Over the last couple of decades the investing landscape has changed dramatically. From the dotcom era to bitcoin, it can be tough to keep up. But one thing holds true, those who are ahead of the curve, and had some foresight, have been able to make a ton of money.

But how do you know which ones will be winners?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a gambler. It’s too damn hard to make money. I don’t want to risk it on unfavourable odds.

I’m a firm believer in the basic business principles that have stood the test of time. Strong leadership, a solid customer base, and of course… revenue. As flashy as something like NFT investing is, to me, if it doesn’t make sense on paper, it just doesn’t make sense.

Our guest on this episode of “Guide 2 the Grind” offers a unique perspective on modern investing with old school principles. Kyle Kuderewski is the Operations Manager for WebStreet. WebStreet offers passive investments in Web based businesses. They merge the old with the new to create an entirely new way for investors to diversify and take advantage of burgeoning areas of technology.

It’s a whole different way of looking at digital investing, you definitely want don’t want to miss this episode.

www.guidetothegrind.com

Since the dawn of time one thing has always captured our imagination. From Neanderthals sitting around a campfire, to Hollywood blockbuster movies, we are captivated by stories.

I used to work in the film business. I worked on tons of tv series and feature films. I can recall countless times that I watched directors and lighting technicians spend hours getting a scene to look just right, then spend only a minute or two actually filming. The one thing that always stuck with me in those moments was the thought that no matter how visually pleasing you make the scene, if the content is crap, nobody’s gonna care.

An example that immediately comes to mind is the movie “Locke” with Tom Hardy.

The entire movie is just one person, Locke, driving somewhere in his car and taking phone calls. Not the type of movie that captures your attention with car chases and explosions, but I was totally enthralled by the story. I couldn’t stop watching it.

Why is this important?

Because we as business owners are great at telling our customers every fact, figure, and detail about what we do, but very few of us tell the story of what we do, or how we can matter to our customers.

There’s an old saying in the sales world… “Facts tell, stories sell”.

Yes, our clients need to know that our product or service is going to do what we say it’s going to do, but why is it better for them to do business with us rather than our competitors?

It’s the personal connection they create in their minds that keep them coming back to us. Now, you might think it’s because we create a great relationship through our product and service, but that’s not where it starts. It starts when they feel a reason to pick up the phone, or send an email.

How many people do you know that always vote for the same party regardless of the candidate? Or always drink the same coffee, even though the coffee sucks?

Or drive a Ford?

Or drink Coke?

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of these brands?

Any 80’s kid can remember the polar bear commercials at Christmas. Is there a more heartwarming image?

The best way to attract new customers is by creating an emotional connection with them immediately when they discover us. The easiest way to do this is to draw them in with a story.

But it doesn’t have to be super complicated. One of the best “stories” I can recall in advertising are the Motel 6 ads. “I’m Tom Bodett, and we’ll leave the light on for you”.

This is such a simple story, but makes us think of images of home, being a road weary traveler, and being welcomed by a friendly face.

It doesn’t have to be a massive theatrical production, it just has to be good.

Our guest on this episode of “Guide 2 the Grind” understands this completely. Wayne Stanley works with fortune 200 companies and small businesses to help them understand what story they should be telling, and how to get that story out there. This conversation was truly a treat for me, and I’m super glad I had the chance to meet Wayne.

No matter what business you’re in, you need to hear this!

www.guidetothegrind.com

Have you ever had a great business idea and thought “If I only had the money”?

We all know there are ways to get early stage business funding, but few actually understand it. I would definitely include myself in that category.

Our guest on this episode of “Guide 2 the Grind” is Nathaniel Harding, the Managing Partner of Cortado Ventures.

Cortado is a Venture Capital firm in Oklahoma City. They specialize in early stage development funding and have a whole range of programs for educating and coaching the CEOs they work with.

Nathaniel walks us through both sides of the Venture Cap world from business selection and underwriting, to investor expectations and returns.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a business that needs Venture Capital, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

www.guidetothegrind.com