LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB: A Business and Entrepreneurship Podcast by Growth To Exit

In 2020, Statista.com reported that there are more than 75 million podcast listeners in the US alone, who listen to podcasts on a regular basis. In fact, one third of the country’s population (32%) listens to podcasts at least once a month (Edison Research, 2019).

There is no doubt that interest in podcasts is growing rapidly, not just in America, but also all around the world, as every year, millions of new listeners join the trend and follow numerous podcasters and podcasting channels on platforms like Spotify and Apple.

Even though Comedy podcasts are currently the most popular in the US, educational podcasts –  specifically those related to business – are on the rise, gaining new followers constantly.

This is because podcast consumers believe that there is just so much that an audio broadcasting show can offer; from acquiring new knowledge to feeling inspired and motivated. Nearly three out of every four podcast consumers in the US, say they enjoy tuning in to podcasts to learn new things and do so on a monthly basis (Statista, 2019).

 At Growth to Exit we believe that learning is a never ending journey.

We are constantly exposed to new ideas, and we all have the opportunity to learn something new every day. We are no longer in the dispensation of age and experience. We are in the era of knowledge and information, and information leads a true leader and a true leader leads others.

No matter how old you are and what job you are doing in your daily life, the opportunities to learn new things never cease to exist.

This is why, in March 2021, we decided to launch the LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB podcast and give the Growth To Exit audience the opportunity to learn new things straight from the mouths of top leaders and entrepreneurs, who have managed to lead their companies through the fast-paced and highly competitive world of business.

Throughout the LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB podcast, David and Matthew Shields from Growth To Exit meet with successful businessmen and businesswomen, from various industries and backgrounds, and discuss their journey to leadership, including victories, failures, realizations and important lessons learned.

Episode 1

LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB hosts, David and Matthew, have spent most of their careers helping businesses and business leaders grow.

While David has spent the past 10 years at The Shields Group, representing business owners, and handling real estate, corporate transactions and commercial litigation, Matthew has worked at Mark Cuban’s companies along with Shark Tank’s founders, and later at Deloitte’s management consulting team, before becoming the Principal at Shields Capital Group.

Much like their father, Jim Shields, CEO and Founder of The Shields Group and Growth To Exit, the two hosts have always been motivated by the desire to do something good. So, for their first episode, they decided it was only fitting to bring Jim on to get new insights on his business experience and how he is helping people today.

Jim Shields is a serial entrepreneur, strategic investor and attorney with almost four decades of experience supporting founder-led businesses, managing complex business litigation and providing legal counsel to company buyers and sellers.

Over the years, he developed the Growth To Exit process and helped hundreds of small business founders get the best value from the sale of their company and have a smooth transaction and change of ownership.

Throughout his LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB episode, Jim talks about the best practices that business owners can employ to identify and fix issues within their company and how they can reduce various risks that impede a transaction. He also discusses becoming a business leader in an organization, owning one or more companies, and creating a culture and a professional environment where employees can thrive and people are motivated to succeed and grow.

Episode 2

In a world looking for innovation, original ideas and forward thinkers, Brian Hoang is changing the VR industry, in order to make communities and people feel safer.

As the CEO and Co-Founder of SURVIVR, Brian is looking to transform law enforcement training by introducing a public benefit VR platform that helps first responders improve their decision-making and de-escalation skills. His mission is to allow police officers to be more confident in their skills and to empower the repetition of training in these realistic situations.

In the 2^nd episode LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB, Brian talks about start-ups, taking a business from zero to revenue, the best criteria to take into account when choosing a co-founder, and why he believes it is important to create a company that is serving the greater good for all people.

Episode 3 

In the 3^rd episode of LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB, Kris Elliott, COO at Expansive Workspace, brings her wealth of knowledge and insights to David and Matthew, and talks about the ways to develop and maintain innovative and quality customer experiences.

Kris emphasizes on the importance of creating a family with the clients and making them feel part of a community, which in turn results to high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.

As she explains, the secret to developing great customer experiences is for businesses to make the right hiring choices and find employees that are the “right fit”. Offering extensive training, that is customized and adaptable to every situation, is what leads to customer loyalty and helps build long-lasting business relationships.

Kris also discusses the various challenges that companies had to face during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how agility skills and efficient technological advancements can help small businesses overcome difficulties and meet client needs.

You can listen to the full LIKE IT’S YOUR JOB episodes for free on:

Growth To Exit: Like It's Your Job (growthtoexit.com)

Apple: ‎Like It's Your Job on Apple Podcasts

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mxoJ6gcjunUB0OsuN4qAZ