Live Your Best Life Barefoot
Live Your Best Life Barefoot
EP #26: Biz Kids Expo with JD Ribali from TopNotch Living
Today we talk to JD Ribali about his entrepreneur venture with Biz Kids Expo. Listen in and see how you can help and make a difference in your community by sponsorships that help kids with their future businesses.
http://jd@topnotchliving.com
http://Bizkidsexpo.com
http://Topnotchconnections.com
To learn more:
https://barefootbungalowrealty.com/
Barefoot Bungalow Realty
9200 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Suite 100
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
(239) 350-5535
Welcome to the live your best life barefoot podcast with your host, Mary Morrison and the team at barefoot bungalow Realty.
Speaker 2:Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the, the X episode of live your best life barefoot with Mary and Ruth. Mary can't talk today. So she's gonna edit what she's gonna say. So I'll introduce our guest. We have JD RA from topnotch living. How are you?
Speaker 3:Good morning. How are you today?
Speaker 2:Great. Thank you. Thank you for coming on. We have lots to talk about first. I want you to get started and tell everybody what you do and how you got into your profession.
Speaker 3:Sure. So, uh, we have topnotch university. We, um, concentrate on training, small business and entrepreneurs on how to run their business. We run into a lot of small businesses when they know their craft. They know what their business is and what they're selling and what they're offering. But a lot of times they don't understand how to run a business. So we bring in speakers, um, to help train them, um, from all types of, uh, industries, from the marketing side to, um, taxes, to incorporations lawyers, to help'em set up things properly. What we wanna do is help that small business person, um, just develop their business so they can grow it and move to the next level.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. That's amazing. Did, um, you were with kids too, right?
Speaker 3:Correct. So we are, we decided as, uh, an entrepreneur training air group, um, that we wanted to give back to the community and help kids develop their ideas. So we came up with this idea of the biz kids expo. Um, it's an entrepreneur type expo for kids to, um, come up with their business idea is, and present them. It's gonna be kind of like a shark tank where, um, there'll actually be judges that, uh, will sit down with the kids. They'll go through like what their business plan is, see how they're marketing it. And, and then there will be prize money given out to, uh, the different kids we raised just from small business donations. We raised$5,000 to give away to the kids so they can, um, have seed money to start their business.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Did how old are the kids that wanna participate in this?
Speaker 3:So the kids are from ages seven to 17, um, and they can sell an idea. They can sell their product, they can sell their service, but the day of the event, we really want them to have the, the reward of, of actually selling something where they're actually getting money for what they're doing that day. The, you know, as entrepreneurs, um, I'm a big time entrepreneur. I started when I was a kid, what, seven years old. Wow. Um, I, my mom was gone for the day and I went out to her garden. I picked all their cucumbers and I went door to door selling the Q cucumbers and I made a bunch of money. That's
Speaker 2:Awesome.
Speaker 3:Um, she came home that night for dinner and was gonna put us, put, make a salad. She went out to her garden to get the cucumbers and they were all gone. She was like, where did my cucumbers go? And so, um, I told her what I did and she was like, wow, that's great. She, she encouraged me. She thought that the entrepreneur spirit was, um, amazing. And so she encouraged me, um, most of my life to, to help develop that. And we wanna do that for kids now, you know, there's a lot of things that, uh, kids just don't understand about running a business or how to get they have these, all these idea is in their head, right. There's not a lot of people that stop and take the time and say, okay, let's develop that and see how you can make money on it.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Cause that some that's something that I didn't learn growing up at all. So if I had somebody like you, when I was younger, maybe, you know, I could have done a little more or had a little more knowledge in the business I'm in now. Cuz I have, I struggle. I have Mary, thank God, but you know, that's awesome. So did this, the expo that you're doing then, so they, the kids come to the expo and where is this at?
Speaker 3:Correct. It's going to be at the new hope event center in Naples on April 16th. It's from nine to 1:00 PM. Um, kids can register online at biz kids, expo.com. Okay. And they can, uh, they can reserve their spot. Um, we're also looking for sponsors. We're looking for businesses that believe in, in helping out the kids. Um, there are, um, some other expenses that we have, especially a lot of marketing to let people know about this event. Um, so we could use a few more sponsors. So if there's anybody listening out there, that's a small business or even a midsize business and they wanna give back. Um, we have some good opportunities for them to get in front of the kids as well. Okay. Um, but we want them to be there that day. How
Speaker 2:Did the sponsors get a hold of you to be sponsors?
Speaker 3:You can go to BI kids, expo.com. There's a sponsored page. And then they can reach out to me through there as well. Okay.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 3:But at the day of the event, like I said, it's going to be in like an expo, like going to a home show or, or something like that. The kids will have their own booth or they can set up their display. They get a chance to talk to the, the attendees of the event. They can sell their product, they can sell their service. Like I said, that's kind of the key that I want is I want them to have that win for the day to actually be able to sell so, and walk away with money in their pocket at the end of the day. Great. It'd be great if they win the prize money. And the first there's two divisions, uh, a great school division and a middle school and high school division. The top prize for each of those is a thousand dollars. Second prize is 503rd prize is two 50 for each division. So each, uh, the kid that, uh, do have those great ideas will have an opportunity to win the money and then they can take that seed money to develop their business.
Speaker 2:So do you help them show them how to develop that? Do you guys work with them all the way up through that process to show'em how
Speaker 3:To meet? Correct. So just last Wednesday, we had a coaching session for the kids that have signed up so far, we on with them, we gave'em a business plan to work through. So they have kind of the idea of what they're gonna be planning for. What's their marketing strategy, who's their customer. We work with them on getting that developed. And the day of the event, we'll also have, um, the small business mentors there as they set up working with them on helping them develop their idea, like, okay, how am I gonna present this to the judge? Is my display set up right? Is my, you know, you're looking at the whole marketing package, how are they gonna present themselves? Um, so, and they'll be mentors there working with the key each day.
Speaker 2:Wow. That's amazing. That's a great,
Speaker 3:The one thing that we are looking for and that we're lacking is at the end of this program, you know, we're not a nonprofit, we're just a bunch of entrepreneurs that wanna help out kids and get'em onto the next level. Right. We are looking for a nonprofit organization that has a, uh, entrepreneurship plan or a program that, and kind of funnel these kids too. That way they have the opportunity to take it even to the next level or, you know, take it from there. We just don't, we don't have that program program like that. We may eventually, uh, uh, start something like that. But right now we're just looking for a nonprofit, um, partner to help kind of lead the kids in the right direction.
Speaker 2:That's great. So if anybody's listening and they have a nonprofit, this would be a great opportunity for them to reach out to you as well.
Speaker 3:Correct.
Speaker 2:Okay. Well that is awesome. And we'll have to, we'll remind them at the end. I wanna hear about something that you like to do in Southwest Florida, that nobody knows about. Don't say the beach,
Speaker 3:Something that you do and stuff, Mike, you know what I like to do? I like to look for business ideas. I am a serial entrepreneur. Uh, my wife hates the fact that I can't relax. So why other people are out on their boats or at the beach. I am looking for opportunities for where the next business is gonna be. And that's what I love. And I, my passion, this, I can't turn it off. I'm 24 7. Um, when people are sitting Sunday night, trying to get ready for Monday morning, I'm already planning and, and strategizing what the next business idea, what the next program I can do. Um, that's just what I love.
Speaker 2:He sounds like you, I was gonna say, he sounds like Mary's the same way. Exactly. How about some great tips for our, our personal, personal or family? It's like great tips that, um, restaurants, restaurants, or,
Speaker 3:Oh, Martin Firo, if you haven't been to Martin Firo in, uh, in Naples, it's an Argentina steakhouse. They do an amazing steak. Um, and I can't, I can't remember how to pronounce it, but, uh, Tasco steak. Oh, it's, it is amazing. And they're avocado salad to die
Speaker 2:For. That sounds really good. We'll have to try that. Huh?
Speaker 4:What else? Yes. I would love to hear just a ti about how people could get involved. I'm assuming that you you're open for your, your entrepreneur, um, part of your program too, for the adults that are listening.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we have classes about every four to six weeks. Um, our, actually our next topnotch university class is going to be on what's your business, uh, exit strategy. And how are, how would you cash out? A lot of times, a small business people, you know, all we're thinking out and focusing on is how to grow the business. Where are we taking it? But what if something were to happen in your life that changed that where you had to like sell the business right, right away. Unfortunately, we see a lot of divorce. We see a lot of death. We see dis disability, people getting accidents. Um, we wanna make sure that, uh, you have a plan in place. And so we're gonna act the classes on a March 15th. Um, we're having it at the Southwest Florida, um, Inc. The chamber of commerce, um, in Bonita, we're having it at their facility and their offices there. Um, what it's again is we just wanna focus on helping them build and develop that plan. So they have an strategy. We don't wanna get'em to, into a place where, um, and we've seen it many times is people grow a business and they think it's due doing great. And all of a sudden something tragic happens and you just have to walk away from the business and you can't even cash anything out of it. You spent 20 years building it and now it's gone because you didn't have a plan. So we are gonna focus on helping them build that plan and making a strategy so they can cash out at any moment.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. That's a really, cause a lot of people don't know my friends own a brewery and they're trying, they're figuring out how to get like escape from the brewery. Cuz they are tired. They're old. They wanna get out of it, but they can't, they have to be able to sell it to somebody. And it's so hard for them to get out of it. So. Okay.
Speaker 3:And unfortunately, um, just last week I had a phone call from a, a client and they said, um, our daughter, um, an older, she was 51 and she just had a stroke. They said we have to leave town because she had a stroke she's in paralysis. And uh, so they left, went back up north to, to see her in the hospital and, and help her out. She's still in ICU. Um, and they, they called up and said, we have to sell our Florida home. We have to sell our business. Where do we even begin? Um, and it wasn't even something that happened to them, but happened to their daughter where they have to step in and take care of em now, and now they're walking away from the business. How do you cash out of a business in a situation like that? You know, you're under the stress of trying to make sure you're family members are taken care of and you have a lot on your mind. It, last thing you need to know is start planning and strategizing how you're gonna cash outta your business. That should have been in place already. Right? So at any moment they could walk away and, and be taken care of. So, wow. Unfortunately it's a lot of, um, you know, we run into a lot of negative store like that, but what we wanna do is help you plan for that. So you're not in that situation.
Speaker 2:So you know what to do when, if it hap does happen to you. So that's
Speaker 3:In our top notch university classes. That's just the subject for this, this time. But we bring in different, uh, topics all the time. Um, our last one, um, was taxes. So as we were getting ready for tax season, a lot of, uh, small businesses ask where do I, what can I ride off? What can't I ride off? And so we brought in three tax professionals that to kind of help guide'em through that process and, um, help'em navigate that. So they know the right questions to tell their CPA and their tax professional. Because a lot of times you just don't think of like, if you don't know what to ask, right, then you're just giving it to your tax professional and expecting them to know everything about your business. And they don't it's tax season. They're trying to get as many done as quickly as possible. So you need to be asking the right questions. So again, the topnotch university is all about helping that small business person figure out what questions to ask, where they need to be looking for resources. We bring in the experts and all they have to do is just sit there and, and, and take in, in the knowledge.
Speaker 2:So is there the, what there's, is there a website for the top? No op university that people can go to and see what classes you're offering and sign up?
Speaker 3:Yep. Yep. Um, if you go to our topnotch connections.com, um, we'll take you to our events page and you'll see, um, our events that are coming up. Um, we'll be adding a few more in here this month. Um, and we also, uh, we try to connect people however we can. Um, we do, um, networking events throughout the area. We'll be having one in, uh, Fort Myers, a, a breakfast one at the end of March, or excuse me at the beginning of April on, in one, in Cape coral at the end of March. So definitely check out our calendar there. Those, uh, those will be updated on a regular basis. So we're constantly trying to get people to connect and to, uh, build their business. And any entrepreneur, any small business will connect with and help you help,'em take their business to the next level.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. And do the classes, do they cost money for the classes as well?
Speaker 3:There is. Um, so prices change, uh, right now the next class is only$25. Um, if we do a lunch or a dinner, then there is some, uh, cost for the, the food. Um, but usually we average around 25 to$40.
Speaker 2:Okay. That's great. That's some great information. J um, and Mary, you got anything? You're good. Mary's, we're keeping her from talking, but I know she really wants to. All right, well, this has been great. Thank you so much, J and a reminder of your, his kids expo is at the new hope center in Naples, um, on Saturday, April 16th from nine to one. So we can go please go to the website and sign up for that so that these kids can get some sponsorship and JD, it's been very interesting talking to you. Thank you so much. We appreciate it all. And one last thing, do you have a email address that people can get a hold of you at?
Speaker 3:Yep. It's, uh, JD top notch, living.com.
Speaker 2:Perfect.
Speaker 3:Or they can go to the biz kids expo and just go to the contact page. They can get me through that as well.
Speaker 2:Okay. And, and a reminder of the top notch university classes, that would be, I think something that people really need to look into, correct. Yeah. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time today. And as always remember, remember to live your best life barefoot.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the live, your best life barefoot podcast, sponsored by barefoot fun below Realty. To learn more about foot bungalow, really go to www.barefootbungalowrealty.com or call 2 3 9 3 5 0 5 5 3 5.