Tales From The PROS

In today’s episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Marwan Forzley, who is CEO of Veem.com, a next-generation global B2B payment network that enables a quick and secure way of sending and receiving money. Since its founding in 2014, Veem is backed by Goldman Sachs, Google Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, and many many others.

In addition, Marwan is an innovator, visionary and enjoys launching new products in domestic as well as international markets through disruptive tech and global strategies. He is the author of “Small Business in a Big World: A Comprehensive Guide to Doing International Business”.

In this episode, we talk about Marwan’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building a global payment network such as Veem. We talk about how Marwan spotted the gap between SMB and their payment problems, and how Veem disrupted the global payment space.

Don’t Miss:

1. How did Marwan came up with the idea of ‘Veem’ - 4:15

2. What sets a business on the path of success - 17:00

3. What it takes to be a strong business leader - 28:15

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Marwan’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Marwan talks about how to establish a market fit for a product or service

3. The key factors that set a business for success, from startup to an operating and scaling company

4. Some struggles and obstacles that Veem faced and how you overcame them

5. The future of payment systems and technology

6. Thoughts and advice on how to be a strong business leader

7. Marwan defines his story in ”one-word”

Follow Marwan Forzley

Website: https://www.veem.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marwanforzley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/forzley/

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https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Dan McGaw, who is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and CEO of McGaw.io, an analytics and marketing technology consultancy, and also the founder of a SaaS platform called UTM.io.

In addition, he also finds time to be a 500 Startups Mentor, and has previously started the first business accelerator in Orlando. He was previously selected to be a United States Ambassador of Entrepreneurship by the United States Department of State

In this episode, we talk about Dan’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building and growing a tech consultancy. We talk about mistakes businesses make in sales and marketing, and the future of marketing and data.

Don't Miss:

1. What it takes to be an industry leader in marketing space - 7:17

2. Biggest challenges companies face in current times - 13:06

3. KPIs should look for to grow business revenue - 22:10

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Dan’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. What it takes to be an industry leader like McGaw and UTO.io

3. The biggest challenges/problems that companies have and how to overcome them

4. Dan talks about some of the most important data metrics to look for in order to grow in revenue

5. The future of marketing and data

6. Thoughts and advice on what it takes to succeed today

7. Dan defines his story in one-word

Follow Dan McGaw

Website: https://mcgaw.io/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmcgaw/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Danielmcgaw

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Anthony Blatner, who is the founder of Speedwork Social, a top LinkedIn Advertising agency. He is known as one of the top LinkedIn ads experts in the industry, having managed millions in ad spend and generating over 100,000 new sales opportunities.

As a previous tech founder and ex-IBMer, he has seen a lot of companies have explosive growth with good technology and good marketing, while others (even though they had a great product or service) fail without effective marketing.

In 2016, this successful entrepreneur started Speedwork to help those companies unlock their B2B marketing potential. By blending his experience in marketing and software, he is able to help businesses reach high-level decision-makers at scale using LinkedIn Ads and technology.

In this episode, we talk about Anthony’s journey to entrepreneurship and his experience of building and growing a B2B LinkedIn advertising agency. We talk about mistakes businesses make in sales and marketing, and the future of LinkedIn.

Don't Miss:

1. Why Anthony chose LinkedIn as a platform for his business - 7:50

2. Mistakes businesses make in their sales and marketing efforts - 20:50

3. Growing an advertising agency with the LinkedIn platform - 35:15

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Anthony’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. Why Anthony started a B2B LinkedIn advertising agency

3. What it takes to really succeed in generating leads from LinkedIn

4. Anthony explains what he is learning while growing and scaling an agency

5. The biggest problems and issues that people make with their sales and marketing efforts

6. The future of LinkedIn and where lead generation is headed in today’s market

7. Some of Anthony’s toughest obstacles and how he overcame them

8. Anthony defines his story in one word

Follow Anthony Blatner

Website: https://speedworksocial.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyblatner/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyblatner/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthonyblatner

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Rob Charles, who is the Founder and CEO of Goldfingr, a vetted and exclusive social network of business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and influential thought leaders working together and supporting one another for the common good and with intention.

His expertise is exhibited in a long track record of always executing, being an entrepreneur for over 30 years, and investing for over 18 years.

Goldfingr is a modern paradigm of social clubs - a think tank, incubator, and socially conscious business accelerator. They have integrated raising capital, investing, business, the arts, entertainment, and social, adding unbelievable value to their members, with a complete VIP experience 

In this episode, we talk about Rob’s journey to entrepreneurship, his experience of building and growing a members-only social club, the startup game in today’s digital age, and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. The story of Goldfingr and how it is different from other social platforms - 7:51

2. How pandemic has affected the various forms of communication - 15:33

3. Sectors and companies investors are looking to invest in - 24:55

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Rob’s 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 he 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡e𝐫𝐞 he 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲

2. What is Goldfingr? How did the idea for Goldfingr begin?

3. Shifting the paradigm of members-only social clubs

4. Rob’s thoughts and advice on the investment and startup game in today’s digital age

5. What it takes to succeed as a startup and entrepreneur

Follow Rob Charles

Website: https://www.goldfingr.net/rob-charles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-charles/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldfingr_official/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Mike Welsh, who is a veteran leader in sales and revenue growth and has been named CEO of Uptime.com, a leader in website monitoring software

He brings more than two decades of sales and revenue leadership experience to Uptime.com, driving growth for numerous public and private software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, such as Chargify, Rackspace Cloud, and Inspired eLearning. 

In this episode, we talk about Mike’s journey to entrepreneurship, his experience of building and growing a SaaS business, overcoming the challenges of running a SaaS company, the future of websites, and how to be a strong leader.

Don't Miss:

1. Mike’s advice to handling the role of CEO the right way - 06:30

2. What are the challenges that SaaS companies encounter - 25:13

3. How to execute your website’s performance check the right way - 36:41

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Mike’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. What it takes to be a CEO of a growing and thriving company

3. What it takes for a company to be an industry SaaS leader like Uptime

4. The biggest hurdles/problems that SaaS companies have and how to overcome them

5. Mike talks about some of the major problems that website's face today and how to overcome them

6. The future of website monitoring and performance

7. Thoughts and advice on how to be a strong business leader

8. Mike defines his story in "one-word"

Follow Mike Welsh

Website: https://uptime.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miwelsh/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UptimeDotCom

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Michelle Seiler Tucker, who is the Founder and CEO of Seiler Tucker Incorporated.  She owns many other businesses in several different industries. As a 20-year veteran in the Mergers & Acquisitions industry, she is regarded as the leading authority on buying, selling, fixing, and growing businesses. She and her firm have sold over a thousand businesses in almost every vertical and have a remarkable track record of success.

In addition to being featured in INC, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and USA Magazine, she is an international keynote speaker and makes regular radio and TV appearances on Fox Business News and CNBC. 

She has spoken alongside many prominent speakers: Eric Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Ireland, Randi Zuckerberg, Steve Wozniak, and more. She is the Best-Selling Author of the book “Sell Your Business for more than It’s Worth” and has a new book coming out called “Exit Rich®.”

In this episode, we talk about Anastasia’s journey to entrepreneurship, her experience of building and growing a merger & acquisition business, how to really succeed as a leader, and how to overcome challenges.

Don't Miss:

1. Michelle’s inspiration to becoming an entrepreneur - 09:18

2. How to know if a company is ready for a merger? - 17:14

3. Mistakes business owners make while scaling a company - 24:27

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Michelle’s inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. What it takes to build and scale a successful business

3. How to know when a business is ready for a merger or acquisition

4. The mistakes businesses make to make them go out of business

5. She describes her thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as a leader

6. Michelle explains some of her toughest challenges in his career and how he overcame them

7. Michelle defines her story in "one-word"

Follow Michelle Seiler Tucker

Website: https://seilertucker.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleseiler/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSeilerTucker

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Anastasia Leng, who is the Founder and CEO of CreativeX, a technology company that aims to advance creative expression through the clarity of data. 

CreativeX technology is used globally by Fortune 500 brands like Unilever, Mondelez, Heineken, ABI, and more to measure creative efficiency, consistency, and impact across all creatives worldwide. 

In this episode, we talk about Anastasia’s journey to entrepreneurship, her experience of building and growing a tech company, how to raise venture funding, and how to really succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. Anastasia’s inspiration to build a creative tech company - 07:56

2. What is a “good” media content or creative - 19:08

3. Importance of creative quality in marketing performance - 37:21

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Anastasia’s inspiring story of how she got to where she is today

2. Problems and missing pieces discovered in the creative world

3. What it means to scale your creative images and video at scale using data

4. What it’s like to raise venture funding and capital to scale a business

5. She explains some of CreativeX’s actionable insights and findings from the creative data collected

6. She describes her thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

7. Anastasia talks about some of her toughest challenges in her career and how she overcame them

8. Anastasia defines her story in “one-word”

Follow Anastasia Leng

Website: https://www.creativex.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleng/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ponystasia

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Mark Samuel, who is the Founder and CEO of IWON Organics, a thriving health, and wellness company that makes bold, flavor-infused snacks made from plant-based proteins. 

IWON's snacks can be found in over 5,000 stores nationwide, including Kroger's, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon, and many more. 

Mark is a foodie and a popular serial entrepreneur in the fitness and nutrition space. His goal is to provide inspirational and insightful value through his personal branding and company.

In this episode, Mark talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experience of building and growing a nutrition company, how he grew the IWON brand, and how to really succeed as an entrepreneur.

Don't Miss:

1. Mark’s inspiration to build a nutrition brand - 01:43

2. How to keep your brand authentic - 12:25

3. Advice to succeeding as an entrepreneur - 25:51

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Mark’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. How Mark started and scaled IWON into what it is today

3. Mark talks about the power and importance of having a balanced nutrition

4. Insights and strategies on how Mark is growing the IWON brand

5. The process of finding the right manufacturers and distributors

6. He describes his thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

7. Mark explains some of the toughest challenges in his career and how he overcame them

8. Mark defines his story in “one-word”

Follow Mark Samuel

Website: https://iwonorganics.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markalansamuel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkAlanSamuel

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Tim Salau, who is the CEO and Co-founder of Guide. Coming from humble beginnings, he is a business leader on the Future of Work, leadership, and innovation.

Tim is also an accomplished international keynote speaker, and world-renowned global tech leader recognized by global brands such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. He is internationally recognized as Mr. Future of Work.

In this episode, Tim talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experience of building and growing a company, how companies can position their workforce to thrive, and the future of employee training and development.

Don't Miss:

1. Tim’s inspiration to becoming an entrepreneur - 02:51

2. Importance of being adaptive to market changes while running a business - 08:42

3. The future of employee training and development - 14:49

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Tim’s inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. The inspiration and purpose behind Guide.

3. Tim talks about how companies can position their people to thrive in the workforce

4. The future of learning and development

5. Leveraging and utilizing storytelling within learning and leadership

6. Tim defines his story in one word

Follow Tim Salau

Company Website: https://www.guidegroupe.com/

Website: https://www.timsalau.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/timsalau

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsalau/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22

In today's episode of Tales from the PROS, I talk with Beerud Sheth, who is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and Founder and CEO of Gupshup, the world's leading messaging and bot platform. It is used by over 30K+ developers that handle nearly 4 billion messages per month. 

Gupshup also developed Teamchat, a smart messaging app that introduced structured templates to messaging. Beerud also founded and led Elance, the pioneer of online freelancing and which is now known as UpWork and is a publicly-traded company.

In this episode, Beerud talks about his entrepreneurial journey, shares his experiences and challenges of building and scaling a SaaS company, how to acquire VC funding and what he is up to these days.

Don't Miss:

1. Beerud’s inspiration behind growing a startup to a publicly-traded company - 05:13

2. How to scale a SaaS company - 19:15 

3. Overcoming the struggles of running a SaaS company - 29:25

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

Topics We Discuss:

1. Beerud's inspiring story of how he got to where he is today

2. How Beerud grew eLance (UpWork) and why he started Gupshup

3. Beerud talks about what it’s like growing a SaaS company with some of the challenges and successes he’s had in scaling

4. What it’s like to acquire VC funding with its pros and cons

5. He describes his thoughts and advice on how to truly succeed as an entrepreneur

6. The common difficulties that entrepreneurs and business owners are going through and how to overcome them

7. Beerud defines his story in “one-word.”

Follow Beerud Sheth

Website: https://www.gupshup.io/developer/about

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beerud

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beerud/

Follow Me and Subscribe:

https://linktr.ee/mgeorgiou22