SUMMARY:

In this deep-dive episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eichmann sits down with Dr. Mike Porter, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas, to unpack the real mechanics of reputation management—beyond buzzwords and surface-level branding.

Drawing from decades of experience in public relations, marketing strategy, and MBA education, Dr. Porter explains why reputation is not what you say—it’s what stakeholders believe, and how businesses of all sizes must strategically manage perceptions across customers, employees, media, competitors, and even regulators.

This episode explores the PESO Model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned media), the difference between brand and reputation, how word-of-mouth actually works, why targeting everyone is a losing strategy, and how reputation directly translates into financial goodwill and long-term business value. Essential listening for founders, executives, marketers, and anyone building something that needs trust to scale.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Reputation is the management of stakeholder perceptions, not marketing slogans

• Brand is what you want people to believe; reputation is what they actually believe

• Every employee influences reputation—not just customer-facing roles

• The PESO Model explains how paid, earned, shared, and owned media must work together

• Word-of-mouth must be earned, engineered, and supported by strategy

• Targeting everyone weakens reputation—focus on high-value stakeholders

• Earned media and third-party credibility outperform self-promotion

• Reputation directly impacts business valuation and goodwill

• Buying a business means inheriting its reputation—good or bad

• Personal reputation compounds over time, especially in tight business ecosystems

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Welcome to Homegrown Hustle

00:41 – Meet Dr. Mike Porter & His Background

01:22 – What Is Reputation Management?

02:41 – Defining Stakeholders (It’s More Than Customers)

04:12 – The PESO Model Explained (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned)

06:17 – Employees, Culture, and Internal Reputation

07:02 – Why Word-of-Mouth Is Not a Strategy by Itself

08:16 – Strategy vs. Tactics in Marketing Communication

10:15 – Reputation for New Businesses: You Never Start at Zero

12:24 – Why You Shouldn’t Try to Influence Everyone

13:19 – Traditional PR vs. Influencers and Social Media

15:00 – Credibility, Earned Media, and Third-Party Trust

17:01 – Driving Traffic to Owned Media for Conversion

18:21 – Creating an Environment That Enables Sales

19:52 – Scaling Marketing as Businesses Grow

21:34 – Reputation, Relationships, and Market Dynamics

23:39 – Personal Reputation in Business Communities

25:04 – Buying a Business and Inheriting Reputation

26:15 – Goodwill, Valuation, and Reputation as an Asset

27:19 – Learning From Lost Customers

28:26 – Prioritizing the Stakeholders That Matter Most

29:43 – Brand vs. Reputation (Mic Drop Moment)

30:03 – Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

GUEST RESOURCES:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mike-porter-apr-fellow-prsa-he-him-2a033/

Website: https://researchonline.stthomas.edu/esploro/profile/mike_porter/overview

SUMMARY:

In this episode of Homegrown Hustle, host Matt Eickman welcomes back Dr. Brad Canham for a deep, practitioner-meets-academic breakdown of why traditional business plans often fail entrepreneurs—and what to do instead. Anchored in the Business Model Canvas, the conversation explores effectuation, customer discovery, value propositions, and the emotional realities behind purchasing decisions. Dr. Canham bridges entrepreneurship theory with real-world application, demonstrating how founders can move faster, learn earlier, and design businesses around customers rather than assumptions. From pricing psychology and qualitative customer interviews to organizational power dynamics and scaling realities, this episode reframes entrepreneurship as action-oriented sensemaking—not prediction.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Traditional multi-page business plans are often obsolete before they’re finished; early-stage founders need action, not over-planning

The Business Model Canvas offers a holistic, one-page framework that aligns customer needs with business capabilities

Entrepreneurship operates through effectuation—building with available means and small commitments rather than fixed end goals

The value proposition sits at the center of the business and must prioritize customer problems, not founder passion

Customer discovery conversations should focus on emotional, social, and functional pain—not selling

Pricing clarity emerges through real dialogue, not competitor copying or internal assumptions

Qualitative insights (language, emotion, behavior) often outperform quantitative data in early validation

As companies scale, organizational structure and power dynamics can suppress critical frontline knowledge

Mature businesses benefit from traditional planning—but only after stability and scale are achieved

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Welcome Back & The State of Entrepreneurship

02:45 – Why Business Plans Fail Early-Stage Founders

04:40 – Introduction to the Business Model Canvas

06:30 – Effectuation vs. Prediction: How Entrepreneurs Actually Build

08:25 – Understanding the Value Proposition (The Center of the Canvas)

11:10 – Entrepreneurship vs. Corporate Management

14:05 – From Startup to Scale-Up: When Structure Becomes Necessary

17:15 – Cost Structure, Pricing, and Customer Willingness to Pay

20:00 – Customer Discovery: Talking Without Selling

23:30 – Emotional & Social Drivers Behind Buying Decisions

27:00 – Truth, Attention, and Ethical Marketing

30:20 – Educating the Unaware Customer

34:45 – Crafting Value Propositions That Convert

38:10 – Founder Bias, Power Dynamics, and Subjugated Knowledge

43:30 – Creating Feedback Loops Inside Growing Organizations

46:00 – Final Framework & Closing Thoughts

GUEST RESOURCES:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradcanham/

SUMMARY:

In this high-level conversation, host Matt Eickman sits down with Umut Kaplan, Director of Business Development at Coccinella, to unpack what real growth looks like behind the scenes. Moving beyond surface-level sales tactics, Umut explores strategic partnerships, long-term value creation, and the mindset required to scale organizations sustainably. Drawing from real-world leadership experience, the episode dissects how modern business development intersects with culture, systems thinking, and disciplined execution. This conversation is a masterclass in intentional growth for operators, founders, and executives navigating complexity at scale.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Business development is a long-term value creation function, not just sales

Sustainable growth requires alignment between strategy, culture, and execution

Strategic partnerships outperform transactional relationships over time

Leadership clarity directly impacts scalability and team performance

Systems thinking is essential when operating in high-growth environments

Growth without operational discipline introduces hidden risk

The best BD leaders think like owners, not closers

CHAPTERS:

00:00 The Importance of Thoughtful Gifting

02:51 Origin Story of Coach Nella

05:39 Cultural Exchange and Its Impact

08:49 Family Background and Entrepreneurial Spirit

11:31 Understanding Olive Oil Consumption

14:27 Quality vs. Quantity in Olive Oil

17:25 Educating Consumers Through Tasting Events

19:31 Exploring the Olive Oil Industry

22:28

Quality Standards in Olive Oil Production

25:49 The Evolution of Olive Oil Offerings

29:24 Corporate Gifting and Customer Relationships

34:02 The Importance of Personalization in Gifting

39:04 Standards of Excellence in Business

43:57 Lessons from Family Values

48:39 Starting a Product Business: Key Insights

53:13 The True Meaning of Hustle

58:06 Building Relationships and Trust

GUEST RESOURCES:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umut-kaplan-0222ba149/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coccinella_usa/?hl=en

Website: https://www.coccinellastore.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoccinellaUSA/