Entrepreneur People Real Stories

170 Jewish FunnyBone with Dan and Diane Brown

First, a brief note on sound of this interview. As you listen, I may sound like I'm talking into a soup can because I had my microphone settings messed up. Fortunately, I don't talk much at all because I ask my questions and Dan and Diane Brown of The Jewish FunnyBone take over offering wonderful stories and insights.

If you've ever been in the greeting card section of a store and thought "Oy vey! Where are the funny good cards?" Then you'll truly appreciate the humor and brilliance of this couple's venture.

(01:26) Describe what The Jewish Funny Bone offers.

(05:15) What is your background and what led you to create The Jewish Funny Bone?

(08:22) Is it hard to balance humor with being politically correct when touching on the subject of a religion?

(10:57) Who is your customer?

(14:25) Are there unique qualities to Jewish humor and jokes dealing with the subject of Judaism?

(18:00) Where can people find you?

(18:22) You have several projects going in addition to The Jewish Funny Bone. What else are you doing?

(21:11) It sounds like your political project “Not Politics as Usual” would appeal to people no matter what party you belong to.

(24:38) Diane does Dan have you laughing all the time with his humor?

(26:00) Since you’ve been in advertising . . . are you catching Mad Men and what do you think of the series?

(27:50) How do you come up with jokes?

(31:42) What type of marketing do you do that works best for you?

(33:33) How do you balance your life with your business life?

(35:00) What is the nutritional company that you represent?

(36:00) What keeps you passionate and invested in what you’re doing?

 

169 Aisha Syed Realtor of Iowa Realty

Had you heard about the housing market? Apparently there was this bubble and several years ago it burst. People are now either under-water on a mortgage or, because of other floods in the economy, overflowing in debt. So where should one set anchor as a buyer or seller in this new mortgage ship? In this interview, I speak with realtor Aisha Syed about her business, the Des Moines, Iowa market, and what it takes to smoothly sail in these new waters of real estate.

 (01:42) Explain what you do as a realtor.

 

(02:55) I can’t imagine buying a home “For Sale by Owner.” What would be in it for a buyer to do that?

 

(03:58) How long have you been a realtor and what was your background that led to you making and building your business?

 

(05:22) You’ve been in this business during a crazy time in the housing market. There is still business even in times like these?

 

(06:21) From a buyer’s perspective, what can you expect a realtor to do for you?

 

(11:10) How does the seller utilize the value of working with a realtor?

 

(13:55) Dispel some of the misconceptions that buyers have these days in the market.

 

(15:22) What are some of the misconceptions that sellers have in the market?

 

(17:28) What has changed about the housing market now as opposed to five years ago?

 

(18:35) Is a home still a good investment?

 

(19:45) Share a success story.

 

(21:44) Share what you do to connect with the community and keep in touch with your clients in a unique way.

 

(23:40) What marketing works best for you?

 

(26:18) You had a unique story of sharing your business. Would you share that story?

 

(27:54) Describe your average day.

 

(29:01) Where can people find out more about you? What keeps you excited about what you do?

 

168 Erik Wesner Author of "Success Made Simple"

In his book "Success Made Simple. An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive,"Erik Wesner examines the principles that sustain the Amish not only in life but also in their business practices. The result is that Amish businesses have a higher rate of success and sustainability than their mainstream counterparts. Learn about these values and why getting back to the basics can be good for the bottom line.

(01:45) What is the idea behind the title “Success Made Simple. An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive?”

(03:45) Somehow the simple life of Amish doesn’t seem so simple to achieve?

(05:45) How did you come to know and work with Amish families? What is your background story?

(10:02) Talk about your background selling books and that “door-to-door” type sales.

(12:30) How did your relationship in the Amish communities progress?

(14:11) When did you realize you wanted to write a book about the Amish Business model?

(15:00) What was your background in college?

(15:42) You started with the blog to help find your voice and content for the book?

(16:04) How did you approach the interviews for your book?

(17:47) Did you share the manuscript with the interviewees prior to printing the book?

(20:44) Share some of the startling stats that compare Amish Business success to mainstream businesses.

(25:28) Who is the audience for this book?

(26:56) Illustrate one of the Amish business principles that other business owners could incorporate.

(30:10) When did the book “Success Made Simple. An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive” hit the bookstores?

(31:07) What is one quality you’ve learned about yourself from writing and marketing this book and from your own background in sales?

(33:10)Are you twittering and on Facebook?

(33:36) What marketing is working well for you at this point?

(36:55) Those fake fireplaces we see advertised on TV, are they really made by the Amish?

(38:57) What is your passion for what you do and what keeps you going?

 

Tania Luna of Surprise Industries

Learn how adding the spice of surprise to your life can help you enjoy it more fully, and even handle the inevitable changes that come your way with grace and an adventurer's spirit. Tania Luna one of the three founders of Surprise Industries, shares how they've achieved success crafting special events for individuals, groups and businesses that spur participants to create fresh insights and have fun.

FYI, I've attempted a surprise for you with a tech glitch in the intro. There is this overlay of my exit piece that is about 35 seconds long. Ride it through and then head in to a terrific interview with Tania.

(01:50) Provide an overview of what Surprise Industries is all about.

(03:14)How did the three (Tania, Kat, Miasp?) of you become business partners?

(03:50) How long has Surprise Industries been in business?

(05:12) How and in what ways can people get started getting involved in a surprise event?

(08:15) How long a period of time do the mini surprises last?

(09:39) It is brilliant that you work with experience providers who are looking to market their products and services.

(10:33) Why is surprise an important component in life?

(11:45) How well are surprises received by your clients especially control type people?

(13:40) I can see that for corporations having teams think outside of the box can be beneficial?

(15:20) How did you come up with this idea for surprise industries?

(17:50) How organized do you have to be to prepare surprises?

(18:58) where can people find out more about you on the web?

(19:53) How can you plan a surprise experience for a branding purpose?

(22:20) Surprise can help inspire people to think differently about things. That’s important these days especially.

(23:00) Share a favorite story of a time you helped people enjoy a particularly great surprise.

(25:30) These surprises can be facilitated anywhere in the continental U.S.?

(26:04) What strengths do each of you bring to the business?

(30:19) Is the best place to start with Surprise Industries to fill out a form on the site?

(31:14) Are surprise events expensive?

(31:35) Is there a specific way that corporations should start with Surprise Industries if they want you to plan an event?

(32:40) What have you learned about yourself in the process of owning a business?

(35:30) What have you learned about others in the process of delivering surprises?

(38:00) What is the symbol that is used for your logo?

(39:20) What types of marketing are you using and what works well for you?

(45:01) What keeps you motivated and passionate about what you do?