In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Benny Calderone, Founder of The Zoomies Group, to discuss his 28-year career in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry and the entrepreneurial journey that led him to launch his own consulting firm. Benny shares how an unexpected opportunity early in his career, encouraged by his mother, opened the door to leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, and executive positions across global packaging and consumer goods companies. Drawing on experience through major economic disruptions, global supply chain challenges, and private equity-backed organizations, he reflects on the lessons that shaped his leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of resilience, consistency, relationship-building, and leveraging cross-functional business expertise to help organizations grow sustainably.

The conversation also explores Benny's transition from corporate executive to entrepreneur, the inspiration behind The Zoomies Group, and his mission to help founders and business leaders scale through strategic sales leadership, mentorship, and operational guidance. He discusses why building the right business foundation, being intentional about growth, and creating systems that extend beyond a single individual are essential for long-term success. Throughout the episode, Benny offers practical advice for entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty, balancing ambitious growth with personal well-being, and building businesses that create lasting value while remaining true to their culture and purpose.

Connect:

Website: https://www.thezoomiesgroupllc.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benny-calderone-jr-a9a3b617/

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Mark Holland, CEO of Coverica Insurance and Risk Management, shares a career story that spans more than 30 years, multiple companies, a devastating business betrayal, a dramatic revenue collapse, and ultimately a faith-driven pivot that landed him in the CEO chair of a Christian-founded, employee-owned insurance agency in Texas. Mark built his career expertise around employee benefits and benefit communication technology, grew one firm to five locations and 3,000 commercial clients, sold it to a partner who never paid him and then destroyed the business within six months, rebuilt from scratch, and then watched a second wave of success evaporate when seven of his top ten revenue clients were acquired in a 30-month stretch that took revenues from $1.8 million to $225,000. It was in that valley, during a moment of prayer, that he found Coverica, a company whose biblical founding principles and employee ownership structure matched his own values in a way no purely financial opportunity could.

The conversation explores what it actually looks like to merge two complementary insurance disciplines, commercial property and casualty and employee benefits, and why the firms that have tried to do this through private equity acquisition have largely failed where a values-aligned, relationship-first approach can succeed. Mark also walks through how Coverica is using the Entrepreneurial Operating System to align its growing team around shared goals, how three acquisitions in a single year are expanding its bench strength in employee benefits, and why AI is being deployed not to reduce headcount but to free up service professionals to spend more time being human with their clients. His closing advice to every small business leader navigating the hard seasons is the same lesson his own journey taught him the hard way: stop chasing the finish line at the expense of the journey, find your faith, maintain your balance, and surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable to all of it.

Connect:

Website: https://www.coverica.com

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

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Alan Ellahham of Strong Landscaping in Houston, Texas shares how a former mergers and acquisitions consultant walked away from a life lived out of a suitcase during COVID to join a boutique landscaping company, and then quietly transformed its entire business model. Strong Landscaping had always been known for beautifully designed and installed outdoor spaces, but when Alan joined six years ago there was no ongoing relationship with clients after the project was complete. By introducing a customizable maintenance program covering everything from live landscaping and hardscapes to water features, pressure washing, and exterior window cleaning, he turned a project-based business into one where roughly 55% of revenue now comes from recurring clients who trust Strong Landscaping as their single point of contact for every aspect of their outdoor environment.

The conversation explores how that recurring revenue base became the company's most important asset during the current economic slowdown, where oil and gas industry uncertainty in the Houston market has made homeowners more cautious about large discretionary investments. With fixed overhead covered by maintenance contracts, Strong Landscaping has been able to maintain staffing levels and increase marketing spend rather than cut, positioning the company to capitalize when demand returns. Alan also shares the five-year vision taking shape now, including a move into smart irrigation monitoring and water leak detection that would give clients real-time visibility into abnormal usage and potential pipe failures underground, a natural extension of the trust and long-term relationship the maintenance program has already built. His guiding philosophy sums it up simply: a customer buys from you once, but a client buys from you for a lifetime.

Connect:

Website: https://www.stronglandscaping.com

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