Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to today’s episode of David Versus Goliath, a podcast dedicated to helping small businesses leverage technology to not only help them compete against their large competitors, but win. Your host is currently the CEO of Anthem business software, a three time Inc. 500 recipient, and a serial entrepreneur with a passion to help small businesses everywhere find, serve, and keep more customers profitably. Please join me in welcoming your host, Adam DeGraide.
Adam DeGraide (00:32):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the David Versus Goliath Podcast. My name is Adam DeGraide. I am so grateful that you took the time to watch and to listen to what we have to say over the next several years, hopefully, of interviewing small business owners who are leveraging technology and really helping themselves compete and win against the large competitors.
Adam DeGraide (00:56):
I’ve been a serial entrepreneur since 1997. I started my first business, called BZ Results, in the basement of my house in a little state called Rhode Island. That seems almost like a different lifetime ago. I had almost no money. I just had this idea that I could have my own agency. I thought at the time that I could start a business and help them with TV and radio commercials, and so I did. I started my own business. I took a credit card, about $50,000 credit line, maxed it out, hired some people, couldn’t even afford to pay myself, started a business. Before you know it, I ended up switching my efforts over into a software and marketing company for automotive dealers. From 1997 to 2006, I was able to build, along with a lot of really smart and great partners of mine, a very successful business, where we had about 1800 car dealers. I sold it to ADP in 2006.
Adam DeGraide (01:57):
At that time I started another company called Astonish, where we worked with about 850 insurance agencies and built that with some amazing partners and great talented employees. We did the same model of software marketing consulting. Then we grew that and sold that in 2011. That was worth quite a bit of money at the time as well too. That was awesome. Then I switched and transitioned. I stayed on as CEO for a couple of years, then I switched and transitioned into another business that I started called Crystal Clear. That business worked with a little over 800+ providers, plastic surgeons, med spas, medical spas, plastic surgeons, cosmetic derms, in the elective medical space. We sold that one back in November in 2020.
Adam DeGraide (02:46):
Then I started recently Anthem Business Software, which I’m the CEO of. You can check out the logo right there. It’s been awesome. What I realized is that working with almost 5,000 small businesses, I really felt that there was a void in the industry at large, especially for small businesses, the sole proprietor up to 500 employees, a place where we can all come together and learn from each other the mistakes, the successes we’ve had over the years. One of the things that I’ve discovered over the years is that it’s never about one thing that makes a business successful. It’s always about many different things working together in concert, in unity, to make things successful.
Adam DeGraide (03:29):
If you think about the concept of David versus Goliath, the story is David went and he went to fight and face the Philistine giant called Goliath. Saul offered him, hey, you can have my armor and my sword and you can go into battle. David’s like, nah, I don’t need that. Thank you for that stuff. I’m going to go down to the stream. I’m going to get five smooth stones and I’m going to compete and win against a giant Goliath. That’s exactly what he ended up doing. It was fascinating. He went out and only needed one stone to slay that Goliath.
Adam DeGraide (04:02):
I said, man, if I could do a podcast called David Versus Goliath, from small business owners of all walks of life, whether you’re a painter or a contractor or you own a technology company or whatever it is, and we can talk about how we have five things that we do in our business successfully from plans and goals, to the right people, to the right tools, to the right process, to number five, courage, which is what we all need in order to succeed and slay that giant that we compete against. I said, how much of a valuable resource would it be for me to be able to share those things that I’ve learned over my years as an entrepreneur, a serial one I might add. Then also learn from those that are succeeding more successfully, are even smaller and they’re trying to grow. How can we create a network and a feedback loop for each other, where we can share best practices, share our pitfalls and successes, and all learn for each other? That’s where David and Goliath’s podcast comes in.
Adam DeGraide (05:01):
In just a few short weeks, starting in October, 2021, my hope is that I can create at least one to four of these a month. I think it’s going to be closer to four, but I don’t want to promise that, where we’re interviewing the best in breed in all different industries of small businesses who are taking on that large competitor, and winning. I hope you’ll sign up, become a subscriber, and then get ready to change your life with the David and Goliath Podcast. Once again, it’s Adam DeGraide. I’ll be your host. It’s going to be a lot of fun, entertaining, energetic, and informative. I promise you, you will not regret it. Have a great day.
