Zeynep Ekemen has ridden the rollercoaster of COVID-19 and its impact on small businesses.

She is the founder of Silver Defender, a company that sells antimicrobial-protected film for high-touch areas — such as door bars and handles, elevator buttons, and guide rails. She launched her business in 2018.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit less than two years later, her sales took off like a rocket, stretching her company’s production and distribution capabilities to the max.

But now, as demand has waned, Zeynep is fighting to avoid the fate of so many other businesses that were whipsawed by COVID-19. It's a common dilemma for many small businesses when a product or service they provide experiences a surge in popularity and then fades almost as quickly.

Zeynep herself is determined to demonstrate that what comes down can always go back up.

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome.

Photo: Zeynep Ekemen, Silver Defender
Posted: October 30, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 34:42
Episode: 12.17

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In 1855, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his journal: “If a man has good corn, or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles, or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad, hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.”

In time, his words were somehow conflated as the oft-cited quote: "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."

Carina Ramirez Cahan, co-founder of Cobalt Rose Company, is testing Emerson’s thesis, having worked with her husband, a respected breast surgeon, to build a better bra.

The Cobalt Rose bra utilizes a radically new design that replaces rigid underwires — which many women rely on but hate — with a flexible, patented polymer insert that is molded right into the cups. 

Carina promises that her bra will be the most comfortable, supportive, and flattering bra her customers have ever worn.

But is that enough? Will that translate into a hefty slice of the annual $12 billion U.S. lingerie market?

As Carina knows firsthand, the path to success is more complicated than it might appear at first blush.

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

Photo: Carina Ramirez Cahan, Cobalt Rose Company
Posted: October 23, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:48
Episode: 12.16

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On October 16, 1923 — precisely 100 years ago today — Walt Disney and his older brother Roy launched Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. In time, their business would morph into one of the world’s best-known and most beloved companies.

To mark this milestone anniversary, co-hosts Dean and Maxwell Rotbart review the history of The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland, paying special attention to the many practical lessons that executives and entrepreneurs can glean from the Disney successes and failures of the past century.

Listeners will also hear from Michael Goldsby, a professor of entrepreneurship at Ball Street University and the co-author of Entrepreneurship the Disney Way. Professor Goldsby was a guest on the podcast in September 2019.

As a special feature, Maxwell shares the incredible story of how he uncovered, buried deep in the archives of a Kansas museum, an original prospectus for Disneyland written in 1953, roughly two years before the first park opened. If you’re a Disneyphile or grown-up Mouseketeer, comparing Walt’s vision to today’s Disneyland will fascinate you.

So perk up your mouse ears and listen to the leaders of the band for a thrilling ride through ten decades of Disneyana and the business lessons they impart.

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome.

Photo: Walt Disney, 1946
Posted: October 16, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 47:39
Episode: 12.15

Curt Tueffert describes himself as “America’s Master Sales Motivator.” That he is.

But as he demonstrates in this week’s episode, Curt is also gifted with NI — Natural Intelligence. He has spot-on answers to some of the most vexing questions confronting business owners and sales professionals.

• How can I best qualify customer prospects?

• What can I do about a prospect who says, “let me think about it?”

• How can I remain positive in the face of rejection?

Curt acquired his expertise working in sales for almost four decades and motivating and training sales teams at companies, including UPS, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Penske Automotive Group, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. 

Curt’s company, Peak Sales Strategy, provides in-person and remote sales training and personalized coaching. 

As an in-demand speaker, he leaves his audiences with fresh ideas, actionable insights, and supercharged energy.

AI, be warned!

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, we encourage you to contribute using this link or scan the QR code below. Donations of all sizes are welcome.

Photo: Curt Tueffert, Peak Sales Strategy
Posted: October 9, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 44:37
Episode: 12.14

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When Vicky Brown launched her HR consultancy — Idomeneo Enterprises —  in 2001, she knew she was wading into shark-infested waters dominated by giants, including Accenture, ADP, Deloitte, and KPMG.

By focusing on emerging and mid-size companies and providing concierge services to her clients, Vicky’s West Hollywood firm has won an impressive roster of clients from coast to coast.

Trying to cope with ever-changing state and federal employment regulations, the work-from-home migration, and the impact of artificial intelligence, Vicky says that more and more owners and entrepreneurs are outsourcing their HR and payroll functions.

Lean closer to your podcast player as Vicky shares her personal success formula and reveals not only how to foolproof hiring but also the best way to let an employee go when it’s time.

[To receive the free bonus gift that Vicky is making available to Monday Morning Radio listeners, click here.]

Monday Morning Radio is hosted by the father-son team of Dean and Maxwell Rotbart.

To show your appreciation for Monday Morning Radio and keep it commercial-free, you can make a contribution using this link or scan the QR code below. We welcome donations of all sizes.

Photo: Vicky Brown, Idomeneo Enterprises
Posted: October 2, 2023
Monday Morning Run Time: 46:41
Episode: 12.13