Category: Uncategorized

Ashley Moy joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to share how Cast21 is making radical improvements on the traditional orthopedic cast for breaks & fractures.

The novel cast is lighter, waterproof and more comfortable than traditional plastic and fiberglass casts. It takes only three minutes to apply, and has a open lattice net-like design.  That design is hard for support, yet open so that the skin is accessible and air can circulate.  Plus it comes in several cool colors!

The idea came about when Ashley and her co-founder participated in an accelerator program at the University of Illinois.  Her co-founder, a gymnast with a birth defect, had been in 60 different casts, and knew first-hand how miserable they can be.

Their flagship product is a wrist or arm cast and sold in the U.S., but as you'll hear in Ashley's interview, the opportunities for new products and new markets are enormous.

That said, creating a novel new medical device — especially in the U.S. — is no easy task.  Designing, manufacturing, marketing, and dealing with a host of regulatory issues, Ashley and her co-founder have carefully but determinedly pushed on.

Cast21's story is inspirational and Ashley's interview is full of great tips.

Click on the arrow to listen, or go here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of the show!

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SBA loans offer a number of advantages for small businesses.  Chris Hurn, the CEO and Founder of Fountainhead Commercial Capital, joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to talk about the ins and outs of both types of SBA loans:  7(a) loans, and 504 loans.

Fountainhead Capital is one of only 14 non-bank SBA lenders nationwide, and also one a small number of preferred SBA lenders.  As a specialist in SBA lending, Fountainhead Capital prides itself on providing great service and support to its customers.  He also says that it really helps to find a bank or non-bank lender that truly specializes in SBA loans to ensure you get the best experience.

Chris talks about the 3 key advantages of SBA loans over conventional lending:  (1) lower downpayments; (2) longer repayment terms, both resulting in typical lower monthly payments.  A third advantage is typcially the lack of loan covenants that commercial lenders include.

He talks about the differences between the two SBA loan programs, and also gives plenty of tips for pitching to lenders, as well as how to keep your relationship smooth with your lender.

Click on the arrow to listen to an insider talk about SBA loans, or go here to read a transcript of our interview.

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Nikyra McCann is living proof that mental health issues are not well-understood — not by employers, not by law enforcement, and not by society in general. She was detained and incarcerated several times when she should have received institutional care because of her mental health issues.

She's taken those painful, terrifying experiences and turned them into opportunities to help others. She's become a licensed rehabilitation worker, gives frequent seminars and workshops on mental health, and even has her own public-access TV show.

To try to amplify her voice, she's created Still Standing Enterprise to educate on mental health issues, as well as provide hope and inspiration.

Although focused at the moment mostly in the Madison, Wisconsin area, Nikyra hopes to partner with more mental health agencies to grow across and U.S. and even become international.

The need is out there — more than 1 in 5 Americans will struggle with mental health issues. The rate of teen suicide is growing. The pain is real, and Nikyra McCann is out there doing what she can to educate and inspire.

Click on the arrow to listen to her inspiring story, or go here if you'd prefer to read a transcript of the show & learn more about Nikyra and Still Standing Enterprise!

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Maria Onesto Moran, founder & owner & self-proclaimed Queen Bee of Green Home Experts, knows a thing or two about successfully pivoting a business. She's successfully done it multiple times.

She joins The Savvy Entrepreneur to candidly share how her business, Green Home Experts, has morphed significantly over the years.

A lot of first-time entrepreneurs grapple with how to get started.

But what if your idea is successful at first, but then, at some point, becomes less so?  What do you do then?  Do you persist, hoping things will turn around again?  Or do you pivot?

Maria & I explore some of the questions many entrepreneurs & small businesspeople face when their original business idea tapers off or becomes a lot less profitable.

Green Home Experts started out as a small garden and whole foods supply store.  But then the internet, online retail, and big chains starting moving into their space.  Maria reluctantly pivoted into home energy audits and energy conservation consulting.

Then she had a chance to become a woman-owned supplier of energy conservation products for several local utilities.  And finally, after realizing the company's core strength had become warehousing and delivery, she started another company focused on that.

Maria shares the pain and joy she's experienced, and her sense of humor is infectious.  Listen to her sage advice, and be prepared for lots of laughs!

Click on the arrow to listen, or go here to read a transcript of our interview.

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Amie Kesler shares her quest for the perfect plant-based cookie cracker and how she's grown her company, Carolyn's Krisps with The Savvy Entrepreneur.  She started with her favorite grandmother's recipe for a cookie-crisp.  All of her friends raved about it.  And then she experimented with how to replace all of the traditional ingredients with plant-based ones.

Plant-based food is becoming increasingly popular, as it is healthier.  It improves gut health, stabilizes blood sugar, helps lower cholesterol, and is higher in fiber.

She started making Carolyn's Krisps (Carolyn was her grandmother) in a shared kitchen at The Hatchery, a Chicago-based incubator focused on food & beverage startups.  Since then, she's expanded to selling online and through several large retailers.

If you've dreamed of starting a food product business, Amy shares lots of tips and helpful suggestions.

Click on the arrow to listen, or go here to read a transcript of the interview.

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