many other amazing woman entrepreneurs. We do work with women more often than men, and so I do think this shifts dynamics and makes things a lot easier. 

On the other hand, I recently set up an Upwork account under my husband’s name to hire some contractors when I couldn’t figure out my password. I was blown away by the freedom and simplicity I felt of just being a man, and not being labeled a b***ch for avoiding excessive exclamation marks and extra compliments. 

It made me think about everything else I unconsciously do, as a woman, that’s been ingrained in me from day one.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

In a world of burnout and overworking, I want to stop portraying the idea that hard work is all it takes to make a business work. This mentality tricks people into thinking that if they just put in more hours, everything will be okay. 

This is limiting for a lot of people and creates a vicious cycle for entrepreneurs of continuing to work instead of addressing issues in their business. Doing more, less well, is rarely the answer that will solve your company’s problems.

I would say instead a trait entrepreneurs need is conscious vigilance. Be vigilant at knowing your customers, at creating the best, most amazing products for their problems, at guarding your time, at supporting your own wellness so you have the capacity to be creative and innovative. Be vigilant at studying your market, other markets, and other successful businesses and what they’re doing and not doing well. Be vigilant about your own learning and development. 

If there are problems in your business that are affecting sales, operations, or your profitability, be vigilant about finding the true root cause and solving it, instead of forcing everyone to work harder, faster, and do more. 

Being successful doesn’t just happen. But hard work isn’t the all-access pass to success – and it’s not healthy. You need to be consciously vigilant about finding your own path to success that will work for you.

 

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

For me, it’s the potential to create an alternate future for myself, for the travel industry, and for the planet. 

When you’re an entrepreneur you’re creating your own path, you’re defining where it’s leading and with every step you take it gets a little bit clearer. It’s very different from a corporate job where a path is more defined, but also not yours to define.  

I’ve always looked at what’s possible versus what isn’t, and entrepreneurship is made for that type of thinking.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

At multiple points in my career, I’ve had men tell me that I shouldn’t do what I wanted to do, because they didn’t think I was ready yet, but I could be soon.

Not surprisingly, both would have benefited from me staying where I was.

That said, I’m grateful for both instances, because it was helpful for me to realize that every piece of advice someone gives you, is always filtered through their own experiences, hopes and fears.

Once I had this realization, I could get to know the people in my network and understand how they think, and ask for advice based on their perspectives – but not see anything as truth.

I know some of my contacts are very low-risk thinkers, so if I ask them what they think, they’ll give me a very low-risk perspective that I wouldn’t see because I don’t think that way. Others are very visionary, big picture, or ultra-creative – so they’ll give me big ideas and possibilities that I might be too afraid to think of.

Sometimes I think to myself “all advice is bad advice until someone tells you what you know you needed to hear,” and while that seems a little bit flighty, in my mind, it’s more just reflective that I often do know what I want to do, and people’s advice just mirrors that back to me.

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

We’re making eco-travel scalable, affordable and appealing to millennial travelers, so we can replace the destructive way we travel with a way that regenerates the planet.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

Don’t rush. Don’t go too slow.
Don’t underestimate the importance of your gut.
Don’t underestimate the importance of data.
The most important thing you can do is find product market fit and create a loveable product.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Our company goals are to launch our first location(s) (details to come!), raise our Seed round, plant 2000 trees, divert 27,000 pieces of plastic from our waste streams, get carbon neutral certified, and donate one percent of our revenues to the planet. Just a few things on our list!

My personal goals are to bring more simplicity and ease into my life. My goal is to transition to working four days a week to leave me more time to learn, create, design, and explore, and hopefully embark on some exciting new adventures in our new sea kayaks.

Any final words to end this interview? 

We’re super excited to have officially opened our waitlist for our first Stay Wilder location on December 1st. Future guests will receive a discount on their first stay and will stay up to date on all our exciting progress as we get closer to opening our doors.

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2020 in review: A letter from our CEO and Co-Founder

2020 in review: A letter from our CEO and Co-Founder

by | Dec 31, 2020

Business Insights

2020 in review: A letter from our CEO and Co-Founder

December 31, 2020

Year in review
Another year is drawing to a close; and we once again find ourselves planning for the future, but also reflecting on the events of 2020 – we hope that despite the difficulties and uncertainty this year has brought, you have managed to stay strong and focused on the things you can control.

In that manner, Enterprise League has continued to work hard on connecting businesses worldwide. Our focus has always been to bring more business opportunities to small businesses. Thus, seeing how severely they suffered due to the pandemic, our drive to improve the platform, and provide them with better solutions, only grew stronger. 

Thanks to nearly 100k new companies that joined the platform (a big milestone for us!) we got an unprecedented growth momentum which consequently brought us a humbling number of opportunities. This success didn’t pass unrecognised – we had the privilege of being named as one of the best business platforms by the Business Insider. 

Lead by the same currents of growth, this year we have formed deeper relationships with both new and old users, expanded our partners’ circle, and scaled our team.

As we reflect, we think about who we are and who we want to be, both personally and as a company. A commitment to quality and value is one of our fundamental business principles, we firmly believe in excelling in what we promise and deliver.

What we’re most proud of this year is that we’ve managed to provide the same high level of service and solutions to all companies, regardless of their background. Given that, we seek to make our solutions easily accessible – keeping the lines of communication open in order to help our users with their platform experience. We are committed to combine courage and wisdom to move forward; confidently pursuing growth and investment while not abandoning our values.

It is our hope that these things have all been clearly evident in the past year, and that they continue into the future. Finally, we once again express our sincere appreciation to all of our users, readers and collaborators; wishing you and your families a bright hopeful start to 2021.

Irina Georgieva
Co-founder and CEO of Enterprise League

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Business Christmas wishes: What entrepreneurs ask Santa for?

by | Nov 9, 2020

Business Insights

Business Christmas wishes: What entrepreneurs ask Santa for?

November 09, 2020

Business Christmas wishes

Christmas is time for miracles. And if there ever was a year we needed miracles (in bulk), this would be it. 2020 has been hard for everyone, whether privately or professionally. So if it takes Elves and red-nosed reindeers to make 2021 better and easier, then prepare the sleighs – we’re taking mail to Lapland!

Us adults, teach our children to believe that some fat guy with a beard living in the North Pole could make their wishes come true if they’re nice year around. So this Christmas, we asked entrepreneurs to unbury their belief in magic and write a letter to Santa asking him to come down the chimney and help them turn their business wishes for 2021 into reality.

Jump directly to:

 1. Doing business in person

 2. Dependable delivery times

 3. Longlasting economic prosperity

 4. $20k for marketing

 5. Employee morale booster

 6. Few months of stability

 7. Stop me from micromanaging

 8. Lift the travel restrictions

 9. 3 Ikea Kallax shelves

 10. Slow down time

 11. Piano in the office

 12. More hours in a day

 13. Smooth growth and a beach house

 14. Bring my team together

 15. Ability to do work unencumbered

 16. Keep the housing market steady

 17. Peace on Earth

 18. Let me be the gift

 19. New space for work

 20. Expansion of my business

 21. Polaroid camera for every family

 22. Cheer up the naughty kids

 23. AI assistant to organise my time

 24. End the bad copy

 25. Chance for prosperity

 26. Make me a better employer

 27. Bigger commitment to diversity

 28. Influencers to review my product

 29. Justice

29 entrepreneurs ask Santa to grant their wishes

We received (and forwarded to Santa!) hundreds of Dear Santa letters. Some of them made us laugh out loud, others brought a tear or two, but all of them returned our faith. Faith in miracles, goodness, humanity and good thought.

Whether Santa manages through bureaucracy to obtain travel permits is unsure. But what is sure is that if small businesses stick together and collaborate, together they can find stability and prosperity again.

So let’s see what business Christmas wishes entrepreneurs have this year.

Doing business in person

Dear Santa,

This year, all I want for Christmas is a well-distributed vaccine. As you travel from house to house around the world, if you were able to vaccinate everyone, that would be perfect.

I’ve been very, very good, yet I cannot stand to avoid coffee and lunch and office meetings, nor to stay away from conferences, for much longer.

Regardless of the wonderful technology your elves have created and supported through this time, all I want is to be able to have real, in-person conversations again as business is much, much better when I can develop and sustain real friendships with current and prospective clients.

To let you know how sincere this is, I’m actually Jewish, but at this point, I’m asking everyone for help!

Thank you in advance, and my warmest regards to Mrs. Claus,

Judy Brower Fancher, Founder of Brower Group, Inc

Dependable delivery times

Dear Santa,

All we want for Christmas is dependable delivery times and schedules from our postal carriers. We sell millions of crickets every month to caring reptile owners. These owners love their pets! And they depend on our crickets and roaches arriving on time. Otherwise, their bearded dragons or leopard geckos can lose critical nutrients. 

We understand how challenging your job is during this pandemic, and can’t thank you enough for helping people stay safe by bringing them their essential resources. But please don’t forget about the caring pet owners who need live crickets and roaches to feed to their beautiful pets.

Sincerely,

Jeff, Engagement Officer at Critter Depot

Longlasting economic prosperity

Dear Santa

I wish for a period of Economic Boom that lasts for the remainder of my adult working life. And that’s not to say I wish for the good times to end for our children’s generation. In fact, as a caveat to my wish (if the rules of a Dear Santa letter will permit) I would add that any future economic downturn be short, small and swift. As an economist by trade, I know there is a need for all things to be cyclical, but this year really does seem to have capped off an unprecedented period of rubbish.

If you could dig deep into your Santa bag of tricks and wonderment and make it so that the American dream can still be a reality for all, then I solemnly do swear to be a very good boy. Not just for this year, but for every year you make my wish come true.

Thank you Santa, in the era of Trump, COVID-19, Brexit and the death of James Bond – this really will help.

Chris Panteli, Founder of LifeUpswing

$20k for marketing

Dear Santa,

Thank you SO much for the unexpected (but much appreciated!) early gifts! I was pleasantly surprised when so many ideal clients reached out to the firm so soon, and I was even more pleasantly surprised to already experience growth in such a new business!

While the organic growth that we have experienced has been great, I would REALLY appreciate a Christmas gift of $20,000 for our marketing budget so we can reach even more of the entrepreneurs and businesses that we are so very passionate about helping achieve exponential growth! 

I’m sure this seems like a big ask (though of course, nothing is too big for you!) but as you know I’ve been very nice AND your gift will certainly be supporting a great cause. 

Thanks again, Santa (and thanks in advance!). 

Shakera Thompson, Business and Intellectual Property Attorney at TKA Law Firm

Employee morale booster

Dear Santa,

This Christmas, I would like nothing more than a dose of employee morale booster. If you could pretty please sprinkle some of your Christmas magic on my employees to improve their attitude and give them a shot of energy, it would be oh so appreciated. 2020 has dampened their Christmas (and business) spirit and they need a little cheer this holiday season.

Working from home has been tough on my team of 10 tight-knit employees, who are used to seeing each other in person every day. Quarantine, Zoom call fatigue, and work-from-home isolation have taken their toll on my employees’ typical go get ’em attitudes. So if I could ask for one Christmas gift, it would be some employee morale. 

Thanks, Santa.

Sincerely,

John Ross, President & CEO of Test Prep Insight

Few months of stability

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I would like some stability. I hope it’s not too much to ask. I don’t even need a whole year of stability, just a few months in a row, where I can plan for the future with a reasonable expectation of what is coming next! 

I can deal with kids under foot for homeschool, I can deal with an election, I can even deal with a global pandemic. I can change travel plans and I can take all my meetings over Zoom. But, please, just a little bit of forewarning, the ability to plan ahead, and perhaps not having every possible challenge arriving at once would be wonderful. 

Oh, and if you think I’ve been naughty, a lump of coal is perfectly suitable, just, please don’t give us another year like 2020! 

Yours in gratitude,

Mark Coster, Owner of Web Design for Businesses

Stop me from micromanaging

Dear Santa,

This year, please give me the power to resist the urge to do everything myself. When I first started my digital marketing business, I had to wear many hats and do it myself. But now the company has grown, and we have a wonderful team who are exceptionally good at what they do. So please give me the power to let go and let them do their jobs so I can focus on the big picture.

Josh Imhoff, Owner of Always Relevant Digital

Lift the travel restrictions

Dear Santa,

I bet you consider yourself something of a travel expert. Making it around the world in one night is no easy feat, after all. Maybe you can help me and my company, in that case. You see, we’ve been struggling a bit because of the (necessary) travel restrictions from COVID-19.

We want everyone to be safe, but the RV parks and campsites we support are losing business. So if you could give us a viable end to the COVID threat and the return of domestic travel at full strength, I would be incredibly appreciative.

If not that, I wouldn’t say no to a bike.

Ravi Parikh, CEO at RoverPass

3 Ikea Kallax shelves

Dear Santa,

For Christmas, this year could you not bring me any more board games? I have literally every Kickstarter board game known to man and it’s going to be a flood of cardboard when they come in.

Instead, this year could you send me 3 Ikea Kallax shelves so that I have room in my apartment to store all of them. Otherwise, my girlfriend has threatened to leave me if I don’t stop leaving board games everywhere.

Bryan Truong, Founder of GameCows

Slow down time

Dear Santa, 

I’m writing to you as a business owner in need! What I really want this Christmas is only a small ask and since you and I both know magic is real, I’m sure you’ll be able to provide.

What I want for Christmas is the ability to slow time.

Things are going really well with the business, but unfortunately, the days are far to short to get through my to-do list. So, I was hoping you could share some of your magic that you use every year to slow time to get to all the houses in one night. I don’t mind giving it back on Christmas Eve but for the other 364 could I please borrow?

Bethan Wright, Director at RED Digital & Events

Piano in the office

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year I’d love a piano in the office! Before we moved offices earlier this year, we had worked in an office with a bar and an old honky-tonk piano next door. For our staff Christmas party last Christmas the team spent the whole day getting merry on eggnog singing a mixture of Christmas carols and rock ‘n roll classics. 

Having spent the last few months in and out of the office, I honestly can’t think of a better way to lift team spirits and bring in 2021.

Jack Kelly, Owner of Sharpshaft

More hours in a day

Dear Santa,

This won’t be your typical request. I don’t need an Xbox, and nobody’s taking a cruise this year, least of all me. 

What I want might be beyond the scope of your elves, but if you could see your way into giving me a few extra hours a day next year, I’d be much obliged.

You see, Santa, I’m a one-woman shop. I’m busy making cats around the world happy with my cardboard box playhouses. But I’m also emptying the office wastebasket, and doing Quickbooks, and fixing the postage printer.

I love packing boxes addressed to my cat customers, and I’m doing it all day long, all by myself. But what I really need is a few more hours to design some new things for my kitty friends. I’ve got some great ideas, Santa, that I know cats will surely love. But I need a few more hours of daylight. And maybe a few more hours of sleep.

Sincerely,

Dawn LaFontaine, Founder of Cat in the Box

Smooth growth and a beach house

Dear Santa,

Rona’s been naughty enough for us all so I think we deserve a little something extra this Christmas. I only want 3 things (4 if you’re feeling particularly generous):

  1. A high-functioning executive assistant who is trustworthy, brave, hard-working and forward-thinking
  2. A strong executive team to help drive growth
  3. I could really use some investors so that I can hire more staff and expand this empire

Bonus: It’s been a long year and I’ve been faithful to stay quarantined in the house. How about a beach house with full staff for like 3 months? I just need a change of scenery to reset and help keep me inspired. Plus, it would be nice to not have to cook and clean every day.

I trust that you’ll come through with the goods. Thanks, big guy!

Merry Christmas,

Talia Boone, Founder & CEO of Postal Petals

Bring my team together

Dear Santa,

Crazy year, huh? So, this Christmas I would love to see my team for one final year-end bash! I haven’t seen many of them since March and God knows we could all use a release. Now, I know the logistics of this are tough since I am only giving you a few weeks to bring 70+ people together, all of which reside in different states and countries across the globe, each with their own travel advisories, mask mandates, and self-quarantine orders. What is CT’s gathering capacity for Phase 2.1 anyway? Or is this Phase 3 now?

Eh, the more I think this through, the more complicated it sounds; let’s just push this off to the Spring. In the meantime, I guess it’s kind of nice having the office to myself where I can sneak away from my kids and just take a nap on the couch anytime I like.

Stay safe out there,

DJ Haddad, CEO of Haddad & Partners

P.S. Cookies aren’t very COVID-friendly so I left sanitizer on the table instead.

Ability to do work unencumbered

Dear Santa, 

Surprisingly, the one thing I want for business Christmas isn’t lower taxes. It is the ability to do work unencumbered. You see, down here away from the isolation of the North Pole, we’ve got this new, highly contagious virus. Do elves catch colds? Many businesses are in peril from being severely restricted, and many businesses have already failed. 

So, if you could do us a solid, use your jolly magic to create a vaccine, and get us back doing what we do best, you’ll have a much shorter naughty list next year. Be sure to strap on an N95 mask before you fire up the sleigh on Christmas Eve. Your age, and weight probably make you high risk. No offense. 

Mike Falahee, Owner of Marygrove Awnings

Keep the housing market steady

Dear Santa, 

All I want for Christmas is for you to help struggling homeowners and tenants find the means to stay in their homes, keep their families safe and prosper with all of us. Please keep the housing market steady as we are all preparing for a crash with a wave of foreclosures coming our way next year. 

I really just want life to return too normal even though we don’t know what the new normal will be. Give us the opportunity to build our business to the level where we can donate our time and money to help others who are not as fortunate.

Thank you,

Shad Elia, Owner of SE Homes

Peace on Earth

Dear Santa,

I know it’s a bit cliche, and maybe not within your power, but we really need this so I humbly request: Peace on Earth.

We’re politically divided. Financially struggling. People are lonely. We don’t need more stuff. (We tried that and everything broke.)

Can you help us connect with each other and be a community? Can you help us give generously, even if we feel like we don’t have much ourselves? But also not overextend and not try to do too much?

Maybe, more than anything, we need your help to create inner peace and realize our unique offerings. And that doing our part can be done and can be enough.

Your reindeers seem to have it pretty together. Can they teach us about working together even though we’re very different? (And maybe some reindeer rides for fun, but only if they’re not too tired.)

With Gratitude,

Kerri Feazell, CEO of Concurrent Productions

Let me be the gift

Dear Santa,

Please remind the world, that now more than ever, you need an event planner to guide you with planning an event. Santa, I know that their event may not happen until 2021 but we have to start finding locations now. All of those events that I pushed into 2021 are taking up a lot of space already, and bringing in a new event means more competition and more time in finding availability.

Father Christmas, don’t they know that it’s my business that is going to be the ones that save them when there is a fire? It’s my job to be there to protect them from hurricanes, economic disasters, and even a pandemic. It will be my responsibility to work the venue and all of the vendors to find a new date and dramatically reduce any fees that would normally be associated with something like this. 

Kris, let me be the gift that companies and couples so badly need! 

Text or call when you are ready to pick me up in your sleigh to then drop me off at the CEO’s office.

Keith Willard, Owner/Designer at Keith Willard Events

New space for work

Dear Santa,

You know we’ve had a difficult time defining naughty and nice. There’s always been a little grey area there for me. But this year I think we can both agree I’ve been really nice. Even when Covid turned me into a small business owning, teacher, school counsellor, and lunch lady, I maintained the nice side.

All I want for Christmas this year is a new space to work. You’ve seen the business growing so fast this year and it’s time for a shop of my own to build, paint, and create in. Nothing fancy just four walls and some heat.

A space just for me that I can escape to. You know, when my lunch lady duties are over for the day.

Many blessings to you,

Stacy Verdick Case, Owner of Peony Lane Designs

Expansion of my business

Dear Santa,

As a business owner, I am writing to you to wish for the expansion of my business. I am planning to hire more employees especially the ones who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. A lot of people are still suffering. The government has extended their help but the efforts are not just enough for everyone.

A lot of people need a stable and regular job to meet their everyday needs. I have managed to keep all my employees but I would love to give others a chance. If given the chance, I promise to help as many people as possible in every way that I can.

Chris Norris, Managing Editor at SleepStandards.com

Polaroid camera for every family

This year has gifted us a new perspective on life, history is being made, so let’s make the life of future historians easy by printing out our memories – so future generations know the good, bad and ugly moments from every city, town and village across the world.

So, a polaroid camera for every family, please.

My biggest business wish is that our digital memories don’t die with our hard drives and are properly archived in print.

Sue Kennedy, Owner/Photographer at Sue Kennedy Photography

Cheer up the naughty kids

Dear Santa,

I know you’re going to take really good care of the nice kids this year, and I’m hoping that together we can do something for the naughty kids this year as well.

My biggest Christmas wish this year would be that instead of giving naughty kids coal… you would deliver to them one of the inspirational coffee mugs from our store.

Just imagine how wonderful it would be if those children woke up every day in 2021 feeling positive, hopeful, and like they matter. Maybe just maybe, that would be the support that they need to do good things in 2021 and make it onto your Nice list next year.

With Love,

Chris Cade, Founder of The Miracles Store

AI assistant to organise my time

Dear Santa,

This year I would love to get an AI assistant who would be able to organize my time properly. I tried doing it myself but I started making a lot of mistakes due to the work overload. Since it’s never fun when you miss a deadline or skip an important call, I tried hiring a virtual assistant a few times, but the communication was challenging and I had to double-check each time that the information was properly received. 

For this reason, I would love to have some type of AI support that won’t be affected by the work pressure and, most importantly, won’t overlook anything on my agenda.

Malte Scholz, CEO of Airfocus

End the bad copy

Dearest Santa,

My biggest wish this year is to gain your help in annihilating boring copy. Okay, that sounds kinda like it would put me on your naughty list, but hear me out – boring copy sucks!

It’s the sleep aid we never needed and destroying it will lead to awesome things – like meetings that don’t double as soul-sucking vortexes and ad copy that doesn’t trigger dormant narcolepsy.

You’re essentially creating world peace here.

Warmest cocoa and softest cookies,

Rosh Smunt, Founder and CEO of The Disrupters Circle

Chance for prosperity

Dear Santa,

My colleagues and I had an awesome business time last year because we gained many new customers Santa, we worked voluntarily, and just like you, we helped people who needed our special attention. We didn’t even complain about the bad and rude behaviour of some customers. We have always heard from our parents that you bring good items for anyone who does good to others. We have always been good to our customers and want to serve the community. Here is a wishlist that we want to share with you. Please put these in your sleigh and bring these for us:

  1. We need a chance to become mentors for the next generation.
  2. Continuity of journey to serve our customers.
  3. Courage and motivation to help our community.
  4. Most of all, global peace is what we need the most, Santa.

Santa, I want to ask for other business entrepreneurs who didn’t perform well in the current year and are really worried because of their financial crisis. They are in the utmost need of your good luck and prosperity gifts so that they can also plan better strategies for their business.

Dear Santa, thank you in advance for bringing useful resources and tools for the year 2021.

Best Regards,

Damon Routzhan, Founder & CEO at https://concretecandles.com/

Make me better for my employees and customers

Dear Santa,

This is Robin. I’m 38 years old and have my own business in San Francisco. I always wanted to be the best version of an entrepreneur so I started practising it at a very early age. You know, when I was in high school, I sold supplies and worked with my friends to do decors for various parties. 

It took almost ten years for me to become a professional and run my own retail business. I have more than 30 employees in my business, and I am grateful because they all are so cooperative and hardworking. I want to do more for my employees and customers; I want you to bring unique ideas and strategies that benefit my employees and customers. Next year, I want to start a mental wellness programme for my employees.

Dear Santa, I’ve put together all my wishes. Promise me that you’ll bring cookies and my favorite milk chocolates too. If you don’t mind, please leave chocolates and cookies at my doorway. I’ll wait for your arrival.

Sincerely,

Robin Brown, CEO at Vivipins

Bigger commitment to diversity

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I want for more companies to have a real commitment to diversity and recruit from HBCUs. More specifically, I want law firms to endow scholarships at HBCUs and CEOs from companies to guest lectures at HBCUs. I want this to be the generation that deals with the past and doesn’t kick the can down the road any longer

John Crossman, CCIM, CRX, CEO at Crossman Career Builders

Influencers to review my product

Dear Santa,

This year, I would like to build relationships with some of the main communications influencers and have them review my product. We are now reaching the point where we need to scale up in order to remain competitive. Having word-of-mouth recommendations from some of the top experts in our field would increase our reach and bring us even more clients. 

Therefore, my biggest wish for 2021 is to get these influencers’ contacts and start building relationships that will eventually result in strong partnerships.

Best,

Stefan Chekanov, CEO of Brosix

Justice

Dear Santa,

One of the greatest opportunities of my life came when I had the chance to pitch my startup Cheekd on an episode of Shark Tank. But that day has also put me in the crosshairs of someone who watched a re-airing of that episode in July 2015. 

Two years later, that same individual named me in 3 back-to-back lawsuits that have cost nearly $150,000 to defend. I’ve done everything in my power to keep my business afloat over the last decade but I just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel while continuing to fight this battle with a complete and total stranger whom I still have no idea what looks like to this day. 

What do I want from you this year? I want justice.

Lori Cheek, Founder and CEO of Cheekd

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Remote team communication: Using software to prevent misunderstandings

by | Aug 28, 2020

Business Insights

Remote team communication: Using software to prevent misunderstandings

August 28, 2020

Remote-Communications

Some people will say that now, we’re in the golden era of remote work. But anyone who’s ever worked this way knows well that distributed teams face many challenges on a daily basis.

Remote team communication is probably the toughest nut to crack.

When you struggle to get on the same page with your team, many things are likely to go off the track. Increased project costs and failure rate, longer task delivery periods and decreased productivity are only a few to name.

But worry not. Today, we’re coming to you with 9 actionable tips on how you can use software to improve communication in your remote team.

Where do misunderstandings even come from?

But before we get to the remedy, we need to assess the problem that bothers your team.

No solution applied will ever be effective if you don’t understand where the issues with remote team communication come from in the first place.

And there are at least six most common reasons for why misunderstandings happen between people who work from a distance.

Let’s have a look.

Reason #1: Your team tries to apply old ways to the new setting

Imagine this: you’ve got a task for your colleague. They work just a few steps away from you, in the same office. What you’re going to do, most likely, is to get up, approach them and delegate said task verbally.

Now, in the remote setting, there’s quite a bit of distance between you. Many companies try to replicate this “approach and delegate” method. Doing so, they end up on endless video conferences or call each other several times a day.

When you look at it from the side, it doesn’t make much sense to do so. Just because something worked in the office, it doesn’t mean it will work in the remote setting. Things once effective may now be your biggest time wasters.

And nobody likes daily calls anyway, right?

Reason #2: Your team has got no idea on how to get organized

If your team is new to remote work, then it’s likely you’ve got no idea where to even begin. Should you just get video conferencing software and call it a day? Do you need more tools? New processes?

Don’t beat yourself about it if you’ve got no idea how to organize your team’s work in the new setting. It’s not an easy task even for the seasoned remote workers.

That said, keep in mind that being clueless on how to organize things could lead to mistakes that kill effective remote team communication.

Reason #3: You’re bad at written communication

To limit the number of daily video calls, teams often turn to written communication as an alternative. From emails to chat rooms, the options are plenty.

Now, written communication is an art in itself. You may do excellent when talking in person and, at the same time, be horrible when it comes to conveying ideas through written messages.

The written communication sins are plenty: from leaving things out because they “go without saying”, to misinterpreting the other person’s tone (because we don’t hear it, of course).

And they might be the main reason why you and your team suddenly can’t get along.

Reason #4: Lack of shared working space

In an office, you share a common space where you see your team on a daily basis. Maybe you meet up in a social room. Maybe you’ve got a giant whiteboard where people pin their messages and add notes about projects.

With remote work in the picture, the physical office vanishes. And with it, the precious aspect of sharing your working space.

Suddenly, you lose all ties to your colleagues. You’re alone in your own home office. You’ve got no idea where others are and what they work on. To get an update on tasks, you need to get on a (yet another) video call.

It’s hard to communicate when most that you’ve got in common are spreadsheets you’ve shared online.

Reason #5: Unclear rules and undefined processes

It can be related to the fact you’ve got no idea how to organize the work of your newly remote team.

Because of their limited ability to quickly communicate on the changes, distributed teams have double the need of working according to strict patterns. When questions arise and you can’t immediately get in touch with the right person, processes and tasks get delayed.

Remote team communication suffers from lack of processes. Getting them right could solve quite a few of your problems.

Reason #6: Different expectations and habits related to remote work

Imagine the situation in which the team switches to remote work. They were happy in the office and collaborated well. Now, the manager, full of trust towards their team members, believes they are fully capable of getting around the new setting.

Meanwhile the employees, even though having the best of intentions, are lost in the situation and count on being guided.

This is an easy example of how different people can view remote work. Some people need more flexibility. They want to be trusted and left to work independently. Others, on the other hand, need guidance and a daily to-do list delivered to their inbox.

People are different. And if you don’t get the expectations clear on the table, you might end up with a whole lot of communication issues.

Using software to solve remote team communication issues

Now that you know what troubles your team most, let’s talk about the solutions.

Software is a wonderful addition to your workflow. There’s an app for practically any issue you struggle with, including:

  • Task distribution (project management software)
  • Time tracking software
  • Customer relationship management software
  • Online support software
  • Appointment scheduling software

That said, many of these tools share some common features that you can implement right away to improve communication in your remote team.

Let’s have a look at it step by step.

Create visual workflows

Visualization is probably one of the strongest tactics that a remote team should implement. The easiest way to get started is simply by using a Kanban board. This way, you can devote a column to every stage of your process and move tasks along as they progress. This way, you will easily see which stage has currently the busiest one and where more action could happen.

Not every process in your company can be visualized with kanban due to its complex nature. However, setting up a kanban board can encourage you to streamline and simplify some of the processes so they fit the project board. It’s an excellent way to get rid of some needlessly complex elements of your work.

Get into (extreme) details

If you go with a task assignment/project management tool, you’ll have plenty of room to describe what you want from your team. Use it to the fullest.

Include checkpoints, control lists, useful materials, examples, samples, templates – anything that your team can use to get the job right.

Think of it this way: you’re not in the office and you can’t look over your colleague’s shoulder to check the progress. Oftentimes, you won’t see the task until it’s delivered to you. That’s exactly why you want to offer sufficient information to get it done right from the get-go.

Pick the right communication channel

You and your team needs to agree on one crucial thing: your main communication channel.

It could be email threads, once-a-day video calls or setting up a chat room. You may also keep all the discussion to the comment section of your task.

Don’t be afraid to innovate and experiment.

Use task tags, deadlines and assigned Users

The majority of software you will pick comes with deadlines, tags and user assigning (if they don’t, they’re probably not good enough for you ). These are features we often underestimate in managing workload of our teams.

Meanwhile, by applying such simple filters you can easily see if your work is evenly distributed across areas, employees and deadlines. Depending on your software, it may take two to three clicks to understand if someone is overloaded or whether deadlines come too closely together.

Create knowledge base

It’s good to have an easily accessible knowledge base for all the processes and workflows you’ve documented and shared with your team. It could be a separate shared folder or a whole kanban board with different categories.

Consider setting up one to store everything that is important to your team – from your logo and mission statement, to process documentation and best practices for a variety of tasks.

Create templates

It’s going to be so much easier to stick to processes when you create templates for your workflows and tasks.

Most of the project management tools offer this option and if you don’t use it, start today.

It’s an easy way to include the roadmap, checkpoints and guidelines for your team without spending additional time on recreating their content.

Use appointment scheduling tools

Most teams use an appointment scheduling tool to arrange meetings and calls with their clients. But it’s a creative thing to do to use them to arrange team calls as well.

By choosing the date from a shared calendar, you can cut out the annoying shuffle related to picking up the date that works for everybody.

Use the task-related threads

Do your best to limit your task communication to one particular channel. If it’s a comment thread for the assignment, keep it there. If it’s a Slack chat thread – don’t move away from it.

Do this to avoid scattering communication across multiple channels and eliminate wondering where was given information or guideline shared.

Set up notifications and reminders

An important milestone approaching? Set up a reminder for your teammates to make sure they don’t miss it. It will land directly in their mailbox when the time is right.

Use notifications to keep your team in loop about the important changes to the tasks, workflow, processes, scheduled events and more. There’s plenty of options to do it – from integrations to email and your communication channels to simply using built-in options from your project management tool.

Final thoughts

Using software to improve remote team communication is one of the easiest fixes when you know what your problem is.

The options are out there and the decision is up to you which of the platforms you will go with. Don’t be afraid to experiment and test them out as you go. It may take a while before you find the right fit for your team.

Good luck!

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