I dare say we have all met those people with grand ideas that can talk a big game; but when it comes down to it, they lack the execution skills. Sadly, that seems to describe most. Why? Because the execution is the hard part!

I recall a lunch I had, a few years ago, with a guy that had some grandiose ideas about how to do business in Jacksonville. He introduced me to the term “co-working” and even said he was going to bring a festival to town that would attract innovators, entrepreneurs, and artists from across the country.

Admittedly, I was skeptical. But, last week, those farfetched plans became a reality. I didn’t realize at the time of our initial meeting that Elton Rivas is a doer. Our city needs more people like him. He’s a big dreamer-type with unrelenting drive to make things happen. No excuses, just results. I’ve known Elton Rivas for a few years now and our relationship has only grown stronger. I’m proud of him, the team he has created, and proud of Jacksonville for embracing something special like the OneSpark Festival.

Peter Rummell, longtime businessman and OneSpark backer, perhaps said it best: “This is an opportunity for Jacksonville to own something unique.”

The OneSpark event took place downtown. Over 800 creators competed for $250,000 in the world’s only crowd funding festival. And it happened here, in Jacksonville! How cool is that? I can’t wait to see who is next and will turn their grand ideas into action.

Last week, I paid a visit to Beaver Street Enterprise Center. If you haven’t heard of this business community resource, I am pleased to tell you about it. In short, it’s a nonprofit organization with the mission to create successful entrepreneurs. It’s the brick and mortar space where a half dozen or more community resources are located to help nurture emerging businesses. Tenants enjoy reduced market rent, technical expertise, and perhaps even more valuable, access to capital. My friend and Small Business Development Center analyst, Kevin Monahan, describes his efforts there as being a “social worker for the potentially rich.”

I usually carve out some time each month to be around this space and interact with some of the tenants. My latest interaction was with Pegine Echevarria, leader, motivational speaker, and founder of Team Pegine, Inc., a consulting, training, and project management firm. As we sat in her office, Pegine proudly showed me some of her work with the Pentagon, where her company single-handedly organized and produced the 50th anniversary Memorial Day tribute event for Vietnam Veterans. Three thousand veterans, President Obama, and heads of state were all in attendance. It was a monumental task with enormous pressure. Since then, Pegine and her team have been instrumental in helping train our armed forces in interacting with different cultures. Team Pegine is growing, and business for them is great!

Sort of.

As many of you will keenly understand, Pegine’s main client, the U.S. Government, issues request for proposals (RFP’s) when they need certain goods and services. Lots of time and effort goes into preparing these packages for review. Usually, the issuer wants to see proof of similar completed work and financial stability.

Looking over her shoulder at the desk behind her, Pegine motions towards a stack of papers. “There they are,” she says. ”It’s out of my hands now.” She is referring to the responded RFP’s totaling nearly 70 million dollars. “Just waiting on decisions,” she says, sighing.

Meanwhile, business must go on. Employees still expect paychecks, and vendors expect their payments. “We are in a bit of a cash crunch now,” Pegine admits. “But this is part of a growing business. So, I’m focusing on an asset I recently completed that I am excited about. It’s a book called Bragging Rights.”

“This book is among my best work,” Pegine continues.  “Even though I wrote it, I reread it on occasion to remind myself of key principles essential to the success of teams, organizations, and companies.”

Pegine goes on to tell me of her plan to sell 5,000 books, one at a time. In fact, she launched an entire campaign that, through word of mouth and social media, will help get the message out. Part of the plan is to postdate a check, giving $10,000 to United Way. “It’s not about me,” she notes. “It’s never been about me. Providing opportunity for my employees, empowering leaders, and training 18-year-old kids on how to stay alive in hostile environments is my real motivation.”

So, until our legislators get their act together, this entrepreneur is doing what small business leaders do: being resourceful. Adversity and challenges are part of the maturation process every business must go through. Successful ones evolve with their customers and market conditions. It’s always painful, but necessary. Pegine is learning this lesson right now. Being in the Beaver Street business family will certainly help weather the storm.

If you would like to learn more about Pegine, her campaign to donate $10,000 to United Way, and her book, Bragging Rights, please visit www.pegine.com.

Until next time,

Brian Barquilla

Omar Cuerto isn’t exactly a household name, and neither is his company, Dieselogic. But he was thrust into the spotlight a few weeks back after the news broke that Shad Kahn “gave” him a million dollars.

I sat down informally with Omar to learn a little more about how he attracted the attention of one of our city’s billionaires. (I know what you’re thinking: There’s more than one? The answer is yes, but we won’t go there now.)

“That headline was misleading,” he starts.

“In what way?” I asked.

“It was a loan, plain and simple–no equity deal, and no other creative arrangements.”

I was so taken aback, that I asked him to repeat it. That’s not normally how it works from a private investor. Suddenly, I had more questions than answers.

“Okay, let’s back up, Omar. How did this come about?” I asked.

“To understand that, you’d have to first understand what we do for business. We have created a more efficient way to deliver fuel to diesel engines. Ultimately, it results in more power and fuel efficiency.”

From there, Omar led me into the back room of his crowded building to introduce me to Syd, the CAD designer. Between them, their dialog of tolerances, injection patterns, and microns went way over my non-engineering wired brain. I smiled and nodded, pretending I knew what they were talking about.

What was crystal clear to me, though, was the excitement coming from every word. They truly believe they are on to something big. And apparently, so does Shad Kahn.

As my tour continued, Omar led me to the manufacturing and testing part of the operation. He knows exactly how long it takes to manufacture each injector, and holds his guys accountable for production per shift.

“We are moving our facility, and already have the space picked out. Without Mr. Kahn’s help, we could not have done it. The relationship has been fantastic,” Omar said. “Perhaps even more valuable than money is the expertise and guidance a high-level business team has given us. Sometimes, solutions to our challenges can be simple. Like, when we were struggling with getting the amount of production we need. ‘Why not add another shift?’ they proposed. Brilliant!”

“We are so close to the business, sometimes we miss the obvious answer,” Omar noted. “That’s when having the right people around you can help.”

It was clear to me that as successful in business as he has been, Mr. Kahn hasn’t forgotten his small business beginnings.

It was a pleasure to spend time with you, Omar! Best of luck to you.

And to Shad Kahn, I won’t forget your generosity. Helping others achieve their dreams and creating opportunities are among the most noble of causes in my book. Nicely played.

Until next time,

Brian

Perhaps you are familiar with six degrees of separation concept.  It is the idea that everyone is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world.

It was in 1994 that three Albright college students were sitting around watching the actor Kevin Bacon in the cult movie, Footloose. Conversation followed about the number of actors and actresses he has worked with in his career. Alas, a new parlor game is formed.  The three entertained themselves and others at parties when names were thrown out and they would link them back to the actor. The concept picked up momentum fast after they appeared on the Howard Stern Show and Jon Stewart.

Eventually, word about this game got back to Bacon himself. Originally, he was not amused and thought it was ridiculing him. Over time though he came to appreciate the game and even started a non-profit organization around the concept to promote good causes around the world.

I started thinking about how our area is made up of more than 1.4 million people, but I am continually amazed how small and unconnected our business community seems to be.  For example, do you know the person on the cover of this magazine?

Chances are you don’t know Vanice Serrano of ASAP Towing.  In fact, just like Kevin Bacon, I don’t personally know Vanice either. However, I do know someone (lots of people actually) that know her.  With a few quick keystrokes, I could ask for an introduction or simply pick up the phone.  So why should I? Because I could learn something from her! She is the overall winner of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Small Business Leader of the Year.” It’s a tremendous honor, and she earned every bit. She along with all of the other winners have overcome adversity and demonstrated business success recognized by their peers.

So maybe give it a shot?   Can you make a connection in less than 6 steps and introduce yourself to someone that you want to meet today?

Congratulations Vanice. I hope to meet you soon.

Until next time

Brian Barquilla

As part of my duties with ADVANTAGE, I facilitate monthly meetings between business owners. It’s an opportunity to be with like-minded individuals that know the challenges and rewards of running a business.

Not surprisingly, the challenges that business owners face are all very similar. Most revolve around the usual topics: finance, human resources, marketing, and expansion. However, during one meeting, Teresa Myers, owner of Myers-Seth Pump, Inc., revealed unexpected information. “I had a fire… actually, two,” she said. One by one, the details emerged that would send anyone to their breaking point, both on the balance sheet, and maybe more importantly, emotionally.

We could hear the despair in her voice as she explained the series of events that left her employees and customers wondering, Will I have a job to return to? Will my order be delivered? After a brief moment to collect herself, Teresa responded with the decisiveness and calculation of a seasoned leader. She calmed her employees’ fears and rolled out her plan. It included contacting vendors and suppliers, and getting crews on the road to collect inventory she needed. She beamed with pride when talking about her team.  She said everyone had the same attitude: whatever it takes.

It is because of her triumph over disaster that we have profiled Teresa’s story of adversity. We outlined the series of events in our profile this month, and it should be a moving and educational read for everyone.

There is no better teacher than learning from the experience of others.

Until next time,

Brian Barquilla

I received a call from one of my contacts asking me to take a look at a small, but growing company that was scrambling to keep up with its newfound success through the mobile food craze that has taken over our area and the nation.

As these site visits normally go, I was greeted warmly, and the words “Let me show you around!” were quick to follow. After about fifteen minutes of discussion, it was clear that the two partners, Bob Pierson and Richard Willis from M & R Specialty Trailer, definitely had distinct personalities that seemed to complement one another well: Bob, the pitchman, and Richard, the more subdued IT guy.

Originally, the company had focused on building very high quality trailers and BBQ grills, and truthfully, did not see much growth. “We struggled a bit,” conceded Bob.  “It’s just such a commodity. But then we figured out we could build food trucks!”

It was at this point that Bob raised his voice and a fresh new look came across his face. It was like a switch had flipped. He started walking and talking fast about the details of freshwater tanks, department of health regulations, and aluminum thickness. He was genuinely excited. And he should have been excited, because Bob discovered the niche that reinvigorated his business. He was ALIVE again. And now, his future is bright. We tell the story in more detail in the following pages, but we chose to profile them because, ultimately, they found the highest and best use of their core resources and talents.

Success and outright failure can be a fine line. While some can be resistant to change, it is the nimble and fast business that finds its niche. I’ve always kept in mind a favorite business principle called the “Hedgehog Concept” found in the famous book Good to Great by Jim Collins. In his book, he describes the concept as having a good answer to three questions that can put business success at your doorstep:

• What you are passionate about?
• What drives your economic engine?
• What can you be the best in the world at?

So, it was great to spend some time with Bob and Richard.  The two are just a couple of smart guys that simply kept grinding until they found their niche.

Congratulations, guys. We hope our readers can find inspiration from your story.

Until next time,

Brian Barquilla

It was a normal Wednesday for me while I was meeting some colleagues for lunch in the Tapestry Park area. After some noontime conversation, Tracy DeVack from Navy Federal Credit Union pulled me aside and said, “I have someone I want you to meet just across the parking lot.”

She briefed me on the vitals as we walked across the park to a business called Flame Broilers – a well-known restaurant concept out west, but new to Jacksonville and Florida for that matter. With 112 locations, they boast no MSG, no frying and no trans-fats.

It was packed at the time and it was obvious that Jackie Grzebin was very much a hands-on owner. From behind the counter, she was asking critical questions about drink selections and portion size to every walk-up customer. Good for her, but I didn’t think it was much out of the ordinary.

She was much too busy to chat at the time, but she did exchange a polite wave with Tracy after we were inside. In the few minutes it took to handle her counter duties, Tracy continued to fill me in.

“She is about as dynamic as they come. They have a second location opening at Phillips Highway and J. Turner Butler soon. Her husband is busy with his own career and she mostly bootstrapped the business with her own savings with a little help from her favorite credit union,” Tracy winked.

Finally, Jackie had some breathing room and came out to greet us. She was just as described: a pleasant, energetic business owner excited to meet someone new that had not been in her restaurant. That’s when I noticed she was nearly nine months pregnant!

We sat down for some conversation where she proceeded to tell me she left corporate America when her company in the mortgage business asked her to move one too many times. Her husband used to frequent the Flame Broiler restaurant by their former home near the west coast and casually mentioned that she should open one in Jacksonville. That was all it took to set her next career path in motion.

I couldn’t help but ask about the elephant in the room. “You are actively running one retail store and in the process of opening another while you are about to give birth? Are you worried that might be too much to handle?” I asked.

She obviously had thought this through and felt confident about the future. She explained that the timing was right for her business expansion and family expansion at precisely the same time.

I made the mistake of saying her husband must be involved in the business, as she was quick to point out that although he does help out on a limited basis, this was her business – and anyone that calls asking for her husband “the owner” gets an earful. We shared a laugh and I could tell she was proud of her accomplishments so far.

Thanks for providing some inspiration, Jackie. Your confidence will serve you well. I don’t doubt that you can handle it all – and then some. You sure don’t back away from a challenge!

Until next time,

Brian Barquilla

If you have been following my From the Publisher letters over the years, you know that I try to write about real experiences that shape my opinions and open my mind to new ideas.

I had one of those moments while visiting the Museum of Science and History one afternoon. It was for the organized kickoff party of www.itstimewedonate.com in cooperation with Hands on Jacksonville and sponsored by Synovus Bank. As part of its business model, it serves as a non-profit hub of sorts that brings worthy organizations and willing volunteers together. It measures time pledged rather than dollars donated.

I had never given much thought to how many non-profit organizations were represented in our area, but between itstimewedonate.com and Hands on Jacksonville, there are more than 170 organizations represented on the websites. It surely opened my eyes to the sheer number of groups because when I was sitting in the auditorium, it was full—and every one of them legitimate and deserving.

During the presentation, the founder of itstimewedonate.com, Mike White asked how many are NOT working with smaller budgets than last year. No hands rose, and unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised. This is the precisely why itstimewedonate.com was created.

Instead of pledging dollars, for-profit companies pledge employee’s time. Progressive organizations are keenly aware what makes a fulfilling work experience, and company and volunteer time is spent building a house or serving food. There is no shortage of projects. After all, non-profit organizations are happy to get any help they can.

My time spent at the launch party got my mental wheels turning. Should unselfish, unpaid service to others be part of a successful for-profit business culture? I think the answer is clearly “yes,” but admittedly I’m ashamed to say I haven’t paid as much attention to it as I probably should have.

While deciding where to donate time and money is largely a personal decision, why shouldn’t the employer send the right message to customers and employees that people come before profits?

Thankfully we live in a generous community where people are giving all the time. In addition to being the right thing to do, I can’t imagine a better way to create a meaningful work experience.

Keeping things in perspective.

It must have been a terrifying time in the late ’50s — Cuba was in the middle of a revolution and Ralph de la Vega was just a boy when his parents decided to flee to the United States. How bleak the future must have seemed at that time to even consider this as an option.

Few of us can imagine leaving everything behind forever and getting on an airplane with only the shirt on our backs. Yet, that was the plan for his family of four. Ralph and his family arrived at the airport terminal only to hear the words that would change his life forever: “Only the boy can go.” Tears were shed and his father furiously got on the phone to make plans for his only son.

It would be four long years before he would speak to his family again. He was living in a new land, living with strangers and didn’t speak the language. Regardless, he was in the land of opportunity and made the conscious decision to make the most of it.

Today, he is the CEO of ATT Wireless. It is an impressive career so far for someone that started with the cards stacked against him. He tells factual stories of how he negotiated the multibillion dollar business deal with Steve Jobs to bring the iPhone to market. He built the largest wireless network in the world spanning across third world nations and hundreds of cultures. Today he manages operations that produce over $35 billion in revenue and has over 70,000 employees.

Yet he still says, “That was easy; having my family torn apart was hard.”

Dr. de la Vega’s words really resonated with me because I have heard this similar story of adversity many times, except the stories were from my father. Escaping from Cuba and coming to this country as a teenager, he thought the move was temporary. Not so. He, too, made the choices to not take any opportunity for granted.

These were some of the lessons I learned recently when I attended the Jacksonville University Davis College of Business Leadership series luncheon. It proved to be an unexpected inspiring talk for me because it reminded me of my own family history and the sacrifices they made. It reminded me that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

I thank JU for having me and hope to continue to participate in more events. This was a great event in an intimate setting.

If you are interested in being notified of future speakers and programs, visit www.Dcob.ju.edu

By nature, business owners are optimistic and I think that’s why I enjoy being around them so much. Whenever I get the opportunity to meet a new entrepreneur, I usually jump at the chance. On every occasion, I come away feeling energized and positive. It’s good for the soul.

I had one such experience recently when I met Scott Nelowet, owner and founder of French Fry Heaven.

On a recent trip to Europe, he noticed there were many independent stores that only sold French fries, and it made him wonder, “Why not in the states?” After some conversation with family and friends, he made a decision to try to create a similar concept with an American flare.

Not content with simple ketchup or mayo, he started experimenting and getting creative with such flavors as “Darrinn’s Canadian Angels” (brown gravy and cheese) and “Island Angel” (a coconut and curry blend of flavors).

It’s relatively simple with just a large kiosk or in-line store with one main ingredient on the menu—French Fries. You can then choose from over a dozen toppings to personalize your taste.

His plan is to franchise the concept.

I sat with him on a bench outside of his location at St. John’s Town Center. When I asked my standard question “Where do you see your business in three to five years?” Without blinking, he confidently answered “500+ stores.”

I must admit, it sounds pretty ambitious considering his first location has only been open three months—there is still a whole lot of learning that needs to go on. I was encouraged, however, by his answer because he has the right attitude.

It may sound crazy to an outsider, but it makes perfect sense to him—he has a plan, believes in it, and has the energy to execute. After all, if you are going to make a goal, why not a Big Audacious Hairy Goal (BHAG)?

So will it work? Time will tell, but in the hour I spent with him, I saw lots of customers ordering his tasty snacks.

So what is your BHAG? Your company name on an NFL stadium or being recognized as a “Top place to work?” Or is it to surpass the sales of your industries titan? Let’s hear them! Post your BHAG on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/advantage.bizmag. Maybe we can get some ideas from each other.

Admittedly, I don’t have much involvement with the travel and tourism business in North Florida; however, when I had some friends and relatives visit for the holiday, I had this unexplained drive to make sure they had a good time and will come back soon.

In my own way, I was a tour guide, historian, and cheerleader for the area that I live in and operate a business and it made me wonder how many other residents were also entertaining their family and friends. Were they impressed? Will they be back? We sure hope so.

Jacksonville has always had what some describe as an “inferiority complex.” While that probably means different things to different people, I do know that we collectively have not done a great job of telling “our” story. We have natural resources in a river, a bustling downtown, a major port and multiple major interstates running right through the “Bold new city of the South” or is it “Where Florida begins” or perhaps it’s the “First Coast” or “River City”—See what I mean?

Regardless of the catchy slogan the issue runs much deeper—and for no good reason. Our cost of living is low by comparison, the sun shines most days and some wonderful things are happening in our community. But it has to start with all of us; the Mayor and Chamber of Commerce cannot do it alone.

Regardless of your occupation, we all live here and as they say, with a rising tide, all boats rise. Love your city, people!

We had the honor of partnering with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce this month to announce the overall winner of the Small Business Leader of the Year. While only one can win, all of the nominees are well deserving of the title.

•Tara Yvette Forrest, Florida Imageworks and Promotions

•Dr. Joanna Frantz, In Motion Physical Therapy

•Ann Freeman, River City Security Services, Inc.

•Sandy Knowles, Coordinated Benefits Group

•Jennifer Marko, Bottle Snugglers

•Diana Otwell, Spectrum Signs and Graphics

•Chad Perce, iMethods, LLC

•Sandy Polletta, Edgewood Bakery

•Ann Sabbag, Health Designs

•Kirsten Schneider, Dinners Direct

•Jepp Walter, Marlin Technology

Space prohibits me for telling you more about them here, but you can learn more at: http://advantagebizmag.com/archives/10285

With this great recognition also comes great responsibility. I know all of these people will certainly be ambassadors for North Florida led by the overall winner Chad Perce. These people are among the best and brightest our area has and we are lucky to have them. I know they are already talking up Jacksonville. Are you?

The movement has already begun. Be sure to check out #ilovejax on twitter to see what I mean.

Many of you have probably had these moments when you realize time has been creeping up on you. Perhaps it’s when you realize your 20 year college reunion is coming up or maybe it’s when your “babies” graduate high school or college—it happens to the best of us.

Just like my parents remember life before color television, I remember a time without cellphones. It is difficult to imagine now, but I remember when a good high school friend of mine pulled up outside my home in his IROC Camaro calling me on his dad’s new cellphone. It was a backpack-sized contraption, but it was so cool at the time!

I used to consider myself to be the young and ambitious type; now I guess I’m just an ambitious, middle-aged, bald-guy type. Behind me is an army of talent waiting to get in the game, and it is a fantastic pool of some of the smartest people ever to enter the workplace. They need us and we need them.

The old ways of doing business have changed forever. I’m reminded of a book I read titled “How to market to people not like you” by Kelly McDonald. In it she discusses the differences in the generations noting that to Generation X (born 1965-1981), the Internet is perhaps the greatest invention in our lifetime. We see it as a tool to get the information we want.

To Generation Y (born 1982-1994), however, they do NOT consider the Internet as a huge leap in technology. They take it for granted, just as the generation before them took electricity for granted. For them, this is the only way to do business.

This Generation Y and the coming Generation Z born (1995-2004) will soon be joining to combine for the first time ever four generations in the same workplace!

While this will certainly be a challenge for managers, you need this young talent on your team. Why?

Because the way you do business has changed permanently. The technology you use to reach your prospects, manage the processes you have internally and communicate with your vendors have all transformed forever—digitally.

Do you have the talent to keep you competitive? Many business owners I speak with are realizing that keeping pace with the speed of business is more difficult than before. Having younger talent on your team can keep you relevant and bring ideas never before considered. I say you should listen to them—their ideas may not be something you fully understand, but a bit of blind faith might serve you well.

We recently uncovered a group of smart Generation Y guys that caught our eye. 5ivecanons has bet their future on the need for their talents in organizations that understand the value in being innovative.

We took a good hard look at what they do, learned insights from experts and clients and painted a picture forward thinking that only digital natives can present to us. We hope it opens your eyes.

Regardless of how you source the talent, if you haven’t explored online shopping, instantly responding to customers, automating your processes, or mobile messaging, you may want to take a member of the Generation Y to lunch. Open your mind and prepare for an education.

If they don’t return a phone call, don’t take it personally—they may think telephones are soooo last century. Maybe send a text to their PDA instead.

Well, here we are. It was an interesting mayoral race for our fine city to say the least. I was probably like most in Jacksonville and went to bed not knowing who our next city leader would be. The people spoke and by a narrow margin, Alvin Brown was elected.

I watched this election process closely, like many of you I’m sure, because I wanted to see if campaign rhetoric would translate into action. Often the best intentions to help along our small businesses get pushed aside when large employers or a business from another region starts knocking on the door of city hall.

When Saft America (a high-tech battery manufacturer) committed to the area, it came with over 20 million dollars of incentives between state and city funds. For that governmental encouragement, Saft committed to hiring 279 high-paying jobs by 2016. This is great news for our area, of course, and I’m happy we put the deal together—it was money well spent.

But according the Mayor’s Strategic Initiatives report, firms in our region employing less than 100 people make up 98% of all Northeast Florida companies. Do you have any incentive room left for us?

While our fine Mayor is just getting started, I am encouraged by what I have seen so far. Making small business and entrepreneurship one of the strategic initiatives of this administration is a good start.

I loved it when he recently toured businesses on San Marco boulevard suffering through the ongoing “streetscape project.” If you have ever been through this area, it’s a mess. With the sidewalk torn up and heavy equipment in the way, retailers are hoping pedestrians are willing to trounce through mud and noise to patronize their businesses. It will be great when construction ends, but surviving the improvement is an accomplishment in itself.

It was good to see Mayor Brown walking and shaking hands with the effected business owners, and giving words of encouragement, hearing their concerns and bringing media attention. Kudos.

Of course, job creation is number one on any civic leaders list of goals in America today, and Jacksonville is no different. Yes, we want to compete for any large employers coming to the area, but those opportunities are few and far between. They are a definite home run when we get them, but the “base hits” happen slowly and don’t get published in the newspaper when businesses like yours and mine hire one at a time.

I would encourage you to make your voice heard, you have more influence and impact on public policy than you may think. Collectively, we are a large group that can encourage our elected officials to operate in a way that takes down unnecessary barriers to our success and help stack the cards in our favor. The rest is up to us.

After reading the recently completed Strategic Initiatives report, the last sentence stood out to me: “If every small business in our region hired one person, the employment rate would be zero”

Oversimplified for sure, but it also seems pretty reasonable when you think about it in these terms.

Let’s get after it.

Over the last couple of years, I have struck up a relationship of sorts with a few people that I would consider greenies. This isn’t meant as a derogatory term; it is just the label I give people that willfully ignore economics because being “green” is that important to them. They are the pioneers of a movement—and thank goodness they are because it has to start with someone.

Admittedly, I’m not there yet. While I do choose paper over plastic, stay away from Styrofoam, and properly dispose of used motor oil, I still drive a thirsty V-8, water my grass as needed, and lose little sleep over of my carbon footprint. Now you know where I am coming from. If I can save money and be socially responsible, I’m all for it. Ask me to pay $1.75 more for that floor cleaner, however, and I don’t think so; you must have me mistaken for someone else.

Ironically, it is this shallow mindset that Wally Conway from HomePro Inspections picked up on. He said the magic words I wanted to hear, “I will show you how you can lower your energy bills in your home and save the planet at the same time.” Now we’re talking, I thought. “When can you come over?” I asked.

Wally and Phillip showed up right on schedule. Armed with equipment, they unpacked right inside my front door. Elaborate fans, infrared scanners, probes, and other stuff I didn’t recognize, but it instantly brought back memories of the movie “Ghostbusters.”

Wally took me aside and showed me my energy usage patterns from the JEA website on his laptop. A few calculations of electric, sewer, and gas created a baseline from which I would measure my future energy saving efforts.

Phillip was busy doing whatever “energy busters” do, which includes peeking behind my walls, inspecting weather stripping, and measuring the air tightness of my home. The special cameras showed me how much heat was entering my home on a warm summer day.

Finally, the curiosity got to me and I blurted out, “How much is your energy bill, Wally?” He said, “$58 bucks a month,” with a proud grin. I looked at him with astonishment as if I just witnessed him walking on water.

He was quick to point out that results are different for everyone and there is a trade-off for all of life’s creature comforts. For example, most would not be interested in taking cold showers to save $10 in a month in heating water. (Try convincing your spouse of that behavior modification!)

After an extensive review, Wally and Phillip left, but not before giving me lots of homework—improving insulation, sealing windows, switching to low-heat light bulbs, just to name a few. I haven’t completed everything yet, but the review did put me in a different mindset. It’s sort of a game for me now, with the score card coming in the form of my utility bill.

What I learned about this experience to move toward green is that it is a marathon, not a sprint, and I still have a lot to learn. A greenie in training, I guess.

Until next time,

Brian Barquilla

This is a first for Advantage Business Magazine. By now you know this is our special Top 50 Business Influencers issue—and it’s been a long time coming.

The process started nearly three months ago when we began asking for nominations on social media, in this magazine, and through email on who were the people you absolutely needed to know if you ran a business in the North Florida area. I was overwhelmed and flattered with the responses. Before the process concluded, we had a couple of hundred nominations—and all of them deserving. Next was the unenviable task of narrowing the list, but we did it.

When the final names came in, I sat back at my desk and pondered what an effect these select few have had on our city. How many jobs did they help create? And whose dreams did they help realize? Upon further inspection, I realized that I, in fact, knew many of them personally.

Speaking from my own experience, I can tell you they all have something in common. Opening doors of opportunity for others and unselfishly helping an eager business owner is no special favor at all from them, it is simply the way they do business. By lending a helping hand, they believe their generosity comes back to them tenfold.

It is because of this mindset that we have identified them as the “must-knows” in the business community. If you don’t know them, you need to—and we have just the opportunity.

I have no doubt that calling each one and inviting them to a cup of coffee is time well spent, but of course, that would take a while. Instead, join us for a special meet and greet on June 8 where you can interact with these TOP 50 award recipients. Look for details on page 23.

So circle the date, come make some new contacts, and see what you can do to help yourself. I know at least 50 people who will be as excited as you are if they can help you hit your next goal.

It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.

I just conducted an Internet search to see if an old boss of mine was the originator of a quote he repeated back to me years ago. While I never found my answer, the quote resonated with me.

I was just 24 years old and already struggling with my work-life balance—which sounds trivial now since that was well before the spouse, kids, and mortgage came along. During a heart-to-heart conversation with this old boss, he said a mouthful of words that have stuck with me ever since: “Never come back from a vacation without having your next one planned.”

I remember thinking that was good advice because it gives you something to look forward to. However, that is easier said than done, but a good goal to shoot for. The reality is, hours of focused work turns into days, which turns into weeks, which turns into months. And before you know it, life can get out of balance and you become a prisoner of your own business. Admittedly, there have been times where I have been guilty of this.

No clearer the revelation was when my 6-year-old daughter came home with a school project to proudly deliver to me for Father’s Day. On it were a series of questions that she answered describing her father along with some colorful artwork. It was a cute piece that I could tell she put a lot of work into. Sadly, I got down to the prompt of “My daddy likes to:” and the answer instantly filled my eyes with tears.

She had written down in her awkward 6-year-old handwriting, “W-O-R-K” and my heart sank. This isn’t exactly the memory I want to leave my daughters with. I had to stop and ask myself, “What am I doing?” I knew then something needed to change.

We, as a family, decided to take our “off time” a bit more seriously. We now have family meetings around the dinner table to discuss our plans for the summer and I find that just the discussion helps me stay grounded and keep things into perspective.

I also try to do the little things as well, such as working out of my home when I can, being home when the girls come home from school, or taking five minutes to actually walk them into school. These little things are a big deal for both of us, and I hope it’s making a difference.

As it so happens, that advice I heard when I was just starting my career turned out to be pretty good after all—I guess I just forgot the real meaning for a while.

Rest, recharge, and repeat.

Early on in my business life, I operated my small business as if I were a scared turtle afraid to come out of my shell. I knew I had a good thing going and didn’t want my competitors to take notice for fear they would announce a widget better, faster, or cheaper than me. Figuratively speaking, I thought the roof would collapse on me any second.

In some ways this was good because we treated every customer like it might be our last, but in the long run, we were stunting our growth by not shouting our message to all who would listen.

In hindsight, it was a mistake to operate for so long with that mindset, and I often wonder how things might have been different if I didn’t run my business “under the radar.” I now wonder how many of our small businesses are falling into this same sense of paranoia.

It was only years later that my confidence grew enough to where I was comfortable sponsoring events, being quoted in magazines, or even doing some full-scale advertising. What I didn’t give us credit for in those early days was our level of passion and skill. Not everybody could do what we did, nor did they have the desire.

You see, I was comfortable operating my company—it was uncomplicated to me, and I loved it. “What if others learn how simple this is?” I thought. But what I didn’t realize is that I spent years shaping my craft, and what came as straightforward to me was completely foreign and daunting to others. My customers needed us and they knew it, but ironically, I was the last one to figure it out.

I try to share my stories as much as I can. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I have lots of “experiences” others can learn from. I guess some just learn the hard way.

Yes, of course, hold your business close and incubate it in the vulnerable stages, but break out of that stage as quick as you can and get noticed!

On the cover of this issue is Mike McCreary, owner of Baymeadows Moving and Storage. When I approached Mike about the cover feature, he took a big breath and with quiet confidence said, “We’re ready.” Up until this point, Mike and his sons have been quietly running a successful business for years, purposely attracting as little attention as possible. It was only the recent announcement that his business was accepted into the North American Van Lines network did he feel comfortable with some real exposure.

Good for you, Mike! We hope this feature will make good things happen for your business like it has to others. The teaching point for others here is to find great channel partners, come out of your shell, and experience the growth you are working so hard for.

Brian

I was inspired last week by a story of a local small business looking for a creative way to fire up their team. During a beginning-of-the-year sales meeting, the owners hired some well-known sign spinners.

Now if you aren’t sure what a sign spinner is, you have probably seen them at busy intersections near you. They are the extraordinarily energetic and animated individuals that advertise for their clients by dancing about enthusiastically while proudly holding signs. They apparently lack the part of the brain that governs embarrassment because the better they dance, the happier their employer is.

To break up the monotony of a boring sales meeting, this staffing company invited the sign spinners to get on stage and have a dance off. Armed with Hire Methods signs, they began to do what they do best. The impromptu display of outrageousness was just the trick to lighten the mood and fill the room with laughter. Brilliant, I thought, I never would have thought of that.

It did get me thinking. What can I do that would be different, create a better work environment, or differentiate my business from that of my competitors?

Upon more reflection, I was reminded of numerous examples from individuals I have already learned from.

•Donna Reade at Car-Tech introduces herself to strangers bysaying, “It’s a great place to take a leak.” Once the giggling stops, they will always remember her and her business.

•Frank Wallmeyer of Safegaurd Printing gives away ice scrapers. In fact, it is so odd of an item to leave behind in Florida, he has developed a cult following of sorts—and people know him and his business for it.

•Jason Sadler with iwearyourshirt.com sells advertising space on his body.

Of course, being different is being innovative. For example, one of the reasons we profiled Pet Paradise this issue is not only because Fred Goldsmith, CEO, has surrounded himself with a team of top talent, but also because he found a niche and put a new spin on an old business. Locating a pet boarding house near an airport? Of course, why didn’t I think of that?

Regardless, no industry, no company, and no individual owns the market on unique ideas. There is no finite supply of innovation that can help you grow your business. And the best part is, they don’t have to work! Your customers and employees alike usually appreciate out-of-the-box thinking and not that “follow the herd” mentality.

So what can you do to be different? That’s for you to decide, but in case you were thinking about the inviting-sign-spinners-to-the-business-meeting idea, you are too late, it’s already been done—and we have video to prove it.

What a fun time it was to hang out with the Radiator Barn guys. When I showed up in my tie and jacket, it was clear I was out of place. I was invited by a person I trust to have a conversation with Randy Amos, the latest caretaker of this nearly 60-year-old business.

I wasn’t expecting much and had never previously heard of Radiator Barn. The conversation started simple, Randy and Rob made me feel very welcome and even offered an ample supply of Radiator Barn shirts and hats before we even started. One reason I love my job is because of all the interesting people you meet along the way.

You see, Randy is a genuine guy who is never at a loss for words, but has an understated way of describing his business and accomplishments. He plays this humble, I-made-it-by-accident kind of a guy.

“We do OK for a couple of Westside boys, I guess. We just ship out radiators,” he tells me while shrugging his shoulders. Well, I wasn’t buying it for a minute because underneath that southern-accented, blue-collar guy is a professional that understands supply and demand better than anyone.

This was a smart guy and a true entrepreneur. He is leading a team to continue to transform his predictable, stable, old-fashioned business that works into a nimble Internet distributor that embraces e-commerce.

So why do a feature on Radiator Barn?

Because of their ability to adapt to changing market conditions, and I give them credit. Lake Shore Auto, the original company, was mature. After all, it started in the 1950s. Since that time, they had captured the majority of the market share in the area. But Randy had bigger plans.

Working together with his nephew Rob, of which he gives all the credit, they figured out how to open the door to thousands more customers online. During the pre-interview process, I asked him, “So are you really a marketing company that happens to ship automotive parts?” He was quick to stop me. “No. Just the opposite. We are an auto parts distributor at our core, that also moves product online.” And do they ever.

Rob proceeded to show me his “dashboard” where he controls their multimillion dollar business from a few keystrokes. “Once an order is placed, it pops up here,” he says, pointing to his screen. “I select the warehouse to ship from and it’s done. The customer will have it tomorrow,” Rob declares.

“Pretty impressive. It looks a whole lot easier that producing a monthly business magazine,” I joke.

Of course, a lot of work went into getting this far. They have had their software systems custom designed and track cost per clicks, time spent on site, user behavior, and a host of other graphs and charts that I didn’t even have time to ask him about.

“I can tell when activity drops off for a particular product, something is going on in the marketplace. I start with competitor sites. Maybe they changed their prices?” Rob explains.

Needless to say, this is big business.

So enjoy the article. It was a blast to produce. Keep in mind when you read it what best practices and strategies you might be able to apply to your own business. After all, these “ole Westside boys” might be able to teach you something.

Healthcare continues to be top of mind with business owners we communicate with. At our last workshop about how to spot entrepreneurial opportunities around our recent healthcare legislation, we had a record attendance.

Since that time, we had a game changing election that certainly adds to the uncertainty—at least in the short term. While few would debate our old healthcare system was unsustainable, how to fix it will be a debate that will rage on for a long time.

In the meantime, small businesses have had to make difficult choices.

I had a conversation recently with an entrepreneur that deeply cares for his employees and puts their interests ahead of his own. His most faithful have been with the company for nearly 20 years.

We spoke about how he was forced into a decision to drop ALL healthcare benefits for his crew. He hung his head in disappointment as he struggled to get the words out, visibly distraught. Unfortunately, I have heard this story before.

While the decision was not surprising, the employees’ reaction was. One by one they entered his office and offered their support and understanding. “I kept it going as long as I could,” he said. “They responded, ‘We understand and appreciate the coverage all these years. We are not going anywhere, we are a team.’”

They knew the pain and internal struggle he was having as it was written all over his face. The story left my jaw on the ground. Not the outcome I would have expected, but it only goes to show how much respect they have for one another.

Now, the employees were left to get individual coverage. Unfortunately, more than one didn’t qualify and were left uninsured. To make matters worse, one employee was diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease around this same time. Certainly, this was a terrible situation for everyone and it made for a difficult work environment.

I didn’t know what to say, but did the best I could to offer some solutions with companies that fill this niche with stopgap solutions—but it was little consolation. He was conflicted and wanted to do what he felt was right for his employees, but he was out of real options—a difficult dilemma for sure.

At our last conversation, there was some good news. He told me due to savings with other management decisions, he was again able to offer insurance to his employees, but this time, the company was only paying a portion of the premium. While this temporarily solves the problem, it is not a long-term solution. The premiums keep going up.

As the national discussion continues, let’s hope our politicians can come up with a program we all can live with, before it is too late for our small businesses and those who depend on them.