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Rob Castaneda is the Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, a Palo Alto-based company that assists rapidly growing software firms in engaging with their customers for successful implementations. ServiceRocket is innovating how these companies interact with their customers, ensuring optimal software utilization. In addition to his role at ServiceRocket, Rob is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) San Francisco chapter and serves as a mentor at both the Global Scaling Academy and Endeavor. Beyond his current engagements, he is a member and the up-and-coming President of EO San Francisco for the 2023-2024 term, succeeding Franka Winchester.

Rudy Mutter is the Co-founder and CTO of Yeti, a San Francisco-based company devoted to designing, developing, and launching innovative digital products. His technical expertise spans from web applications to mobile applications, specializing in product strategy, design, and research and development. At Yeti, he works closely with clients to architect solutions, particularly with emerging technologies. Rudy's passion for technology began in his early years, and he has spent his professional career developing games and coding websites. He is also a former President of EO San Francisco. 

Franka Winchester is the Managing Partner and Co-founder of Pacific Crest Group, a professional services firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area that assists small companies in improving their accounting, financial management, and human resources. With over 20 years of experience, Franka works directly with clients, playing a key role in shaping their long-term strategies. In addition to her role at Pacific Crest Group, she has held positions at Softbank and Colo.com and acted as the finance and compliance chair of the Entrepreneurs' Organization. She has served as the President of EO San Francisco since 2022.

In this episode…

Have you wondered what it's like to be part of a global organization that empowers entrepreneurs? The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) offers opportunities for leadership, personal growth, and international networking, creating a worldwide community of successful entrepreneurs. This episode takes a closer look at EO and its impact on its members.

Joining us are Rudy Mutter, Franka Winchester, and Rob Castaneda, active members of EO and EO's San Francisco chapter. Each brings a unique perspective on EO's offerings, from leadership journeys to enriching forum experiences and the incredible opportunities for global connections.

In this episode, host John Corcoran sits down with Rudy Mutter, Franka Winchester, and Rob Castaneda to explore their experiences with EO. They discuss the value of EO's peer-to-peer network and how it facilitates global connections. They also delve into EO's leadership journey, revealing how it cultivates leadership abilities and fosters personal growth. Finally, they share personal anecdotes on how EO has expanded their horizons and provided valuable experiences.

Megan Flatt is the CEO and Founder of Let's Collective, a business growth strategy firm devoted to making entrepreneurship easier and helping women-owned businesses scale. Megan and the team at Let's Collective formed Focus Sessions, 90-minute virtual co-working sessions designed to enhance productivity through distraction-free, science-backed methods. 

Megan has dedicated her career to making entrepreneurship easier and enabling business owners to maintain a work-life balance. She believes people don’t necessarily need more time to succeed but a greater degree of focus. Her philosophy led her to write Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better, a comprehensive guide to boosting productivity and minimizing overwhelm.

In this episode…

Do you ever feel there's never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you want? Entrepreneurs often grapple with staying focused and managing time effectively, and it can seem like an uphill battle. But what if the secret to business growth lies in enhancing your focus and productivity?

Megan Flatt, an entrepreneur, productivity strategist, and author, honed the art of helping others streamline their workflows. Megan has developed systems and strategies that effectively enhance focus and productivity, not just to do more but to do what matters most. Her insights will revolutionize how you approach your day-to-day responsibilities, making you more efficient, more effective, and ultimately more successful.

In this episode, host John Corcoran of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast joins Megan Flatt, CEO and Founder of Let's Collective and Focus Sessions, to discuss how leveraging focus and productivity can spur growth. They delve into Megan's unique time-blocking strategy, how understanding your biological rhythm can optimize productivity, and the importance of recognizing and prioritizing high-value tasks. Plus, Megan introduces her virtual program, Focus Sessions, which promises a new approach to co-working and optimizing your time.

Kimberly Wiefling is a Founding Member and Global Consultant at Silicon Valley Alliances, where she transforms managers into leaders and groups of people into teams. Known for her unique style, Kimberly’s superpower is bringing people with diverse backgrounds and cultures together, connecting them across borders, boundaries, and barriers of every kind, to achieve what seems impossible but which none could achieve alone.

As a serial entrepreneur, long-time consultant, coach, trusted advisor, and valued partner working with global companies, Kimberly has used her expertise with culturally diverse employees in over 100 countries, including the US, Europe, and Asia, and in 50 Japanese companies.

In this episode…

Do you own a business that needs a transformation, but you’re not sure where to start? Does your company struggle to compete in the global marketplace? 

Learning how to turn managers into leaders, construct a solid team, foster innovation, and deal with culturally diverse people can be game-changers. As a worldwide expert consultant and advisor, Kimberly Wiefling has leveraged the power of her experiences to help global businesses conquer what seems almost impossible. With her experience collaborating with culturally diverse groups, Kimberly imparts her knowledge to company leaders so they can tread the business world and effectively scale in the international landscape.

In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, John Corcoran sits down with Kimberly Wiefling, Founding Member and Global Consultant at Silicon Valley Alliances. Kimberly describes her journey to becoming an expert consultant and how her leadership programs strengthen companies from the inside out. She also talks about her unique interests and coaching style, why she became an Air Force avionics technician, how she ended up working with Japanese companies for 10 years, and what she’s doing now.

Tal Atid is the Co-founder of Flooret, a direct-to-consumer flooring company based out of San Diego, California, with operations nationwide. Being the son of a construction and flooring company owner, he had early exposure to the flooring business. After graduating from college, Tal worked in his father’s business. Four years later, he worked for another flooring company, and his experience there eventually led him to start his own brand.

Flooret strives to improve the way floors are purchased, starting with direct product sourcing, a fresh approach to sampling, exceptional customer service, transparent pricing, easy shipping, and a network of recommended installers.

In this episode…

Flooring companies often work with retailers to get their products to the end users. It’s tough to make it using a DTC distribution channel because flooring products are treated as commodities. People rarely know nor have a connection with flooring brands. So how does one overcome this challenge and make it in the direct-to-consumer field?

Tal Atid and his partner successfully started and grew a flooring company without spending much on advertising. Instead, they focused on two critical things: producing high-quality products and providing excellent customer service. Referrals and recommendations from their customers became their main methods of marketing. 

In this episode, John Corcoran of Rise25 hosts Tal Atid, the Co-founder of Flooret, to talk about emerging in the direct-to-consumer category of the flooring industry. Tal shares how he ended up working in his father’s flooring company, the lessons he learned, and what made him leave and eventually start his own company. He also shares how Flooret aggressively grew without much advertising, how they overcame the challenges they faced, and why good customer service is essential.

Pat Costello is the Co-founder and Principal of Evolve MGA, a company specializing in cyber insurance that does the underwriting for one of the most comprehensive cyber insurance policies a business can buy.

Pat co-founded Evolve MGA with his brother Mike because they knew they could provide retail insurance brokers with far more value than anyone else in the marketplace. He is a veteran of the insurance industry and is the fourth generation of his family to be a leader in the insurance field. Pat also hosts The Evolved Broker Podcast.

In this episode…

How do you respond to real-world feedback regarding your entrepreneurial ideas? Sometimes you can see what’s needed, but you must have the tools, background, and determination to get your ideas off the ground. What can you bring to the table besides pure hard work to grow your ideas into a viable business?

As the world becomes ever more connected to the internet, the risk of being hacked increases. Pat Costello co-founded Evolve MGA with his brother Mike in 2015 to help protect people and businesses from cyber threats. Pat stresses the importance of cyber insurance to all businesses, especially small and midsize businesses since they are involved in 43% of all data breaches.

In this episode, John Corcoran welcomes Pat Costello to the show. As Co-founder and Principal of Evolve MGA, Pat shares the story of his early entrepreneurial journey and how it taught him the value of real-world feedback. He also shares the story of founding Evolve MGA and the dedication and thriftiness required to build it to where it is today. Pat discusses the value and protection cyber insurance can add to your business and the growing importance of having cyber coverage.

Lael Sturm is a digital marketer, strategic advisor, people connector, and revenue consultant. He’s the Founder and General Manager at LPSS Digital Marketing, a company that provides strategies and tools to address growth and revenue challenges. Lael offers strategic advice and real-world tactics for growing your business, building your team, getting your product to the market, and identifying opportunities. He is also a member of the Bay Area Accelerator Program.

In this episode…

Finding unique insights and tools that allow your organization to grow and scale can be a daunting task. There are companies that know how to monetize, particularly through online marketing — but where can you find them?

Lael Sturm says that having the right strategy, contacts, and working hard is what positions you for success. He believes that every business needs to work with a company like LPSS Digital Marketing to help them identify and solve their marketing, sales, and business development challenges to grow and achieve their desired outcomes.

In this episode, Paige Buck sits down with Lael Sturm, the Founder and General Manager at LPSS Digital Marketing, to discuss top tips for adding value to your business. Lael talks about the three things that LPSS does for its clients, the importance of having a mentor, and why you need to update your strategies to get you to the next level. Tune in to learn real-world tactics that will solve your business challenges.