How Strategic Partnerships Create Bigger Wins — Sean Kelly from Kelly Merchant Solutions

If you are a business owner, nonprofit leader, bookkeeper, or CFO, this episode is a great reminder that merchant processing fees are often more negotiable than people realize. Sean Kelly shares how Kelly Merchant Solutions helps businesses and nonprofits reduce or eliminate unnecessary credit card processing costs, why authentic networking has played such a big role in his growth, and why one strategic relationship can be far more valuable than a single account. 

Episode Highlights
🔹 Sean explains how many business owners unknowingly overpay on merchant processing and why the effective rate can be much higher than expected. 
🔹 We talk about how Kelly Merchant Solutions started with a heart to serve nonprofits and help more donation dollars stay with the causes they support. 
🔹 Sean shares a powerful example of helping Longmont Humane Society identify more than $36,000 in savings. 
🔹 We discuss how networking helped Sean go from feeling like the new kid in the room to becoming a strong connector in the Northern Colorado business community.
🔹 Sean breaks down why strategic partnerships can outperform one-off sales and become a major growth lever for a business. 

Why You Should Listen
🔹 You will learn how to think differently about merchant fees and hidden costs inside payment processing. 
🔹 You will hear a practical networking philosophy centered on curiosity, generosity, and authenticity. 
🔹 You will get a strong reminder that the best networking is not just about making a sale, but about building relationships that scale. 
🔹 You will hear how Sean is building a business with community impact while still protecting family time and staying true to his values. 

Businesses Sean Recommends
🔹 Longmont Humane Society — Sean shared this as one of the nonprofit success stories that stands out most to him after helping them identify substantial savings. 
🔹 Blue Federal Credit Union — Sean highlighted his relationship with Vicki Shock and how that connection developed into meaningful business growth. 

How to Contact Sean
Website: KellyMerchantSolutions.com. 
Email: sean@kellymerchantsolutions.com
Call or Text: 720-507-1336. 

Timestamps
0:00 Strategic relationships vs. one-off deals.
0:18 Meet Sean Kelly from Kelly Merchant Solutions.
0:48 Why business owners often overpay on processing fees.
1:40 Hidden fees, effective rates, and wholesale pricing.
2:24 Why Sean put his family name on the business.
3:18 How networking changed Sean’s business growth.
4:19 Supporting nonprofits and the Longmont Humane Society story.
5:56 Sean’s networking tips for making quality connections.
8:12 How to identify decision-makers in larger organizations.
10:00 Relationship builders who made an impact on Sean.
11:31 Building a business that still protects family time.
14:01 How Sean’s family experiences the mission of the business.
15:36 Why merchant solutions is not always an easy first conversation.
17:18 Who Sean most wants to help.
18:49 Strategic partnerships as a growth strategy.
20:29 How to contact Sean.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

What's better is strategic relationships. And what I mean by that is you know, you go get one account that's one deal, but if you get a strategic, one strategic partnership, that could be hundreds of deals.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

All right, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter, where we have engaging conversations with Northern Colorado's best networkers, and we find out some of their tips of how we can all level up our networking skills. Today I have Sean Kelly from Kelly Merchant Solutions. Good to see you. Welcome to the show. Thanks, Andrew. So tell us a little bit more about what you do.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

What we do is eliminate credit card processing fees or drastically lower them and also with ACH fees.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Starting the business, how much uh credit card fees cost? And some business owners, I think they just feel like it's cost of doing business. Um but tell us about the options that they might have.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Yeah, so I guess it goes back to when a company needs a credit card, what do you do? Or what I did was just call my banker and say, hey, and then 3.5%, 30 cents a transaction. And it was just something to check off my list, right? Okay, and onto the other 1 million things you have to do as a business owner. And come to find out years later through friends in the banking industry that it is negotiable, that there's wholesale banks and retail banks. And so there's it's completely possible to get rid of the retail markup. You know, typically business owners think they're paying three to four percent in credit card processing. That's off gross sales. Um, but then there's a thing called the effective rate. So there's all the interchange fees and the hidden fees. You know, you can see it go up to five, six percent easily. What we do is come in and do a full analysis, you know, and identify everything. And then we bring you back behind to the wholesale curtain to get you back as much of that money where from the banks to where it's supposed to be in the business so the business can grow.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

And and Sean, you got your name that's also in the business name, right? So as you're putting your personal name on the business, uh, is that is that an increased pressure or uh is that just to get your mark on it?

SPEAKER_01 2:13

I've never been asked that before. Um it's the exact opposite. Um I've had several businesses before, several successful ones, a couple stinkers. And um this model, my wife and I decided we're we're gonna do a small branch boutique and um really focus on our backyard community. Ideally, it well, it initially it was gonna just be in the nonprofit world to go in and help them. We felt that they were really underserved and try to get back as many donation dollars from the banks back to the humans and animals they were typically meant for. But um, I feel like uh it's not additional pressure, it's additional motivation. Yeah, because it's my family and it's our family business, and we are you know in our community, you know, and it's a bunch of small communities that make it large community, but there's still, you know, that small town magic around us.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Well, you're quite the networker, seeing a lot of spaces. Uh, we were talking about Taco Tuesdays and the hangout, like the groups within the groups. But uh, how has networking been something that's helped you grow your business?

SPEAKER_01 3:13

First of all, I appreciate that because I I feel like I'm relatively new to networking. Um, in my past companies, I just didn't really have time. Um and so, you know, a couple almost two years ago, I I joined my first chamber of commerce, you know, and I felt like the uh the new kid at school, you know, kind of the wallflower.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

And uh luckily there was really good people there that came in and took my hand and introduced themselves to me and and and really broke the ice. I feel like once ice is broken, I'm I'm like, okay, I'm a decent person, like communicating with, but um, it is um, it's just, it's just to answer your question, it's just really been an amazing journey, even though it's a relatively short journey in a couple years. Um just actually physically being and interacting with people and helping people, and and just being around so many people that actually just don't want anything from you and want to genuinely help you. Um I found that through networking in action. I found that through multiple chambers of commerce uh in my our local community, Erie, Lafayette, uh, Louisville. And um it just feels like I'm more part of the community.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

So let's let's go into the nonprofit realm because uh I know that's something you have a passion with, but um, is there any specific nonprofit that you're able to like give me a case study of something that you're able to help?

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Okay, typically, so I have to be very careful about that um because you know, with businesses, profit or nonprofit, it's sensitive information. Sure, you know. Um however, I do have permission, you know, I have asked permission and I've gotten permission from some several I can share. Uh the one that always pops in my head is our first big win in our local community, it's the Longmont Humane Society. Uh, when we came, it was just about a year and a half ago, um, we went in and did the analysis, and we were able to get identified and get back a little bit over $36,000. And this was from donation money. And just to kind of put that in perspective, and why this one um just really close to my heart, uh, when we did the research, and this was me talking to the you know the leadership team there, but they said it cost about $840,000, $850 a year to shelter one dog, you know, till it finds its forever home. And so we did the math on that. Oh man, I don't have my calculator on me, but I think it it was like 43 more dogs a year. And and what's great about once we are implemented, it's not savings for one year, it's savings every year. So, well, if you don't think about inflation, you know, it will be 43 more dogs a year that our help, you know, with that foundation is gonna continue to do.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Really, really cool. And uh, you know, when people are making a donation, they think all of it's going to the business, but it doesn't. It gets eaten up with fees and different kinds of things like that. Um Sean, what uh what are some uh what are some networking tips that have led to your success? Because I've seen you, you you not you don't just make introductions or connections, they're like big names, big connections, big, big uh you're making some big plays. So you you're a little modest saying, oh well, I'm all new, but um if give us some tips of how you've been able to make such quality connections for people.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Um, well, thank you. Uh flattery will get too far with me. Um it's there well, this says too that there's the individual networking. Um I what I have found is if you're just genuine um and you're trying to learn about the person you're talking to, the new person you're talking to, and ask questions, be curious, um, and really try to start connecting the dots is not in a rushed way, but in a thoughtful way in your head on who you know that could help them or bring them business. If it's not you, hopefully it's me and that there's a way that I can be of value. And who knows, if I'm lucky, maybe you know they could they would make sense doing business with us as well. Um, but I really do think asking questions, um being friendly, um being of value really is is like some magical things have really happened. And you can do that individually, but you can also do that at at scale with organizations. I think when you're I think into this day and age, people know they they can feel authenticity. You know, they know when someone's being you know genuine and not just wanting something from you. And um and what I found is I really do like that the one-on-one connections you make in networking. Um, however, you can use that same experience and skill set and approach or large organizations with the same strategy, and you'd be surprised at how much that these large organizations are more than happy to consider a partnership with you.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

How do you how do you like how do you identify the right decision maker? Like, you know, give us some of the the art and the science. Because if it's a small business, maybe you got a couple employees, it's easy to figure out who the owner is. But if it's a larger company, how do you uh how do you get past all the gatekeepers?

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Well, it's a journey, you know. It's well sometimes you're talking to the gatekeeper or you're talking to a uh someone very large and you don't even know it. Sure. Um one of my one of my favorite accounts will happen like that. But um, at the end of the day, I think it does go back to what I was saying previously, which is um be a good person, you know. Um don't you know, just um, you know, it always sounds like a thing to say. I don't know if I can say that, but don't be a you know um and ask when you're asking questions, um you're you're hopefully learning, you know. And with with uh larger organizations, typically for our company, we're going in and asking how can we help? You know, like what you know, are you uh it doesn't matter if you're a giant company or a small business or a small nonprofit or a large nonprofit. I know how hard it is to fight for every one percent in a company, you know, and some and for a lot of companies uh organizations that one or two percent can make make or break them, you know. So we get to go in seeing how we can be a value. And it's authentic, you know, and I think that really I think people um can feel that.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Sean, when you when you network with that method as being selfless, um a lot of times it attracts people who are selfless. Um, people who also have that heart of a giver or heart of a connector. Um, have you connected with other people who are uh like similar to you, heart of a giver, heart of a connector?

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

I mean, I mean, so many. Um shout out one. Give me a give me a like a relationship deep dive if you have permission to share. Like, how did you meet him? How did it develop? Who gave who what first? And uh what did that turn into?

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Well, there's two that jumped to mind. Okay, can I share two? Sure. Uh one first would be Jesse Levy. Um, you know, he was born and raised here uh locally in northern Colorado. And um when I was new to the chambers, he just was one of those you know guys that just reached out their hand right away with big smile, lots of energy. No, I call him the unofficial mayor just because he was born and raised. He knows everybody. You know, anytime I try to introduce him to someone, he's like, Oh, you mean Andrew? You know, I'm like, yeah. Um, but he just um was really he's just really enthusiastic um on helping and working with everybody. And um he's made a lot of amazing connections. I, you know, I I haven't lived here my whole life. He has. I feel like he's saved me a lifetime of you know meeting people in the community. Uh the next one would be um Vicki Shock from Blue Federal Credit Union. Uh she um I had no idea who she was when I first met her. It was in the beginning, and when I was doing the wallflower uh thing, like new kid at school vibe. And she just came up and just big smile and just was just asked me who I was, what do I do? And like, you know, wondering and right out the gate, it was like, I wonder who I can refer you to. And um, and that's really grown into something amazing uh for uh for for Kelly Merchant Solutions and um working with Blue Federal Credit Union.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

So you say you want to um you know, what are what are the growth pan plans for Kelly Merchant Solutions? What uh do you have do you want to get super big or do you like to have that small town kind of connection that you've built?

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Well, my original intention, it's interesting. It's sometimes these things you I've had I've built very large well, in my opinion, pretty large companies, 170 plus employees, uh nationwide offices in Connecticut, Washington, Oregon, California, and um, and uh it was exhausting. And uh spiritually, um I was checking all the boxes in regards to the prizes or the goals, yeah. Um but I was losing um my family time. You know, I was losing um, you know, I wasn't making it to dinner every night, you know, even though I try, you know. So the original intention of Gelly Merchant Solutions was to be very small, boutique, and and like I said, focus on the nonprofits. Words kind of got out in the in the community, also, you know, being involved with all the chambers and the networking. Um in action. And so now, you know, 80% is small businesses and and 20% is probably nonprofit, where initially it was supposed to be 100% nonprofit. I would love to be in our footprint from you know Den North Denver to Cheyenne and keep that. Um, I feel like it's more intimate, it's more manageable. Um, I am you know I am driven by mentoring uh younger people as well. I know that um someone gave me a chance once. It's really cool when you bring someone in and you see them maybe get their first car or their first condo or their first house or have their first kid or their you know their wedding, like all those things. So I think that there's enough space between North Denver and Cheyenne where you know we can we can bring on new teammates and maybe put one in each chamber and one in um each chapter of NIA. You know. So um, so I guess medium is what would be would be the uh the size I'd like to see it at where we still have that human connection, you know. Um it's it's weird when you walk into your own office and you don't know everyone's name. You know, I don't ever want to have that feeling again.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

We talk about the family. Um, you know, uh a lot of entrepreneurs are they work really hard to provide that. But uh especially when you're serving your community that your family lives in, um, it's it's you know super super impactful. So um I recently saw on Jesse's magazine the whole family out there get in front of the neighborhood. But um what what do they think about what you do versus what you what you really do? Um you know, what stories do they hear?

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Well, this business model um is really amazing because um I get to share it with them. You know, what um our community and I love our community, uh Boulder and Weld County. There are there are so many nonprofits in 501Cs, and there's so many that help human beings, but there's so many that animal rescues. And one of the really cool things is yeah, they might see dad, you know, in his office with his head down and just you know, talking and typing all day. But um on the weekends, we get to take our kids to the animal rescues that we they love long humanity. Matter of fact, I have two nine-month-old kittens season that was mentioned in uh in Greet magazine, um, you know, working there. But you know, Love and Arms is another really great one there in Erie. And um, they know Tito the cow, and they just you know they ask us all the time when we can go back. And it's it's it's been really special because I think it's I think this is different this time because our kids are getting to see our values, you know, at an early age and seeing, you know, what matters to us. And and yeah, it's important to provide for your family, but it's also important to help others, you know, and and and humans and animals all alike, you know, need help. I know I've needed help at times, you know. One of the hardest things I ever learned to do is ask for help. So yeah. Um, I think that's a really cool thing that we get to share that with our kids.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Is it is it an easy sell? Hey, like I could probably help save you thousands of dollars, or let me have you do an out of, or is it a tough flip because people are just used to doing it all the same way? Um what you know, I guess what what uh what things do you see that are some challenges that you face? It's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

I thought it was gonna be an easy sell. Like when I first heard of this, I'm like, this is amazing. You know, this is uh something where I don't have to charge and not a burden uh for a business or a nonprofit. I'm you know compensated by banks, and I can go in and do this, you know, amazing work that makes a big difference. I think that, well, let's let's just face it, merchant solutions doesn't sound like you know that interesting. It's not like a lot of people are you know like wrapped up in like, oh like, you know, just really intrigued by merchant solutions. So first of all, there's kind of that boring glossover part, like what, like, you know, but um but I think um, you know, when it's a cold introduction to it, it's um it does, it's it's a little bit more difficult to explain the value and the mechanics. There's a lot of questions. Um on the other hand, though, when you've done a really good job uh for someone, uh organization, and then they refer you and they tell their own story, then it you know, there's the lot less resistance and a lot less understanding because someone else who had their own personal experience can share their personal experience, where I'm trying to explain a business, you know. So I think there's a different spark there that happens. So, you know, when and everyone knows the best business is a referral, right? Oh, yeah. So then it's you know not that hard of a sell. You know, the hardest part of what we do um is find the person who can get us the merchant statements to do an analysis for, you know, that's the hard part. Um and after that it it's all you know, it's a kind of an easier process, but good question.

SPEAKER_00 17:15

As someone who's trying to sh medium-size your business, uh you know, who are you looking to connect with as you continue to grow?

SPEAKER_01 17:25

I want to say everyone, you know, I want to help everyone. I know that's ridiculous. I just um but um if if you're an organization, and I'm just I'm thinking some of the nonprofits where like they have to do the emergency funding uh, you know, for because they're short on food, you know, maybe for a month or two, you know. Um if you're finding, you know, or you're a small business and um you're uh you know, you know, how are you gonna keep the lights on? Or if you if you're just struggling to have just if you just had a little bit extra cash flow, it might be easier for you to you know sleep at night and focus on the business instead of be stressed out. Like I want to talk to those people, you know. Of course, we can help companies that are doing fine, you know, and they're large, and typically we can save them a lot more money because they're processing a lot more. And I want to talk to them too. You know, it's a good account. But when I hear that question from you, the first thing I think about is um the organizations, the companies and nonprofits that that are good models, um, but just need a little bit of help. They just need a little bit of fine-tuning. They typically don't have the resources um available to them uh to come in and, you know, I've you know, I've had the benefit and luxury of, you know, having coaches and mentors, you know, and someone coming in and just one little fine-tune can be the difference if you win a race or come in second place.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

So, Sean, when you when you're networking um to medium-size your business, um, you know, I would imagine you go in a room, there's a lot of people uh with the business that you might be able to help. And there's also people that service other businesses, your bookkeepers, your accountants, your CPAs. Have you found that it's easy to get referrals from B2B businesses, or are you kind of just a better direct to business?

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Really good question. Um, I interpret that as strategic partnerships. Um, it's great. Uh, and and I and I try to mentor my account executives on this subject. It's great to get an account. Every account is is you should be have gratitude for in a one a one-off account. Um what's better is strategic relationships. And what I mean by that is you know, you go get one account that's one deal. But if you get a strategic, one strategic partnership, that could be hundreds of deals, you know, and we've done that, you know, successfully with several um groups and organizations, um, networking action being one. Um, I think that it's amazing um just how everyone is is taking care of each other. But yeah, you know, we um we've done really well with you know bookkeepers, accounting firms, um, CFOs, under people who understand the math and numbers where we don't have to explain the value. They they kind of, you know, the brainiacs who just are mathematically inclined, they get it right right away. So it's a little bit easier in regards to your previous question. Is it all hard sell? Yeah. So yeah, um that there, you know, there's definitely a lot of success and benefits of working, you know, B2B with another business that has tons of clients that we can help.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

Yeah, strategic partnerships, like the way you you put that. Uh well, Sean, this was this has been great, great conversation. I appreciate you coming in. Um, there might be people who are like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I pay that much in merchant service fees. Um, or as a nonprofit, maybe they didn't realize that this was for them or there's there's more support. How can people get a hold of you? Uh reach out to you to have you do uh a consultation.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Uh you can go to Kelly Merchant Solutions.com and fill out the contact form. Uh you can email me at Sean at Kellymerchant Solutions.com. That's S-E-A-N at Kelly Merchant Solutions.com. Um, or you can call or text 720-507-1336.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Right. Uh awesome, Sean. So so good. Thank you so much. Um, I look forward to some one-to-ones and uh hopefully you can make it bigger impact. Sh medium size your business. I think that sounds really good. So, Sean, thanks so much for coming on the show.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Thank you so much for asking me.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Thank you. We'll see you around at Northern Colorado. Thanks. Hey all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado. I would love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh, go in the podcast description. There's a way so that you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.