Are you looking to take your live events production business to the next level? Do you want to learn from industry experts and gain insights into the latest business trends and strategies? Welcome to the Intentional Success Podcast, where we provide you with the tools and resources you need to help your business grow and scale… on purpose. Hosted by industry veteran Tom Stimson, each episode answers unpacks the best practices and secrets to achieving intentional success. From marketing and s ...
…
continue reading
1
Surrender Driven Success - Biblical Mindset, Intentional Motherhood, Balancing Business and Family, Purpose, Success Strategies
Michelle Hiatt -Christian Life Coach, Faith-Led Business Coach, Mom of Many Hats Mentor
Hey friend, welcome back to The Surrender Driven Success Podcast! Do you absolutely LOVE being a wife and a mom, but something in you desires MORE? Do you have dreams in your heart and the drive to pursue work “outside of motherhood” despite ALL the hats you wear at home? But you ask yourself HOW? How can I prioritize my family AND do the things I feel called to do without sacrificing one or the other? How can I grow as an entrepreneur without hurting my family? You wonder, if it’s REALLY po ...
…
continue reading
What's changing our industry? More women in leadership. A younger workforce that rejects hero culture and relationship selling. And a balance philosophy that keeps your best people off the show site so they can sell and plan the next project. These changes aren't coming. They're here. And the companies embracing them are winning faster than those c…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Stop Culling Your Email List
7:58
7:58
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:58I get calls every day from folks who want to talk about marketing. It was the number one topic in 2025. So, we chat. You tell me your plans. Then, I ask about your email list. https://www.trstimson.com/stop-culling-your-email-list/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
1
How to Dramatically Reduce Your Labor Costs
19:07
19:07
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
19:07As we head into 2026 with steady economic growth ahead, some companies will thrive while others quietly sink, propped up by subsidies they don't even know they're riding on. Your biggest challenge isn't the economy. It's whether your business will float when everyone else starts rising. Listen to this week's episode and learn why throwing labor at …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Your Best People Should Never Touch Equipment
7:03
7:03
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:03This Monday Morning Drive isn't about how you price yourself. It's about the perception of value of someone who does someone else's shows for a living versus a company that gets their customer's show done for them. https://www.trstimson.com/best-people-to-do-shows-done/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
Most companies think planning means putting out fires. It doesn't. Planning means building systems that work without you. Alford Media evolved from throwing cables in cardboard boxes to building repeatable systems. Every time we solved a problem, we turned that solution into a system. When planning works, your crew shows up with everything they nee…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Your Financial Analysis Is 20 Years Out of Date
8:51
8:51
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:51Words matter. So do numbers. Especially the numbers in your financial statements. When owners hire me, they always have questions. "Do I need to hire more people?" "Should I buy my own building?" My answer is always the same: "I don't know. Let's look at your numbers." https://www.trstimson.com/out-of-date-financial-analysis/…
…
continue reading
Most companies don't have a revenue problem. They have a forecasting problem. Without a proper forecast, you're flying blind. You can't staff strategically. You can't protect your margins. And you can't stop your team from walking out the door. Listen to this week's episode and learn why "we do events" isn't a line of business, how to separate clie…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Management Accounting Your Bookkeeper Won't Teach You
8:48
8:48
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:48I work with companies that have fabulous spreadsheets. They produce endless data and reports. They hold monthly management meetings where they analyze their numbers. But the analysis isn't actionable because it doesn't ask the right questions. https://www.trstimson.com/management-accounting/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
Most owners think warehouse space is for storage and early prep. They're filling every inch of floor space a week before showtime, thinking they're ahead of the game. They're not. They're stuck. The real warehouse goal? Get inbound equipment QC'd and shelved fast. That's your top priority. Not prepping early. Not finding space for one more case. Ge…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Your Revenue Problem Is Emotional
7:33
7:33
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:33Time becomes emotional when we don't plan our time wisely. To quote Leonard Bernstein, "To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time." This week's Monday Morning Drive reminds us that revenue, rising or falling, also triggers emotions that can be detrimental to running a successful business. https://www.trstimso…
…
continue reading
1
How to Catch Up on Your Prep for Next Year's Budget
28:52
28:52
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
28:52Most of you hate budgeting. I get it. It feels like busywork until you understand what it does for you. Right now, do you know where your year will end? Can you predict your revenue within a few percentage points? Do you know what you'll owe the IRS? If you had a budget, you'd know all of this. You'd stop the feast-and-famine cycle and quit making …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Stop Saying "It's All About Relationships"
8:54
8:54
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:54Relationships don't close deals. They don't manage teams. They don't sell businesses. Relationships give you permission to control the narrative. That's the only reason they matter in business. The relationship is just the entry fee. What matters is what you do once you're in the door. https://www.trstimson.com/control-the-narrative-in-business/…
…
continue reading
1
Never Run Out Of Great People Again
22:26
22:26
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
22:26Running out of people means running out of business. More than half your costs are people, and 100% of your future depends on them. Yet most of us wing staffing until we hit a wall. Sales loses confidence. You start selling on price. Quality drops. Your best talent burns out. Listen to this week's episode and learn how to build a deep bench, book f…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Three Changes to Make Before You Scale
6:45
6:45
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
6:45Most AV business owners are accidental entrepreneurs. You know how to get shows done. You know how to buy lighting gear. You know how to solve technical problems. So you built a business doing what you know. Then you neglected everything you didn't know how to do. Before you chase growth strategies or try new ventures, master these three fundamenta…
…
continue reading
1
Life Lessons From Stagehand School
21:15
21:15
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
21:15Some crews are a dream to work with. Others feel like organized chaos. The difference isn't talent. It's training. In this episode, I share lessons from my stagehand days that turned inexperienced students into the best local crew touring acts ever worked with. Five simple rules made the difference between six-hour load-ins and eight-hour disasters…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Stop Showing Clients Your Math
6:17
6:17
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
6:17Your clients think you make too much money. They're wrong, but you taught them to think that way. Every time you send a 3,700-line quote with itemized pricing for each cable and connector, you're training clients to scrutinize your profit. You're creating procurement nightmares that didn't exist 20 years ago. https://www.trstimson.com/stop-showing-…
…
continue reading
1
The Words We Use Affect Our Value
21:01
21:01
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
21:01"Rental." "Labor." "Job cost." These transactional relics from the rental era don't reflect what you actually do. When you call skilled professionals "labor," you're telling clients they're replaceable. When you price like a rental company, you invite duration haggling. When you track "job cost," you're measuring the wrong thing entirely. Listen to…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Why Your Software Stack Is Killing Your Profit
8:24
8:24
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:24Software should make your business run better. Instead, most AV companies are drowning in platforms. We have more software tools than ever before, but we still can't answer basic questions about our projects. Information lives in silos. Teams argue about which system has the right data. Operations and sales point fingers at each other over missing …
…
continue reading
1
Revenue Optimization for a Diverse Clientele
14:20
14:20
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
14:20How many times have your customers told you, "I'll make it up to you on the next one"? If they're really customers (not clients), there's no guarantee there will BE a next one. When a client needs a favor on pricing, you look at their $950,000 in other business and say yes. When a customer makes the same request, you'd better check your warehouse f…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Why Small Talk Kills Your Discovery Calls
8:11
8:11
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:11Small talk drains energy from business conversations. Some people avoid networking entirely just to escape those painful exchanges about the weather and their weekend plans. But you can't avoid it completely. Plenty of people (we call them extroverts) actually enjoy small talk. They get energy from these conversations. In business situations, you n…
…
continue reading
1
Never Treat a Client Like a Customer
15:47
15:47
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
15:47Walked away from a huge opportunity because you were "too busy"? You just treated a potential client like a disposable customer. Customers shop around every time. Clients assume they're hiring you. Most of you are bending over backwards for the wrong ones. Listen to this week's episode and learn why confusing customers with clients is killing your …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Fix Your Seasonality With Better Accounting
8:16
8:16
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:16You think you're seasonal because all your shows happen in certain months. You're wrong. Your accounting makes you look more seasonal than you actually are. Fix your accounting, and watch half your seasonality disappear. https://www.trstimson.com/fix-seasonality-with-better-accounting/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
1
How to Win the Battle for Control In Project Selling
20:49
20:49
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
20:49We've all worked with that client who's charming during negotiations, then turns into Captain Chaos the week before showtime. These clients aren't unscrupulous. They're just better at controlling the narrative than you. And when you think like a rental company instead of a project company, you've already lost. Listen to this week's episode and lear…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Your Business Is Worth More as a Fixer-Upper
6:01
6:01
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
6:01Most owners never sell their companies at the right time. They think they need to fix all their problems first. That's like refusing to sell your house until you've remodeled the kitchen, replaced the roof, and landscaped the yard. By the time you finish (if you finish), the market has changed, your energy is gone, and you've spent money on improve…
…
continue reading
1
A Proposal That Someone Might Actually Read
20:05
20:05
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
20:05Nobody's reading your 35-page proposals packed with pretty pictures. They're full of fear, leaving money on the table, and creating chaos instead of closing deals. The perfect proposal solves one problem for $5,000 by Friday. You could write it on a napkin. Listen to this week's episode and learn my exact template for proposals that actually get re…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Stop Renting Gear and Start Making Money
8:04
8:04
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:04Nobody goes to business school dreaming of owning an AV company. Most of us are accidental entrepreneurs. Many of us started as freelance technicians who enjoyed making money without a "real job" or a boss. Then came the equipment purchase trap: "I love running cameras, so I bought my own camera rig. I figured I'd get more gigs that way." This is h…
…
continue reading
1
Selling Is the Art of Translation
12:38
12:38
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
12:38The other day, I wanted a breakfast taco but ended up in a Salvadoran restaurant where nobody spoke English. That's how your clients feel when you throw operational jargon at them. Most AV companies translate in the wrong direction, forcing customers to learn their language instead of the other way around. Your clients don't care about rigging poin…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: What Makes a Show "Big"? (The Answer Will Surprise You)
8:28
8:28
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:28Everyone's definition of a "big show" is different. To you, it might mean high revenue. For others, it's about profile, complexity, multiple rooms, or being hard-won. But what's a "small show," then? Here's my take: There are no small shows. There are just small budgets. https://www.trstimson.com/what-makes-a-show-big/…
…
continue reading
1
Your Sales Funnel Is an Engine, Marketing Is the Fuel
16:52
16:52
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
16:52"We've got 7,000 contacts but only want to email 800 of them." Stop right there. You're throwing away 6,200 potential evangelists. Marketing is about movement, not perfection. Every contact could share that one post or make that one referral that changes everything. Listen to this week's episode and learn why culling your email list is killing your…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: People Management: The 90-Day Plan That Works
7:16
7:16
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:16If you hire the right people — people who either don't need to fix themselves or are motivated to fix themselves — keeping them becomes easier. I'll explain how. https://www.trstimson.com/90-day-hiring-plan-that-works/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
1
There's No Money in Doing Shows, Here's How to Fix That
16:18
16:18
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
16:18A young owner called me recently, driving back from covering a sick call on his own show. After reading my books, he realized his job isn't to do shows. His job is to get shows done. Doing shows means throwing equipment and bodies at problems. Getting shows done means you're the expert, you own the right gear, and you focus on ideal clients. Listen…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Discovery Calls: When and How to Use Your Sales Secret Weapon
7:19
7:19
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:19The term "discovery call" keeps appearing in sales processes across our industry. This is good progress. But many of you use discovery calls improperly or at the wrong time. Let's fix that. https://www.trstimson.com/discovery-calls-in-your-sales-process/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
1
What Your Numbers Tell Me and Why
14:53
14:53
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
14:53I can learn 75% of what I need to know about any business in under two hours. The secret is ignoring the wrong metrics, like revenue per employee and sub-rental percentages. Most companies' books aren't set up to track what matters. Learn which financial metrics actually predict success and why that phone that never rings might tell you everything …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Why Your Ideal Customer Makes or Breaks Profitability
7:23
7:23
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:23What's the one thing I think most of my audience struggles with? It's not revenue, profitability, or costs, but it's something that affects all of that. Before all else, define your ideal customer. https://www.trstimson.com/choose-your-ideal-customer/על ידי The Stimson Group
…
continue reading
1
Numbers Don't Lie, But Did You Ask Them Any Questions?
21:18
21:18
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
21:18How did a company book $11 million in a month... and lose $3.5 million doing it? In this episode, I explain why your accountants are asking the wrong questions and the three critical money questions every AV business must answer. Learn why data without direction fails and how looking forward (not backward) drives profitability. Plus: details on my …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: A Recession Is Likely. Prepare Your Business Now.
5:29
5:29
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
5:29A recession, or worse, is likely. Our current economic policies mirror those that led to past financial crises, and historical records indicate that these approaches rarely succeed. You can't control government policy, but you can prepare your business. Here's how to protect yourself when economic challenges arise. https://www.trstimson.com/recessi…
…
continue reading
1
Your Irrational Relationship With Revenue
17:47
17:47
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
17:47Is revenue keeping you up at night? In this episode, learn why windfall clients (those representing over 30% of your business) can be dangerous, why external excuses for lack of revenue are invalid, and how to stop chasing dopamine hits from sales in favor of building sustainable success. Develop a healthier relationship with revenue that leads to …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Are You Ready for the Next Economic Challenge?
5:18
5:18
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
5:18The White House's on again, off again tariffs could impact our industry as severely as the coronavirus did. Whether you agree with the long-term strategy is irrelevant. In the short term, it'll hurt. All I can say with certainty is this: pay attention. https://www.trstimson.com/next-economic-challenge/…
…
continue reading
Ever hear that business is "all about relationships"? That statement drives me nuts because it's only partially true. Relationships aren't the end goal. They're the means to controlling the narrative. In this episode, I break down how controlling the narrative works in sales, management, and exit planning. Learn how to set clear expectations, creat…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Why Project Managers Hurt Your Profit
6:44
6:44
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
6:44The term "project manager" became common in live events in the '90s. Companies offered project management for free as a "value add", which customers then expected at no extra cost. Providing services you don't charge for sets a problematic precedent - once something is given away free, it's hard to put a price on it later. Free "value adds" can cre…
…
continue reading
In my 100th episode, I call out the "accidental entrepreneurs" who build businesses by doing what they know well and neglecting what they don't. Before launching your next strategic adventure, master these fundamentals: fix your accounting (align revenue to actual services), fix your pricing (stop guessing!), and set clear standards for execution. …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: What Do Owners Really Want? 5 Keys to Satisfaction
6:21
6:21
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
6:21When you start a business, your wants are simple: control, independence, proving yourself. But quickly, other wants take precedence. Let's break down what owners really want, both practically and emotionally, so you can start getting more of what you deserve from your business. https://www.trstimson.com/5-things-owners-want/…
…
continue reading
1
You Can't Negotiate What You Can't Calculate
15:50
15:50
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
15:50Ever wonder why clients demand detailed breakdowns of your quotes? We created this pricing nightmare through excessive transparency. In this week's episode, learn why every pricing decision is about profit, how to stop reinventing the wheel with each quote, and why ditching line items protects your margins. The math is simple: know your costs, add …
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: The 10 Levels of AV Excellence: Find Your Place and Climb Higher
10:27
10:27
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
10:27It's time for your mid-year mindfulness check-up! Are you reaching your business goals? Has your forecasting been accurate? How far down the road have you been kicking challenges? Many of us begin the year with resolutions, goals, and high aspirations. Then, reality happens. If your vision for the future and actual results have moved farther apart …
…
continue reading
1
The Single Source of Truth in Your Project-Based Business
21:34
21:34
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
21:34What's your single source of truth? Whether you're running a rental company, project-based business, or creative services firm, you need to decide which system rules them all. QuickBooks? Rental management? Project software? In this episode, I break down the right approach for each business type and why fighting your software's design is a losing b…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Does Your Business Have a Soul, or Just a Look?
7:04
7:04
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:04Perfection - if it even exists - is probably boring. Humanity brings character to perfection, but does that make something imperfect? As you approach perfection, does the remaining imperfection seem more glaring? When do you stop? Why all this philosophy on a Monday Morning? Because, if you make something good enough, there is still room for improv…
…
continue reading
1
How to Prepare For Your First Discovery Call
14:54
14:54
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
14:54Think discovery calls are about clients discovering YOU? In this episode, I set the record straight about discovery calls and explain why so many of you get them wrong. You'll learn how to listen more than you talk, master the small talk trick (just repeat the last word someone says!), and show only the slides that matter. When it's finally your tu…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Embrace Your Role in Sales (It's Not a Dirty Word)
8:42
8:42
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
8:42Can you think of any other industry that's proud of not having ANY salespeople? Here's a disturbing stat: 90% of owners that call for help on their business have a sales problem. 75% of those owners tell me they have no one in their company whose jobs are in sales. No salespeople. https://www.trstimson.com/embrace-sales-role/…
…
continue reading
1
How to Fall in Love With Your P&L
16:08
16:08
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
16:08Your financial reporting might be the key to solving your biggest business headaches, from seasonality to pricing problems. In this episode, learn three simple accounting shifts that turn confusing paperwork into actionable insights that help you control your business. Stop treating your books like a necessary evil and start using them as the power…
…
continue reading
1
Monday Morning Drive: Marketing Your AV Business Isn't Complicated
7:12
7:12
נגן מאוחר יותר
נגן מאוחר יותר
רשימות
לייק
אהבתי
7:120Marketing is probably the last item on your priority list, yet your prospective customers are deciding whether they want to do business with you before you ever meet them. If that doesn't wake you up, I'm not sure what will. If you're in business at all, you're doing marketing. If you're not thinking about it, you're probably doing it badly. https…
…
continue reading