WWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM | AMERICA EDITION | JANUARY 2021
THE 10 MOST
EMPOWERING
BUSINESS
WOMEN TO WATCH
Shepreneur In Spotlight
Laura Brandao A LEADING
MORTGAGE
WOMAN
Denise Sangster HELPING AND INSPIRING TO BUILD CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
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The business world is booming at a rapid pace with new companies and start-ups emerging from all the directions, aiming for the podium. This not only makes it exciting as to see what unique products and services they offer, how do they offer, etc. but most of all whether they want to bring a change in their respective industry and contribute to the world or just want to become a part of the crowd losing their mission for inception. When we talk about successful companies and start-ups, we often talk about leaders and when we are talking about leaders, you will be surprised to know the jump in businesswomen the recent times have seen, proving the world that they are more than capable and can contribute to the business world with their innovative and out-of-the-box ideas. The Enterprise World special issue, The 10 Most Empowering Business Women to Watch in 2021, features the stories and journey of the strong and independent women that dared to venture into the unknown realm of the world of business and carve their names in the hall of fame by providing unmatched and efficient products/services that are redefining their respective industries and niches in their way. Laura Brandao, CEO of American Financial Resources Inc. (AFR), which is among the nation's leading mortgage lenders and an innovator in construction and renovation lending. AFR utilizes the latest technology and delivers educational resources to mortgage brokers, loan originators and their customers. From Renovation and One-Time Close Construction loans to financing for Manufactured Housing, and everything in between, AFR provides a full suite of specialized loan programs. Laura's leadership not only gives the lustre and rigidity to the exemplary team of AFR but also lifts the company as a whole, truly making her one of the most aspiring businesswomen to be! Nicole Martin, CEO of HRBoost, which offers small and midsize businesses HR services on an ala carte, project or retainer basis. They exceed their client's expectations by meeting them at their pace and budget. HRBoost's shared Services approach allows businesses to access strategic HR at their pace and budget all while taking a holistic approach to integrating a culture plan that enables their strategic and/or operational plans as a business, delivering skilled talent to their clients, perfectly in sync with their demands, needs and budget. Nicole's extensive industry knowledge and leadership have brought HRBoost and its team to new heights and the only way now is up for them. Nicole's command and her presence as a CEO and a leader define how a leading businesswoman should be! There is a lot more to read inside! Happy Reading!
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For Editorial Concerns: editor@theentetpriseworld.com For Sales & Branding Enquiries: sales@theenterpriseworld.com For Subscription: info@theenterpriseworld.com Publisher The Enterprise World Creative Content Editor Susanne J. Asst. Editor Rushikesh, Adeeb Marketing Coordinator(USA) Peter J. PR & Marketing Coordinator James H. Business Development Executive Ben Clarke Creative Design Head: V. Mittal Social Media Manager Avinash G. Digital Circulation Manager Amanda V. This list is NOT a ranking. The companies on listed in magazine serve different aspects of the market, making ranking them in any order except revenue impossible and unfair. We try to bring a perfect platform for business organization to showcase their valued products/ services. Copyrights © The Enterprise World | 2019. All Rights Reserved. The images and content included in this magazine should not be copied, transferred or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, otherwise, without proper permission from The Enterprise World. The Enterprise World solely owns all the reprint rights.
Leaders in Spotlight This issue of The Enterprise World, The Most Empowering Business Women to Watch in 2021 features, Nicole Martin, CEO of HRBoost, which offers small and midsize businesses HR services on an ala carte, project or retainer basis. They exceed their client’s expectations by meeting them at their pace and budget. HRBoost’s shared Services approach allows businesses to access strategic HR at their pace and budget all while taking a holistic approach to integrating a culture plan that enables their strategic and/or operational plans as a business, delivering skilled talent to their clients, perfectly in sync with their demands, needs and budget. Nicole’s extensive industry knowledge and leadership have brought HRBoost and its team to new heights and the only way now is up for them. Nicole’s command and her presence as a CEO and a leader define how a leading businesswoman should be. Marina Tognetti, CEO of mYngle, which offers customized language training programs through video conferencing in 45 different languages anytime, anywhere. Their lessons are one-on-one, with highly qualified native coaches and related to the learner’s job position. Their virtual classrooms enable
learners to take classes 24/7. mYngle is built on many years of experience, knowing that migrating existing classroom training programs to digital is not just the mere application of existing technology solutions. Rather, it requires a more fundamental rethinking of the total learning experience, from trainers to content, to the blended form. Thus, revolutionizing the way one looks at digital learning, and all the credit goes to mYngle’s team and their leader, Marina who not only provided a unique and innovative solution to an existing problem but also changed the overall dynamics of the online learning domain, putting her as one of the best businesswomen out there. Laura Brandao, CEO of American Financial Resources Inc. (AFR), which is among the nation’s leading mortgage lenders and an innovator in construction and renovation lending. AFR utilizes the latest technology and delivers educational resources to mortgage brokers, loan originators and their customers. From Renovation and One-Time Close Construction loans to financing for Manufactured Housing, and everything in between, AFR provides a full suite of specialized loan programs. Laura’s leadership not only gives the lustre and rigidity to the
exemplary team of AFR but also lifts the company as a whole, truly making her one of the most aspiring businesswomen to be. Kelly Bagla, CEO at Go Legal Yourself, which is an online legal resource company empowers people to incorporate their business the right way from day one, and without paying hefty law firm fees. Go Legal Yourself helps start-ups and budding entrepreneurs to start their business, grow their business, protect their business, and protect themselves personally. Go Legal Yourself sets itself apart from online legal document companies because they know that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for entrepreneurs, so one-size-fits-all business protection won’t work. Thus, making Kelly not only an impeccable leader with thorough industry knowledge and skillset but also makes her a truly unique and innovative businesswoman from whom one can learn many things. Concrete Blonde Consulting is a full-service consulting and marketing firm in NYC that specializes in providing custom marketing solutions for profit and growth. Read out an interview with Lindsey Myers, the Founder of the firm, and look into what Concrete Blonde Consulting is all about!
Table of
Contents
08 Cover Story
Denise Sangster Helping and Inspiring to Build Cutting Edge Technology
In a talk with...
16 28 38
Nicole Martin The new face of HR outsourcing and consultancy
Concrete Blonde Consulting Prot and Growth Solutions
Marina Tognetti A leading language training program provider in the digital world
Busine Story
American Financial Resources A mortgage industry leader
Kelly Bagla The leading women entrepreneur in the legal industry
24 34 From the Editor
14 20 32 42
Be Skilly Kickstart 2021 by learning a new skill
Get Inspired The Story of Clive Palmer
Be Trendy Trend to watch out for tness industry
FH - Make it worthy Accounting basics for the work from home entrepreneur
COVER STORY
DENISE SANGSTER HELPING AND INSPIRING to Build
Cutting
Edge TECHNOLOGY
Denise Sangster | President & CEO | Global Touch Inc 08 Jan 2021
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s we have progressed towards a society that has almost eradicated gender biases, where women have taken up superior roles and are leading through diligently. About a decade ago, women in tech space was a rare term, but with the scope expansion and the willingness to lead, women have emerged victorious here as well. With dedication, they have led the firms to a path of success. One such woman, who with her extensive experience in the tech field has risen up the ranks is Denise Sangster. With an ability to tackle some of the most difficult problems and with her sheer dedication, Denise is among the influential personalities who keeps motivating and inspiring everyone!
10 Jan 2021
The Enterprise World is Proud to feature Denise Sangster in this issue of The 10 Most Empowering Business Women to Watch in 2021. A Journey towards Excellence For 25+ years, Denise Sangster has advised the world’s most innovative technology companies, helping and inspiring them to build cutting-edge disruption through next generation partner ecosystems that generate predictable and sustainable revenue, growth, and profitability, and aligned with required customer business outcomes. She currently serves as the President and CEO of Global Touch, a tech consulting firm. Like any company, growing
industry reputation is a journey. She was known within the partners and customers she was working with, but had to find an opportunity to scale her reputation. This certainly wasn’t the easiest thing to do and required patience and perseverance. Denise got through this by writing columns for a collection of IT publications around the world, which gave her the visibility she needed in her early years of her business.
“I am a woman, but I never considered this a barrier to success.” Denise believes gender bias still exists around the world, but it is
“ less of an issue compared to when she started her career. She also believes a gender-diverse workforce allows technology companies and their ecosystem partners to serve an increasingly diverse customer base. And the best news, the result is more and more women are now acknowledged and known for their capabilities and experience, which empowers the overall technology industry. As Denise’s career progressed, male executives wanted her to meet with daughters to give them a role model, particularly those male leaders living in Europe and Asia. As a result, she was invited to many of their homes for dinners or weekend activities when she was staying over a long weekend, particularly in a different part of the world. “Six global IT executives decided the European market needed an IT event that would provide a learning experience, networking, and partnering opportunity for executives. They also decided I should do it and announced that I would be running it without talking with me first… This was a career changing moment!” When Global Touch launched the first pan-European IT conference focused on partner ecosystems. At the time, it was unusual for a female to work at a management level in the IT industry, particularly outside the US market. Initially Denise had male colleagues tell her they did not need an “American girl to help Europeans with their business”. She viewed this statement and others as opportunities to turn them into
Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been. - Walter Gretzky
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through conventional and creative partnerships, while navigating unparalleled market dynamics and changes.
supportive peers and ultimately some into clients, both of which she accomplished. Company
The Products and Services Global Touch is a partner ecosystem-focused strategy and goto market transformation consulting firm for the hybrid and digital computing world. Since 1990, Global Touch has created game changer opportunities for its clients who are investing in the moment to leverage the future. Their data-led management consulting services helps technology companies create partner success.
The IT industry, customers, and partners are re-imagining how to adapt or embrace what’s next in the digital economy. Learning how to transform business processes around the potential of hybrid computing and multi-cloud is critical while realizing promised business benefits to customers and sustainable profitability to partners. Looking for answers?
“Our sweet spot is helping technology companies grow predictable revenue by unleashing the power of partners.” Many technology companies continue to use strategies, programs and investments that worked fifteen years ago. These obsolete partner models are limiting the potential for success and opening the door to emerging and established competitors. At Global Touch, they look over the horizon to lead their customers
Global Touch helps identify where and how products and service innovations can help accelerate profitability for a technology companies’ partners in this new era. “We focus on finding the best solutions to your most complex pain-points.” The company is anchored in a longstanding foundation of helping clients stay ahead of disruptive market trends by leveraging a combination of their insights, in-
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field research, transformational strategies and next generation services that only a seasoned channel savvy organization can deliver. They help their clients stay a step-ahead of market trends and capitalize on emerging opportunities, including how to: • Accelerate growth • Improve profit predictability • Meet changing consumption models • Drive sustainable partner profitability • Deliver business outcomes • Create continuous lifecycle momentum (success) Knowing and understanding
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“customer needs” is at the Global Touch launched center of every successful the first IT industry’s business, whether it sells directly Partner Profitability calculator in to individuals or businesses. September 2020. We are continuously looking to add value to our clients, “We know that identifying disruptive innovation, driving partner profitability should and helping them build predictable revenues and protable partners. 12 Jan 2021
be the #1 objective and foundation of every channel investment made by an IT company. In essence, partner profitability is an IT company’s profitability.” The Global Touch Partner Profitability Calculator™ is built from years of in-the-field data across thousands of global partners and it provides IT companies with a snapshot of their partner programs and investment profitability impact in less than 5 minutes. It will help IT companies discover how your company stacks up with a rating from laggard (the lowest rating) to innovator (the highest rating). Why is partner profitability important? The ugly truth is partners prioritize IT companies that create sustainable profitability opportunities for their businesses.
They invest in those IT companies’ product roadmaps and proactively participate in their readiness programs. Unfortunately, most partners suffer from profit underperformance, which means they never fully commit to selling their products or services or invest in their future, leaving IT companies with a sliver of their partners’ revenue potential. For the majority of IT companies, this is their #1 problem and they don’t know it or they don’t understand why it is happening and how to fix it. The Work Culture Through Denise’s journey, she and her team have offered a range of services including consulting, conferences and publications. She has sold several to keep her focus on the core capabilities: consulting. There are a few things in every company that define culture. For her team, we are always looking to improve on their performance with clients and treat them as clients for life. She is also a big believer in continuing education—formal training, distance learning, seminar participation, webinars, and so forth. She also likes to celebrate the little accomplishments and not just the big ones. Being a dog lover she believes that there is nothing better than having dogs in the office. It lowers the stress, improves morale, promotes productivity, and makes better socialized dogs instead of ones that are left at home; which is why she made it a practice to bring in dogs on their Friday Lunches, something that made everyone cheerful and
ready to take on challenges! When in business, competition is inevitable. It is something that can hold you back or propel you forward. Denise is the kind of person who likes to take competition in a positive way. She says, “Every industry has competition—some more than others. I believe the IT industry has very robust and healthy levels of competition. The IT industry thrives on competition and attracts exceptionally competitive people. Since the mid-1990s, the IT industry has seen spectacular successes and failures through competitive moves. Whether that be accomplished through products, licensing, features, business models, partners, global reach, or changing customer behaviors, competition thrives on disruptive innovation, which is the back bone of the IT industry. The new challenge facing the IT industry is the digital economy, which have competition coming from everywhere.
“Competition is a motivating factor for me. I am always looking to add value and work harder for our clients.”
weaknesses of your whole picture, as well as the pieces that make up the IT industry.
Denise’s competitive nature was shaped early in her life. Starting at the age of 5, she had a swimming coach that was a three-time medalist at the 1948 Olympic Games. “She taught us to train like we’d never won and compete like we never lost and to remember every competition is about winning and learning, not winning or losing.” These are life lessons Denise uses every day of her business life. The Enterprise World is always keen on finding that one thing that keeps the entrepreneurs motivated and moving forward, particularly in the heat of intense competition. When Denise was asked the question of what motivates her, she had quite an unusual reply. But then again, that is what makes her an inspiring personality! She said it is a passage from “Alice in Wonderland”. “My favorite part of the book is when Alice meets the Cheshire Cat and asks which way she ought to go and the Cheshire Cat responds, “That depends where you want to get to…” And this is what energizes Denise!
The best way to cope with competition in the IT industry is to continually disrupt your own model, products, value add to customers, and so forth. You also need to recognize the strengths and
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Be Skilly
L E A R N 14 Jan 2021
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Kickstart 2021 B Y L E A R N I N G A N E W S K I L L
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he year 2020 has not only confined us to our homes but also provided a lot of constraints when it comes down a lot of aspects, be it work, studies, fitness, healthcare, etc. But all this did not stop from the world and the industries from evolving and providing solutions which are better and available to you sitting in the luxury of your home. Yes, the troubles and problems in the year 2020 not only hindered day-to-day activities but also put a block in various other amenities and services. But if that did not stop from the industries, companies and the world to adapt and move forth at a faster pace, then why should this stop you from learning and working your way ahead in life both personally and professionally.? The change always starts with you As the method of imparting education shifted to an online basis, it has opened new opportunities and possibilities for individuals who were long aspiring to learn a skill or do a course but were constrained by the work hours, traffic and other day-to-day issues. But now one can avail these courses and skills sitting anywhere in the world from the university, institutions, etc. spread all around the globe providing cost-efficient
and with various modes of payment. So, this does not only make it affordable and in reach to everyone with a laptop/computer/phone with an internet connection but also presents the opportunity to kickstart 2021 by learning a skill or any hobby, etc. that you always desired or aspired to do. With the onset of the pandemic, the education industry took drastic steps and shifted to the online mode of teaching and learning, providing unique and highly attractive learning opportunities, as now one can do a course or learn a skill provided by any university or institution around the globe by having the luxury of sitting in their homes. Although 2020 had its fair share of ups and downs, this should not stop or demotivate one from reaching higher levels in work and professional life and improving oneself. A lot of universities, colleges, educational institutions, etc. are providing courses all over the globe and that too at an affordable fee and with the flexibility of payment options. Thus, if one wants to undertake a course, learn a new skill, etc. they can avail these facilities without having a big hole in their wallets. These skills can be related to your professional life or a hobby that you always wanted to learn but
never got the time to do so. Thus, one should find an excuse and start exploring the plethora of courses on the online portals of the educational institutions, etc. Even if you do not want to pursue a course or skill, you should still check them out as you never know you might just find something interesting and worth learning. Out goes the old…you! It is without a doubt that the year 2020 has brought a lot of trouble to everyone, professionally and personally but should that stop one from ruining their life and time ahead.? Life is all about growth, and one should always be ready and willing to accept the situations, circumstances and start carving and crawling their way through it. Thus, instead of looking back, start looking forward and you just might find the right place, which you have been searching for or the right course/skill you always wanted to learn. The time is now and it's your chance to kick the gloomy memories of 2020 by kickstarting 2021. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever – Mahatma Gandhi
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In a talk with..
Nicole Martin The new face of HR outsourcing and consultancy
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company is always on the lookout for able and skilled personnel. As manpower is the most crucial resource on the planet and in the world of business a good, skilled and expert manpower is hard to lose. As it is the people working in a business/firm that make or break the company. Thus, it becomes a rather important and complex task for a company to hire the best people suited for their company and provide the desired levels of efficiency and lead to the overall growth of the company. These simple yet tedious tasks are handled by the HR firms or departments in a company, their task not only revolves around finding the right person for the job but also the well-being of the company and its employees. Since the market is such a huge place to find the right and talented individual it often involves tedious efforts and resources. HRBoost is one of the leading and reputed names when it comes to HR services and consulting. They not only provide talented and skilled personnel to the companies but also cater to the company's needs, their budget, etc. They have a large number of clients which are
16 Jan 2021
progressing ever rapidly due to their precision and on-point services, providing them with the best possible skilled and talented individuals, adhering to the company’s pace, demands and their pay scale. In conversation with the CEO of HRBoost, Nicole Martin. Let’s hear more about the company, their services and about her entrepreneurial journey. • Tell us about the company, the initial challenges and the reasons you feel led to its growth. HRBoost offers small and midsize businesses HR services on an ala carte, project or retainer basis. We meet our clients wherever they are on their journey to be an employer of choice and we also meet them at their pace and budget. Our Shared Services approach allows us to build HR departments from scratch and align them to business strategy. While we see great value in the middle market, we do have some larger companies that augment their internal HR teams with strategic project initiatives from our team. Software is not HR. And HR is more than payroll and benefits. Building a high-performance
culture that drives innovation and profitability requires leaders at all levels. HR infrastructure can uphold the Culture Invitation and once it is strategically aligned and reinforced a company can create workforce alignment empowering leaders to innovate amidst even the toughest climate in business. Like any business, talent is critical to the growth and skilled talent is critical to our business. As a result, we have reinvested in our talent and our approach to not only acquire talent but enable it. We have also been careful to listen to our clients, their experience, and ways we can better serve them. Our flexibility and custom approach to how we work with clients has fuelled our growth and success. The challenge will always be access to capital, both financial and human. As the business grows, those challenges just increase in scale. We practice what we preach. Which means we accept passive talent interest, and we pipeline our talent. Usually, when we have a need, we do not have to post an ad and wait. We usually have someone ready to go and waiting for the call. This is essential to our continued growth.
Nicole Martin | CEO
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What has been interesting during the pandemic is the out of state interest we have received from HR talent. It has us thinking. After all, we do believe in open sourcing talent, especially now. • Tell us about the products/services offered and how do you take them a step further. Given we are not your Broker, your Attorney or a 1-800 number. We believe HR expertise is essential to any business as they grow their enterprise. Our Shared Services approach allows businesses to access strategic HR at their pace and budget all while taking a holistic approach to integrating a culture plan that enables their strategic and/or operational plans as a business. We deliver skilled talent to our clients. We also believe they need both strategic and tactical resources at the same time. One human is not ideal as there are various cognitive abilities to optimize HR strategically. We believe our shared services approach to the middle market is the PEO Alternative. And yes, the middle market needs an alternative. We recently engaged a partner to be the HR Expert on Demand and this truly takes our bench strength to small businesses across the country via the phone or their chosen mobile device. While we prefer inperson like everyone these days we have gone digital. • Please tell us about your professional experience. I feel I’m an accidental entrepreneur. I looked back after 18 Jan 2021
starting my own business and said, ‘I started a business. Whoa!'” I didn’t set out to create HRBoost. I followed my passion to help clients understand the importance human resources can play in developing a strong business. Today, I am a successful entrepreneur and an HR industry innovator who is dedicated to helping small to mid-size business realize their potential through their employees. Right out of high school, I got a job as a receptionist at a pre-Y2K firm where I found my passion quite by accident. “They were hiring all these computer experts from overseas, but when they arrived, the company just put them in the reception area because they didn’t know what to do with them,”. “It was just inhumane.” During the same time, I was working on a training program for a college human resources class. “I wanted to help these guys out in the hallway, so I just marched into the director's office and asked him if he wanted to see the training program I created for school.” When I was finished with my presentation, the director created a human resources department for the site, hired a manager and moved the 18-yearold me from reception to human resources. I have been building HR departments from the ground up ever since. I feel what makes my approach so unique is that I begin with the business’ vision and create HR programs that are completely integrated with that vision. From the hiring process to annual reviews, the programs I create are designed to further the business, boost productivity, and help employees understand why and
how their contributions are meaningful. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there in the business community. These big businesses are coming into small to mid-size companies, and they are offering something that they call full-service HR, but it’s not. It’s tactical HR. It’s just taking care of payroll, benefits, database stuff. It’s not the strategic integration that helps a business thrive and perform.” Today, I am doing my best to represent this industry, not just as a senior executive, but as a public speaker, thought leader, blogger, board member and volunteer. As an ambassador for 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™, I am also helping Chicago business to see all the benefits of a fully integrated human resources department can bring. “If you go into a business and they are a 101 Best and Brightest Company to Work For™, you can feel it. You would see on the people’s faces, the authenticity, the honesty, constructive criticism (which is level of respect) not complacency where managers think something in silence and don’t communicate it.” But my brand, HRBoost is a fullservice integrated HR provides more than just a corporate culture boost or a good office vibe. I often link HRBoost’s services directly to profitability time and time again— and I have got the analytics path charts and the logic models to prove it. Your take on employee relations and the competition in the market. I am blessed to have truly blessed people on our team. Thankfully,
they live our core values and instead of me recognizing every time a core value is witnessed, they have taken peer reward recognition to be a strong reinforcement. Even today, I was thanked by my Admin Extraordinaire for her shout outs as she just cashed in on a new car seat for her beautiful child. What more can I say? It is all about how you make people feel. Ironically, the biggest threat to the marketplace is talent, even now. Only the truly forward-thinking companies will make winning moves even in the downturn of the economy. The best people are just competing against themselves. The concept of the best is to be rooted in continuous process improvement. The one thing that won’t change is change itself.
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Get Inspired
T H E S T O R Y O F
Clive Palmer Never have all your eggs in one basket.
20 Jan 2021
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Get Inspired
Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming.
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usiness and start-ups and tales of entrepreneurs and businessmen are often heard and told around and about. There are a lot of businessmen who tried different domains of business and have their success story behind them. One should always learn that settling is a good option but moving ahead and taking risks is something that keeps one motivated, which in turn gives one a reason and an aim to strive for more. But little do we hear about the tales of businessmen who not only stuck to business in a particular field but also tried various domains and fields trying out new options and opportunities alike. It not only requires a strong dedication, courage and will to explore uncharted fields and territories, but it is equally thrilling and enchanting. This is the story of Clive Frederick Palmer an Australian businessman in real
22 Jan 2021
estate, minerals, owning a football team, etc. he was also a politician and a member of Parliament. The man, the story, the beginning. Clive Palmer was born in Footscray, Victoria in 1954, and moved to Goal Coast, Queensland as his asthma worsened due to pollution. He went on and finished his school and joined the University of Queensland studying Journalism and Law. He later dropped out of college and began his journey in the field of business, as he acquired a real estate license and started working as a real estate agent. He made a fortune in the property boom of Gold Coast in the 1980s and retired from the industry at the age of 29, making around $40 million (Australian). In 1986, he turned to the world of mining and started three companies with an
He used Queensland Nickel to fund his political ambitions, using $20 million to fund Palmer United Party, later known as United Australia Party. Clive always had an interest in politics, he was a member of the conservative National Party since the 1970s. He volunteered as campaign director for Queensland state election in 1983, later became its spokesperson. He was awarded life membership of the party in 1992 but left in 2012. In 2013, he
resurrected the United Australia Party, naming it to Palmer United Party and later won the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax in the Australian federal elections. He served as MP for one term and disbanded the party in 2017. He again resurrected the party rebranding to United Australia Party, ended up running candidates for lower house seats in 2019 federal election with Palmer running for Queensland senate seat, the party failed to acquire any seat. Palmer over his business and political journey ventured into many fields and domains. Palmer bought Gold Coast United in 2008, also opened a dinosaur the park called Palmersaurus. In 2012, he announced his grand plan to resurrect the doomed ship – Titanic.
from the experiences, the story, and the history of Clive Palmer. One should always strive for success, no matter the cost, the price, just dedicate yourself, never mind the hard work put in and make sure you repeat the cycle and one day you will be in the hall of fame which these tycoons and legends share. One should never forget that it's never too late to start a venture, to explore new fields and to try anything else in life. These stories are not only for inspiring those starting or planning to get in the world of business, these stories are for everyone who wish to do anything in life. Thus, we should never that it’s never too late for a new a beginning and it’s never too late to let go.
The take from the story, the excerpts from the life of a tycoon. We can learn and understand a lot
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interest in mining exploration, one of which was Mineralogy which acquired large stakes of prime iron ore in Western Australia. In 2006, he leased his mines to Chinese government-owned – CITIC Ltd. worth $2.8 billion in today’s money, including royalties on any ore produced. Palmer later acquired Queensland Nickel and the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery in 2009.
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
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Laura Brandao 24 Jan 2021
MERICAN FINANCIAL RESOURCES A mortgage industry leader
I
n the year 2020, many companies had to evolve to survive. As Americans spent more time in their homes, sheltering in place, many families looked to move or remodel. Home financing was among the strongest performing industries of the year, with many mortgage lenders experiencing exponential growth. American Financial Resources, Inc. (AFR) has confirmed its place among industry leaders by specializing in specialty lending, providing a full suite of unique loan programs. AFR provides a variety of financing solutions for one-time close construction, renovation, and manufactured homes. Since 2007, AFR President Laura Brandao has been the driving force behind the company’s success as a specialty lender. The Growth of AFR
American Financial Resources, Inc. (AFR) is among the nation’s leading mortgage lenders and an
innovator in construction and renovation lending. AFR utilizes the latest technology and delivers educational resources to mortgage brokers, loan originators and their customers. The wholesale division of AFR was launched in 2007, and by 2012, the company had fine-tuned AFR’s focus on renovation, manufactured housing, one-time close construction and government lending. AFR learned who they were and what they wanted to be the best at, and found success by specializing in specialized lending. A few years ago, companies throughout the industry were facing a downturn in profitability due to margin compression. AFR’s new challenge was to figure out how to gather more clients and more business, to regain their profitability. Fortunately, as a company, they jumped in to support the newly formed Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) in the organization’s
infancy. The number of independent mortgage brokers was growing, and gobbling up market share from traditional bank lenders. Thanks to connections made through AIME’s growing network, AFR was able to grow their community of client partners. Products/Services offered From Renovation and One-Time Close Construction loans to financing for Manufactured Housing, and everything in between, AFR provides a full suite of specialized loan programs. In addition to their extensive portfolio of specialty lending products, they fully invest in the success of their partners by providing a wide array of complimentary services. AFR listens to feedback regarding what their clients need. AFR supports their partners with on-demand processing, industry-leading technology, a full Resource Center and ongoing educational opportunities like live and
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Business Story
on-demand webinars. Partners can avail themselves of complimentary training at AFR University and get certified in various loan programs.
USDA repair escrow, and a full suite of One-Time Close Construction-to-Permanent programs.
As the low-rate environment continues, Streamline Express offers an expedited process and special pricing for eligible FHA refinances. With its simplified requirements and competitive rates, AFR offers borrowers an expedited credit approval process, including underwriting decisions in as little as one business day.
Leading Lady Laura Brandao
Company Leadership Every successful company has a strong, dedicated, and disciplined leader at its helm, and AFR is no exception with its president Laura Brandao. Laura started her career as a telemarketer helping families refinance their high-rate mortgages. Following many leadership roles in the mortgage industry, she launched the wholesale channel for American Financial Resources in 2007 as Director of Operations. Later, she went on to become an AFR partner, followed by Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, before serving the company as President. Laura is proud to have led AFR’s growth as a leader in specialized programs, including Manufactured Home, One-Time Close and Renovation lending. Throughout her career, her efforts to stay connected to the clients and families AFR serves, have allowed AFR to develop new products based on market demand, including
26 Jan 2021
In 2020, Laura was featured as one of “The 10 Most Influential Businesswomen to Follow” and among “The 20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch” by Insights Success magazine. Other accolades included being honoured as a “Women with Vision” and being named among the “Best 50 Women in Business” by NJBIZ. Laura has also been named a “Women of Influence” by Housing Wire and has earned spots on Mortgage Professional America’s “Hot 100 Mortgage Professionals” and “Elite Women of Mortgage” lists. “While it is nice to be recognized, beyond the awards, I am proud to have played an integral role in the development and launch of a few mortgage industry initiatives,”. For example, I created a Survive & Thrive group on Facebook at the beginning of the pandemic, and featured different mortgage professionals each week to impart advice. The initiative has grown into a weekly “Thrive Thursday” power hour and has branched out far beyond the mortgage industry. I greatly enjoy connecting guests, hearing them help each other with their businesses, and sharing their superpowers. I am also proud to serve as Chair of the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America’s Visionary program. In
this role, I recruit corporate partners for NAMMBA’s Mission 2025, which was launched to introduce, develop, and connect college talent to the industry. In addition, I recently joined the Board of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey (MBANJ) and now Chair its women’s committee. After presenting at an industry event, and hearing from a number of attendees about how great it was to see a woman in a leadership position, I recognized the need for a networking group for women and approached the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME). The organization fully supported the idea, and dedicated resources to bring the concept to fruition. The Women’s Mortgage Network grew from a launch event in March, to which 50 women were
I start every morning with a motivational video for my team, no matter where I am. I want everyone on my team to start each day on a positive note; so, I make sure that one of the first things they see each morning is me in their inbox with a quick company update, appreciating them for their hard work, and wishing them a wonderful day. We also give “Above & Beyond” awards to recognize a job well done and keep employees motivated and connected. Anyone can nominate a co-worker for any reason, and everyone is eligible. Even with most of our staff working remotely over the past several months, we still have certificates printed, signed by me and their manager, and we have been mailing them to recipients’ homes. invited, to a thriving group of more than 2,300 members…in nine months…during a pandemic. I now invite members of the Women’s Mortgage Network to participate in interviews and weekly “Growth Series” challenges.
Laura Brandao discusses work culture and employee relations
We also have a few traditions that we started with the birth of AFR Wholesale, that are still going strong. Every year we give a holiday ornament to every staff member. I typically walk around on Christmas Eve and employees pick their ornament and often hang it up in their cubicle. You can tell just how long some people have been with the company by counting the ornaments in their cube. Originally, the ornaments were handmade by my parents, but this year we ordered them and mailed them out, proudly keeping the tradition alive.
Our company is our work family and it's important to stay connected. We value our employees and want to show them our appreciation, and be clear in delivering our why – so we are all aligned in our mission to help bring families home.
Also, we celebrate work anniversaries. We send out a questionnaire ahead of time, and then send an email out to the company on their anniversary based on their responses. It not only recognizes them for their
At this point in my career, my goal is to train and empower the next generation of leaders in the mortgage business. I want to leave the industry behind me better than when I arrived.
years of service but shares a little bit of personal information about them, as well. We ask new questions each year, and people share only whatever they are comfortable sharing. It’s fun to hear co-workers connecting over things like, “I love that movie, too!” We truly are like a family at AFR, with our company traditions. Laura’s thoughts about competition in the market and its impacts on a company Leaders need to work to continually improve their companies, their offerings and most importantly, their connections with customers. Keep working at being the best at what you bring to the market. You cannot be all things to all people, and you should not shift your focus because competitors are changing what they are doing. The development of new product offerings should be based on the needs demonstrated in the marketplace. Providing what customers need should be the goal, rather than focusing on trying to outperform your competitors. If you work to provide the best products and the best service, you will be a leader in your industry. Competition can be a motivating factor pushing you to be at your best, but your customers should be your primary motivators and the reasons you work hard every day.
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In a talk with..
PROFIT AND GROWTH SOLUTIONS
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ommunication is key when building a brand. Today, most organizations are working on their marketing strategies and public relations to improve the company reputation. Because when you build a brand, you need to make sure that you are sending the right messages to the right places and people. This helps to increase brand credibility, which ultimately plays a vital role in company growth. Concrete Blonde Consulting is a full-service consulting and marketing firm in NYC that specializes in providing custom marketing solutions for profit and growth. In this interview with Lindsey Myers, the Founder of the firm, let’s look into what Concrete Blonde Consulting is all about! Tell us about the company. Concrete Blonde Consulting is a full-service consulting and marketing firm in NYC. We specialize in providing custom marketing solutions for profit and growth. By examining your business development pipeline, we are able to identify new areas for growth, while also creating strategies to amplify current opportunities. In addition, we provide a competitive media 28 Jan 2021
analysis, streamline marketing campaigns and build additional sources of revenue. We service various industries including consumer products and services, tech, lifestyle, hospitality and nonprofit companies. Communications is a rapidly changing field and our firm is continually transforming to harnesses the powers of both influence and interaction. We offer clients a variety of tools from thirdparty PR endorsements to social influencer campaigns to reach consumers and drive business. We believe every client is unique. We partner with them to unearth their core business goals. Then we create bespoke strategic marketing plans with benchmarks to chart our progress and target our methods. We feel a sense of responsibility to our clients and we are responsive not only to their needs, but also to the ever changing world in which they operate. What were the initial challenges you faced? Our initial challenges were fairly common -- we had to build a brand and develop a portfolio from scratch while also conducting business development to gain new clients.
Which was that point that triggered the growth of the company? We partnered with a firm in the UK and provided white label services to several technology companies to diversify our base areas of expertise and this partnership really helped trigger a new stage of growth. What is the reason behind your company’s long-standing success? We genuinely care about our clients and their businesses and strive to provide the support they need to help them grow. Our client service and our willingness to be nimble and meet their changing needs is the reason behind our success. We would be nothing without the community of companies we partner with on a daily basis. Their success is paramount to our success. The Products/Services What are the products/services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market? We are first and foremost a public relations firm who focuses on media relations and crisis communications. Our services are very focused on the business development goals of our clients.
Lindsey Myers
We believe in more than placements for the sake of placements. We believe that communications should support the business goals. How do you decide to take the company a step further in terms of your products/services? We believe that choosing a PR firm is a very personal business and it's important that the corporate culture and values are a match. We look beyond fiscal capabilities and like to ensure that companies are a good fit before we take them a step further. Is there any new addition to the list of products/services? Anything exciting you would like to share? During this unprecedented time we’ve been working with a lot of companies on corporate visionings. Typically, this is most useful for those businesses looking to make a significant pivot and restructure their companies. Leadership What do you think are the responsibilities of an entrepreneur? I believe it’s the responsibility of an entrepreneur (or any leader really) to name reality and then provide hope. They need to set the vision for the company, provide direction and inspire the talent. It’s also important to manage day-to-day operations to make sure everyone stays on course and is moving towards the destination. Can you please brief us about your professional experience? Lindsey Myers founded Concrete Blonde Consulting in November 2016 to pursue her passion for
building reputations and revenues through business development marketing strategies. The company has since been named one of the “Top 15 PR Agencies in New York” by The Manifest and one of the “Top 10 Best PR Agencies” by Web Surf Media. Myers provides profit and growth solutions and thrives as a consultant. A communications expert and entrepreneur, she has over twelve-years of experience serving various industries including consumer products and services, tech, lifestyle, hospitality and nonprofit companies in NYC and the Hamptons luxury market. And in 2018, Insights Success magazine named her one of the “30 Most
In a talk with.. Innovative CEOs” of the year. She graduated from Boston University with a BS in Communications and concentration in PR. She began her career at WordHampton Public Relations , a firm headquartered in East Hampton, NY and ranked by Jack O’Dwyer’s as one of the country’s “Top 100 Independent PR firms”. In 2013, she made partner and was chosen to launch the company’s NYC division. Recognized as a strategic leader, she has earned a track record for counseling clients, including Fortune 500 companies such as NAPCO Security, Inc., to increase profits, manage brand reputations and gain market share. She’s continually driven by her enterprising spirit and innate understanding of consumer influence. She takes ownership of the business she supports and partners with clients. Professional, confident and wellrespected by her peers, she has also been a guest lecturer at several universities including Hofstra University and Saint Joseph’s University, possessing a presence people often find unforgettable. Her leadership and expertise have earned her numerous accolades throughout her career including; PRSA Big Apple award, PRSA Bronze Anvil award, eight MarCom awards, nine Fair Media Council Folio awards, Communicator award, SABRE award and an Excellence in Communications award. What are the key achievements of your entrepreneurial journey? I feel as though my biggest 30 Jan 2021
achievements have been the personal ones brought on by my professional journey. One of the things I love most about being an entrepreneur is how it forces you out of your comfort zone, requires you to face your fears in order to be successful and is the catalyst for personal growth. The journey itself is the achievement! Personal Questions Can you tell us which your favorite book is? And your favorite part of the book (if any)? It’s a tie between Atlas Shrugged and Shantaram. My favorite part of Atlas Shrugged is when Dagny Taggart comes to the realization that “We never had to take any of it seriously, did we?”. I feel like all too often we take the world and ourselves too seriously and we miss a lot of the beauty and connectedness. I’ll admit I haven’t finished Shantaram yet -- but so far my favorite part is when the main character’s best friend dies. It sounds strange, but the book itself has some of my favorite quotes on love and fate and friendship that I've ever read anywhere. When his best friend dies, he describes that feeling in a way that I believe truly shows the way our friends impact our lives. “at first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. what we should fear and dread, of course, is that we wont stop loving them, even after they are dead and gone. for i still love you with the whole of my heart. i still love you. and sometimes, my friend, the love that i have and cant give to you,
crushed the breathe from my chest. sometimes, even now, my heart is drowning in a sorrow that has no stars without you, and no laughter, and no sleep.” Whose business story do you find the most inspiring? Oprah!! I love her and her story and I find it amazing what someone who started where she started was able to accomplish, especially given the culture she was up against to make those achievements. I also love her mentality and values and believe both of those intangible characteristics were tantamount to her success. Which is the most inspiring quote you have read? It changes everyday depending on the challenges I’m up against. But, the most universal one that helps me is -- “What IF it all worked out?” I find it important to remember that sometimes the things that are happening to us are really happening for us and are all part of the journey. What is your take on the competition in the market? How do you cope with it? I don’t think of people as “competition” -- most of my best friends are other people who own PR firms and they are also my best teachers. I believe a rising tide raises all boats so to speak and there is enough business for everyone. I don’t play a zero sum game. I don’t believe one person has to lose for another person to win. We all specialize in different things and our unique genius varies. We can all profit greater by knowing and sharing with each other.
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Trends to watch out for
T
he year 2020 has changed a lot of perceptions and decade-old working methodologies. As the lockdown was imposed which was something, we never experienced brought a lot of changes to the way one works and looks at their personal life. The lockdown and restriction on outside movement gave us more time to spend with our respective families and ourselves. This changed the perception and reality in a lot of ways, and it was witnessed that maximum population became aware of the importance of fitness and a good and healthy physique, its importance for a good and sound body, boosting optimism and confidence in one’s mind and leading to overall growth and 32 Jan 2021
enhancement in the standard of living and person’s overall energy, personality and productivity. This has not only brought the fitness industry into recognition but also brought new trends that are lifting the potential of the industry and benefiting the people as well. Fitness Industry, the industry of the future.? Due to the safety norms of social distancing, hygiene factor took key importance in the year 2020 and it was maintained throughout even in the gyms, thus gyms started following these norms and hygiene standards in 2021. As many people were in their homes during the year 2020, their concern over fitness and
health made them inclined towards apps that support and help meet their desired fitness goals. Thus, online applications are attracting a lot of users and attention. Also, the trend of working in the outdoors started gaining momentum and started proving to be a viable alternative to working out in the gyms, etc. for maintaining fitness and overall body health. There was a change in orientation towards health as compared to fitness, as fitness focuses on building strength but the year 2020, has focused more on the overall health of an individual and thus, shifting the fitness orientation towards a holistic health orientation. As there is a rise individualization
FITNESS INDUSTRY in all areas of life, the Fitness industry is not behind with people being more inclined towards individual fitness, growth and progress. This sparked the number of all-round fitness studios. This caters to people of all ages, especially targeting senior citizens, their fitness and overall health with tailor-made offerings to lure them and provide best-in-class fitness solutions. The upcoming trends are invoking a sense of change in the overall definition of fitness and inclusion of mind training integrated with body training. This gives rise and more popularity to already existing forms of workout and exercises, such as Pilates, Yoga, Mental training, etc.
Remember, a workout is 80% workout and 20% nutrition. The year 2021 has seen a merge of sports and fitness, which has been one of the most important integration in the Fitness industry which has changed the overall face and functioning of this industry. We have seen a formidable switch to home workout methods and plans, and also more and more people using cycles to travel the surrounding areas and also for other purposes, etc. Thus, the changing trends in the fitness industry are not only revolutionary but also hold a promising future and possibilities in the future. As it is said that health is wealth and if one does not have sound body and
mind, it not only impacts one’s personal but also professional life, leading to less energy, less productivity, low self-esteem, and of course a weak body and mind will attract all types of illness and diseases. Thus, it is highly important to take care of your fitness and overall health and change with the changing trends and also strive to become the best version of yourself.
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools”.
www.theenterpriseworld.com 33
Business Story
Key Bagla | CEO | Go Legal Yourself 34 Jan 2021
Kelly Bagla THE LEADING WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE LEGAL INDUSTRY
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he world is ever progressing and 2020 has been nothing but a roller coaster ride for us all. There have been major shifts in decade long methods and trends, overall changing the way we work and function. Although 2020 had its shortcomings and negative impact on various sectors and industries this did not stop new start-ups and businesses from coming up and trying to make their mark. A lot of start-ups and businesses have come up this year taking on the present problems, some with unique products/services offerings and some with products/services for the upcoming times. But even though
one begins their journey in the world of start-ups and business one has to know the prerequisites for starting one. There is a lot behind and after starting a business as one feels capital, idea, strategy and marketing, etc. is sufficient, but there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. One should and cannot forget about the legal formalities and requirements that precede and follow the same. Kelly Bagla, CEO at Go Legal Yourself has provided the same young aspiring entrepreneurs with a one-stop solution for achieving their dream of owning and running a start-up or business. She is not
only an expert in the field but also a skilful and able leader taking her company and carving a name for it as one of the most reputed and prestigious companies in the domain. Kelly and her company have helped a lot of businesses to start, grow, expand and have been there for them in every situation where they require legal assistance and help. In conversation with Kelly Bagla, we explore more about her company, their offerings and about her as a leading woman entrepreneur. Tell us about your company, the
www.theenterpriseworld.com 35
Business Story challenges you faced and the reasons you feel led to the growth of your company. Go Legal Yourself, an online legal resource company empowers people to incorporate their business the right way from day one, and without paying hefty law firm fees. Go Legal Yourself helps start-ups and budding entrepreneurs to start their business, grow their business, protect their business, and protect themselves personally. In other words, Go Legal Yourself is levelling the playing field for entrepreneurs by offering the same services a law firm would by selecting the right legal documents for you, taking the guesswork out and saving you countless hours in research, and the services are available immediately, for a fraction of the cost. I launched Go Legal Yourself after years of watching promising business owners fail to properly protect themselves. As a business attorney, I saw the same mistakes being made over and over again by smart, well-intentioned people, who just didn’t know what they needed to do to safeguard their ideas, products, and services. I have been a champion of entrepreneurship my entire life, so suffice it to say, I want to see businesses not only succeed but thrive. To help others succeed, I first wrote a book, Go Legal Yourself which turned out to be an Amazon bestseller. Once I had completed the book and found out how wellreceived it was, I saw there was more I could do. I could provide entrepreneurs with all of the legal documents they needed, which I 36 Jan 2021
had explained in painstaking detail in my book. I spent the next few years developing the comprehensive online legal resource company that Go Legal Yourself is today. Of course, there were challenges to launching Go Legal Yourself, as there are challenges to launching any new business. All businesses need to secure capital to launch, and you often find you’re working on a shoestring budget. But at the same time, most businesses need to invest heavily in marketing. So, raising capital, developing a budget, and then actually sticking to it, were the primary challenges to launching this business. Today, I credit the ongoing success of Go Legal Yourself, to one primary factor. I never stop marketing, and I never stop creating. Complacency is the enemy of innovation and success. In addition to my first book, Go Legal Yourself, I wrote a second book, Go Own Yourself. I also launched and continue to host a Top 20 legal podcast, called Go Legal Yourself Podcast. I’m very proud to have recently finished the 2nd Edition of Go Legal Yourself, which delves even deeper into the differences between various corporate entity structures, which is always very confusing for anyone starting a business. It also provides new, free resources, such as downloadable business plan, contract checklists, and necessary forms. Finally, I am a frequent contributor to several publications, I write a blog, and I send regular newsletters to my database, which anyone can subscribe to from the website. Everything I write or provide is
designed to help business owners and entrepreneurs. For me, the key to lasting success is to stay in front of your audience, add value to your services or products, and always look for ways to improve the products and services that you offer them. Tell us about the products/services your company offers. Go Legal Yourself is not your typical online legal document company. It was created by an attorney. Contracts are drafted by an attorney. And if you need help, you'll get help from an actual attorney. Go Legal Yourself sets itself apart from online legal document companies because we know that there is no one-size-fitsall strategy for entrepreneurs, so one-size-fits-all business protection won’t work. Instead, Go Legal Yourself offers packages to meet various needs of entrepreneurs. We meet entrepreneurs and business owners where they are. For those in the process of turning their idea into a business, Go Legal Yourself has a complete Start-up Essentials Package. The Startup Essentials Package is a customizable package of legal contracts and documents that includes everything a start-up company needs to incorporate and protect assets from the beginning, including Founder’s Stock Purchase Agreement forms, Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, and much more. Go Legal Yourself also offers Contracts Packages, for business
owners who have recently incorporated, yet still, need essential documents and agreements to keep the business running smoothly and legally. These packages include contracts ranging from Website Terms of Use, Client Agreements, Independent Contractor Agreements, and more. Also, Go Legal Yourself offers a Growth Essentials Package, which provides business owners with everything they need as they begin to grow. This includes Employee Agreements, Employee Handbooks, Nondisclosure Agreements, and more. All Go Legal Yourself packages include a one-hour to three-hours legal strategy consultation with an attorney, which you definitely won't get from an online legal document company. Please tell us about your professional experience. In addition to being a CEO, an author, podcast host, and an inventor, I am also a practising business attorney, and run a successful law firm in San Diego, California. I formed Bagla Law Firm, APC after beginning my legal career at one of the world's largest and most prominent international law firms. At that law firm, I learned the ins and outs of practising business law from some of the most brilliant attorneys working in the field. I left that global law firm to broaden my horizons and experience and chose to work for a small IP firm for a time. Ultimately, due to my entrepreneurial nature, I opened my law firm.
I always think it is helpful to share with others that I grew up in England, the youngest of 7 children. My father was my inspiration for pursuing entrepreneurship. He worked for years as an employee of a factory, all the while, planning, saving, and strategizing. He eventually bought the factory and became a business owner himself. Watching his fearless progression from employee to business owner was a transformative experience for me. I inherited his entrepreneurial spirit and his tireless work ethic. I also inherited his fearlessness which led to my decision to immigrate to the United States. I mention this because I think that leaders and entrepreneurs need to be willing to work incredibly hard, and they need to have a fearless streak. After all, launching a business can be scary, not to mention an enormous risk. Likewise, I believe it is the responsibility of every entrepreneur, to have confidence, thus writing Go Legal Yourself. After all, you can’t expect people to follow your lead if you’re not confident in your capabilities, confident in the service or products you’re offering, and confident in the decisions you make. What is your take on the competition in the market and its impact on you and the company? I’ve been inspired by so many people and owe the bedrock of my success to ideas instilled in me by others. Being an avid reader, who loves learning more than anything has taught me so much about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.
For example, I’m not afraid of competition, thanks to ideas from Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. She famously said that “People think that at the top there isn’t much room. They tend to think of it as an Everest. My message is that there is tons of room at the top.” I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. Success is not a limited commodity. There is plenty of opportunity for success to go around. In my experience, instead of being threatened by competition, we should look to our competitors as teachers, who we can learn so much from. Icons such as Steve Jobs who have shared their experience and wisdom also helped form my concept of what a true visionary and leader looks like. Jobs once said, “If you don't love it, you’re going to fail,” which is a poignant reminder that we should only create businesses that we love. As I mentioned earlier, I love watching entrepreneurs succeed. It is an extraordinary joy for me, which has led me to channel this passion into writing books, founding an attorney-backed legal document company, hosting a podcast, and regularly contributing to various publications. Finally, spiritual guidance has helped shape me into the businesswoman I am today. Guru Granth Sahib posed the question, “Why to blend in when you were born to stand out?” which has resonated with me for years. With the unique products Go Legal Yourself offers, my passion for helping other entrepreneurs, and my ceaseless work ethic, I know that Go Legal Yourself is on its way to becoming the go-to website for people to use to start their businesses.
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In a talk with..
MARINA TOGNETTI A leading language training program provider in the digital world
Marina Tognetti CEO 38 Jan 2021
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020 has been a year which has brought forward a lot of services and products online, which most felt cannot be provided over the internet with the same capacity and efficiency when compared to physical presence and use. A lot of sector ad fields have proved these notions wrong and have skilfully presented their products and services via the internet. The field of education did not back down from this challenge and has provided a plethora of options to everyone who wishes to learn. The best part about this shift to digital mode of teaching is that anyone with a computer/laptop device and an internet connection can avail the benefits of these courses and programs. A person can learn anything from any place around the globe regardless of the distance and that too at their own time and comfort of their homes. mYngle is one of the prestigious and leading companies in the education domain. They provide language training programs, which are taught via online conferencing. The fact that differentiates them from the competition in the market and makes them one of the best-inclass language training providers is their one-on-one lessons, from highly skilled and qualified coaches. The last barrier that stops one from taking online training programs is the diversity in language, but mYngle imparts these lessons in over 45 different languages, thus making it as one of the best training programs provided in the industry.
its impeccable product offerings. • Please tell us about your company and the reasons you feel led to its growth. mYngle offers customized language training programs through video conferencing in 45 different languages anytime, anywhere. Our lessons are one-on-one, with highly qualified native coaches and related to the learner’s job position. Our virtual classrooms enable learners to take classes 24/7. mYngle is the solution for busy professionals who need language training to be successful in their international business, and for Companies that want great learning results and a transparent and controllable learning process to make their investment a success. Our lessons score is 4.8 out of 5.0, so results speak for themselves. Having satisfied customers! It was when we decided to change, ‘pivoting’ from the initial business model to a completely different one, which is the mYngle you see now. We had launched mYngle as a marketplace, something I knew very well from my previous eBay experience. We thought we got it all: funding, lots of Awards and PR, a very motivated team. But something in the business model was not functioning as we
expected. We listened to our customers and they gave us a new direction, and they gave us the new direction, from an open marketplace to a quality global online school, from B2C to B2B. We now have prestigious business clients and learners all over the world, with tens of thousands of lessons given each month and 95% of learners that rate mYngle as excellent. • What is the reason behind your company’s long-standing success? In mYngle we nurture an obsession for customer satisfaction, and this is also one of our key strengths. We look to continuously improve our service. We do so by constantly listening to users’ feedback and improving accordingly, as well as leveraging new technologies at our advantage. This is also reflected in our internal evaluation systems and how we assess our job. We constantly monitor our users’ reactions and try to adjust accordingly, using adapted versions of NPS (Net Promoter Score), which defines that only excellence counts. Our average lessons’ scores are 4.9/5.0. And our first corporate customer is still with us, 10 years later… Results speak for themselves!
In conversation with the CEO of mYngle, Marina Tognetti. Let’s find more about her company and www.theenterpriseworld.com 39
In a talk with.. • Do tell us about your products/services, how mYngle differentiates from the competition in the market and your plans on taking it ahead in the future. We offer virtual language training with real native teachers, with programs perfectly tailored to the needs of the learners and maximum lessons flexibility, available 24/7. Offline education was (and in large part still is) operating in the old traditional way, offering learners what was available, not what they needed. But “One size does not fit all.” By understanding the customer and diversifying our offer in terms of teacher- contentfrequency, we can match each specific need. COVID-19 has completely changed the world as we know it, causing major disruption to many businesses. While many of the traditional offline players have been challenged by this sudden shift, mYngle was already in the “right place”, as our solution was already remote. We built on many years of experience and know that migrating existing classroom training programs to digital is not just the mere application of existing technology solutions. Rather, it requires a more fundamental rethinking of the total learning experience, from trainers to content, to the blended form. Moving forward, we will keep on improving this, aligning to the market trend.
entrepreneurship came later on in my career. When I graduated from University it was an era when entrepreneurship was not very common for academics. I built a successful career by large multinationals, Procter & Gamble, Philips, Sara Lee, The Boston Consulting Group and eBay; living and working in different countries, and got an MBA from INSEAD. It was when working as a consultant on a project on internet strategy that I first saw the potential of the internet to disrupt entire industries and change forever the way we buy/sell/interact. I had to be part of that! That was the driver to start an innovative company as mYngle, as I knew I could make a real difference, putting in practice all I had learned in my career till then. • Tell us about your work culture and your take on employee relations. In mYngle we stimulate a culture of experimentation and allowing mistakes. Innovation cannot exist in a culture of fear of consequences. We try to develop people that think and not only do “jobs”. We look in our staff for entrepreneurs, people who do not keep the status quo but push themselves beyond their comfort zone. If you try ten new things, some will fail, some will be OK, and one will make a difference. We are looking for that “special one”. • Your take on the competition in the market and how do you deal with it.
• Please tell us about yourself. I am a tech entrepreneur, founder of myngle.com, but the passion for 40 Jan 2021
Even before COVID, the (language) training market was already in the transition from
offline to online, the shift accelerating in the past years. This age of quarantines, social distancing, and remote working fast-tracked the trend, and online education become in many cases the only possible way of learning. In response to this increase in demand for online training, many traditional offline players have been rushing to find a quick-fix, moving their existing solutions online. Good remote training, however, is not just a matter of adding a tech solution for the virtual classroom and moving a teacher from a physical classroom to a computer, but it requires a whole new set of expertise and capabilities different from those of offline education. The way the training is delivered, the teaching, content, interaction etc., all need to change to provide a good user experience. mYngle was one of the pioneers in live online (language) training, so now that we are at the cross-road, we can benefit from many years of experience and proven capabilities to deliver successful online training. I strongly believe that the key to success is not constantly comparing with competition, but aligning with what customers want. Constant focus on customers and their needs are one of our pillars and key strengths. This is particularly important when you are in an industry that, like that of online education, is in a transition or evolution phase, where the main challenge is not a competition but the unawareness or inexperience of customers.
INNOVATION, BEYOND IMAGINATION
We focus to provide solutions that offer a unique user experience and a unique way of using the different videoconferencing and meeting applications while maximizing interaction and collaboration.
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WFH - Make it worthy
Accounting basics for the
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ENTREPRENEUR 42 Jan 2021
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DON'T EVER LET YOUR BUSINESS GET AHEAD OF THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF YOUR BUSINESS. ACCOUNTING, ACCOUNTING, ACCOUNTING. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS - TILMAN J. FERTITTA
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he changing trends in the past year have not only revolutionized the decadeold and long working methodologies but also made room to bring forth new ones and also the modification of the previous ones. As work from home culture started, not only people started having workstations at their home but also a lot of bosses and managerial level personnel started working from their homes too. As the year 2020, had its troubles and challenges for the world of business but also created a lot of gaps and opportunities for new businesses and start-ups to emerge and showcase their products/services. As most of the new businesses and start-ups started from home due to lockdown and other circumstances entailing them to have an office and gathering of people. Most start-ups have either a single or two personnel in the initial stages, handling all the departments, i.e., marketing, sales, planning, execution, PR, etc. on their own. Thus, one has to multitask the functions but no one can overlook one of the most important aspect and department of them all, i.e., Accounting. The need and basis for accounting Accounting is not only required in the fluent functioning of a start-up or company but also is very important as all the transactions, book-keepings, costs incurred,
taxation etc., if not kept in track and check, can cause serious trouble for a start-up or company. But here we will talk about some of the few basics that are very important and must know when it comes to Accounting for home entrepreneurs. The first thing is registering the business as a Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Partnership or Corporation, each has their pros and cons, and we would advise you to read them thoroughly and pick the one that suits you perfectly. The next step is opening a business bank account, for this, it is strongly advised to visit the banks personally and find more about them to compare the banking fees, the proximity of ATMs to your home and limits and charges on other transactions. Selecting an accounting method is very crucial for beginners as there are two types; cash-basis and accrual-basis, both have their advantage as cash-basis as the name suggests are recording revenue when you receive and recording expenses when you pay, it is one of the most popular options. Accrual-basis is the method for when you record revenue when it’s confirmed and record expenses when they’re incurred before the actual expense. The next important step is picking your bookkeeping method, either doing it yourself, outsourcing, cloud-based etc. based on your budget and your time. The next is one of the main basics, one should
know, i.e., tracking expenses, when beginning with a new business/start-up one should not take keeping a tab and check on every expense such as credit card statements, financial statements, office bills, etc. One should always select their methods of the payment beforehand and keep following that and also one should learn about their tax obligations and if any special taxes or rebates applicable, etc. Accounting is simple as long as it is maintained regularly Thus, the things stated above are just a few important accounting basics for work from home entrepreneurs that they need to learn and give priority to, even before starting their business/startup. As a good accounting knowledge helps one to do the crucial task in a tight budget, monitor the growth of the business/start-up, improve the overall efficiency of the related aspects and the business/start-up as a whole. It also helps in simplifying tax season as it involves tedious tasks and demands more dedicated time. Also, there are a lot of online courses, etc. provided for the same at affordable fees, thus one should give it a serious thought as accounting is the backbone of a business/start-up and its deeper knowledge will only do an entrepreneur good in handling the business/start-up better and monitor the overall growth properly.
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