David Schnurman got the entrepreneurial bug at a young age and is now the owner of Lawline, which provides online legal continuing education with about 2,000 courses and 500 hours of new content annually.

David shares lessons on:

• Overcoming the imposter syndrome
• Learning to say "yes"
• Taking 100% responsibility
• Taking risks and making decisions

Wrapping up, he talks about creating his company's culture that prioritizes core values, collaboration, and work-life balance.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

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https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903

Sam shares his background growing companies over 30 years and explained how founders often hit a "ceiling" around 10-15 employees and $3 million in revenue due to owner dependency. He outlines his formula for operational scalability: clarity plus repeatability plus time, emphasizing the need to codify best practices in written playbooks before scaling.

He also discusses M&A lessons learned from selling two businesses and acquiring ten, including the importance of knowing your exit number, using professional help like investment bankers, and considering deal structure beyond just valuation. We cover how to build true organizations that can operate beyond founder dependency and the critical need for clarity in business direction across executive teams.

Sam is the author of Like Clockwork: Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision and it is 30 chapters, each a lesson he learned in the Swiss Army and how they apply to business.

You can reach Sam at www.samgoodner.com.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

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https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/

https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903

After 20+ years in corporate life, he purchased a manufacturing company in Massachusetts that fabricates outdoor structures, garden trellises, and pergolas. Kris explained that he serves as CEO while his brother, who lives locally, serves as president and handles day-to-day operations. The discussion focuses on business restructuring and systematization.

Kris discussed the challenges of taking over a business from its previous owner, who was primarily an artist without systematic processes. He implemented new systems, including a CRM system, order tracking, and inventory management, as well as upgrading time cards to an automated system, which significantly reduced weekly workload. The most difficult aspect of the transition was change management, particularly getting the team to fully utilize the new systems and track custom project details in the ERP system.

Kris uses these lessons, especially about being undercapitalized, with his business acquisition program that serves underserved people who desire business ownership. He leads and investment and coaching operation to help these people.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

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425-515-4903

Lisa Forrest is a regular guest on our show because she's one of the best and most knowledgeable business acquisition lenders.

The SBA keeps changing the rules so we keep discussing acquisition loans.

One big change in 2026 is that once a borrower or minority investor (even at 1%) is part of a bad SBA loan the are banned from anymore SBA loans for life. Believe me, investors have added another level of caution to their process.

Another fascinating discussion with Lisa.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

https://nokomisadvisory.com/
https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/

https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903

Peter Swimm, founder of ToilVille, discusses workplace automation and AI implementation strategies for small businesses. He emphasizes that successful AI adoption requires human oversight and proper measurement of outcomes, rather than treating AI as autonomous agents.

Peter shares examples from various industries, including contact centers and advisory services, demonstrating how AI can streamline operations while maintaining human touch points. He stresses the importance of understanding workflow patterns and measuring work to ensure AI implementations provide actual value rather than creating new problems.

He also highlights the need to consider both direct and indirect costs of AI adoption, and emphasized that AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace them.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

https://nokomisadvisory.com/
https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/

https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903

Jermaine Ee is a serial entrepreneur whose latest venture is www.heirlight.com.

Jermaine got the idea and spark for this venture because of his mother. She worked hard all her life and yet didn't understand retirement, its planning, estate plans, etc.

His business is not about wills and trusts, it's about people's health, their peace of mind, and having a good life.

This episode is not our usual and yet I found it fascinating because he's tackling a subject many people prefer to ignore, and then they or their heirs pay the price later.

It's really a story about an entrepreneur taking charge.

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

https://nokomisadvisory.com/
https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/

https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903

Chapter Five covers the following:

Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro

There’s Value and There’s the Price

Marketing Materials—First Impressions Matter

Get the Word Out

Then There’s the Message

The Process

The Offer

Conditions

Conclusion

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

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425-515-4903

Matthew Wyatt, founder of TechTorque, shares his expertise on growing B2B software and consulting businesses through strategic marketing and personal branding. He outlines four key elements for scaling:

• Target market definition,
• Building a circle of influence
• Nurturing client relationships
• Creating compelling offers

Matthew emphasized the importance of consistent content creation, using AI tools to streamline the process, and engaging with LinkedIn's new algorithm through thoughtful commenting and responding. He advised businesses to focus on discipline and clarity in their marketing strategies, rather than chasing trends, and highlighted the value of targeting ideal clients based on shared values and preferences. Our discussion concluded with Wyatt encouraging listeners to maintain daily content creation habits and leverage tools to manage the workload effectively.

You can reach Matthew at: www.techtorque.co or https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewwhyatt/

John Martinka
Jessica Martinka

Contact us via either website or give us a call and be sure to check out our videos

https://nokomisadvisory.com/
https://www.martinkaconsulting.com/

https://www.gddpodcast.buzzsprout.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnAMartinka/videos

425-515-4903