Here's The Deal's mission is three words Educate, Elevate, and Inspire. We take nearly 30 years of experience in the commercial finance industry to inform and inspire you to start your own business, or to improve a business you already own. We interview experts in several essential business services, Attorneys, CPA's, Commercial Real Estate Brokers, and more to give you the vital information you need to start, grow, and improve your business. We also interview business owners to share their experiences challenges faced to inspire you.
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October 27, 20267 min
How Did a Teacher Build Modern Grind Coffee?
“We signed the lease on the property to open the drive-thru at the end of February twenty twenty. So two weeks later is when COVID hit…”How did a former teacher become a coffee shop entrepreneur? Modern Grind Coffee co-owner Daphne Kelly shares her journey as HTD visits the new Hilltop location in the Litchfield Park area of Arizona.Chris Flowers catches up with Daphne to explore the story behind Modern Grind Coffee, the challenges of opening a business during COVID, and a mission built around serving the community.Inside the Hilltop art gallery, coffee meets creativity. Daphne explains how the space showcases student artwork and creates opportunities for students to learn about business—from working as a barista to exploring bookkeeping and other interests.In this conversation:• Transitioning from teaching to entrepreneurship• Getting support through the Small Business Development Center• Overcoming opening delays, supply shortages, and unexpected setbacks• Expanding beyond the original drive-thru coffee shop• Supporting students, educators, and the local community• Celebrating National Women’s Small Business MonthWhat career would you turn into a business—or what business have you already started? Tell us in the comments. Daphne went from teaching to building a coffee business rooted in community. What business would you start if you made a career change? And if you’re in Arizona, have you visited Modern Grind Coffee?Explore Modern Grind Coffee:https://moderngrindcoffee.com/Subscribe to Here’s The Deal for entrepreneur interviews, small business stories, and conversations that educate, elevate, and inspire.Have a business story to share? Contact HTD Media Group about being a guest, sponsorship opportunities, video marketing, or podcast coaching and production:https://heresthedeal.biz/Info@heresthedeal.bizThe story sells, not the numbers.#ModernGrindCoffee #WomenOwnedBusiness #Entrepreneurship #heresthedealbiz #mybizcoaches
October 27, 202648 min
What football film study teaches every business about video.
Football film study offers a practical way to improve video marketing for your business: review your performance, study the competition, and make your message clearer.In this episode of Here’s The Deal, Chris Flowers, founder of HTD Media Group, connects his football experience with the challenges business owners face when creating video content.Every football player has an assignment. Your videos should, too. Are they explaining a service, answering a customer question, building trust, or helping someone take the next step?We discuss:• Giving every business video a clear purpose.• Reviewing your last three videos for clarity.• Studying competitors and identifying unanswered customer questions.• Speaking your customer’s language instead of using industry jargon.• Building confidence through practice and on-camera coaching.• Recognizing what works and repeating it.• Turning long-form video into reels, FAQs, newsletters, and social posts.• Making adjustments based on audience feedback.Chris also shares how his 30 years in business banking influence his approach to helping business owners communicate their value.The story sells, not the numbers.CHAPTERS00:00 What business owners can learn from football film study02:07 Why a polished video can still miss its assignment04:33 Study your competition and your customers07:00 Find opportunities to tell a better story09:08 Adapt your game plan to the people you serve11:35 Make adjustments as your business evolves13:58 Video fundamentals and clear messaging17:42 Speak your customer’s language20:11 Cut wasted movement from your message24:53 Recognize what your videos do well26:52 Build confidence through repetition29:19 Build familiarity and trust through video33:49 Bring your personality and experience on camera37:11 Turn one video into a content playbook40:34 Review your performance and make adjustments42:58 Learn from feedback and engage with your audience45:26 Customize your content for each platformCONNECT WITH HTD MEDIA GROUPExplore video marketing, podcast guest opportunities, and podcast coaching and production:https://heresthedeal.biz/Subscribe for more conversations about business growth, video marketing, and storytelling.If we watched film of your business today, what would you change?Seen, Heard, Remembered.#VideoMarketing #BusinessStorytelling #HTDMediaGroup
August 31, 202629 min
How Do I Start a Business After 50? | DON'T Get a Partner Until You Watch This! | Part 2 of 4
Starting a business after 50 can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do — but if you're thinking about bringing a partner into the picture, there are some things you better understand BEFORE you shake hands and start splitting everything 50/50This is Part 2 of our four-part series on starting a business after fifty, and we're taking the conversation somewhere a lot of people don't want to go: partnerships, money, ownership, responsibility, communication, and protecting what you've worked so hard to build.For this episode, I'm coming to you from Twisted Italian in Peoria, Arizona, where I sit down with owner Brian Bojanowski.Brian made his career change at 45. He went from being a Vice President of Finance at American Express to owning a restaurant — one of the toughest businesses you can get into.Eleven years later, he's still going strong, and Twisted Italian has been voted Best Italian Restaurant in Peoria for six years.His story is another example of what this series is all about:Bet on yourself. Work your ass off. Learn along the way. And don't be afraid to change direction.But then we get into the other side of entrepreneurship...Partnerships.I've spent 30 years in the banking industry, and I've seen partnerships go bad in just about every way imaginable.Best friends.Marriages.Brothers and sisters.Parents and children.People who swore they would never let money come between them.And then the money started talking.As Dave Ramsey says, "The only ship that doesn't float is a partnership."Whether you agree with that or not, there's a lesson behind it: don't build a business partnership on a handshake, a napkin, or a conversation over a couple of drinks.In this episode, we talk about:Why a 50/50 partnership isn't automatically fairThe importance of a well-structured operating agreementClearly defining each partner's responsibilitiesWhat happens when one partner puts up the money and the other brings the ideaWhy your intellectual property has valueWhy communication can make or break a partnershipWhy your spouse or family needs to understand what's happening in your businessThe importance of having an exit strategyKey-person insurance and protecting the business from unexpected changesWhat happens when a partner dies or leaves the businessWhy bringing in an investor may not always be the best answerThe difference between borrowing money and giving away ownershipWhy growing slower may actually be better than giving away controlPlaying to your strengths instead of trying to do everything yourselfAnd why you need to protect the business you've worked so hard to buildThe big takeaway?Before you go into business with somebody, have the hard conversations first.What are their responsibilities?What are yours?Who puts up the capital?How are profits divided?Who makes decisions?What happens if someone stops working?What happens if someone wants out?What happens if someone dies?What happens if the relationship falls apart?If you can't have those conversations before you start the business, you're probably not ready to be business partners.And here's your homework for this episode:If you already have a partner — or you're considering one — start drafting your operating agreement.Put the expectations on paper.Then sit down together and see what you both agree to.Because you didn't get this far in life without learning a few things.Protect yourself. Protect your business. Protect your future.And remember — the best time to start a business was years ago.The second best time is right now.Thanks to Brian Bojanowski and Twisted Italian for letting us shoot this episode at their restaurant.If you're in the Lake Pleasant / Peoria, Arizona area — or you're from Chicago and looking for a little taste of home — check them out.Subscribe for Part 3, where we keep digging into what it really takes to start, build, and grow a business after 50.
July 31, 202629 min
How Do I Start A Business After 50? PART 1 OF 4
Is your job really safe? Four of my friends just found out it wasn't. This is Part 1 of a four-part series on starting a business after fifty. I've done it. My last guest Bonnie has done it. My business coach Eric has done it — and it keeps coming up. If you've had a career redirection, or you've just been working for somebody for so long that you're ready to take the skills you've built and use them for yourself, this series is for you. There's no fluff here, no platitudes, and we're not asking for permission. Just the things we've won through hard work. There's going to be some cost — but it's going to pay off. In this episode, we cover: Why “renting” your income (i.e. having a job) isn’t as safe as it feels, no matter how long you’ve been there Building equity in yourself the same way you build equity in a home The myth of the “perfect plan” — and why a good plan violently executed beats a perfect plan next week The truth about what owning a business actually costs you at first (hint: it’s not golf on Fridays) Why corporate’s redundant systems waste money — and what changes the day you’re the owner Why the smartest investment you’ll ever make is in yourself A homework assignment: name the one myth that’s been holding you back The best time to start a business was years ago. The second best time is right now. Chapters 0:00 Why This Series Exists 0:51 Betting On Yourself & Building Equity 2:49 Own Your Time, Own Your Skills 4:55 The Truth About “Safe” Jobs 6:59 Renting vs. Owning Your Income 8:51 Building Equity In Yourself 9:43 The Myth of the “Perfect Plan” 12:09 Movement Generates Information 14:21 Not Everyone’s Built to Be an Entrepreneur 16:26 The Truth About Starting a Business (Long Hours Ahead) 18:54 You Don’t Have to Take Every Client 21:07 Brace for the Pain, Then Push Through 23:23 The 50+ Advantage 24:56 Building the Culture You Wish You Had 27:14 Redundant Systems. Wasted Money. 29:22 Homework: Name Your Myth Subscribe for Part 2, where we talk about what can kill your bet faster than a bad market: a bad partner. New episodes from HTD Media Group — Get Seen. Heard. Remembered.
July 7, 20261 hr 8 min
Two Shows. One Table. No Scripts.
Two shows. One table. No scripts. This is the podcast swap: Bonnie Schutz — CEO of Tandem Resource Solutions and host of Delegate 2 Elevate Get Sh!t Done — and Chris Flowers interview each other in one unscripted conversation airing on both feeds. Two Gen X founders with 57 combined years inside corporate America and commercial banking break down: why "going Cortez" (quit, burn the ships, cash the 401(k)) is the most expensive way to start a business; the three rules before launching a podcast; why owners really refuse to delegate (trust, ego, AND control); the HR complaint that ended Bonnie's 27-year corporate run and launched her company; and why "I'm not gonna buy your job — I wanna buy a business" should shape every decision from day one. Plus: how Tandem stacks its team with military spouses, single moms, and second-act women through the MSEP program. Connect with Bonnie: tandemresourcesolutions.com | delegate2elevatepodcast.com | preferredservicepros.com Watch the full video episode on YouTube — Here's The Deal (@heresthedeal827). Get Seen, Heard and Remembered → info@heresthedeal.biz | heresthedeal.biz/marketing #heresthedealbiz #mybizcoaches #videomarketing #easycomfortableconnected
June 25, 202613 min
Is your job really safe? The honest answer.
Is your job really safe? In Episode 15 of Here's The Deal, Chris Flowers answers it straight: a steady paycheck isn't security — security is having options. He uses three friends who were loyal, topped their field, and were still walked out in fifteen minutes to expose the myth of the "cushy 9-to-5,". Then he lays out the Owned vs. Rented income framework from 30 years around money: when you work for them, you rent your income, your title, your schedule and your future from a landlord who can evict you any day. The only asset you'll ever fully own is the one you built — your name, your story, your skills, your audience. This one's part wake-up call, part battle cry, with faith and grit underneath it. You don't have to build it alone. If you want to talk about owning your time, let's talk. info@heresthedeal.biz · heresthedeal.biz/marketing
June 9, 202628 min
How Much Should Small Businesses Spend on Marketing? (The Real Answer)
New Episode Drop! How Much Should Small Businesses Spend on Marketing? (The Real Answer) How much should a small business actually spend on marketing? The SBA says 7–10% of revenue… but that benchmark is built on Fortune 500 data, not your business. In this episode, Chris Flowers breaks down the real answer using 30 years of commercial finance: it's not what you spend, it's WHERE you spend it — and your margins decide everything. Inside this episode: • Why the 7–10% rule can break a thin-margin business • The #1 mistake owners make in a downturn (and why you should double down instead) • Why marketing is an INVESTMENT, not an expense — treat your budget like inventory • The LTV:CAC ratio explained in plain English (the banker's rule: 3:1 or better) • Where to actually put your dollars: short-form video, long-form video, live video, email, and SEO • Meta vs. Google Ads — the honest take, and why you might be renting attention instead of owning assets • The 'microwave mentality' that kills marketing ROI Here's The Deal | Peoria, AZ Podcast Coaching & Production — You Bring The Story, We Refine The Vision Video Content & Marketing — Easy. Comfortable. Connected. Ready to be seen? info@heresthedeal.biz | heresthedeal.biz/marketing Subscribe for weekly straight-talk on business, marketing, and storytelling. CHAPTERS (adjust timestamps to final cut) 0:00 Intro 1:00 The SBA 7–10% rule — and why it's not the whole story 2:50 Why your margins dictate everything 3:30 The #1 mistake: cutting marketing in a downturn 5:56 The $1,000/year trap (66% of owners fall in) 6:30 Marketing as investment, not expense — treat it like inventory 7:00 LTV:CAC explained — the banker's ratio 12:00 Where to actually spend: video, email, SEO 17:00 The 'microwave mentality' trap (90–180 days) 18:00 Meta vs. Google Ads: the honest answer 24:00 Renting attention vs. owning assets 25:48 Bottom line: judge against YOUR margins #heresthedealbiz #mybizcoaches #videomarketing #easycomfortableconnected #smallbusinessmarketing #marketingbudget #marketingROI #businessgrowth
June 1, 202633 min
HTD Ep. 13 — Who Are You Without Your Business?
If I wiped your business out tomorrow, who would you be Monday morning? This episode pivoted on me the second that question came up — because it's one most founders can't answer without flinching. Here's the deal: the business isn't the problem. The identity problem is — and it costs you money, your relationships, and sometimes your health. In this one, Chris Flowers digs into: • Why "I am the business" turns every lost deal and bad month into a personal failure • The **Ego Tax** — the dead products and "nobody can do it like me" delegation quietly draining your profit • How to train and trust the right people (and where the bottom lines stay locked) • **Conviction vs. Ego** — conviction listens to the data and adjusts; ego just tries to prove a point • The military rule that runs through it all: *slow is smooth, smooth is fast* • The **Sunday Night Test**: Can you take a week off with no email? Got two close friends outside your industry? Can you describe yourself in 60 seconds without mentioning your business? • Why you build your identity NOW — as a spouse, parent, friend, person of faith — not after the business sells or folds The deals come and go. That time with your family doesn't come back. 🌐 Full episode + show notes: heresthedeal.biz 🎙️ Podcast Coaching & Production — "You Bring The Story, We Refine The Vision." → info@heresthedeal.biz · heresthedeal.biz/marketing 🎬 Video Content & Marketing — "Easy. Comfortable. Connected." → info@heresthedeal.biz · heresthedeal.biz/marketing Here's The Deal | Educate, Elevate, Inspire | Peoria, AZ | heresthedeal.biz #heresthedealbiz #mybizcoaches #videomarketing #easycomfortableconnected
May 29, 2026Episode 121 hr 7 min
They started in a storage room, now they're at 27 locations.
Episode 12 of Here's The Deal — Jorge & Jesus Ruiz from @thetacospot tell us how they built a birria empire from a barbershop kitchen. → Signed the buildout with no money → First customer waited 30 minutes → Mom made them hug to save the business → Goal: 1,000 stores Real story. Real grit. Real tacos. ▶️ To see the full video, go to our YouTube channel: Here's The Deal Podcast. 📍 Based in Peoria, AZ 📞 623-308-9732 📧 info@heresthedeal.biz 🌐 heresthedeal.biz/marketing 📅 calendly.com/heresthedeal/chrisflowers 🎙️ Podcast Coaching & Production — You Bring The Story, We Refine The Vision. 🎬 Video Content Creation & Marketing — Easy. Comfortable. Connected. #heresthedealbiz #mybizcoaches #videomarketing #easycomfortableconnected #TheTacoSpot #BirriaTacos #PhoenixEats #PeoriaAZ #FamilyBusiness #FranchiseGrowth #EntrepreneurStory #SmallBusinessAZ #PodcastEpisode
May 12, 20260 min
The Content You Forgot Could Pay You
RAW TO READY™ You already have the content. Now turn it into fast, clean, credible content that represents your brand the right way. ✅ You send the photos, videos, or voiceover ✅ Professional editing & cleanup ✅ Fast, clean, credible content HTD Marketing. The story sells, not the numbers. Easy • Comfortable • Connected 📩 info@heresthedeal.biz
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