You can’t run a successful business without the right people. Whether you’re looking to hire your first employee or your fiftieth, roll out an employee handbook or grow your leadership team, people are always part of the equation.

We interview some of the leading experts in human resources, leadership, and management, so you can “get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the buss, and the right people in the right seats,” as Jim Collins famously said.

Lessons Learned from the Pandemic: Preparing for Your Next Crisis – Tina Oddleifson Are you prepared for your next business crisis? Whether it’s a recession, once-in-a-lifetime storm, or another pandemic, it’s coming. Discover these lessons learned during COVID so you can be prepared for the next challenge your company faces.  Rich: My guest today is a small business advisor for the Maine Small Business Development Center in Portland, and...

Statewide Broadband in Maine – The Benefits to Business – Kerem Durdag This week on Fast Forward Maine we’re going to be talking about what it will take to bring broadband throughout the state of Maine. We’ve got President and Chief Operating Office of GWI, Kerem Durdag, with us, to talk about why broadband is essential to the growth, health, and...

How to Get Your Growing Business Funded in Maine – Diane Sturgeon There are plenty of places to get your growing business funded in Maine. Banks, Credit Unions, FAME, and alternative lending sources abound. Rich: My guest today was named District Director for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s district office on April 25th, 2021. After having worked for nine years as...

Workforce, Immigrants, and DEI – What Owners Need to Know – Tae Chong Maine has a workforce problem. Although no one solution will fix it all, today we speak with Tae Chong about how immigrants and a healthy approach to DEI can make a big difference for your business and for Maine. Have you noticed all the help wanted signs out there?...

PR & Earned Media for Your Company: What Owners Need to Know – Kristan Vermeulen This week on Fast Forward Maine we’re going to be talking about how to generate positive press and media coverage for your company. We’ve got PR expert and podcaster Kristan Vermeulen on the show and she’s going to talk about everything that goes into good PR, from developing your...

What Owners Need to Know About Branding – Emily Brackett What goes into the branding of a growing business? Is it your logo? Your colors? Your business cards or trucks? In today’s episode we talk to branding expert Emily Brackett on what goes into a successful company brand and what impact it has on your bottom line. Rich: My...

What Owners Need to Know About Sales Growth – Tom Morgan As business owners and leaders, we all want more sales. How do we get that? Is it by hiring better sales people? Lowering our prices? Better marketing material? Before you take any of those steps, you need to understand the customer journey, which has changed dramatically over the past...

What Owners Need to Know About Influencing Legislation – Amy Volk Amy Volk shares with us exactly how, when, and where you can influence and change the laws coming out of Augusta. Rich: My guest today is a four-term former lawmaker who currently serves as Director of Communications and Public Relations for Volk Packaging Corporation in Biddeford. While serving in...