The C-suite has a variety of reactions when suggesting podcasting as a marketing channel, but with the rise of DTC companies, it's more critical than ever for a brand to have direct access to their consumers. Despite criticisms of why podcasting won't work, the facts tell a different story. More than 65 million Americans listen to a podcast every month. Podcasts are low barrier to entry and are consumed wherever, whenever. Some people listen to podcasts while in the car, while traveling on airplanes, and at the gym.

Podcast subscribers are already a big part of your business community and loyal, so engage them across other platforms. Ask yourself what’s the ideal outcome at the end of each show. Who is your ideal listener? Help your audience in taking the next step - make it clear and don't be afraid to ask. Engage with the audience and answer questions. Podcasting is an easy-to-consume content format that can be used to attract new audiences and nurture existing ones.

A few words from the Co-Founder & CEO.

“It was a real honor to be a guest speaker on the Chalk Talk Show. Hugh and his team are great, have a great listening audience, and cover some great topics. Not only was the time engaging as a professional, but it was also a ton of fun. Most importantly, we covered topics that I believe can help people in the areas of customer experience, lead generation, digital marketing, and franchising. I truly hope business owners and franchise owners find value in giving this a listen. Of course, I’m always available for a personal conversation too.”

Here’s to raising all ships!

Mike Hutzel Co-Founder & CEO

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Younger consumers prefer using digital channels for a considerable portion of the buyer journey. Retailers should provide a wide range of support for rich and rewarding digital experiences to engage and connect on their needs. The biggest driver of customer satisfaction is merchandise - specifically, merchandise appeal, availability, quality, and variety.

The second biggest driver is digital experience - specifically, responsiveness, ease of finding products, and the ability to provide needed information. Consumers have increasingly complex purchase experiences that often involve both in-store and digital steps. Two-thirds of customers over 55 prefer to engage with a retailer by visiting a store, but consumers under 40 see utility in the retail store as a convenient click-and-collect depot for merchandise. 

Retailers can turn customer communications into sales simply by sending the right mobile message at the right time to the right customer. They can also use click-to-Messenger advertisements to create a seamless browsing and payment sequence without leaving a private messaging conversation. Gen Z and Millennials will continue to push the envelope on digital experiences, and brands will need to establish continuous feedback loops, optimize digital communications to boost revenue, and ensure they are providing optimal customer experience.

The second biggest driver is digital experience - specifically, responsiveness, ease of finding products, and the ability to provide needed information. Consumers have increasingly complex purchase experiences that often involve both in-store and digital steps. Two-thirds of customers over 55 prefer to engage with a retailer by visiting a store, but consumers under 40 see the utility in the retail store as a convenient click-and-collect depot for merchandise. 

In 2022, the customer service industry is experiencing a seismic shift and companies adopting a gig-style staffing model to cope with the challenges of today's volatile markets. Many companies have realized that shifting to remote working hasn't benefitted the customer service agents, and are now reverting entire networks back, as the work from home model presented significant challenges. Brand advocates are becoming a mainstream part of customer service. These people will be hired via models like Gig-style customer service and will help other customers get more value from their products or services at every point in the customer journey. Facebook, Snapchat, and other technology companies are acquiring businesses to provide customer service on their platforms.

This introduces new revenue-generating opportunities for these companies and increases the use of asynchronous messaging to engage with brands. In the next few years, we could see live chat disappearing or moving to asynchronous engagement everywhere, as more customers realize the benefits of asynchronous messaging. This means brands can engage with customers wherever they feel most comfortable. Customer service teams will need to adopt new platforms, processes, and ways of meeting with customers moving forward to stay competitive and avoid unnecessary costs and dissatisfied customers.

A once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic touched every aspect of our lives and led to unemployment levels not seen in the past century. The economic crisis and a pandemic that is still a threat make it seem like the ideal time to buy a franchise, but there is another side to consider. The current economic conditions are like those that existed during the Great Recession. Franchise operations were able to weather the storm, likely due to their proven business model. Franchises are available in almost 100 different industries, and range from high-investment, site-sensitive, sales-driven business concepts to low buy-in, location-free, direct-sales operations.

Franchise brands adapted quickly to operating during a pandemic, and many still have tech-friendly upgrades in place. Over 100,000 restaurants in the U.S. went out of business in the past year, but people's appetite for dining out hasn't decreased. QSRs and other franchises should investigate their territorial options. Franchises in the home services, home improvement, flooring, décor, tree trimming, window washing, call centers and painting industries flourished under the pandemic's conditions.

When things go wrong, businesses should take a powerful interest in setting things right, instead of just getting the mess cleaned up fast and getting back to business as usual. This will build customer loyalty and valuable goodwill. When things go wrong, customers become more discerning, and if things are handled well, they will return to the brand and recommend it to their friends. Use these seven simple steps to gain customer loyalty by "Bouncing Back" with S-E-R-V-I-C-E recovery. Respond to the Customer Take the time to empathize, be a listening ear, keep personal contact, and thank them personally. Give more than what customers expect.

Refunds, discounts, special assistance, extra services - whatever it takes - do it fast. Make it easy for your customers to complain! Set up a telephone hotline, give counter staff the power to take prompt and significant actions for your customers, conduct focus groups, and run surveys to keep track of your customers' changing expectations. Service recovery costs money, but it's a proven strategy for building repeat business and long-term sustainable profits.

Franchising provides benefits for both seller and buyer. For franchisors, the main benefit is the opportunity to use other people's money to expand the brand faster than they could either on their own or through investors or lenders. For franchisees, benefits include a higher chance of success than a sole proprietorship, a shorter time to opening, initial training and ongoing support, assistance in finding an optimal site, and lower costs through group purchasing.  

Franchises have potential downsides, including mandatory company-wide promotions that may not work in their market, costly required redesign of their unit(s), and change in management or ownership.  As with any business opportunity, there are trade-offs to be made, and franchisees have some power of their own. Franchisees must follow the franchisor's operating system and keep the franchisor's proprietary system and trade secrets confidential. They must also sign some type of noncompete agreement. Not everyone is cut out for franchising. The franchisee must be comfortable with the franchisor's culture, values, and goals, and vice versa, for the partnership to succeed.

Family time can be an escape from the demands and deadlines of daily life, and offers many benefits such as building confidence, improving communication skills, and reduced behavioral issues. Spending time partaking in everyday family leisure activities can lead to greater emotional bonding within families and a willingness to share problems and build mutual respect between parents and children. Children whose parents spend time with them and take an interest in their education tend to do better in school and complete higher levels of education. Children learn how to behave and communicate by watching their parents. Spending time together as a family can help parents relate more to their children and open the lines of communication. A closer family relationship can help reduce aggression, delinquent behavior, substance abuse, and tobacco use in adolescents.

Spending time together creates memories that will last a lifetime, which gives family members a sense of belonging and reinforces the importance of family. Unplug from the digital world and spend time as a family without TV, tablets, computers, and phones. Bond and bake together with your family using Pillsbury Purely Simple baking and frosting mixes. They contain no colors, preservatives, or artificial flavors and provide a delicious homemade taste. Share family stories and memories. Old photo albums are a great way to share fun and nostalgic memories, which can help bring your family closer together. Set aside a day each week for family night. You can spend that time playing board games, doing DIY projects around the house, or just sitting together and talking.

When something goes wrong, many people are quick to point fingers and play the blame game. It's easier to blame someone else than to take full responsibility for your actions, and it helps preserve our sense of self-esteem or pride. We use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from criticism, negative consequences, attention, and whatever it is we're afraid of. It's possible that we have some deep-rooted negative experiences from our childhood that make us predisposed to acting in this way. Blaming others for our mistakes can backfire on us, leaving us wishing we never played the blame game in the first place.

Blaming others can lead to low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, and even permanent emotional damage, depending on the situation. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to addressing it. A support system of family and friends can help you stay accountable and help you make positive changes in your life. The next time you make a mistake, try to notice your thought process; and decide whether you want to blame someone or take ownership for what you've done. Professional help is recommended to help you stop this behavior.

Is there a more memorable duo than “Doc” Brown & Marty McFly? Well, I guess there may be room for some debate there. One thing that is not up for debate is that not a single one of us has access to or is in possession of the iconic DeLorean that gives those two the ability to leisurely travel through time. Time is one of the most mysterious forces in the universe, and it matters for many reasons. What will you do with the time you've been given? Time is an intangible resource that you can't get back. There's an inspirational saying that states that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but everyone has different amounts of free time. We are aware of three stages of time - the past, the present, and the future. Being mindful of the present benefits your mental and physical health. Your perspective of the past and future has a big impact on your happiness and peace of mind.

Shakespeare wrote that every man should be the master of his own time. Good time management helps you make the most out of every moment. Community and work are important for a person's health and wellbeing. Healthy relationships take time to develop and are worth investing in. The real number of how many hours it takes to master a skill is up in the air, but it takes time to develop skills. Time heals everything, and people, while initially in denial will often find that it does. Time gives us not only the opportunity to think about our situation and to reflect on the good times had but the opportunity to experience new things.

As business owners, my partner Diane and I have encountered some tough situations that required making some uncomfortable decisions. We’ve always looked at those moments in our history as challenges that made us stronger as the EagleONE family. Yes, family. One thing we are most proud of is that we have developed a true family culture here, a place where people feel like they belong, like they are respected and treated like family, not mere employees.

There is a consequence to creating the family culture though, that Diane and I never anticipated. The loss of a family member. It is with a very heavy heart that I share that in the last two weeks, EagleONE has lost two family members. Barb Terrell left for her heavenly home the week of 25 July, finally succumbing to major health issues. Gaby Jacobs left for her heavenly home the week of 1 August, losing her battle with cancer.

Both ladies were the epitome of what we have always tried to instill here, service above self. They were long-tenured family who always went above and beyond the call of duty for clients and for other family members. They both brought their talents with a willingness to do whatever it took to make things better. It is difficult to do them justice and they will be forever missed.

Our faith tells us that this is a time of celebration, a time to be glad for them as they finally complete their earthly journey for rest in their eternal home. As much as we are sad at their loss, both of these wonderful ladies deserve the very best in eternity.

Rest in Peace Barb. Rest in Peace Gaby.
You will forever have a place in our hearts.