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Steve Parks is the CEO of Convivio where he helps agency leaders to work on their business as confidently as they work in it through writing, speaking, and training. He has experience leading creative and digital agencies for 16 years. Steve is also an Editor at Agency Radar, a briefing service for agency leaders that helps them think and plan more strategically.

Steve was a Journalist for the BBC in London for 10 years. He has been named one of the most inspiring agency leaders in the UK by a Bench Press survey of over 2,000 of his peers.

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Steve Parks, the CEO of Convivio, to talk about radical transparency and helping business owners build better agencies. Steve also talks about changing careers from journalist to agency owner, doing sales for big projects, and how he prepared his agency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned.


Nancy Lyons is the President and CEO of Clockwork, an interactive design and technology consultancy. She is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and passionate advocate for LGBTQ families. She is the author of Work Like a Boss: A Kick-in-the-Pants Guide to Finding (and Using) Your Power at Work, and lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and son. 

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Nancy Lyons, the President and CEO of Clockwork, about how she has been building her company during challenging times. Nancy explains how the death of George Floyd impacted business in Minneapolis and in her company, explains how she evaluates clients to work with, and talks about her book. Stay tuned.


Paul Farrell is a longtime entrepreneur, founder, mentor, angel investor, and executive. Most recently, he was the Founder and CEO of Nehemiah Security, which he sold in September 2020. Paul has shepherded a startup from product launch to over a million in annual recurring revenue in less than two years, led a corporate acquisition that yielded a sale five years later at 10X the purchase price, and participated in the explosive growth of a global leader in business communications that yielded an 11X return on investment in just over a year. 

After successfully selling Nehemiah Security to ThreatConnect, Paul is now leading Pater Holdings. His goal is to invest in companies and help them flourish.

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Paul Farrell, an entrepreneur and angel investor, to discuss what Paul learned from scaling and selling software firms. They also talk about hiring strategies, preparing for a successful sale, and the dot-com burst of 2003. Stay tuned.


Frank Cowell is a speaker, best-selling author, and the CEO of Digitopia, a revenue operations firm based in the San Diego, California area. With 20 years of digital marketing experience, Frank works regularly with CEOs, Chief Marketing Officers, and Vice Presidents of Sales and Marketing who are looking to create amazing brand experiences while accelerating growth.

Frank is also the Host of The Digital Utopia Podcast and Author of Building Your Digital Utopia, which details a concept he pioneered to help brands create digital experiences that systematically accelerate growth. Prior to founding his first agency, he worked in sales and marketing with Tandy, AT&T, and other technology companies. He is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and regularly volunteers his talents to the San Diego AMA, while mentoring young people in the areas of strategy, sales, and marketing.

Frank Cowell, the CEO of Digitopia, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he explains how he pivoted his agency from a project-based business model to a recurring services model. Frank also talks about the mistakes he made during that transition, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned. He also shares his tips for maintaining a low client churn rate. Stay tuned.


Wendy Lieber is the Co-founder of ContentBacon, an inbound marketing company that helps build brands that people know, like, trust, and buy from. She has a passion for helping customers figure out and communicate their “why” that resonates with target audiences.

Wendy also talks to entrepreneurial communities frequently about the power of storytelling. She is a Board Member of the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization (EO) and previously served as President of Athena Marketing. She holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Marketing from Florida State University - College of Business.

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Wendy Lieber, the Co-founder of ContentBacon, about shifting a business’ operations from a boutique agency model to a subscription model. Wendy talks about building her inbound marketing company, the challenges she often faces with changing technology, and the strategies she uses to find and retain good employees. Stay tuned.


Brent Beshore is the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a firm that invests with no intention of selling in family-held companies. With a current capital base in excess of $300 million, the firm's current portfolio includes companies in aerospace, niche construction, manufacturing and distribution, consumer products, recruitment, and niche professional services.

Brent is also the author of The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers. He lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife and three daughters. 

Brent Beshore, the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where they talk about investing in small family-owned businesses. Brent explains what he looks for when investing in such companies, his strategies for overcoming post-acquisition challenges, and how his company's three-decade lock period works. Stay tuned.


Chris Westfall is a business coach, keynote speaker, consultant, and author who helped launch over 60 businesses, raising over $100 million in capital investment. Entrepreneurs, executives, and future leaders turn to Chris for guidance on peak performance, team building, business development, branding, and more.

Chris is the Champion of the US National Elevator Pitch, a competition challenging students to make a convincing and engaging “Elevator Pitch” to an Angel Investor. He is recognized as a Top 10 Business Coach and regularly works with Fortune 500 Companies and high-impact leaders, as well as top-tier universities, to deliver insights into powerful leadership communication strategies. His clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den in Canada, and Shark Tank Australia.  

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by business coach, author, speaker, and consultant Chris Westfall to talk about his journey from being a professional stunt man to becoming a renowned business coach. Chris also shares his experience in the Elevator Pitch competition, how his coaching helped many clients, and his tips for making an impact authentically.


Jason Rosenbaum is a Partner and COO at Crowd Favorite, a digital transformation company that provides software development solutions to established and startup brands. Founded in 2007, Crowd Favorite was an original WordPress agency focused primarily on enterprise clients. Over a decade later, they have evolved into a multi-discipline, digital consulting firm specializing in enterprise-grade digital strategy and elite open source development.

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jason Rosenbaum, a Partner and COO at Crowd Favorite, about building a digital agency and the lessons learned from doing M&A rollups. Jason also talks about his acting background, building a cannabis business, and how Crowd Favorite has changed over the years. Stay tuned.


Kelly Campbell is an Agency Growth Consultant and Conscious Leadership Coach helping creative and technology leaders transform their lives and grow their agencies. She is the Co-founder of Consciousness Leaders, a global collective of experts helping organizations create positive, lasting change. 

Kelly is also the host of the podcast, THRIVE: Your Agency Resource, and is currently authoring her first book on redefining leadership as a healing journey.

In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Kelly Campbell, the Co-founder of Consciousness Leaders, about how she started her businesses and her journey to becoming a consciousness coach. Kelly shares her reasons for selling her business, the lessons she learned about entrepreneurship and building an agency, and explains how she uses her experience to help fellow entrepreneurs build better businesses. Stay tuned.


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