Aggie Growth Hacks Podcast

The Labor Shortage Doesn’t Exist: You’re Hiring the Wrong Way with Ryan Englin

Solve the challenge of attracting and retaining employees! Ryan Englin, CEO of Core Matters and Author of “Hire Better People Faster”, shares his passion and methods for employee recruitment and retention. With Ryan’s proven hiring process, you can expect to reduce hiring time, retain employees, and grow your business.  
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5 star review and connect with Chris and Greg on LinkedIn!
About 
The Core Fit Hiring System is a repeatable, in-house recruiting process for attracting and retaining all employees you need to grow your service business and free up your time.
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 00:54] Intro
[00:55 - 03:10] The Reason Behind “Hire Better People Faster” Book
[03:11 - 04:51] Breaking The Labor Shortage Myth 
[04:52 - 08:57] About Core Matters     
[08:58 - 10:33] How to Figure Out Your Company Cores
[10:34 - 15:09] The Reality of Why Employees Leave
[15:10 - 18:15] Solving Retention Problems
[18:16 - 22:11] What Your Job Ads Should Look Like 
[22:15 - 24:25] The Ideal Client for Core Matters & How to Work w/Core Matters
[24:26 - 28:31] Chis and Greg’s Takeaways
[28:32 - 29:52] Outro
 
Resources:
Website:        https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanenglin/
                      https://corematters.com/
AGH Website: https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
 
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

All Green is a Pipe Dream with Derrick Ratliff of Horizon Firearms

Derrick Ratliff ‘07 of Horizon Firearms, joins us today to talk strategy, generational impact and storytelling through functional works of art. Derrick walks us through his early competitive archery days drawing the bow at TAMU and eventually looking for a product that wasn’t easily disposable. Rifles became the focus and was backed by inspiration from family and driven from a passion of the outdoors. Attending trade shows and sculpting beautiful products, Derrick and his team’s focus is on telling unique stories through their rifles. We encourage you to check out www.horizonfirearms.com to see Horizon’s amazing work and we’d like to thank Derrick for coming on the show. Thanks and Gig ‘em! 
 
Contact: www.HorizonFirearms.com / (979)-229-4664
www. iotaOutdoors.com
www.KasparCompanies.com
Derrick@horizonfirearms.com 
 
Podcasts: How I Built This, MeatEater, Over the Horizon
Books: “The LEAN Turnaround” by Art Byrne and James P. Womack & “The Goal” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt,
 
Timestamps & Show Notes: 
(0:00 - 1:40) Intro/ Derrick Ratliff of Horizon Firearms
(1:41 - 2:35) Favorite Aggie Memory (Archery @ TAMU) 
(2:36 - 4:35) Works of Art & Functionality (Horizon Firearms) 
(4:36 - 6:55) Hacks from TAMU (Finance and Accounting 4 All)
(6:56 - 9:52) Number 1 Hack (Lean and Mean)
(9:53 - 13:33) BHAG (0 to 1,000,000)
(13:34 - 14:29) Lightning Round (Anti-Tech)
(14:30 - 15:40) Podcasts -How I Built This, Meat Eater & Over the Horizon
(15:41 - 17:24) Aggie Network Help & Contact
(17:25 - 19:16) Kid in a Candy Store (Name and Logo Origin)
(19:17 -20:48)  Your Historical Piece (Stories & Guns) 
(20:49 - 21:22) Wrap Up 
(21:23 - 24:05) Takeaways (LEAN Priniciples & No Griping? Something’s Wrong)

Stay Covered to Stay Sane All In One Place with Shannon Cagle

Struggling to connect with your remote team? Shannon Cagle of Keen Coverage Insurance joins us today to share how he connects with his employees after going remote and becoming a solutions insurance provider to BOTH businesses and families! From book clubs to pizza robberies, Shannon’s shares some crazy insurance stories that might make you think twice! You can visit Shannon and his team here.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5 star review and connect with Chris and Greg on LinkedIn!
About 
Shannon Cagle is the Senior Account Manager at Keen Coverage Insurance. Shannon is the primary point of contact for commercial clients and maintains strong relationships by understanding their insurance requirements. Cagle also oversees the renewal process for existing policies and ensures timely renewals and reviews coverages to align with clients' evolving needs.
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 00:47] Intro
[00:48 - 02:10] About Keen Coverage Insurance 
[02:11 - 05:32] Best Client & The Truth in Insurance
[05:32 - 09:52] Crazy Insurance Stories    
[09:53 - 16:11] New System & Finding Great Talent  
[16:12 - 18:52] BHAG
[18:57 - 23:38] Lightning Round
[23:39 - 27:25] Chis and Greg’s Takeaways
[27:26 - 28:41] Outro
Resources:
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannoncagle/
               https://keencoverage.com/
AGH Website:  https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
 
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

A Happier Staff During COVID with Jeffrey Palermo, CEO of Clear Measure

Has COVID affected your company’s culture?
Jeffrey Palermo ‘01 of Clear Measure joins us today to talk about how his employees are even happier during the COVID-19 pandemic! Jeffrey mentions his team making the switch to 100% remote a year before the outbreak and how he's still making his industry better as well as keeping every single employee. We encourage you to check out Jeffrey’s book .NET DevOps for Azure and his show Azure DevOps Podcast. Thanks and Gig ‘em!
 
Contact: Jeffrey Palermo
Jeffrey@Clear-Measure.com
@jeffreypalermo
 
Podcasts: www.azuredevops.show
Books: .Net DevOps for Azure by Jeffrey Palermo & The Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks
 
Timestamps & Show Notes: 
0:00 - 1:24 Intro/ Jeffrey Palermo of Clear Measure ‘01
1:25 - 2:38 Favorite Aggie Memory? (G&B Bush & Clay Walker)
2:39 - 5:43 Why Clear Measure? (Custom Software) 
5:44 - 9:32 Hacking During COVID (No Lay-offs) 
9:33 - 10:56 Loosening the Pucker Factor (Clients)
10:57 - 15:15 How was your Business Changed? (Happiness) 
15:16 - 18:02 BHAG (Every Developer is Better)
18:03 - 18:44 Lightning Round (Eat Less)
18:45 - 19:42 Books & Podcasts
19:43 - 22:55 Current Challenge (Perfect Candidate)
22:56 - 23:32 Contact: Jeffrey Palermo, jeffrey@clear-measure.com @jeffreypalermo
23:33 - 25:10 Aggie Network & Wrap-Up
25:11 - 29:19 Outro - Takeaways (Free Content to Better the World & Treat People w/ Love)

How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams: All In with Mike Michalowic

How do you get your employees and team members all in? Mike Michalowicz joins us today to share all of his wisdom on bridging the gap between business owners and employees to create a cohesive team that is all in. To find more information about Mike and his formula of “All In” visit his website here!
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5 star review and connect with Chris and Greg!
About 
Mike Michalowicz is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and is the author of several business books, including Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan and his newest book, All In. Mike is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and business makeover expert for MSNBC. He regularly travels the globe as an entrepreneurial advocate.
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 01:17] Intro
[01:18 - 06:24] About “All In” by Mike Michalowicz 
[06:25 - 10:58] The Formula of “All In” 
[10:59 - 20:29] Building Connection- Psychological Ownership     
[20:30 - 28:15] Takeaways 
[28:16 - 30:41] Outro
 
Resources:
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/
              https://mikemichalowicz.com/ 
AGH Website:        https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

Season 7 Wrap-Up with Greg Martin & Chris Hunter

Howdy, Ags! It’s a wrap for Season 7 of Aggie Growth Hacks! We have published a total of 120 episodes of this show, interviewing so many incredible Aggie entrepreneurs. Join us today as Greg and Chris look back on the season’s great stories and best hacks, and be sure to check out our listener challenge! 
Thank you to all of our guests and supporters, as well as the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship for sponsoring this show. If you enjoy the Aggie Growth Hacks show, please leave us a 5 star review on your favorite listening platform! 
Are you an Aggie Entrepreneur? We would love to have you on the show! Connect with us and find more information on our website! 
About
Welcome to Aggie Growth Hacks, the podcast sponsored by the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M that is dedicated to highlighting fast growing Aggie entrepreneurs, learning how they overcame growth challenges with creative growth hacks, and connect them with other entrepreneurs in the Aggie Network.
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 00:57] Intro
[00:58 - 03:05] Chris’s Season Takeaways- Being A Part of Something Bigger   
[03:06 - 05:23] Greg’s Season Takeaways- Family Culture in Business
[05:24 - 09:23] Listener Challenge/ Greg’s Jump To Entrepreneurship  
[09:24 - 11:07] Taking Action/ Getting A Good Team
[11:08 - 14:15] Who? Not How
[14:16 - 17:08] Value
[17:09 - 19:35] Outro
 
Resources:       
AGH Website:        https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
 
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

Controlled Chaos - Mastering a Turnkey Experience with Bret Redfearn

Howdy, Ags! Lighting up today’s episode is Bret Redfearn ‘17 with Aggieland Christmas Lights! Bret shares how his business has grown with the help of the right products and people, his military experience, and the networking opportunities through EBV. If you’ve grown tired of the hassle that is decorating for the holidays, contact Bret and Aggieland Christmas Lights here!
About
Aggieland Christmas Lights provides a professional, turnkey, installation service for holiday lighting and decor in the Brazos Valley and surrounding area. Aggieland Christmas Lights is an Aggie/Military Veteran owned business located in College Station, TX with a mission to make your holiday decorating safe, simple, and beautiful. 
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 00:49] Intro
[00:50 - 02:53] Starting Aggieland Christmas Lights  
[02:54 - 05:54] Favorite Design Requests and Products   
[05:55 - 07:22] Growing the Company w/ Better Products 
[07:23 - 12:06] Military Experience & EBV
[12:07 - 14:40] Challenges/ Business Model
[14:41 - 16:58] BHAG
[17:02 - 21:12] Lightning Round
[21:13 - 23:50] Chris and Greg’s Takeaways
[23:51 - 25:04] Outro
 
Resources:
Website:          https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretredfearn/ 
       https://www.aggielandchristmaslights.com/ 
AGH Website:        https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

How A.I. Can Help Grow Your Business with Chris Wilke

Howdy, Ags! Chief Product Officer from AKW Ventures,  Chris Wilke ‘97,  joins today to discuss AI and how businesses can make use of it for profit and productivity. Chris touches on the AI tools you should know about and where he thinks AI will be in the next five years. If you’re interested in finding out more information about AI and how you can use AI in your business, get in touch with Chris by visiting his website here!
About
As Chief Product Officer at AKW Ventures, Chris Wilke helps businesses identify and implement generative AI for profit and productivity. 
Timestamps:
[00:00 - 00:52] Intro
[00:53 - 03:22] Enterprise Software for Clinical Trials   
[03:23 - 04:46] Working for Something Bigger Than Yourself   
[04:47 - 06:44] Prioritizing Sales and Marketing  
[06:45 - 15:42] AI Strategies Used w/ Clients 
[15:43 - 21:04] AKW Ventures’ Toolkit  
[21:05 - 24:14] Five Year Outlook on AI
[24:17 - 27:18] Lightning Round 
[27:19 - 30:12] Chris and Greg’s Takeaways
[30:13 - 31:09] Outro
Resources:
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wilke-net/ 
               https://www.chriswilke.net/        
AGH Website: https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/
 
Connect with Greg and Chris!
Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch
Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw