Getting employees to put their goals down on paper is easier said than done. That’s why I was intrigued when I heard that at Creative Nation, a Nashville-based music services company, setting goals is part of the culture. Creative Nation CEO and co-founder Beth Laird says, “Setting personal and professional goals is one of the […]

For many entrepreneurs, myself included, frequent business trips are the norm. And while travel may be necessary, it doesn’t have to be a necessary evil. Here are five simple solutions to make travel less painful, whether you fly a few times a week or a few times a year. 1. Bag it up Eliminate the […]

When I got word that the world would finally see my episode of ABC’s hit television show Shark Tank, I felt relief and terror, in that order. The message came seven months after I had filmed an episode for season six of ABC’s hit television show. The airdate, they told me, was less than three […]

By now, it’s become pretty commonly accepted that multitasking can make you less productive. While it’s true that trying to do multiple high-concentration tasks at the same time isn’t a great idea, there are several times during the day when “double-tasking” can be your friend. By grouping the activities below, it’s simple to add up to four […]

Meetings are the worst, right? The back-and-forth scheduling, prep time beforehand, and following up afterward are almost more trouble than they’re worth. At least they used to be. Luckily, some amazingly simple (and free!) tools will transform the way you think about meetings and give you hours of your life back every week. Your Scheduling […]

Like many bootstrapped businesses, one of the biggest challenges ZinePak faced in our early days was cash flow. My cofounder Kim Kaupe and I financed the company from our own savings and quickly became pros at shifting balances across multiple, personal credit cards—sometimes as many as six cards at a time! Kim and I made […]

In recent years, the Internet has democratized entrepreneurship in a big way. It no longer takes an army of employees and a $10-million-dollar Series A to launch your dream company. With a great idea, hard work, and the right tools, your business can be not only up and running, but competing with the big boys, […]

The old adage about it taking a village to raise a child could just as easily be applied to business. Building a successful company requires knowledge, skills, and guidance from a host of people both inside and outside the organization. At ZinePak, that team of advisors includes not only world-class vendors and amazing employees, but […]

In entrepreneurship—and in life—the most valuable commodity is time. There’s never enough of it, and yet a staggering amount is spent doing the mundane tasks that come with running a business day to day. I hate inefficiency, and I loathe wasting time, so I’m always looking for the latest cool gadgets to help me get […]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it will not be possible to clone yourself during your lifetime. Major bummer, right? That means that uttering, “If only there were two of me, I could get this done so much faster!” under your breath is never going to be a viable solution for […]