Showing Up For Your Customers - Small Business Customer Service feat. FreshPrintsofSF

In our final episode of the season, firefighter turned entrepreneur Evan Van Auken tells us what inspired his unique DIY woodburning business, Scorch Marker, and how showcasing his journey gave birth to his other endeavor, Vanader, as well as netted him over a million followers on social media. Hosts Austin Hankwitz and Jannese Torres give their own thoughts on the hidden work that it takes to succeed and get Evan's perspective on all things behind the scenes to give you invaluable insight and practical pointers you can use on your own entrepreneurial journeys. You'll definitely want to tune in for this informative and riveting finale!

From garages, to basements, to maybe just a vision board, every business has to start somewhere. It's important to have a "big picture" mindset so you're ready when that growth spurt finally comes. Austin Hankwitz and Jannese Torres give their own stories and advice on going from "side hustle to spotlight" and then chat with Charlotte Trecartin who turned an idea into CharCharms, a thriving business that expanded from her basement into a warehouse, onto the shelves of major retailors, and even made it onto national TV! Learn how to treat your small idea like a big business from day 1, so that when success comes knocking you'll be ready to answer the door!

It's a wild world out there and small business owners need to anticipate every market movement and global event that could affect their business. But how do you expect the unexpected? In this episode, hosts Jannese Torres and Austin Hankwitz talk about practical strategies for "knowing the unknown" and how to brace yourself and your business to weather any storm. They sit down with the incredibly talented Letta J who founded Coexist Gaming and hear her story of enthusiasm and fortitude as she talks about building an entertainment business during a pandemic that continues to grow and thrive to this day no matter what the world throws her way. Tune in for practical tips, inspiring stories, and relevant take-aways!

In this very special episode, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Jannese Torres have a powerful discussion with the winners of the Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp Small Business Hero Program. These incredible entrepreneurs will give valuable insight into how their businesses supports, and receives support from, the community around them. From founder of Dank Burrito, Clarke Merrell's heroic work providing food in the wake of natural disasters, to The Baby Pantry's founder, Chlorey Campbell, and her important mission to bring safety and security to newborns who need it most, to Victoria Chantel's altruistic and inspiring work creating and running The Botanical Bar, you'll hear the inspiring true stories of how the success of a local business raises the quality of life of everyone around it. And you'll hear about Austin and Jannese's own journeys to empower their communities as well, in addition to learning how to nominate a business for future grants from the Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp Small Business Hero Program. Don't miss it! Visit intuit.com/heroprogram to learn more about the program or nominate a small business hero to win a grant and other resources to help their business thrive. To learn more about how you can outdo it with Intuit QuickBooks, visit: quickbooks.com/mtb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing your business can sometimes be harder than getting started. In this episode hosts Jannese Torres and Austin Hankwitz share their own experiences regarding professional growth and then chat with Christy Lee who founded a Chicago-based marketing agency called Seventh House Marketing. Christy was able to do what few others have done and actually scale a business in a historically unscalable industry. You'll get her insider tips on how she grew strategically - by making targeted moves and even scaling her business downward so that she could position herself to spring back up higher than before. This episode is filled with pointers, advice, and uplifting stories. Check it out!