Welcome to the first episode in our Passages To Success series, recorded live at our recent Sales and Marketing Seminar in January 2022, featuring Charles Swatzell, Formos CEO and Dave Barcos, Formos Director of Business Development.   Formos, the self proclaimed "Best Kept Secret in Vancouver", is an enterprise software development company headquartered in Vancouver, WA with global offices in Vietnam and Ecuador, and a newly opened a new US office in Nashville, TN.   In this episode, Charles shares with us lessons he learned from his acting days and how doing a character study on those you want to do business with will help you understand their motivation and help you earn the right to sell to them. People buy things for their reasons, not yours.  You will also get a real explanation of what Business Development is versus Sales along with some tangible takeaways on hustle, tenacity and telling your story, which will help you be a better business owner.   In the end, running a successful business means showing up day after day, putting in the work and practicing with intention to get better at the different aspects of your business.  

Prost!

0:43 Intro

4:00 50K foot view of Formos

6:33 The beer portion of the program

11:15 Signs you've made it

14:31 The difference between Start Up and Starting Up

16:00 The Hustle

20:10 How being an actor helped in business

27:58 Business Development Defined

32:02 Start Up Development Phases

35:54 Walking a lonely path and self motivation

42:23 Tenacity

44:30 Navigating sales as an introvert

47:19 Telling your story

53:59 Projects they're proud of

1:03:46 The Final Question

1:06:34 Wrap Up

Victor 23 Brewing - Vancouver, WA

Business Class, Hazy Pale Ale, 5% ABV, 10 IBU

"Upgrade your ticket and experience the comfort beyond the curtain. Brewed with the guys of Biz Over Beer, this Hazy Pale Ale features layers of hop character, including citrus, papaya, mango, blueberry, and orange blossom."

Formos

North Bank Innovations

Charles Swatzell

Dave Barcos

Aria Gin

The Swatzells Perform One More Day Parody

Sidekick

Pan's Mushroom Jerky

Mushroom Jerky Beer Pairings

VanTechy