Tony Delmercado

So, you're ready to expand: You've done the cost/benefit analysis, scoped out your next city location, acquired the capital and jumped in. Congratulations!

Expansion is exciting and overwhelming -- much the way the early days were for you, when you first dealt with a lot of moving pieces. But, this time, to ensure success now, you have to figure out how to keep your culture strong and intact before you launch your new location.

Employees who know and understand their company’s core values are 51 times more likely to be engaged fully in their work than those who don’t.
That’s an impressive stat that leaders can’t afford to ignore. Your company’s culture is often what sets you apart from the competition, so communicating and helping your employees embody your core values is vital to the success of your business -- especially when those values appear to contradict each other.
On the surface, my company’s core… Show more

Employees who know and understand their company’s core values are 51 times more likely to be engaged fully in their work than those who don’t.
That’s an impressive stat that leaders can’t afford to ignore. Your company’s culture is often what sets you apart from the competition, so communicating and helping your employees embody your core values is vital to the success of your business -- especially when those values appear to contradict each other.
On the surface, my company’s core values seem to jibe well, and they often do. Two of our most cherished values are “Be cool” and “Get sh*t done.” But sometimes, when we are on a tight timeline or with a difficult client, it can be a challenge to also be cool. The key is to find balance when things go off the rails and your core values seem to fall out of whack with reality -- and with each other. Show less

How do you get a job without experience and how do you get experience without a job? Let’s address this age-old question from the business owner’s perspective: How do I find the best young talent to train and then retain them?

The answer to both questions is a good internship program. One study from Georgetown University found that the starting salary for graduates with internships was 28 percent higher than for their peers without internships. That’s because they come prepared.

Once upon a time in content marketing, the main goal was to throw out as much content as possible, usually based around certain keywords. Content marketers thus adopted a "spray and pray" method, hoping for an overall boost to all marketing efforts.

As we now know, that "method" does not lead to fairy tale success.

The companies that have a hard time attracting top talent are those that can't differentiate themselves in the market. Don't let this be you.

Podcasts nurture leads, meaning they nurture revenue -- especially when it comes to younger audiences. When Peter Jukes, creator of the podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, asked a lecture hall full of college students if they read a newspaper, only three hands rose. But when he asked how many of them listened to podcasts, nearly 70 percent raised their hands.

Stories like Jukes' point to the increase in podcasting, which has seen more than 30 percent growth in recent years… Show more

Podcasts nurture leads, meaning they nurture revenue -- especially when it comes to younger audiences. When Peter Jukes, creator of the podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, asked a lecture hall full of college students if they read a newspaper, only three hands rose. But when he asked how many of them listened to podcasts, nearly 70 percent raised their hands.

Stories like Jukes' point to the increase in podcasting, which has seen more than 30 percent growth in recent years. Celebrity thought leaders like Tim Ferriss have gained significant traction with audiences through this mode... Show less

The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of email marketing is the person who designs their newsletters, holiday coupons, or Happy New Year's batch.

And that's where a lot of people underestimate email and the marketer behind it. Social media gets a lot of buzz because it's so public, but email is actually 40 times more powerful than social for finding new customers, and it drives more conversions than any other channel...

E-commerce keeps growing. But to achieve substantial online sales, marketers need to follow the e-commerce hierarchy.

The Pyramid of E-Commerce Success

Think of the e-commerce hierarchy as a pyramid — without the lower levels, what’s at the top isn’t stable...

At the end of this year, new rules from the U.S. Department of Labor go into effect to provide overtime protection to 4.2 million salaried workers -- providing an estimated $47,476 for a full-year-round worker.

While some companies won't feel a huge difference, others will be dealing with major cultural shifts as it becomes more expensive to squeeze lengthy weeks out of their salaried workforce.

Like so many things in life, finding a dedicated mentor today may not be as simple as it was for previous generations. But it’s still just as crucial for your professional development.

It’s no surprise that a whopping 82 percent of people acknowledge mentorship as a critical part of their continued growth — having a mentor can help you earn up to $22,450 more annually.

As the current COO of Hawke Media, founder of 1099.me, and a former district manager in the direct sales… Show more

Like so many things in life, finding a dedicated mentor today may not be as simple as it was for previous generations. But it’s still just as crucial for your professional development.

It’s no surprise that a whopping 82 percent of people acknowledge mentorship as a critical part of their continued growth — having a mentor can help you earn up to $22,450 more annually.

As the current COO of Hawke Media, founder of 1099.me, and a former district manager in the direct sales industry, I’ve recruited and trained more than 2,000 people. Along the way, I’ve developed lasting friendships and strengthened my coaching techniques.

I’ve also noticed a few consistencies that you should be aware of and consider when seeking a mentor... Show less