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Collaboration is an often overlooked driver of business growth.

It can spark innovation, expand your market reach, and turn challenges into opportunities in ways you might not expect.

Yet, many small businesses struggle to find the right partnerships.

So what do you need to do to start collaborating effectively to propel your business forward?

What are the strategies that can help you turn obstacles into opportunities?

And how can you spot and secure the right partnerships for lasting success?

In this episode, Chad Jenkins and I discuss the power of business collaborations and how they can significantly boost your company's growth. We also explore practical strategies for identifying and forming the right partnerships to drive success.

Chad is the President & CEO of SeedSpark and a lifelong entrepreneur who possesses a knack for uncovering unconventional opportunities within traditional businesses. His passion lies in understanding how businesses operate and reshaping them for remarkable

returns.

We discuss: (timestamps)

02:23 How do you grow a business through collaborations?

04:25 Making your product-based business stand out from competitors?

07:57 Practical steps to implementing collaborations in your business

15:31 Common collaboration mistakes

17:45 Challenges in entering the collaboration space

18:56 Key factors to consider when vetting potential partners

20:07 Case study: success through business collaborations

24:41 Developing a new revenue stream through collaboration

32:30 Documenting collaboration efforts for strategic decision-making

38:34 Actionable steps to take to start collaborations in your business

Resources:

Chad Jenkins, President & CEO, SeedSpark

https://seedspark.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadtjenkins/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/seedspark/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SeedSpark/

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSD-HmywcGJP4VaDa828dQ

Author:

Just Add a Zero: Remove the Film, Outperform your Competition, and Grow Exponentially through Collaboration

Kathy Svetina, Fractional CFO:

https://www.newcastlefinance.us/

Blog post | Growing Your Business Through Collaborations

Is your growth causing financial headaches? Sales up, but profits lagging? Financial practices stuck in entry level mode?

Don't worry, it's not you—it's your financial setup.

Introducing NextGen Finance Blueprint by NewCastle Finance. This CFO-led roadmap: • Brings fuzzy finances into focus • Gives you a clear money picture • Creates a step-by-step action plan

Ready to level up? Visit newcastle.finance/blueprint

Comments? Suggestions? Text the show here!

Every construction project starts with a contract—but not all contracts are created equal. If you overlook critical details or skip negotiation, you could face unexpected liabilities, payment delays, and disputes that stall progress. Poor contract management can lead to financial setbacks, strained relationships, and missed opportunities for future projects.

So, how can you identify risks before signing?

What strategies help you negotiate fair terms?
And how can you protect your interests while keeping projects on track?

My guest today is Megan Shapiro. She is a Risk Management Strategist, Construction Attorney & Founder of Construction Contract Coach. After litigating construction disputes for nearly 15 years, Megan is now taking everything she's learned and teaching construction leaders how to Do It Like A Lawyer.

Through her workshops and coaching programs, Megan offers actionable strategies for negotiation, persuasion, contract review, and strategic communication. Drawing on her years of representing subcontractors, owners, GCs, and everything in between, she empowers construction leaders to win more projects, eliminate claims, and maximize profits—all while reducing risk and helping leaders adopt a lawyer’s mindset to succeed in business.

We discuss: (timestamps)
03:03 Contracts for construction and remodeling businesses

05:37 Key points for general contractors and subcontractors

08:36 Indemnity explained in simple terms

11:43 Managing contract defense costs

13:10 Remedies for breach of contract

14:32 Subcontractor liability for issues like water leaks

16:53 Risks in prime contracts for general contractors

17:16 When to consult your broker on contracts

21:37 Fixing non-compliant contracts in ongoing projects

22:51 Working with brokers on problematic contracts

23:59 Reasons insurance claims get denied

28:16 Negotiating contract terms as a subcontractor

31:04 Examples of subcontractors negotiating better terms

33:57 Defining late provisions and liquidated damages

35:31 Reducing contract risks for subcontractors

37:34 Preventing problems from poorly managed contracts

40:53 Addressing supply chain and labor shortage risks

42:20 Options for subcontractors in bad contracts

43:44 Actionable steps to take to improve your contracts

Resources:
Megan Shapiro, Risk Management Strategist, Construction Attorney & Founder, Construction Contract Coach

https://meganshapiro.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/constructioncontractcoach/

Free Negotiation Style Quiz:

https://meganshapiro.ck.page/81045b49f1

Free resources on Megan’s Website:

https://meganshapiro.com/free-resources

Kathy Svetina, Fractional CFO:

https://www.newcastlefinance.us/

Blog post | Industry Deep Dive - Construction: Practical Strategies for Managing Construction Contracts

Is your growth causing financial headaches? Sales up, but profits lagging? Financial practices stuck in entry level mode?

Don't worry, it's not you—it's your financial setup.

Introducing NextGen Finance Blueprint by NewCastle Finance. This CFO-led roadmap: • Brings fuzzy finances into focus • Gives you a clear money picture • Creates a step-by-step action plan

Ready to level up? Visit newcastle.finance/blueprint

Comments? Suggestions? Text the show here!

Hiring and onboarding a sales team can either make your business or break it. If you don't have a solid hiring process in place, you'll end up guessing who’s right for the job instead of making an informed choice and hoping they’ll figure it out on their own.

But wrong hires or weak onboarding cost money because it leads to high turnover, frustrated salespeople, and lost sales. You need a clear process to find the right talent, get them up to speed with your business, and keep them motivated with fair, effective compensation.

So, how do you build a strong sales team?

Which onboarding methods actually work?

And how do you create compensation plans that drive results without hurting your profits?

My guest today is Aleasha Bahr. She is a sales strategist, speaker, best-selling author, and founder of the Black Sheep Sales Method™. Because if it’s a fit, it’s a fact and there’s no selling involved. She has 15 years of experience customizing sales strategies to your personality, audience, and service (because sales is not a one-size-fits-all!)

Her methods empower business owners to effortlessly convert up to 80% of their leads without pressure, pitching or pretending to be someone else. Aleasha’s signature Black Sheep Sales Method is based on 15+ years of sales experience, tens of millions of dollars in services personally sold herself and sold by service providers she’s supported. She has been featured on Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast, Sales Game Changers, Business Innovators Radio, and Outside Sales Talk.

Aleasha is also the host of the “Sales Is Not A Dirty Word” podcast.

We discuss: (timestamps)

02:34 What’s broken in sales hiring?

04:21 Why experience alone isn’t enough for sales success

09:03 When to hire a sales strategist

11:08 What goes into an effective sales strategy?

16:22 Positioning salespeople as experts

18:16 Helping clients focus on what they need

19:54 Rolling out a new sales strategy to seasoned salespeople

23:51 Red and green flags when hiring salespeople

27:10 How hiring for sales differs from hiring for other roles

30:47 Building a diverse sales team culture and compensation insights

33:36 Actionable next steps to take to develop a strong sales strategy

Resources:
Aleasha Bahr, Sales Strategist and Founder, Black Sheep Sales Method
http://www.aleashabahr.com/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleashabahr

Black Sheep Sales Method™:
https://aleashabahr.com/blacksheep/

Podcast:
Sales Is Not A Dirty Word

Kathy Svetina, Fractional CFO:
https://www.newcastlefinance.us/

Blog post | How to Hire, Onboard, and Compensate Salespeople Effectively
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Is your growth causing financial headaches? Sales up, but profits lagging? Financial practices stuck in entry level mode?

Don't worry, it's not you—it's your financial setup.

Introducing NextGen Finance Blueprint by NewCastle Finance. This CFO-led roadmap: • Brings fuzzy finances into focus • Gives you a clear money picture • Creates a step-by-step action plan

Ready to level up? Visit newcastle.finance/blueprint