Jamie Seeker

[00:03]

I'm Jamie Seeker, and this is what it takes. Each episode, I sit down with real business owners, talk about their journey, the wins, the challenges, and everything in between. Let's dive in.

[00:19]

Hello. We're here. We're finally doing our very first episode of what it takes. Business owners tell all. Gosh, you guys, it's been such a long time coming. I thought I would have our team on for the very first episode just to have you guys get to know us and really learn about what this podcast is going to be all about, all that kind of stuff. So let's just start. We'll just go around the room and do some introductions. Andrea, do you want to start?

Andrea Hannibal

[00:49]

Yeah. I'm Andrea Hannibal, and I really love digging into operational systems. I'm also pretty strong with, like, coaching with your team, helping with professional development, and really helping move your team forward.

Jamie

[01:04]

Well, Bri, how about you?

Bri

So I'm Bri. I handle the social media and help out with HR admin work.

Jamie

Yes. And Kristin.

Kristin Byers

[01:16]

Hi, I'm Kristen. I am part of the HR solutions.

Jamie

[01:22]

So we just thought that the best way to get to know us a little bit is to have our team interview me as the very first guest on the show so you can kind of hear my heart and hear what our goals and vision is for this podcast. So I'm going to leave it out to the team right now to get us kicked off.

Andrea

[01:45]

Yeah. So tell us about it. Who are you and what is your company that has led you to start this podcast?

Jamie

[01:51]

Yes. So my name is Jamie Seeker, and our company that we all work together in is called Seeker solution. And we work with small business owners every single day. These are people that are in it. They've created their own company. They're definitely entrepreneurs. And they're all at different levels right in their growth track. And so I think one thing that we always hear from our clients and our owners are that there's a bit of a feeling of isolation. They're feeling a little bit like they're alone or they're doing everything. And part of their day to day is by themselves, and they're having to figure all this out on their own. And so by the time they're reaching us, some of the things that we talk about in the conversations that we had, it's. It's for the very first time. And although we have these conversations often and every day with a bunch of different clients, it's maybe the first time that they're hearing these things. And so I thought, you know, you're really not alone. You might feel like you are alone and you are doing these things in your company alone, but there's a whole community of business owners that are doing these things every day that are feeling the same things you're feeling, that have the same types of responsibilities, carrying that weight on their shoulders that I feel like if you can just hear what maybe somebody else is going through or identify with some other experience, then you might not feel so alone or that you don't have to go through this alone. So that's really who I am. And what led me to kind of want to start this podcast is just our work and what we do every day at Seeker solution.

Andrea

[03:28]

Awesome. So what is your show? What's our show going to be about?

Jamie

[03:31]

So, yes, if you tuned in to this episode one, you can see that our podcast is called what it takes. And really it's about business owners telling all, everything, the good, the bad. You know, sometimes bad, sometimes really bad, but sometimes really good. Sharing those wins, talking about some of those obstacles that we face, how we get through them, maybe some things that have stopped us in our tracks and what we've learned along the way. And I think that that's something that really could have helped me, I think early on in building our company and our team. And I think that when we see that other people have kind of gone before us and figured a lot of this stuff out, it doesn't seem as daunting. So that's what the show is really going to be about, and that's really kind of the topic and where we're going to stay with business and all the experiences and stories and things that we've learned along the way.

Andrea

[04:26]

Yeah. So who will your guests be? Who will you be interviewing?

Jamie

[04:29]

Yeah, so we're going to be interviewing business owners, entrepreneurs, people who are lead decision makers in a company that are really maybe making seven figures or so on annual income and are having a team of, I would say, between 13 and 49 employees. So they're a pretty good size, you know, a lot, a lot of revenue coming in, enough to where it's bigger than just themselves. They're not doing it on their own anymore. They're starting to build up their teams, but also they're still in it on a day to day basis. Like, they're still in HR. They're still the ones training, they're still the ones doing the social media. They're still the ones like coming up with a strategic plan and implementing everything and making sure all the processes and Sops and KPI's are met and all those things are in place. And if you are at that size, it's probably becoming a little bit overwhelming and a little bit like, okay, I think I need to make a change, or I have made that change already, or I'm in that transition right now. So we're going to be talking to business owners who are right about their, in their growth track with their business and just kind of talking about some of the things that they learned on those beginning phases and what it's like to kind of go through this transition.

Kristin

[05:53]

What can listeners expect to learn from guests?

Jamie

[05:57]

So that's a good question. So I think that we're going to be talking about startup, what it, you know, what it takes to start a business up. We're going to be talking about, I would say, a lot of feelings, a lot of feelings that we've gone through, how we've kind of overcome some of those feelings, a lot of excitement, but also a lot of overwhelm and just how to have actionable steps to work through some of those feelings. Listeners are going to be hearing from business owners that just have gone through it. Maybe they are a step ahead of them in their journey and they can learn some things along the way. Maybe they'll be able to avoid some things that they may be facing. So I think that that's what the listener can expect.

Kristin

[06:46]

How do you think listeners will grow or be transformed over listening to this podcast?

Jamie

[06:54]

Oh, that's such a good question. So I think that goes back to trying to be figuring everything out on our own. I think as entrepreneurs, we have a certain personality type, right? Like, we like to figure things out. We're really good at a lot of things, which is why we have success creating and starting our own businesses. But at the same time, I think a good growth step could be, oh, we got to hear a dog in the background. That's another piece of it is, you know, there's different phases and pieces in your journey. Some of it is like figuring out how to work from home, figuring out all these different things, what the pandemic brought to our new work culture, and what does that look like? I think the listener is going to learn a lot that, hey, I can learn from others. There's a lot that I can figure out on my own. And there are some benefits to having that kind of personality where I, I do a lot of things right, I make a lot of good decisions. I do a lot of, you know, figuring things out on my own. But there's this other piece that maybe if I can learn from others and take advice and learn from advice and learn from those who have gone before me. That can be a really big growth step to some of these listeners. So I think that that's going to be a really transformative piece of, um, over time, is just the more you listen and the more you hear from other people and their stories that, hey, I think I can apply some of this stuff. And it's not just I'm listening to maybe not feel alone anymore. I'm listening because they've got some good tips and they've been through some things that, that actually is something I'm going through right now, that I'm going to immediately kind of change my mindset or put this kind of tactic that they did into place. So I think that that's something that I know that I had to learn over time is just that I, you know, I don't have to figure everything out alone. I can be a part of this bigger community and figure out new things, you know, as, as the economy change or as the workplace culture changes. We're working from home, trying to figure out, like, personal spaces and homes and, you know, all the different things that come along with it. I think, you know, that that's going to be. And some things that we just don't foresee, we're going to learn ourselves along the way. So just kind of being around for the journey and pulling out whatever, you know, whatever nuggets people have gone before us can share with us.

Kristin

[09:20]

If you could think of someone who would make an inspiring guest for the show, who would that be?

Jamie

[09:26]

Oh, yeah, this is, I mean, I kind of touched on it before. Is somebody who really has had some experience in their business. They've been in business for quite a while. Everything kind of goes through them. Decisions, operations wise, all the processes kind of go through them. They might be looking around their operation going, okay, everything is going through me on a day to day basis. And I feel like my company is getting a little bit bigger than having that happen, having everything go through me all the time. And I think that's a really good, sweet spot for us to have people who one have that realization of, like, okay, I think I'm either in a place where I'm getting in the way of my company's growth and I've realized that, and I haven't done anything about it yet, or in that transition of, I have realized that. And I am in the process of transitioning some of these things off and having some of these operational processes or whatever happen without me. And other people are starting to come in and I'm going through this transition. You know, I'm learning and growing in that or even somebody who has gone through it and is just on the tail end of that and saying, hey, here are some things that you need to know when you're about to go through that transition. So I think those are the three stages of guests that would be really, really great to share their insights into, you know, everything that's going on.

Kristin

[11:00]

Nice.

Bri

[11:01]

My turn.

[11:04]

Where can we go to listen or even apply to be on the podcast?

Jamie

Oh, yeah. So we're going to actually put everything on our Seeker solution website since you guys are those of us, those of you that are starting to tune in that already know us and our team and just kind of heard that we're starting up a podcast, we're going to keep everything on our Seeker solution website. So you just go to seekersolution.com and there right at the top is going to be a podcast link. So you can just click on that. It's going to go right to our podcast homepage. It's going to have all of our podcasts that we've done. So our very first one, you're going to see that on there. And there's also going to be some links and things that you can click on if you're interested in applying. So there should be a link to take you to an application page where you can see kind of the guest requirements, where you can kind of self assess if you fit in to some of the things that we talked about today. So, yeah, I mean, I'm excited about talking to other business owners. I think if I had had a resource like this to where I didn't feel like I was alone, I started off on my own. I think a lot of business owners do that as well. You're just a solopreneur. You're starting off on your own. You just had something that you loved or something that, um, you know, that you were really, really good at as a profession. And you're like, you know what? I think I can do this on my own. And you did, and you grew to the point where it was bigger than you and you started growing your team. And I think that that's something that along the way, I know I had to figure a lot of stuff out on my own. I made some mistakes. I made some really great decisions and celebrated some wins. And at the end of the day, I think I really just want to create a community and a place where other businesses who are going through these phases can kind of look toward and say, hey, I don't, I don't feel so alone anymore. Like, I'm not crazy for going through that or for thinking that or, you know, some of the things that happen to us in business, you're just like, wow, like, did that just happen? And I think after hearing some of our stories, you're like, no, you can't make this stuff up. It does happen and we do face it and you can do it, and you don't have to do it alone. That there, there are other business owners out there that, you know, there's a whole community of us. I'd love to connect other people, connect other business owners to each other and also just get people services that, you know, if they're looking for them, they know where to find them. We have a really large network of partners and just services for small businesses that are out there that we work with and just getting those resources out there, I think. So you don't have to figure it all out on your own. So if that interests you, then stay tuned. We are going to be interviewing. I've already got some really cool guests lined up that I'm super excited for you guys to meet. So if all of this sounds like it's within your wheelhouse, please subscribe, listen, and come to our page, visit it, check it out, and we'll have some really exciting new episodes after this one. So stay tuned. Thanks for listening.

[14:24]

This podcast is brought to you by SeekerSolution. Are you a business owner feeling overwhelmed? We can help head over to seekersolution.com to schedule a call today. Would you or someone you know like to be featured on this podcast? Our applications are now open. Apply today@seekersolution.com and click on the podcast link to get started.