The Small Business Safari
Have you ever sat there and wondered "What am I doing here stuck in the concrete zoo of the corporate world?" Are you itching to get out? Chris Lalomia and his co-host Alan Wyatt traverse the jungle of entrepreneurship. Together they share their stories and help you explore the wild world of SCALING your business. With many years of owning their own small businesses, they love to give insight to the aspiring entrepreneur. So, are you ready to make the jump?
The Small Business Safari
Comfortable In The Gray | Lisa Tilt
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What does it really take to build a business that lasts 20 years—and not hate it by the end?
Summary:
Lisa Tilt, founder of Full Tilt Consulting, joins us to break down what it actually takes to build a long-term business without burning out your people or yourself. From her early days in grassroots marketing and big-brand PR to launching her own firm after a toxic work environment, Lisa shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, culture, and communication that actually works.
We get into why entrepreneurs have to live in the gray, how internal communication can make or break your company, and what really changes when you go from doing the work to leading a team. Lisa also dives into scaling with intention, building a referral-driven business, and why chasing an “exit” can be the wrong goal. If you’re trying to grow without losing your culture, this one hits.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari
💡 GOLD NUGGETS
• Why “more emails” is killing your internal communication
• The shift from employee mindset to true leadership
• How to make decisions when there is no clear answer
• Building trust through simple, consistent video communication
• Why most exit strategies are misunderstood (and overrated)
🔗 Guest Links
• Website: https://fulltiltconsulting.com
• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisatilt/
🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
• Website | https://chrislalomia.com
Thanks to our sponsor Smart Hire Solutions LLC!
Video That Tells The Story
SPEAKER_04Or one way that's most effective that you said, hey, cutting edge, let's try it.
SPEAKER_07It doesn't even have to be cutting edge. Um, but it's it's video. Video. Yeah. It's telling a story in short snippets, the way that people are gonna want to see and hear it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um so like Chris could do a you suck video in seven seconds. You know what?
SPEAKER_04I actually, uh Alan, if we want to go back and if would it film me kicking the door, I think everybody would thought it's a good idea.
SPEAKER_01No, it doesn't.
SPEAKER_04Definitely how about after how about after I slammed my door and the uh fire, the fire, the fire extinguisher rings uh from the uh the two of them fell in my office. And went dink, dink, dink, dink, dink. Yeah, I know. And then I went over there and tried to kick them and almost fell on my ass. Uh because they fell. What have what have hit my desk? And so I flung it off there and it flung off the wall, and I tried to kick it in the air like I'm some Pele soccer star or Ronaldo, whatever.
SPEAKER_06And I almost could say Pele was our generation.
SPEAKER_04So back to uh let's communicate, connect with our people. Um, so I did not, but yes, so I think filming the door would have gotten the uh well Well then then but have fun with it.
SPEAKER_07I mean that that's the point of it, regardless of whatever medium.
SPEAKER_04Here's the other thing maybe we should also also film my trash can where they put the target on it, which is still in my office, because a trash can that has a big dent in it, but they put a target over it. That was that was many years ago. This one is it's taken a couple years to get to this point again. But but it came back. So passion's back. You were about to say I have passion.
SPEAKER_00It's totally irrelevant. No, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_04I've got it. No, I've got it. Lisa has helped me figure out how to communicate better to my people. She goes, No, fear, fear is not a good message. No, I don't, I'm not saying fear.
SPEAKER_03Here's a video of me slashing your tires. Get to work.
SPEAKER_07You know what? You could sell it though. Here's the thing, you can sell it. Okay, he's dying over here.
SPEAKER_04Welcome to the Small Business Safari, where I help guide you to avoid those traps, pitfalls, and dangers that lurk when navigating the wild world of small business ownership. I'll share those gold nuggets of information and invite guests to help accelerate your extent to that mountaintop of success. It's jungle out there, and I want to help you traverse through the levels of owning your own business that can get you bogged down and distract you from hitting your own personal and professional goals. So strap in Adventure Team and let's take a ride through this safari. Alan, we're back. We're ready to rock and roll. We gotta do another episode. We've got to get this thing rocking and rolling. I mean, I'm talking like, let's get out there, let's roll the pinball, let's not hit tilt. You know what I'm saying, Alan? Let's get out. You didn't think I'd been working on that one. I have been. That's right. Don't tilt the machine, tilt the wheel, tilt into it. Let's lean into it. Let's make it happen, Alan. You didn't know I had a ball, but I got them all going.
SPEAKER_03You are so out of control, right?
SPEAKER_04I am out of control. You know, tilt me over. I'm having fun. Oh my God. How's your mom and dam? Let's go. All right.
SPEAKER_03Good Lord.
SPEAKER_04We have got to rock and roll, Alan.
SPEAKER_03It does. I should be more sophisticated now, Alan. You should see sophisticated Chris once in a while.
Meet Lisa Tilt And Her Path
SPEAKER_04Right. Every once in a while he comes out. Uh he does drink wine. He has the pinky out. He does today. So we are cheersing with wine. We have Lisa Tilt here from Tilt Marketing here in Alpharetta, Georgia. Maybe Roswell. I don't know. It doesn't matter. Let's just round up. It's Georgia. And we've been trying to get her on the podcast ever since Alan met her at a networking event and said, we got to get this lady on, man. She's got a great story to tell.
SPEAKER_03You want to know how I met her? I do. I was sitting in my truck and I see this car, and I'm like, she's gonna hit me.
SPEAKER_07I'm very good at backing in. I'm very good.
SPEAKER_03And and then, you know, and then I but I noticed she had a uh uh what's JMU. Yeah, JMU bumper sticker, James Madison. And uh the ducks were about to play them in the playoffs, and so we got a good conversation going, and all of a sudden I found out she's a rock star. I mean, you know, we've we've had some interesting marketing people on. She's kind of the real deal. All right, we gotta do it. We're you're tearing her up. I know. So she says, uh I don't know if I I want her to surprise us, but I mean, I you know, the when her college project was the Heisman Trophy campaign for Charlie Ward. Charlie Ward.
SPEAKER_07Who won?
SPEAKER_03Who won that year? And that's how she started. How am I doing?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, did she peek early or did she keep on peaking? No, she found who peeked. She did, didn't she? She did. Guys, we got Lisa Tilt on Tilt Marketing. Lisa, great intro. Let's go back to that then. So you went to Florida State? I did, and you said I gotta rock seminals, we gotta make it happen.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, did you grow up here and go down there?
SPEAKER_07I grew up here and good. Everybody I knew went to YouTube.
SPEAKER_03Number one party school Florida State, so that's why you went. Mama's so happy.
SPEAKER_07I said, sure, yes, that sounds like a good plan.
A Heisman Campaign Before Social Media
SPEAKER_04You're not the first Florida State grad that we've had on. We've had uh my buddy Greg Spencer on uh from Timber um Timber Resorts, if you remember that. Oh, yeah, yeah. And when I met him, we were working at Accenture together and we compared stories. And um he loves telling a story like this, even though he's uh pretty impressive, dude. But um, he said, Where'd you go? I said, Michigan Tech. He goes, I said it was three to one guys to girls. He goes, 'Yeah, I went to Florida State, it was seven to one girls to guys.' I said, 'Oh my god.' He goes, 'How many years did it take you to graduate?' I said, 'Uh, four, uh, four and a quarter, because I was playing football. And uh he goes, that's why it took me seven years to get my police degree. He is not exactly true, but yes, what a great school to go to. Yes, mom is so proud. Yeah, so proud. But you get this the let's talk about that. We can talk about a great is that a senior project. How do you how do you get involved in that?
SPEAKER_07Well, I was really involved in essentially sort of marketing the football team. We were headed, it was the time in Florida State history where we were making it to the championship game. Um, we actually won, I guess, my sophomore year, I believe. Can't remember the exact year, which is blasphemous and and FSD.
SPEAKER_04I'm sure a lot of a lot of and I was gonna have Greg listen to this, and now uh he just went, he just went click.
SPEAKER_07I know, I know. I'm actually truly a seminal. Anyway, I was called, uh I was in an organization called Scalp Hunters, which of course now the name has changed to like spirit people or you are spirit you are spirit.
SPEAKER_04What is your spirit animal? Thank you.
SPEAKER_07Exactly, but anyway, it was really about focusing on the football team. And and then I was in radio, actually, it was my major at the time, media communications, and I found my way to radio. And then there was an opportunity to work with Charlie as he Charlie Ward as he was working on his path to very much the underdog, and you you know probably won't remember this particular year, but uh he was really more into basketball. He actually ended up going into the NBA instead of um for football.
SPEAKER_04I do remember that.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, um big baseball player too. I mean, he was just really and it just the nicest human. And so it really, you know, he really kind of had a group of people, he, you know, he's in my classes, he was in my grade and all that kind of stuff. And we're like, you know, there's there's there's something here. And and for anybody looking to, you know, reach that peak for a Heisman, um, even you know, the sort of nomination process, it's a it's a campaign like anything else.
SPEAKER_03So what um what does that campaign look like? I mean, I know like uh in Oregon they had you know billboards on Times Square and things like that. Is it is it that? I mean, are you influencing voters that way, or is there a little more behind the scenes going on?
SPEAKER_07Well, it's all of it, actually, because there, you know, there's a whole path for the sports information directors or working their normal path. I mean, even to get bids at the time for championship games and things like that. So it's all kind of wrapped up into what you normally do to get different bowl spots and things like that. In particular, when we were talking about this for Charlie Ward, it was very much sort of this community campaign piece of it that um very grassroots, very much about just getting the awareness out there um uh along the college campus and then how that then would grow, right? It was before social media, it was before even you know mobile phones and and whoa, donate yourself, Lisa.
SPEAKER_04You're not as old as us.
SPEAKER_06Well, yes, I am. I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but but you're right, but you talk about put building that co campaign. What a great resume builder and doing what you did. And so you get out of school, then what? You're you're like, I'm in marketing, I'm in radio, I'm about to shoot to the top, I'm gonna go to Howard Stern.
Radio Hustle And Music Publicity Lessons
SPEAKER_07No, not my goal. Okay, I can clearly say not my no. I but I was in radio actually here in Atlanta, and uh starting at 19 for anybody who's in Atlanta, um, uh Z93 classic rock radio, loved the vibe there, loved the music, grew up in you know, 70s music. And um, so I had every time I came back in the summers, I would work here, and you know, Atlanta's a top 10 media market, so the plan was always great, get media communications, radio, um, and then come back to Atlanta and work there at Z because I I had a job. So I did that at Z93 for a while, more on the promotion side and the marketing side and radio.
SPEAKER_03Um she's uh achieved her goals already, right?
SPEAKER_07You know, well, I did. I didn't even realize I walked in there and I said, I'm this is at 19, by the way. So I'm I I come home after my first second year of college, and I'm like, yeah, I need a summer job. I'll walk into a major market radio station, and they hired me, and I started sort of never looked back, and then I set the next goal and the next goal. And I'm you know, I'm doing things with it, it was the first FM station that um any NFL team had ever gone on. So, yes, the Atlanta Falcons um went, uh, so their games were aired, and it was like I said, first station in first FM station for NFL. And so we were doing some really interesting things, but it was you know, every holiday, every weekend, we're out there with the DJs running, running, running, running, and I'm in bars and and when you're young, that's great.
SPEAKER_04And just like when I was in consulting, when you're young, it is awesome to travel the world.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Um, and then you get have family, you have kids, you get you get a knee that hurts a little bit, and you're you're still on airplanes all the time, and you're like, oh my god, this really sucks.
SPEAKER_07But yeah, all right, so I switched to music because of that. There's only so I was at promotions, and there are literally a handful of promotions jobs uh at the time in radio, and and I wasn't gonna go to off market because it just wasn't my vibe. So, and all those people were sitting pretty, right? They're they're in their jobs, and it's a nice job. And so then I found my way to um an entertainment PR firm and I ran sports and entertainment for them. But in the meantime, I was doing music publicity on the side. So bands like you know, Sean Mullins and Matchbook 20 or Matchbox 20 and um, you know, the indigo girls when they would come in town. I lived in Decatur, I worked, you know, Eddie's Attic and was, you know, just in that jam forever. So music is my my whole really everything. And so, you know, as a very young person working in music publicity, and I it just was uh it just lended itself to so many stories and and how I worked with different, many, many different personalities.
SPEAKER_04Well, we've had Southside Steve Rickman on. We've heard those stories. Oh yeah, yeah, come on. Steve was on, oh yeah, baby. He's a big oh yeah, we could text him right now after we're done. Yeah, come on. He told us the story. He came on here and he curled our nose hairs, Alan.
SPEAKER_07As you as you would in radio at the time, yeah.
SPEAKER_04He said it was back in the day. He I so those stories aren't real. He goes, Oh, they are 100% real.
SPEAKER_07Oh, they're 100% real.
SPEAKER_04So I moved here in 2001 and they were doing the regular guys and on the radio, and I thought for sure that it was just all a bit. That and he goes, Oh no, no, they were actually shooting me with the BB gun. I'm like, Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah, and you know, so that was 96 Rock, yeah, right. And and so Z and 96 Rock and then uh 99X had just come on the market. Um, and you know, can as we were starting to kind of work in the music industry, because I was, I mean, I was part of the recording academy, um, which is Naris that puts on the Grammys. Uh, I was a voting member for years and you know, went to the Grammys. And so, like, as my music career, um, not as a musician behind the scenes, I wish I could play, but I cannot.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_07Um, so but I loved I loved the industry so much. And so then, you know, kind of as I developed into different areas of the profession, I just left a bit of I've always loved radio, and it's really interesting now the evolution with satellite and and everything that's coming. There's still commercial radio, but it has to find a new path.
SPEAKER_04All right. So why did we bring Lisa on? Because she's amazing. She is amazing. I mean, I obviously we could talk stories forever about this.
Leaving Toxic Culture To Go Solo
SPEAKER_03But we want to talk about clients all over the world. I mean, you know, yes. We should talk about what she's doing now. Well, that's what I say. But I mean, I mean, she was involved with professional sports teams and you know, Charlie Ward, and then the music. I mean, it's just it's we just heard that, Alan. I know. Yeah, why are you recapping? Because you just asked a dumb question. You're minus one.
SPEAKER_04Damn it. All right. Well, I'll get more wine, I'll get back on it. So, why the flip? Why start your own business? And what did you start?
SPEAKER_07I start so just just like what you said music, entertainment, 24-7 job, you know, and I had it and I had done it for so long and I loved it, and I still love it. I I kind of miss it a little bit. But there was a point in time where I said, I have different interests in the business world of really understanding how business is functioning beyond sports and entertainment. And I was working at a um, well, sort of the world's largest PR firm, then went to another um company that I was working on, big, big brands. And so I got into the development of brands that are just more uh business driven, even though I did a lot of food work uh at the time. And then at one point it was sort of a a little bit of a toxic culture. And I found out um that I was pregnant with my first child. So I literally saw the family writing on the wall. And so I said, I need to find something else in terms of a work environment. Didn't know exactly what that would be. So I left that job and then sat on my front porch and did interviews and said, I don't know what I want to do. And I kept kind of turning down perfectly lovely jobs, but they were exactly the same, working for a similar kind of environment. And I didn't know. So I just uh one of actually, I think somebody in my our wedding party was uh I said, Well, I don't know what you want to do. And I said, Neither do I. Do you have any ideas? And she said, We are looking to, you know, start up PR campaign, do a new website. We don't know who we are. It was um a company in the staffing industry at the time, still still around. And they said, you know, just come in and meet and and do some freelance work. And that really is sort of how it started, because then every I mean, our company, so full tilt is 20 years old this year, and that seems batty.
SPEAKER_04Right. It feels like forever and instantly the same breath. I'm at 18 and we just had this same conversation with uh it seems like it just happened yesterday, and it feels like it's been forever. So uh interestingly enough, I love this entrepreneurial story because we hear this so often is that it was somebody else who gave you the idea. You were like, Well, I didn't I didn't think about actually starting on my own because I've worked with these monster firms and I've always been an employee with a with a check that I get every two weeks, and uh they they pay for my health care, they do the no well, why don't you just try this? And you're like, Oh, okay, and you just try it, and you're like, Wow, I'm actually pretty good at it. Yeah because yeah, I've been pretty good at I've been but you've been pretty successful to this point. And then Al and I we talk about this because we both were very we can call it like it is, we are very successful in the uh in the corporate world, and then we gave it all up to go absolutely shit the bed in the entrepreneurial world and give up all kinds of money.
SPEAKER_07Amen.
SPEAKER_04So, but but you've done it, so you you you start out, but you get that nudge, and I think a lot of us uh one way or the other have a nudge and we get that. And I think sometimes you gotta when that door opens, you gotta walk through it and see what happens.
Why Entrepreneurs Live In Gray
SPEAKER_07And and that's been sort of my story, kind of walking through doors and like, yeah, I don't know. I was talking with somebody on my team this morning, just really about the 20th anniversary, kind of how how we got here and kind of capturing all of all of that. And I think there's sort of um along my life path in terms of professionally and really kind of otherwise, kind of set a goal and get it, set a goal and get it, and I've really hit them. And it's kind of been kind of a black and white journey. Um, but starting a business and being an entrepreneur, you have to be very comfortable in the gray, and I am, and I didn't know that about myself. That sounds like a confession to like I'm seeing like, okay, and you know what? Yeah, great, let's try it, and then let's figure out the you know, kind of the fail fast, make decisions or whatever.
SPEAKER_04And and so it's just I think we just found the uh episode of this this podcast is being comfortable in the gray. Welcome to the entrepreneurial world because you're right, right. There is no black and white in what we do. It is, it is absolutely thought craziness was watching these rockers at three o'clock in the morning, and you're like, damn, I wish my life was more normal like that, because my world's twice as crazy as yours there, Massbox 20.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah, it's it's crazy. I mean, it literally, and it's it's not for the faint of heart, and it's not for you know, it it's interesting. I was just at the chamber uh for sort of this women's business women's event, and I'm like, I don't I don't associate myself with being a woman business leader because I'm a business owner, I'm a business leader. It doesn't matter, you know, whatever my gender is. And I think that the characteristics and the the balls it takes to really make a decision that impacts people's lives.
SPEAKER_04That's funny because I know the chamber event you're at. And speaking of balls, Tina McKenna uh was there as well. And the person who got recognized there is another person. I don't think we had her on a podcast, but yeah, these besides me. Yeah, uh, I'm trying to think of who it was. Uh they got recognized. I saw Tina got tagged in it. It was greater North Fulton Chamber.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. But anyway, that was me. I was one of them.
SPEAKER_04You're one of them who got recognized? So, oh, that's hilarious. Woman of the year. That was you? Yeah. Hello. I didn't see it because it happened. Well, I was getting ready to go on.
SPEAKER_07You were there, and I'm like, How'd you miss my love speech on stage?
SPEAKER_04No, I uh I saw it on Facebook because Tina's been on and uh she was there and she got he's got the intention span of it. Anyway, can you get back to me, please, Alan? Thank you.
SPEAKER_03My god, you have to speculation on getting recognized, but I actually I looked in that picture and it went I'm keep telling you, she's amazing, and you're gonna have to pull it out of her. I know because she's just glossing over an enormous amount of stuff that makes your jaw hit the floor.
SPEAKER_04It got recognized. I was flooring, is again back to the I it she's not a chick. I mean, uh, you're right. Business is business, business is business, right? Hey, uh, keep it in the family, you know what I'm saying? Keep in the family, and she's a paison, too. She got keeping the family. I like it even better. So that congratulations. You're right. You have to pull it out. Well done. That is amazing. I just saw that she was there, and I just saw it was her, and I was like, Oh, yeah, yeah. But I saw uh I thought I recognized another lady who was with you guys, uh, that had been on the pod. Was it Lisa the the attorney, Lisa? Um, Lisa Goldman. This is such good content. Oh, shut up, Alan. Cut this out, Alan. Hey, Cindy, cut that last part out. Yeah, it's not gonna happen, guys. We all know it. Let's get back to Lisa. All right. So you go off, you start rocking this. Uh, you do one, you then you have a kid while you're doing it.
SPEAKER_07Yes, I started pregnant. Nice, which you know, kind of drains.
SPEAKER_03Do you advise? Do you advise that?
SPEAKER_07No.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_07You know, I say that, but I uh I just I it somebody asked me what choices would you make differently over your 20 years? I'm like, not one. I wouldn't change one. I there's really not it, it's bizarre to say, and I don't know if that sounds arrogant or not.
SPEAKER_04Can you say that, Chris? What's 20 times 365?
SPEAKER_07No, would you there you go?
SPEAKER_04That's somebody I have every flippant day I wake up.
SPEAKER_07Well, the decision, yes, but different decisions.
SPEAKER_04Oh, right.
SPEAKER_07Like today. No, if somebody says, I want to go out on my own, should I start a business? I say, absolutely not.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_07It's a completely different environment. Well swimming upstream the whole time.
Starting Now: Resources Versus People Problems
SPEAKER_04That's where the next question is. Would you, uh knowing what you know now, would you start your business today?
SPEAKER_07Oh, that's a very interesting question. Because I wouldn't change starting a business. But today's environment is so challenging.
SPEAKER_04So I uh I I I wrestled with this question because I just got this one posed to me, and I was like, the reason we started this podcast four and a half years ago, and I begged Alan to come on with me because I wouldn't do this without him, was that we didn't have this information available to us. You know, and this is even in 2006 and seven. If you think about it, you know, how fast we've come, and that's we want to get this out there to as many people as we can, is so you can make an informed decision. And guess what? Don't make the stupid Mistakes I made, and hopefully, I help you miss a few. And Alan chimes in and says, Hey guys, don't do this, go that way. And we have great guests on, like you, and we do this. Is it harder today? I would actually uh say uh no. I I see it's a little bit easier, but the challenge is different. Agreed because the 100% because there's so much to look at, and back to what we just said, you know, seven seconds uh what were we talking about again? Uh attention span. What? Uh go what hello, scroll.
SPEAKER_07I totally agree with that assessment because it is easier. There are more resources, there's even more funding, there are more grants, especially. I'll bring out you know, women entrepreneurship, but really just sort of any sort of cohort, right? So, yes, easier, clearer um path to information. You know, now you've got AI that comes into it, and you can do different types of search and how to do this, that, and the other. At the same time, I got my new healthcare bill.
SPEAKER_05Whoops.
Internal Comms That People Actually Watch
SPEAKER_07Uh, I, you know, because we have open enrollment code. Because I mean, when you get into employees, that's what I'm talking about. The people piece is different, and it has evolved so much so differently since the pandemic, and how people go to work and how their association with work is, and how their association with employers are very, very different today. And it's just been um sort of exponentially different. It was coming, but there's something like a pandemic, and then you know, economic shifts and all of that that that really exacerbate the change, right? So I think it's really the people piece that you have to go if you are going to be an employer. So starting a business was is one thing, employing people is an entirely different thing. So I would just say go with eyes wide open, talk to people who have done it, not just started businesses, because that employment piece is a lot.
SPEAKER_03Well, and that's that's part of the service that you offer, right? And it is interesting. You mentioned that you you kind of fled a toxic work culture. And one of the things you specialize in now is, and you'll say it better, but it's creating a healthy work environment, which is extra challenging when people don't want to be at work or they want to work from home. I I don't know how you create culture in today's environment if they're not there.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, we we see so much. So just just briefly, we're so we're marketing communications, but equally internal stakeholders. So what you're talking about is, you know, working with heads of HR, you know, chief human resources, chief talent officers, chief people officers, there's all these titles, to really how they connect their employees and how do they just communicate with them? Because that's what people aren't doing, companies aren't doing well at all. And there's so much, I I say the world's problems can be solved through good communication.
SPEAKER_03I I mean, I just it's like we have so much communication now and we're bad at it. Or worse at it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and you so so there's this thing, it's like, well, we send out emails every day and nobody reads them. Okay, well, that's your problem, not the employees' problem. So you're not delivering a product. So that's where we kind of take the stance of com connecting with employees, the most important, most expensive, you know, PL for or line item on your PL, any companies.
SPEAKER_04100%.
SPEAKER_07And how then 200. 200, right.
SPEAKER_04100. Keep going, keep going. 1025, 10 million percent. I think you just broke Chris. Financial. Sorry. Oh, I'm back. Sorry, tilt, tilt. All right, back. We're back. I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_07But anyway, I that's the noise. People don't want to hear, they're they're flooded with information. So then look at how you're communicating and do it differently. Don't just shove more communication down there down their gullets and you know, use more video. How are look at how people are consuming information? Because for companies to think that they're going to consume information differently as an employer is just baddie.
SPEAKER_04Let's talk about one. All right, so uh obviously a lot of us uh listening are small business owners, and yeah, but we get to that point where you've got uh where does communication change? What is one cool way we should communicate today, or one way that's most effective that you said, hey, cutting edge, let's try it.
SPEAKER_07It doesn't even have to be cutting edge, um, but it's it's video. Video, yeah. It's telling a story in short snippets, the way that people are gonna want to see and hear it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um so like Chris could do a you suck video in seven seconds. You know what?
SPEAKER_04I actually uh Alan, if we want to go back and if would a film me kicking the door, I think everybody would thought it's kicking the door in person versus kicking a door on a video.
SPEAKER_03Does it have the same gravitas?
SPEAKER_04Okay, no, it doesn't definitely how about after how about after I slammed my door and the uh fire the fire the fire extinguisher rings uh from the uh the two of them fell in my office. They went dink, dink, dink, dink, dink. You hear that. Yeah, I know. And then I went over there and tried to kick them and almost fell on my ass. Uh because they fell. One of them hit my desk, and so I flung it off there and it flung off the wall, and I tried to kick it in the air like I'm some Pele soccer star or Ronaldo, whatever.
SPEAKER_06And I almost could say Pele was our generation.
SPEAKER_04So back to uh let's communicate, connect with our people. Um, so I did not, but yes, so I think filming the door would have gotten the uh well Well then then but have fun with it.
SPEAKER_07I mean that that's the point of it, regardless of whatever medium.
SPEAKER_04Here's the other maybe we should also also film my trash can where they put the target on it, which is still in my office, because the trash can that has a big dent in it, but they put a target over it. That was that was many years ago. This one is it's taken a couple years to get to this point again, but but it came back. So passion's back. You were about to say I have passion.
SPEAKER_00It's totally irrelevant.
SPEAKER_04I've got it. No, I've got it. Lisa has helped me figure out how to communicate better to my people. She goes, No, fear, fear is not a good message. No, I don't I'm not saying fear.
SPEAKER_03Here's a video of me slashing your tires. Get to work.
SPEAKER_07You know what? You could sell it though. Here's the thing, you could sell it. Okay, he's dying over here. I feel that he could sell it. He could so okay. So people come working for you with their eyes wide open, right?
SPEAKER_04They would. Well, if they didn't, they are now. They have, don't trust me. Everybody comes eyes wide open with me.
SPEAKER_07They know the two things be authentic.
SPEAKER_04I agree with that.
Global Messaging And Cultural Translation
SPEAKER_07Because they can smell the BS meter just like any, you know, anything else. Then then it doesn't even matter what you say. You could sit there and sing the alphabet, doesn't matter what you say if it's not inherently you, so use your trash can. And then the other thing is just consistency. That's the biggest problem is consistency. So it's like, okay, great, I'm gonna do videos, and you hold on for a month and then the videos go away.
SPEAKER_03Or yeah, they read a new book. I remember like I still smart from the whole when Jim Collins wrote Good to Great, and all of a sudden everybody tried to be, you know, genuine or whatever the buzzwords were.
SPEAKER_04Bust get the right button, the right seat, Alan.
SPEAKER_03No, I know that was it, but it was like uh, you know, a a leader is uh what was it? What was it?
SPEAKER_07I don't know.
SPEAKER_03We've all read it, but it's pretending to be something that they weren't because they read. We're trying to move the flywheel, Alan.
SPEAKER_04Trying to move the flywheel. Yeah, it's it's every day, it's too much. Did I mention 20 years times 365? How many times? I there's there's been a lot of mistakes. All right, but I love that Lisa's still going.
SPEAKER_07Hey, I have made mistakes. I'm not saying I didn't make mistakes, but I don't have any regrets on the path that I took because I have 20 times 360.
SPEAKER_04Okay, keeping it authentic. Hey, I'm staying real here, L. Yeah, I gotta stay real. Come on. You said stay real, girl. I'm staying real.
SPEAKER_07Please do.
SPEAKER_04All right, thank you. All right, this has been great. All right, but you talk about internal communications and helping people. So, what size companies do you work with the most?
SPEAKER_07Big, big, yeah, but because she's a big deal.
SPEAKER_04I'm still I'm still on it.
SPEAKER_03I mean, I'm serious, they're big deals.
SPEAKER_07Um, the companies that we work with are well, okay, so there's really two. One are the larger companies with say um, you know, 5,000 to 14,000 employees. Um, a lot of them are um international and we represent all of their North American interests. So, how do you speak? What's the colloquialisms that are that are employed?
SPEAKER_03That's interesting. So they've got their thing going on in Germany and it doesn't translate here.
SPEAKER_07Yes, not the same same way at all. And some things that are funny are not so funny over here. Oh, we've you know, we're very special, or that's very dry, or whatever. So we have clients in Finland, Finland, um, Poland, Sweden, Israel, Ukraine. So no German, no German right now.
SPEAKER_04Oh, damn it, because I was gonna use the beater schitzel. Hello, baby's chitzels. Nope, that doesn't work over here, big guy. Can't use that one. No, let's strike that one. Let's go with the different one. I go kibasa. Nope. Um, nope, nope, that's still that's Polish. You know, you blew it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, you just went down a rabbit hole. I didn't even follow. But anyway, thank you. So uh yeah, so they'll be larger, larger.
SPEAKER_03Four and a half years of that. That's right. Thank you.
SPEAKER_07But to your point, this is small.
SPEAKER_03How are you intercepting that before it comes out in the I mean what their communication? Yeah, so you have to translate it and you go, no. Do they come to you and go, is this okay? Is this gonna work?
SPEAKER_07And no, we work at the very beginning. We work with our teams to to write it. Is it okay? What is what is the strategy? What is the what do you have coming out? Um, oh, it's open enrollment. Oh, it like we work with these with with you know retainers, so we're on with them every day.
SPEAKER_03Do they all think we're crazy?
SPEAKER_07Yeah. You know, the fun thing about working with international clients, A, you have to sometimes get up and start calls at you know, five and six in the morning, but it's the conversation that we have about what the heck is going on in the world. And you get such a great perspective. And we have conversations with these clients every week or every other week. And if we're working with them on the internal and the employee comms piece, we really need to know kind of what is the sentiment? What are you feeling? What are they feeling? What are you hearing? We do employee poll surveys, so we kind of generally hear from them. And and then it's our our responsibility is to create that the cadence, the messaging, the the you know, kind of responsiveness on the on the North American side, mostly in US and Canada, not so much on on the South America piece, but um, and it's to to make sure that they're speaking that with the company ethos in mind, because it can't be separate, it just has to be an interpretation.
Hiring The Right Number Two
SPEAKER_04Wow. So how many people do you have employed now? I mean, how many people are in your company?
SPEAKER_07Uh, we are 18.
SPEAKER_04So, how much uh so as you groan for this, and obviously you've you built this, what is your day-to-day and what do you miss the most about going back to when you first started?
SPEAKER_07I don't miss anything from when they first started because I I have had an evolution that I absolutely love, right? I've been doing this for a long time, and so um it took a last couple years to really create my senior team, and that's made all the difference. So I have an head of HR, head of people and talent, which for a small company like me doesn't always isn't always the case. So, me making that investment in that position of a a wonderfully seasoned um partner that I have, uh that's a position you can't uh go cheap on. You cannot, because then it's not worth it.
SPEAKER_03Then you're just right, yeah, creating more problems with your HR person that you need and another HR person to fix.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Exactly. Or can a very expensive consultant. All of that is bad.
SPEAKER_04Right. Um, but we why do I keep thinking enema when you keep talking? I don't know.
SPEAKER_03What goes in and what goes in? Oh boy, okay.
SPEAKER_07Um, and then I have anyway, two others. Why do I keep thinking about enemas? Now I want you to repeat what you just broke Allen.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yes, yes, everybody, four and a half years. Something reasonably smart that actually gets a little too close to home. That's that's why I just gave him a mental anime. No, I just gave him an enema.
SPEAKER_04You did, you got me. All right, so you can't go. Uh go back to the phone. Keep on HR on HR and pet people in talent management. You felt that you've got the great partner there, yeah. And so you have a great senior team, senior senior leadership. That had to be a hard evolution for you because uh give up control.
SPEAKER_07Took years, it wasn't as much as the give up control, because now I'm like, yay, take it. Yeah, things take all the things, but it took a year of us working together for me to make sure that they understood my vision because that can is continually important, um, because we've created something very specific and very special. However, um, and two of them I've known for almost a decade, right? And then another one came on when I actually bought her company and I knew she had an entrepreneurial mindset. So it's very, it was very these, the four of us are very specific people for specific reasons that create the senior leadership team for my company that wouldn't work for any other company. So that's what I'm saying. Like when you're when we're talking about small companies, when we're talking about entrepreneurs who want to get to that next level, it's finding your number two. Yeah, period. There's no way to get past a certain level without finding a number two that you trust. And then if you can pull an HR into that next, and again, these are investments. I mean, at one point, one of them was making more than I was, like, but I didn't care because I was like, this has to happen.
SPEAKER_04And then we'll I want everybody to feel that one because that's another one of uh when you talk to people who have never started a business, they come to us and they go, Oh god, I wish I could do what you're doing. I'm like, Do you do you really? Do you really like to not make money for like three months in a row and everybody gets a paycheck except you? No, and you just said it. So you gotta bring out a number two who's actually making more money than you. And I rhymed it on purpose, Alan. Because you're so clever. That is, thank you, because that is definitely a do.
SPEAKER_03So it's kind of interesting. So you know, usually when a company scales, the first thing that they invest in is sales. I know, and you did not, I did not, and then they invest in operations to back up the sales that they just made, and then the fourth leg of the chair is HR.
Growing On Referrals With Zero Ads
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and that can be back ass words. It can't, it can be because you what speaks my language.
SPEAKER_03So awesome. Back ass words. That's one of my favorite words. So freaking comfortable with all this. Ah, I mean, she's just built an empire, she did, and speaks so effortlessly about it. I know. And how far, how far along were you when you because you started consulting? I mean, you know, you obviously felt comfortable when you're working in radio and you you'd done some neat things. Now all of a sudden it's your deal. And boom, I've got an international client. Did you fight the imposter syndrome? Did you have any fake it till you make it, or did you actually feel pretty good along the way?
SPEAKER_07Such a good question. Because sometimes I ignore, sorry.
SPEAKER_04Not really successful. You know what? Give me that. That's too.
SPEAKER_07I I think I promptly ignored the imposter syndrome, honestly. Really? And just pushed it through. Really? Pushed through. Yeah. Uh because people ask me, it's a real thing, and it doesn't mean I don't have it.
SPEAKER_04Oh, it's a real thing, yeah.
SPEAKER_07But I chose to ignore it.
SPEAKER_03Honestly. I mean, you can say, but you so ignoring it's a thing. Did I say this?
SPEAKER_04That's that's not a chick thing to do, right? I mean, I mean, again, a woman in touch with their feelings, we're a bunch of men. And she goes, No, I ignored it. I'm like, here I am over there, sucking it in, bringing it in, going, Oh my god, oh my god, what have I done? What have I done? I was such a chick. I'm kidding. All right, that's not good, not nice. I know wrong things, but but point is I had a lot of imposter syndrome. Yeah, because you get up and 18 years later, you're like, Yeah, and everybody's like, Well, I wish I could be like you. And like, nope, you really don't. No, uh, this is your fault, Lisa, because you told him to be authentic.
SPEAKER_07I did, you did. She did.
SPEAKER_04She gave me the she gave me the green floor permission.
SPEAKER_07Because I can do I can work with authentic. I can't work the other way around.
SPEAKER_03Oh, she's gonna work with me. Yeah, but anyway, so you built your team differently.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, uh, I don't know. You asked so many good questions. Oh what was it, Alan?
SPEAKER_04What was the what please sucking up to the co-host does not help?
SPEAKER_03Uh well, I uh the qu so we talked about building, you know, the four legs of the chair, but that is funny. I'll give you that one. Uh, but I was just asking, you know, at what point when you were building your business did you have, I mean, you you just have this experience and this confidence, and I mean you know exactly what's going on, but she does have a great demeanor and uh poise about her, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, very sweet. I I think that okay, one of the key things that I have found to be successful, that I because a lot of people come to me and say, I'm thinking about going out of my own, blah, blah, blah. And I'm happy to talk to them because if I can help anybody avoid any of the you know fits and starts. And I always started the business to be the type of business I needed in that moment and to let it grow organically, which is why I didn't need to invest in sales, going back to your point, was because we to this day we are still 91% referral business. A lot of people don't even know who we are because we don't strongly market ourselves. And but then I talk to people about what we do and and the number of people that we um impact the the help that we've given clients that are really it's monetized. They're like, how do you do and where do you why haven't I heard about you? And and it is sort of this we work with clients, they go to somewhere else, they always bring us around, and then we're staying with those clients. We have 10, 15, 30 year not 15, 10, 10, 15 year tenures with some of our clients and how we've been able to grow. And I think that the piece of growing organically as the business comes without there, you know, there's this movement of I'm gonna start a business, I'm gonna grow it.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_07And to what and to what end?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, bigger is not better. Right, better is better. Is not well the end for some people is to get a big boat and a and a pool.
Exit Fantasies And A Thanksgiving Crisis
SPEAKER_07Sell it like sort of this fantasy land of, you know, it's the same thing as like keeping up with the Joneses, I kind of compare it to, right? And if you think you're gonna start a business and you're gonna sell it or whatever, that is the wrong reason to go into business.
SPEAKER_04100% guys, listen to that one again because if you start your business with the end in mind is I'm gonna sell it, uh, that's the wrong end in mind that we're talking about because that's that's we've had people on this podcast repeatedly who were like, if you don't start a business with an exit strategy in mind, you're making a mistake.
SPEAKER_03I exit strategy different.
SPEAKER_04Okay, think okay, if you're sitting there, if you're putting your vision board together of uh I own an island down uh in the Bahamas, I have my boat that takes me down there with my private jet that gets me over there. Keep going for example, just I've say it hypothetically off the cuff, hypothetically, just coming up with a few look, I broke you two beautiful. So that's the wrong way to start the biz because that's not why you're doing it. You know, that was never my intent in the beginning. But I did tell people my why in the beginning was not um to it was it was I was gonna go make a lot of flipping money, uh, you know, and and if it meant that I had to work hard and do whatever, but I controlled my own time, and that was the biggest thing for me because I didn't control my own time when I was in corporate America. I, you know, my kids, I was Mr. Third Inning in their sporting events, you know, I used to joke about that, then I became their coaches. Um, but I didn't do that to become that guy. I became the guy who was trying to build it. But if you're built if you're doing it for the for the all the uh accoutrements as it were, you're wrong.
SPEAKER_07It just is a different kind of pressure that I don't think leads to long success. Now, good point, yes, there are people who do it, there are people who can do it. There are people, I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong to do it, but if you're looking to build a business that has longevity and is a good employer to people, it's not that with the end in mind. Did you ever that was important to me?
SPEAKER_04Did you ever think this is it? I'm done, I'm just gonna close it up and go away.
SPEAKER_07Never. Yeah, okay. I did 2036.
SPEAKER_04Sorry, yes, every day.
SPEAKER_07There's a point about you're not wrong. There's a point, I think where I was about three or four years in, and at this point I had hired my first W 2 employee. And to get to that point, you know, now you need insurance plans, and now you use workers' comp. And now you like it's a whole different thing. Um, and I I love her, and I still do, we still still stay in touch. Well, she loved the Work that we were doing, that she went to work for not a client, but in the industry. In fact, she's still there at the same company that she left full tilt for. But at that point, I had built a portfolio of business that needed two full-time people. And now I had one. I had me, in addition to trying to f trying to find someone to replace her. And I mean, I could have 12 hands and not have enough things on my plate already, right?
SPEAKER_04And by then you had how many kids?
SPEAKER_07I had two both of my children then. So two under three.
SPEAKER_04Oh, this is fun.
SPEAKER_07And um you know, so all the things. So then I had this moment of just pure, oh my god, what am I gonna do? So I said, and it was right, it was the week of Thanksgiving. And so uh family was in town and we were, you know, we're getting ready, and and there was a moment which is never stressful. Yeah, I know. Thanksgiving freaking dinner on top of that.
SPEAKER_04And so I said that was the most stressful thing. I'll never you want a turkey leg? I'll give you a turkey leg.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, go catch it with your throw it across the dining room. Um, and so I said, either this is a moment in time, this is a decision point, and I knew that at the time. And I said, I'm either going to shut her down and go find a job somewhere, or I'm going to push through again. Sort of that that push the, I mean, I think entrepreneurs need to have those moments where you're like, I'm just pushing the shit through, like because I can't do anything else and I don't want to go backwards. It took a less than a minute for me to say, I am not not continuing. I'm not going back to corporate or or any other job. I mean, that was the only moment in this time of this now 20 years that I was like, Wow, yeah, no. And then I pushed through and I have just never looked back. But there have been moments, those those growth stages that are quite painful. I have now in my head how to make them less painful. And so I just like talking to people about it.
SPEAKER_04You bet. That's why we got this podcast, guys. You listen to Lisa full tilt marketing, which let me get your marketing budget one more time. How much do you spend on advertising again?
SPEAKER_07Zero.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_07Oh, and it's full tilt consulting because there's a different company is full tilt marketing.
SPEAKER_04Oh, oh, so you're full tilt consulting. Yes. Well, then you don't have to spend money on advertising. Yeah, screw those other guys.
SPEAKER_07Full tilt.
How To Reach Lisa And Wrap
SPEAKER_04That's the that's the that's the imposters over there. Let's go, Lisa Tilt, full tilt consulting. How can everybody get a hold of you? I love what she's up to. Well, she might. I mean, I think a lot of people out there, yeah.
SPEAKER_07I mean, I hey with consulting.com. Find me.
SPEAKER_04Find her. And you can say that Alan recommended you, not Chris. Alan. Yeah. No, Chris will. Chris is definitely a big fan. We're both a big fan. And she's now been awarded this great chamber. What what was it? What was the award you got today?
SPEAKER_07It was it was Business Woman of the Year.
SPEAKER_04But you are so not good at promoting yourself on this. I'm not sure she can help other people promote. I know.
SPEAKER_07I was one of four, and I got to meet three other wonderful women, plus plus uh women-owned businesses, and it was an amazing we need her back.
SPEAKER_04Do we? Yep. All right.
SPEAKER_03Alan says bringing you back to being done.
SPEAKER_04This is awesome. But guys, we've got to wrap this thing up. But and we already, you know what? We're not even gonna get the final four because we're kind of coming to the end. So I think we have to hit it up. She did great, guys. You've heard a great story today. You've heard a lot of great nuggets. This is the stuff that goes down. You know what? Go check her out. She's willing to help people. You know, we're all willing to help people. That's why we did this thing every day, every day, every week, every moment. 365. 365. I think that we should have just not done this. But we did it. We're gonna keep helping you make it up that mountain. Let's keep going, get up that mountaintop. Let's find success. It's one day at a time, one step at a time. Let's get out of here. We're gonna go. Cheers, everybody. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Small Business Department. Remember, your positive attitude will help you achieve that higher altitude you're looking for in the wild world of small business ownership. And until next time, make it a great day.
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