David Wolf, Host of the Smallbiz Brain

posted by David Wolf on Oct 13, 2007 | Comments (0) | Permalink | Trackback URL

The Smallbiz America Network presents “The Smallbiz Brain” which features exclusive, close up interviews with Big Thinkers in Small Business.

So, you might ask, how did I get from music composer to bagel mogul to media guy? A good question. There’s actual a linear thing happening here, allow me to explain…

I spent the better part of my 20’s and 30’s composing music for advertising, radio, TV, film, children’s programming and the like. It was great fun and the business did well. I worked on major campaigns such as Southwest Airlines, Exxon, Texaco, Frito Lay, Pepsi, Chuck E Cheese, Six Flags and hundreds more!

As the fragmentation of the advertising world came about, I was turning 40, burning out on the whole thing and began searching for a “small business” experience.

Then one day I got a call from my brother who had worked for a cousin in a bagel business called Wolfes Bagels, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

After growing to 3.1 million in revenues, the whole business collapsed in an ugly bankruptcy. My brother explained that the cousin was gone, the business and brand was still viable in the region, but we would need to rebuild it.

And so we did. Since then, the brother has moved on, the business is relatively stable, but what an education this was! Commercial bakeries, as I learned, are very complex endeavors and rather complicated on many levels. Retail, wholes, commodities, employees, financing, operations…yikes! And let’s not forget the “family business” factor on top of the business itself!!!

So, as the business began to stabilize, in my own true entrepreneurial form, I began to search for another way to spend energy. I realized that if I had THIS kind of adventure in small business, imagine all of the other incredible stories out there that could be shared. Aha! Smallbiz America was born.

First came the short format AM Talk Radio syndication thanks to a friend and associates, Keith Rupnik from http://www.radio-linx.com/. We’re now heard on more than 80 affiliate stations coast to coast thanks to our friends at http://www.businesstalkradio.net/. Then we released our Interview archives, “The Smallbiz Brain” on the Smallbiz America Online Channel (see our home page link or look for us on i-tunes) which grew an audience of international listeners in more than 75 countries. That was a real mind blower!

Now, with the release of this site, we are creating a vision for the integration of traditional radio, new media, marketing, podcasting and connectivity for small business people across the planet.

And there it was…my new career and purpose was coming into focus. This one that weaves together music, production, new media, journalism, my passion for entrepreneurs and business. Onward!

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