Mind The Business: Small Business Success Stories

Understanding Taxes as a Newly Formed Small Business - Part 2 of the Small Business Starter Kit Mar 06, 2025

In our second installment of the Small Business Starter Kit series - we’re tackling a topic that’s sometimes tricky, sometimes confusing, but ever-present: taxes. Hosts Austin and Jannese have an insightful conversation with entrepreneur Isabella Rosalwho started 7th Sky Ventures, an exporter and distributor of craft spirits, beer, and wine. Having lived and worked in two different countries and started a company in a heavily-regulated field, Isabella is no stranger to navigating the paperwork-laden and jargon-infused maze of properly understanding taxes for a newly formed small business. Join us as she shares her story and provides valuable insight into how to tackle your business’ taxes - so they don’t tackle you.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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The Next Round: Finding Capital for Continued Growth Feb 20, 2025

Most people understand the importance of raising capital to start a business, but securing additional funding after launch can be just as crucial for reaching the next level. Jannese and Austin discuss the strategies and challenges of finding ways to raise more capital to give your business a booster where it needs it most. The hosts chat with one of Nashville’s most exciting rising stars, Kenzie Wesp, who started Trueform Fitnessat an incredibly young age. Learn about her journey and how she turned an opportunity into a thriving business that continues to flourish.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

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Using Data to Shape Your Future Feb 06, 2025

In business, every decision you make can change the trajectory of your company - so it’s important to be as informed as possible. The intel you collect as you learn and grow is vital to informing how and why you run your business in the future. On this episode, hosts Jannese and Austin share their own experiences with using data to inform the paths they carve forward as they sit down with Brandon Littletonwho started Bag Lady’s Fry Jointwith his brother. The two started their business from scratch, with just a family recipe and an idea. Join us as Brandon explains how hard lessons - and hard data - inform the decisions they’ve made so you can do the same with your own findings.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

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The SB Starter Kit - Everything You Need or Need to Know to Get Your Business Off the Ground (Part 1) - Trademarks, Patents, LLCs and SCorps Jan 23, 2025

Step one for starting a small business is often coming up with an exciting idea. But what is step two? Step three? Steps four through launch and beyond? On our second episode, and first iteration of our Small Business Starter Kit Series, Austin and Jannese visit The Candle Pour to chat with founders Misty and Dennis Akers. They’ll tell our hosts about how they got their business off the ground and about all the things that go with it: from incorporation to trademarks. Join us as they detail how they went from Grand Idea to Grand Opening.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

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When Looking Back Helps You Move Forward - The Importance of Reflection in Business Jan 09, 2025

The long-term success of every small business starts with looking at its history and identifying the hits and misses along the way. In our premier episode for Season 3, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Jannese Torres sit down in person with Sherrice Rose, owner of Potentia Therapeutics in her clinic in Tampa, Florida. Together, they look back at her journey of buying an existing physical therapy clinic and making it her own. Hear the lessons she’s learned along the way and discover how studying her business's history helps her forge a path forward.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

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Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories is back for Season 3 Jan 02, 2025

Attention small business owners: “Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories” is back for Season Three with brand-new episodes. Hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero & Financially Lit!) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return & Rich Habits) are hitting the road and meeting with small business owners in Tampa, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee to hear about the lessons they’ve learned at every corner of launching their companies. What would you do if your warehouse and inventory were destroyed in a tornado? Have you thought about how to protect your business's IP with a trademark? Do you have a backup plan if a bank loan doesn’t come through to get you off the ground? These are just some of the insights our guests are sharing this season. Plus, learn how they cut through the clutter and simplify the day-to-day with the help of Intuit QuickBooks. Listen to new episodes every other Thursday beginning January 9th and discover what it takes to start a business and keep it growing.

To learn more about how Intuit QuickBooks can power your business growth, visit: QuickBooks

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Live from the iHeart Radio Theater with Entrepreneur and Podcast Host Will Lucas Jul 16, 2024

Change is inevitable in business, but understanding how each decision impacts your entire operation is crucial. In this LIVE bonus episode, Jannese and Austin sit down with Will Lucas. Will is the founder and CEO of Creadio, a marketing and production agency, and CEO and founder of the private social club TolHouse. He also hosts the podcast “Black Tech Green Money.”

Learn invaluable lessons on attracting and retaining great employees with competitive pay, keeping prices attractive, and ensuring customer satisfaction—all while fostering business growth. Plus, Will, Jannese, and Austin answer audience questions about starting a business and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

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Finding Your Why May 02, 2024

It’s all up to you. When you’re wearing multiple hats and running your own business, all of the rewards and accomplishments are on you - but so are the setbacks and challenges. The incredible journey of solopreneurship is filled with ups and downs and those who have tasted that lifestyle often can never go back to a “normal job.” In this special season finale, Austin and Jannese share their very own stories about what inspired them to branch out into solopreneurship and what keeps them going. And they'll share never-before-heard clips from founders in previous episodes detailing their own Why: the thing that keeps them going through thick and thin that allows them to have complete control of their lives and the ultimate level of financial freedom.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 8 Recap with Jannese and Austin

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Community Building feat. Rebundle Apr 18, 2024

No Solopreneur is an island. Even as we run our own businesses, the importance of building a community of other business owners is paramount. From sharing advice and support to building a thriving and competitive marketplace, networking and building connections can take your business to the next level. Jannese and Austin talk with Ciara Imani May who runs her own hair brand and is passionate about taking care of her customers and uplifting her community. In this episode we’ll explore why small business networking as a solopreneur with a solid network allows you to have the best of both worlds: to be your own boss but still have a supportive community around you.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 7 Recap with Ciara Imani May of Rebundle.

Or learn more about this topic at this resource: How Networking Can Help You Leverage the Wisdom of Other Entrepreneurs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Money in and Money Out: Accounting for your Payments and Invoices feat. Moshi Moshi Apr 04, 2024

Congratulations, you’ve branched out into your own business and even found your first client or customer! Now what? As the orders come in, so do the invoices and payments. In this episode, hosts Austin and Jannese talk about the ins and outs of keeping organized books, tracking payments and keeping an eye on where your money is so you can make sure it’s working for you. Michael Behn, founder of Moshi Moshi Knife Sharpening,drops by to share his journey as an entrepreneur tracking payments going in and out as his business grows. Michael spent nearly a decade working nonstop in kitchens and restaurants before becoming his own boss with a successful knife-sharpening business. He explains the importance of staying on top of payments and invoices and keeping your enterprise as sharp as a blade.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 6 Recap with Michael Behn of Moshi Moshi Knife Sharpening.

Or learn more about this topic at this resource: How to Collect Outstanding Payments: Best Practices for Small Businesses

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How to Bounce Back From Financial Struggles feat. Softpaw Vintage Mar 21, 2024

For small business owners, it’s important to celebrate every success, but it’s also important to remember that behind every accomplishment there are plenty of hardships, missteps, and valuable lessons. Going into business for yourself is not easy and often comes with economic ups and downs and hard-to-decipher tax codes - among many other challenges. That’s why persevering and learning how to adapt and overcome any problems that arise is so important for every entrepreneur. On this episode, Austin and Jannese talk about the hurdles they faced and unexpected problems that arose in the initial phases of launching their businesses. Entrepreneur Taylor Randalof Softpaw Vintage details her journey of starting a business and sticking through the challenges to find success, even when an unexpected tax bill threatened to derail her entire enterprise.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 5 Recap with Taylor Randal of Southpaw Vintage

Or learn more about this topic at this resource: 7 Cash flow problems & solutions for small businesses

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Client Success is the Real Success feat. No Ifs PR Mar 07, 2024

The definition of winning can be different for every business. For some, it’s high profits, for others, it’s brand building, and for a special type of business, it’s launching the success of a client. Hosts Jannese and Austin detail their experiences with leading clients to accomplish their goals, and how that translates into real rewards in the form of expanding networks, marketing potential, and more revenue. And founder of No Ifs PR, Sydney Holmes, talks about how she built her business around leading others to success. She’ll tell us how the performance of her clients directly feeds into the performance of her own company, how that increases the profitability of her own brand, and how to turn client success into your success.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

QuickBooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode check out: Episode 4 Recap with Sydney Holmes

Or learn more about this topic at this resource: 6 keys to successful client relationship management

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Showing Up For Your Customers - Small Business Customer Service feat. FreshPrintsofSF Feb 22, 2024

The lifeblood of a small business is its customers. Going the extra mile to provide easy payment methods and clear communication can mean the difference between a couple of sales, and a couple hundred. Jannese and Austin discuss what they love to encounter as customers patronizing a business, and the customer service strategies for their own endeavors. And Jordan Rosejoins the conversation to talk about how she built her Etsy shop, Fresh Prints of SF, based on inclusivity and catering to demographics that are too often uncatered to. We’ll learn about the financial incentives to earning a customer’s trust and keeping them happy as you turn your target market into a community.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit: Episode 3 Recap with Jordan Rose

Or learn more about this topic at this resource: How to Give Great Customer Service

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Staying Small While Driving Big Success feat. LazyButtClub Feb 08, 2024

Seeing your small business grow can be exciting, but staying on top of that growth can be difficult for a solopreneur or a small team. As demand increases, how do you keep dollars coming in and products and services going out without breaking your original business model? Unchecked expansion can lead to painful downsizing after the initial rush - which no entrepreneur wants to have to deal with. Hosts Jannese and Austin will be discussing effective small business scaling: growing your company steadily and sustainably. Daniel and Michael Jayof the LazyButtClub Clothing Company talk about their experience with doing just that. They run a small family-owned apparel line with a global audience on TikTok. They’ll tell us how they keep their lifestyle business going strong while maintaining a small team even as they service customers all over the world.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 2 Recap with Daniel and Michael Jay of The LazyButtClub Clothing Company

Or learn more about this topic at this resource:

How to Grow a Business

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Idea to Entrepreneurship: Getting Started in Solopreneurship with Grace Wells Jan 25, 2024

For many, starting a business starts with a spark of inspiration, an idea that you just can’t shake and grows from a “side hustle” to a full-time job. While navigating the transition from employee to self-employed can be exciting, it can also be filled with challenges and self-doubt. Hosts Austin and Jannese discuss those crucial first steps with our Season 2 premiere guest, Grace Wells. Grace is the founder of Grace Wells Photo and no stranger to the transition from working for a company to working for yourself. She shares her inspirational story of turning her ability to make creative videos for fun into a successful filmmaking and photography career.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

Quickbooks.com

QuickBooks for Solopreneurs

For a recap from this week’s episode visit:

Episode 1 Recap with Grace Wells

Or learn more about this topic at this resource:

Starting a Business

Or learn more about this topic at this resource:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/starting-a-business/

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Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories is back for Season 2 Jan 23, 2024

Your favorite podcast about the exciting journey of entrepreneurship is back for a second season! Join hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero & Financially Lit!) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return & Rich Habits) as they share more great stories from small business owners and entrepreneurs alike and guide you toward the best tools and resources to jumpstart your own business with the help of Intuit QuickBooks. Listen to new episodes featuring interviews with entrepreneurs from a wide array of backgrounds and across multiple different industries as they detail the challenges and rewards that come with owning your own business.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/get-money/

For more resources and insights on how to scale your business, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/growing-a-business/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Live from the Intuit Innovation Summit with Soloprenuer and Leadership Coach Mariela De La Mora Dec 18, 2023

We are live from the 2023 Intuit Innovation Summit. For this special live episode, Jannese and Austin are joined by EQ-certified business and leadership coach and solopreneur Mariela De La Mora. Discover how Mariela decided to go into business for herself and how she combats imposter syndrome while growing her business. Plus, hear the exciting news about season two of “Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories.”

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/get-money/

For more resources and insights on how to scale your business, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/growing-a-business/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weigh your Options When Scaling Your Business (feat. The WC Social Club) Jul 06, 2023

You have finally got your business in order and everything is running smoothly, so naturally you want to grow it. However, that may not be as simple as it sounds. The tools you used to survive won’t serve you as you attempt to thrive and you will likely need to make foundational changes in your organization to support the type of growth you wish to achieve. Chris Triebes, founder of The WC Social Club, joins us as he discusses the obstacles he faced while trying to create a sustainable indie rock company in his hometown of Chicago. Chris opens up about scaling from an independent concert promoter to a venue manager and talent buying entrepreneur.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

For more resources and insights on how to scale your business, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/growing-a-business/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-8/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Economy Changes But Your Profitability Doesn’t Have To (feat. INI Sips) Jun 22, 2023

By coming out of a pandemic and entering into a period of economic downpour, it has been a challenging time for many small businesses. Sometimes you have to adjust your plans during the ever changing economy. Co-founders of INI Sips and married couple, Gulaid and Davina Ismail share how their ideal plans of owning a local coffee shop changed after the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. They discuss how pivoting into e-commerce helped them salvage their business while also learning to grow in ways they never expected.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you keep your business thriving:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/reporting/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/

For more insights on adapting to economic changes, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/what-is-stagflation/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-7/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to be a Better Boss (feat. Lunar Hard Seltzer) Jun 08, 2023

Being your own boss is amazing, but you also need to think about maintaining a good relationship with your employees. From handling payroll to creating a culture that encourages employee retention; there is so much that goes into being a good boss. Kevin Wong, co-founder of Lunar Hard Seltzer, joins us to discuss how he has managed to grow his two-man team into a growing business that actively hires in multiple cities.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business and manage employees:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/

For more employee management resources and insights, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/manage-employees/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-6/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Duty of Delegation: How Founders Find Freedom In Their Work (feat. Clara for Creators) May 25, 2023

You’re the boss, but that doesn’t mean it’s all on you. Early on in your business journey you may find that you are assuming all the responsibilities in how your company operates. However, as you grow, it is important to learn how to delegate those responsibilities in order to ensure you can focus your efforts on what matters most. We speak to the influencer and creator of the app, Clara for Creators, Christen Nino de Guzman about how she learned to navigate work/life balance by using a combination of automated tools, contracted workers, and advice from other founders.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you run your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/live/

For more insights around mitigating founder dependence, visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/manage-employees/expert-advice-on-mastering-the-art-of-delegation/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-5/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping Your Head Above Zero (feat. Dune Suncare) May 11, 2023

As a new business, it may take a few years before you reach profitability, but that doesn’t mean you can’t quickly reach success. Using a mix of the marketing, financing, and money management tools discussed in earlier episodes, many small business owners can create very achievable benchmarks in their early stages that support the path to profits. Emily Doyle and Mei Kwok, founders of Dune Suncare, share with us some of the early decisions they made that helped their company experience substantial growth in their first three years.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/track-expenses/

For more insights around early stage company management, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/financial-management/the-7-most-important-kpis-to-track-as-a-small-business/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-4/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Money Management to Keep You on the Right Track (feat. Harlem Chocolate Factory) Apr 27, 2023

Congrats! You started making money from your business. Now how do you manage your finances so you don’t take any steps back? Hosts Austin and Jannese unpack the different types of business accounts and explain how to track your cash flow while determining which costs can be reduced. The hosts are later joined by Harlem Chocolate Factory founder, Jessica Spaulding who shares her story about how she learned to adjust her accounting processes to accommodate the success of her growing business.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you manage your business:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/manage-cash-flow/

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/quickbooks-checking/

For more insights on cash flow and money management, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/cash-flow/what-is-cash-flow/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-3/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Knowing Your Audience for the Best Marketing Strategy (feat. Andrea Casanova) Apr 13, 2023

Having a great product or service is just one part of having a successful business. You also need people to know about your business so that it becomes profitable. Hosts Jannese and Austin share how they effectively used social media to build their brands and explain different marketing strategies including loyalty/rewards programs, remarketing, SEO, one-to-one marketing, and email marketing.

Viral marketer Andrea Casanova joins the conversation to share her story of immigrating to the US and creating a marketing agency where she helps clients discover the best marketing strategy to take them to the next level.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you start, grow, and market your business:

For more insights on marketing your small business, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/marketing/marketing-plan-examples-for-small-business-owners/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode, visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-2/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to Raise Capital and Find Funding For Your Small Business (feat. Sika Health) Mar 30, 2023

In business, you have to spend money to make money. But you also have to have money to spend it. Hosts Austin and Jannese discuss how to decide which type of funding makes sense for your small business and explain the differences between angel investors, VC funding, crowdfunding, small business loans, and grants.

Later, Ami Kumordzie, founder of fintech company Sika Health, joins the show to share her empowering story of beating the odds as a Black woman who raised a $6.2M seed round from world-class investors during a pandemic.

Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you start, grow, and fund your business:

For more insights on growing a new business visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/new-business-insights-2023/

For key takeaways from this week’s episode visit:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/running-a-business/mind-the-business-episode-1/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Mind The Business: Small Business Success Stories Mar 23, 2023

There is so much excitement around starting a business, but hardly any insight on what it truly takes to be your own boss. To help unpack the necessary tools you need to jumpstart your business, Intuit QuickBooks, in collaboration with iHeartRadio, is bringing you "Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories" Every episode, join hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return) as they interview business owners who will share their journey of trials and tribulations with entrepreneurship.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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