April 11, 2025 • 32 mins
Join us on the Beyond Normal Podcast as we dive into a dynamic discussion with Manny Larcher, the entrepreneurial force behind two thriving businesses. In this episode, Manny shares his journey of founding Stopwatch Creative and Collab, revealing how resilience and strategic automation have been crucial to his success. Learn how he transformed challenges into opportunities during the pandemic by productizing services and focusing on what truly matters to his clients.
Manny opens up about the power of simplifying business models to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, Manny’s insights on leveraging technology and fostering meaningful connections will inspire you to think differently about scaling your ventures.
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This description highlights the main themes discussed in the episode, offering listeners valuable lessons on business adaptation and growth.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kenny (00:33):
Welcome, welcome everybody to another great
episode of The Beyond NormalPodcast.
I'm your host, Kenny Groom.
we are in the middle of seasonseven.
Can't believe it.
We have a very special guest whohas not won, but two, incredible
businesses, that they'rebringing to the world.
our next guest goes by the nameof Manny Larcher.
(00:54):
He has an incredible, backgroundin the, Angel investing space,
but he started two companies,the first of which is, collab,
which is a data intelligence,platform that connects
businesses, the resources.
Really invaluable tool.
I checked that one out.
And then his second company thatwe'll touch on a little bit as
well is Stopwatch Creative inhis role at Stopwatch.
(01:17):
He says he's the CEO and thejanitor.
So he does all things at thatcompany.
He's wearing multiple hats.
Love to hear that.
and at that company, theytransform brands through
strategic campaigns, awesomedesign, seamless experiences for
their customers.
We have.
We haven't really had a guestyet who has come on to explain
(01:38):
how they're able to run, twobusinesses at the same time.
So I'm, I'm, I'm really excitedto have Manny on today.
So without further ado, Manny,how's it going?
Manny (01:47):
Hey.
It is going well.
Going well.
yeah.
Thank you for, for having me on.
so.
Probably will help to clarifysome things.
in terms of stopwatch.
So stopwatch was started in2017, with a co-founder Lenny.
and essentially, you know, wewere, we're a consulting agency.
We could also build tech and wecould also run marketing
(02:10):
campaigns, and have had greatsuccess.
we've worked with professionalathletes, you know, some
well-known, you know, fromColbus, Ohio, like Michael Red.
And, we've helped people selltheir companies.
Protean software, MichaelHolstein.
and essentially, during, and wealso did events called
(02:32):
Collaborate and Elevate.
and we had, we still ownedCollaborate and elevate.com.
really for us, the pandemicchanged a lot.
So when the pandemic happened,we essentially productized our
service.
And we, and over, over time,we've pivoted the, and changed
the name to collab, C-O-L-A-E-V.
(02:55):
so, I do have two companies upand running, but, for the most
part, everything really funnelsthrough collab.
Kenny (03:06):
Appreciate that distinction there.
and it sounds like, you and yourteam, did something during the
pandemic that many businesseshad to do, which is pivot, and
you were at, at least able to,to, to stay alive.
Right.
In terms of the, the businessmoving forward in a new format,
it it, it's exciting to hearthat you were able to take.
(03:27):
something that was working,prior to the world, stopped for
many people and then pivot intothat new thing.
I'm, I'm curious, you, you, youbrought up the word like
productize, like what did that,what, what all went into, making
that pivot?
to where the company collab isright now?
I.
Manny (03:44):
Yeah, great question.
And, so I think we realizedduring the p during the pandemic
quickly that we, you know, welost a lot of clients.
but the other thing really was,we were really appreciated by a
select few, So then we realizedthat, you know, lessons more,
(04:06):
you know, for, we, we had twooffices.
We also had, you know, employeeson staff, you know, multiple
interns.
So very tough.
You know, we had to make a lotof, you know, tough cuts and,
essentially.
I was listening actually to apodcast, which is why I love
what you're doing.
'cause you know, you just hearit was a random podcast.
(04:28):
I don't even know who said this,I think it was a businessman in
India, but he said, creates,they were talking about his
business.
He was definitely from India,but he said on the podcast,
create something that everyonecould afford.
If you're lucky, you know,you'll be able to help, you
know, a few people.
But if, if you're really doinggood work, you know, if you're
blessed, you'll be able to helphundreds and thousands.
And then so.
During the pandemic, there was acombination of we had clients
(04:51):
willing to pay us, you know,really top dollar, amount, but
then there's an overwhelmingdemand for, support.
so that's really where collabcame in.
and at and over time, you know,you know, you're just, it's,
it's a, it's a beautiful thing.
But, and I could go into thatmore, but that's really where,
(05:13):
where, where it came from.
I think it's.
How can you help more people andput system systems in place to,
to automate yourself andautomate really well?
Just really automate, obviouslyautomate yourself, but automate
the services that, yourcustomers want.
so that way your time is spentfocused on the most important,
(05:37):
important thing.
Kenny (05:39):
Yeah, I love to hear that.
that really sounds like wherethe world is headed, Manny, with
many of the, the new solutionsthat are out there.
Right.
In terms of, you know,automating as much as the
process as you can to, to bringvalue to your customers.
I'm curious'cause we met at areally, great event, in the Ohio
(06:03):
area where your, where your,home base is.
Talk a little bit about, whatyour experience has been like,
in that, in that, in the Ohiomarket, some of the bigger
cities, the Cincinnati's of theworld, and the, and the reason
why I asked that is because,when I went to Ohio last year.
(06:24):
I was a little bit, I was alittle shocked around just the
conversations around innovationand I, and that's where I met
you.
And so I met some, some, some,some great black founders, some
really great black talent outthere.
So talk a little bit about howthat, you know, being in that
sandbox at is Ohio, what thatdid, what, what that's done for,
(06:44):
the things that you're buildingnow.
Manny (06:47):
Yeah.
so I, you know, that's where Iwas born.
My, my mom and dad are both,from the country of St.
Lucia's.
my dad was a musician and, myolder brother and sister were
both born in New York, but kindof fell in love with Ohio and,
and really decide to, you know,raise, raise us there.
(07:07):
So, I think, you know, I, Ithink it, I really think you
have to focus on buildingskills, and, and, and really
putting yourself out there.
and I do think Ohio is veryrewarding if you do that, you
(07:30):
know, but hard, you know, I, I,there are a lot of challenges
and a lot of
Kenny (07:36):
Man, talk about it.
Talk about it, Manny.
Manny (07:38):
Probably just like most places, that, that you have, you
know, I think, one of my goodbuddies, he said, you know, Ohio
has an invisible glass ceiling.
so I I think that, you know, asan entrepreneur, you really have
to.
Really kind of put yourself outthere and, and, you really have
(08:02):
to put your best foot forward.
If I'm just being fulltransparent, I think Ohio, it's
not a, it's a very, It's It'salmost like when you go to a
bank and you have to buy ahouse.
Like if you don't have a goodcredit, if you don't have a job,
if you didn't do your taxesright, they're not gonna give
you a house.
So I almost feel like everythingin Ohio almost sometimes has
(08:25):
that level of difficulty, like.
so I think that's the, and Idon't think, I don't, I don't
know if people really know that,you know, and honestly, that's
probably why a lot of youngpeople end up leaving.
but I do think if you just focuson building something, showing
your value, I.
and you, I think I most, somepeople might say I'm annoying at
(08:48):
the end of the day.
Yeah.
'cause I promote how I'm helpingpeople.
Right.
They might say, Hey, he'segotistical, you know?
but if you go on any of mywebsites, I don't even think,
you know, I know my faces not oncollab.
Right.
And look how many people are oncollab.
Right.
So for me it's, you have to,have to, it's like the why again
(09:10):
is really, you know, twoimmigrant parents from a small
island of.
Under 250,000 people that, youknow, try to give their kids
their best life.
You know, so that's who createdme, right?
So I have to make sure that's, Ihave to make sure I take care of
them.
And then what about theirparents?
What about their siblings?
What about, so I think that'sreally what I keep the main
(09:31):
thing, you know?
And, and then I think it's sorewarding when you have, you
know, people that.
Wanna compensate you for yourtime, for your product, for your
service.
You know, it's up to you as afounder to listen to them and to
get better and improve theproduct.
I have customers that have beenpaying, who are literally since
2016, before I even had acompany they were paying me, you
(09:52):
know, when it was 10 99.
Right.
And, you know, so I think it's,there's a level and they're not
even in Ohio.
They're in, you know, So, yeah,I'll keep in clarification, you
know, but, I just think it's.
It's, you know, you have toreally, again, it's focus on
your product, focus on whypeople are paying you and how
(10:14):
you can make that better.
Because someone will try to,it's not, we all have
competition, right?
At the end of the day, right?
So one day your customer isgoing to say, Hey, I wonder if I
could get this better.
We
Kenny (10:26):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:27):
right?
Kenny (10:28):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:28):
that's why we all shop on Amazon and then we act like we
don't.
It's
Kenny (10:31):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:35):
yeah.
Kenny (10:35):
love, yeah.
I, I love that you, you know,that candid response around,
your experience in, in Ohio,right?
But then you, you, youdefinitely talked about the
skills and like the way that youlike, think about your business
and like solving problems forcustomers.
I'll be honest, my experience.
(10:57):
the, the bar for me, I wasreally unsure about what I could
find in Ohio.
So me being there and thenseeing incredible talent,
incredible founders that lookedlike me.
For me, it just was a little biteye-opening because I probably
went in.
thinking a little bit of whatyou just stated, and I like how
(11:20):
you, how you set it, where youreally have to focus on your
skill, like your craft.
because the people I met atBlack Tech Week, which was the
event I believe, was it?
Yeah.
was it Black Tech Week or wasit,
Manny (11:36):
Oh,
Kenny (11:37):
yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
Manny (11:38):
I think it was like a dinner, but I don't know if it
was Black Tech
Kenny (11:40):
No, it wasn't Black Tech Week.
Manny (11:42):
Con?
The
Kenny (11:43):
yeah, it was Midwest Con.
Sorry for that confusion, butthat,
Manny (11:47):
Yeah.
Kenny (11:48):
yeah, with Rob Richardson and his team.
But the thing was, when I, whenI met everybody I met there, I
felt was sharp, if you know whatI mean?
Manny (11:58):
no,
Kenny (11:58):
If.
Manny (11:59):
Look, I think, I think anyone in like any environment
like the Midwest that has todeal with four seasons every,
you know, a new season, everythree months, and we're dealing
with people's mood change allthe time.
I.
Kenny (12:11):
Yes.
Manny (12:12):
there's all history.
We all know the history ofAmerica, so we all have the same
issues.
So it's, I think it makes yougrit, right?
So in terms of talent, man, Ohiois incredible.
I mean,
Kenny (12:25):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:26):
I'm in Miami right now.
Last night I had dinner a randomtech event that I went to.
to find out it's six of ussitting at the table.
Four of us are from Ohio.
And
Kenny (12:37):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:37):
that.
So I just think Ohio, like the,there's incredible talent.
I think really what I'm sayingis presentation.
I think we
Kenny (12:47):
Yeah.
Manny (12:47):
to, I.
It's all about presentation.
You know, are your financials inplace?
Do you have a
Kenny (12:52):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:53):
you're raising, you have a solid deck, are you explaining
the capital access plan?
Are you ready to haveconversations about this for 45
days if you're trying to raise,you know, institutional capital?
It's just, really, you know, andat the end of the day, that's
the process, right?
I think it's just, I think it'sjust the process, right?
So, you know, I think, you know,that's the, the, the challenge.
(13:15):
And then also.
Statistically, there's not asmuch capital right.
Available if you look at thesize of the three cities.
Right.
So then look at, know, I mean,again, there and, and, and the
surrounding, there areopportunities, right?
So you just gotta, you know, Imean there are a ton of
opportunities, tons ofbusinesses coming, you know,
Kenny (13:37):
I appreciate, I appreciate that perspective and
real quickly,'cause I thinkyou're touching on the
experience that you've beengoing through the last few years
where now you're, an angelinvesting, like you're, you're
on the other side of the table,right?
You're not necessarily justthinking from the business owner
perspective, but the companiesthat, and the companies or the
individuals that at times couldbe writing.
(14:00):
Sizeable checks that helpbusinesses grow.
Like what was your.
What was your, your, yourcuriosity about being on that
other side of the table?
'cause not very many founders.
I, I see actually, you know,take that seat at the table.
They typically, I'm a founder, Iwant to go, I want to live this
(14:21):
life.
But that, that, that venturecapital, that angel investing
route is a, is another placethat they can go.
Like, why did you decide to gothat route in addition to being
a founder?
Manny (14:31):
Yeah, no, great question.
So I think that there's justcuriosity really.
in 2015, I was a part of astartup team called arina.
We raised VC funding, just 500 kfrom Rev and Ventures and Carne
Health.
And then two years later, thatcompany was strategically
acquired really for the, Ip, itwas more of like an acquihire
(14:52):
situation, so not a bigliquidity event there.
and then really what did I do in2017?
I started, you know, my company.
So, I.
I mean, yeah, there's, you know,a term kind of called a scout
where you're essentially, youknow, helping founders raise
capital.
and you could do that through,you know, you could do that just
(15:15):
out of the kindness of yourheart.
you could do that, you know, ifthey hire you as a consultant,
you could do that.
If you are investing in thecompany, you could do that if
you're getting advisory sharesin the company.
So I'll say since 2017.
you know, I looked at myself asI, you know, in terms of that
relationship where you're justworking with a bunch of
(15:36):
companies and trying to see howyou could help them in, in a
capacity grow.
primarily really more from a,trading hours for, for, for
advisor equity shares.
Right.
and I think that, in 2022 when Ijoined, jpstart Ventures, it
was.
(15:56):
Really, again, curiosity.
And Jpstart is in, essentiallyone of the most active VC firms
in Ohio.
They're in year 21, over 180investments.
so, and, and a hundred activeportfolio companies.
It's a C through series Ainvestment firms.
So it was just a really goodopportunity to just kinda learn
(16:17):
from, you know, really, youknow, kind of one of those.
of the, the oldest and, and mostactive institutions.
and it's, you know, been a greatexperience there.
it is a state fundedorganization, so there's, you
know, we only invest in Ohiofounders.
so from going back to what I wasdoing and, and you know, I'm
talking to you in Miami rightnow, I think that was, you know,
(16:41):
that, that's the interestingthing.
But me being from Ohio, it'sobviously, Has helped obviously
since I have a, a pretty, prettygreat network here, in Ohio.
So, um, yeah, all that to say, Ithink it's, I think, you know,
investing this asset class, youknow, you could invest in
stocks, you could buy homes,right?
(17:01):
Angel investing, it's typicallyanywhere from, you know, I mean,
you could write, you couldwrite, you know, a hundred
dollars checks.
Obviously you're right.
Obviously the more, for moresay.
Kenny (17:11):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (17:12):
typically under 50,000 maybe, or you know, at least
under a hundred thousand, isangel investing.
Typically, some people do SPVsspecial purpose vehicles
sidecars, right?
you could use Angel List to, to,to gather up 250 k.
a, in a, in a formal docent andinvest in any company if you
want.
so a lot of this is reallybeing, you know, just available
(17:36):
to the mass public.
and it's, yeah, I'm excited forit.
I think it's just language andfor us to understand the
opportunities.
You know, one of the most famousangel investors, J Cal,
notoriously was like one of thefirst people in Uber.
I think it was 20 5K in for, youknow, a nine figure exit.
(17:56):
so I think that's, obviouslythose are the, the home runs.
But, you know, I think it's, Ithink that's really what venture
capital about, you know?
Kenny (18:07):
Yeah, I don't, I don't even think I need a home run.
I just need a,
Manny (18:13):
Yeah.
Kenny (18:13):
a, a double.
Manny (18:14):
Yeah.
A double or triple would benice,
Kenny (18:16):
Yeah, it would be nice.
Right.
So through your, through yourwork with, stopwatch, I.
And collab.
You work with brands like, likeRed Bull, like GrubHub.
Those are just some of the, the,the, the, the bigger brands that
you work with.
I'm, I'm curious as you, asyou've worked with these really,
like globally recognizedcompanies, now we look at
(18:39):
startup founders or justfounders in general.
I'm curious, like, like do youfind that, like do you find
commonality, like how muchseparation is there between.
CoLab and a company like RedBull or GrubHub in terms of the
way that they execute, like I'm,I'm curious, like what do you
see, as that separation to getto that level?
Manny (19:03):
Yeah, it's a very great question.
and I, and I, and I still enjoy,being able to go in both worlds,
but you know, these companiesare massive.
I.
They have offices in nerouscities, employees that focus on
certain
Kenny (19:19):
I.
Manny (19:20):
they're paying up to date, you think they have it.
In terms of top talent fromengineering, from, from, from
development, you know, so interms of anything that I've done
with any big company instopwatch and collab, in most
cases, obviously executive teamsapprove the budget, but.
(19:43):
I report to, you know, thatindividual at that, you know,
small business department, thatindividual at, you know,
creative marketing or digitalmarketing, you know, so these
companies are, are just, justmassive, right?
And, and their processes,they're, you know, JP Morgan has
(20:04):
300,000 employees.
they sponsored our innovationconference for collab.
know, that's the, I mean, theseare just massive companies, so I
think it's so, so they, theytake their time and how they,
make decisions.
and you I think from a founderperspective, you know, I think
(20:25):
the benefit that you have is, isthe speed.
You know how quick you could.
to a customer.
for example, for collab, we hada customer send us such a nice
email about how they believethey work with many vendors, and
they said, you're the best SEOvendor that we have.
And that was interesting.
so it just just gave us somemore insight and more knowledge
(20:48):
to kind of double down on somethings.
Immediately, right.
No meetings.
No, no, right.
No.
Having to, to approvalprocesses.
so I think that's really themain difference.
you know, everyone has differentaspirations, especially if you
start a company.
Do you want to go public?
(21:10):
Do right.
Do, do you wanna, you know,raise a ton of, or, you know.
Institutional Capital.
Capital.
Do you want to just bootstrap?
Right?
I think you as a founder really,really, really need to that
because then you might just beend up wasting a lot of people's
time.
You know, if you.
Kenny (21:31):
Yeah, for sure.
I could see, h spending most ofmy career in corporate, a lot of
time does get wasted.
So to your point, I definitelysee the value in, like you said,
you're a founder, you make thesedecisions really quick and
there's less waste.
And I think the, where the worldis headed now, we see some of
(21:53):
these big institutions, like youmentioned, like the banks and
things like that.
Like they're saying, Hey, wehave 300,000, but maybe we can
do it with two 50 and a couple,you know, some, some ai, right?
And so I do see like there'slike this shift for.
The bigger businesses, theyalmost get a little bit like the
little guy, right?
They're, they're trying to pullsome of that into what they're
(22:15):
doing at the scale.
The scale is just different.
Like, like you said, the scaleis on another level.
You probably, in most cases,can't compete with that, as a
small business owner.
Manny (22:25):
Yeah.
Kenny (22:26):
but I'm really excited to see even big companies being
like, Hey, how can we make adecision faster without, you
know, so much,
Manny (22:34):
Yeah,
Kenny (22:35):
so many hands in the, in the, in the pot, right?
Manny (22:37):
for sure and I think, I think like how, how founders
should think about it.
Is, if you are a startup, yourgoal isn't to like, have runway.
Your go goal should be to, toget traction to take off, right?
To leave the, the, the airstrip.
So, these companies, you know,like they're in, they're in
(22:58):
every single market, you know,so.
We, we probably should look atmarkets and, and you know,
that's
Kenny (23:05):
Hmm.
Manny (23:05):
that's why investors really say, Hey, what's your go
to market strategy?
You know, like, how are yougoing to get customers, you
know, you know, are, are yougoing to have to run insane, you
know, marketing campaigns or doyou have, some knowledge in the
industry or the word of mouth iscoming.
So I think that's the, the,that's the nber one thing.
(23:26):
I think people, founders shouldthink about it, but it's such a
massive, you know.
You know, there areopportunities, so, o obviously
too, you have to figure out, youknow, you get traction, figure
out what you're doing beforeyou, you know, kind of go
everywhere, obviously.
So, yeah,
Kenny (23:44):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
I see, I see.
let's talk a little bit about.
I noticed the pricing on, I
Manny (23:56):
it.
Kenny (23:57):
think it was stopwatch creative, and, the pricing got
me excited.
Manny, I.
and the reason why is because Ioften see, business models in
our community where they say,Hey, we're just gonna go with
the bare minim.
We're gonna do 9 99, becauseit's a nice even nber that
(24:19):
people probably won't bulk at.
Like, how do you get to thepoint where you can charge
somebody$10,000?
$5,000 or even a custom packagewhere there's more value that
needs to be unlocked for them.
Like, talk a little bit aboutthat, because I think, and
specifically for Black founders,pricing is often a, an area
(24:44):
where there's, there's, there'spressure on both sides, right?
There's pressure from your,your, your, your end customer,
and maybe even internally inyour mind you're thinking, Hey,
how do I give somebody.
How do I get somebody the rightproduct for a deal?
Talk a little bit about pricing.
Manny (25:01):
yeah, no, great question.
I, I think that there, like, youknow, we're, hey, we're in the
marketing business, so it, itwas always important, you know,
what happens after you kind ofGoogle us and for us to really
highlight and what we're doingand, and, and telling our story
there.
and then, so I think it.
(25:21):
Really, so the, all of the, thepublic pricing started during
the pandemic.
and, you know, we were inundatedwith, with more, with, with,
with, with work essentially.
and then, so then the, the, whatwhat I realized is that I, like,
(25:42):
you know, I literally hadsomeone call me and like.
Someone referred him, MichaelHolstein, who we helped sell
this company.
He referred him to us.
He was like, Hey, look, I heardyou did this with Mike.
how much you charge?
And then I, and then I threw,like, I threw in the number you
said 10,000.
And he literally was like,that's it.
After working with me, you'regonna be able to triple your
prices.
Right.
And then, so then I was like,okay, well, like.
(26:06):
You know, so two things.
I was annoyed with the otherside of all of this where it's
like, Hey, we meet and then wepitch and then we go back and
forth, then we go back and forthand back and forth.
So then it was like, okay, I, Ireally was annoyed with that.
And then I had people like thiskind of calling me and, and I
mean, that guy stole his companytwo years later.
so, that's when the publicpricing, it was like, Hey, let's
(26:27):
eliminate sticker shock and thenlet's put, the demand out there.
And then I just think it's a,it's a consistency and a
revolving loop.
working with people,highlighting what you're doing.
I think what happens in my caseis that the people who didn't
have a budget didn't call.
And the people that did didright
Kenny (26:45):
Ah, that's,
Manny (26:46):
yeah.
Kenny (26:46):
that's fire.
Mandy, like you said, keepworking and then promoting what
you're doing like that is like,that's a cheat code.
Is so simple, Manny.
Manny (26:58):
And you never know.
You never know.
Like I've been to Belgrade,Serbia, I've had, you know,
clients in the Philippines, ryou know, just all over the
place.
It's kind of wild, you know?
So
Kenny (27:12):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (27:13):
that it's all about, you know, being unique.
And, and, and again, you know, Ithink every business wants to
grow.
So it's about do they trust you?
Do they think they could getvalue outta your service?
You know, so, I think that's it.
And I think if you show thevalue, I think, you know, why
(27:34):
wouldn't they to continue towork with you?
Why wouldn't they tell their.
Other business owners that youcould help them.
So that's kind of like myviewpoint on everything and, and
not letting the highs get toohighs.
And, you know, during the lows,you know, know that everything
happens for a reason, you know.
Kenny (27:50):
Yeah.
I love it, man.
So, lastly, I appreciate you.
This has been a dope, insightfulconversation.
Your, your, your background isdefinitely, you've done a lot.
just the market you're in.
I got to see you in actionnetworking and doing certain
things at, at, at the, eventDisrupt Now event.
(28:10):
And so, lastly, just a, a couplequick things.
'cause your customer base isB2B.
You're in a B2B model.
Like what does it look like for,like, when should some, when
should a business reach out toyou?
And then on the back end ofthat, like how should somebody
reach out if they wanted tostart, working with, collab or
(28:36):
stopwatch.
Manny (28:37):
Yeah, so I think it's, so we have entrepreneurs, we have,
you know, one, two, you know,person teams.
It's, I would say it's, youknow, maybe micro consulting,
maybe we could amplify their,their business.
We now, you know, are sur aresurpassing over 50,000 followers
across socials.
(28:57):
active on all channels and, andonly, you know, that nber, just
only continuing to grow.
So, You know, so yeah, theyjoined for that access to
experts on a micro consultingbasis.
That's super affordable.
Right.
The cheapest, you know, mostaffordable plan is$35.
Right.
So collab is really meant tokind of cater to anyone.
(29:18):
I think it's, and so yeah, wehave one, two person teams.
We have small businesses,restaurants, we have, Scaling,
you know, companies who wantmaybe, again, micro consulting
on their investment materials ormaybe they want connections and,
(29:38):
and their matchmaking is a corefeature in our, in our network.
So, it's a combination of, ofdoing that and it a, from a
large corporation perspective, Ithink it's initiatives.
you know, that we align with,you know, and if, if you want to
work with the vole of customers,then you know, essentially we
(29:59):
have that opportunity that wecould do creative campaigns.
so, but also I would say toofrom, there's just a pure.
Consulting aspect, right.
as well that, that we, that wehave as well too, and insights
that we have, that we work witha lot of companies too.
(30:22):
so, you know, data intelligence.
so that's really the, the kindof funnel.
And then I think if you want thehands on, you know, I look at
stopwatch again, as, as that.
Kind of hands-on support.
and we still kind of, you know,work with a, a small nber of
clients on an annual basis.
(30:44):
but our, our primary focus is,has really been CoLab for the
last five years.
Kenny (30:50):
Got it.
I love to hear, you're servicingbusiness owners, like you're
meeting them right across,collab and stop wash, and so
that's awesome to hear.
definitely pushing, more,business creation.
I.
for a black founder,specifically B2B, I don't think
there's enough founders that aredoing the type of work that
(31:11):
you're doing.
Not that, Manny is, scared, isscared of the competition, but I
just think that there's so muchopportunity.
and I, I got, I got excitedseeing the prices.
just the different options ofpricing and I feel like you're
definitely giving the wholemarket something no matter the
size of their business.
(31:31):
appreciate you for, you know,just sharing a little bit.
And so just to clarify, how,how's the best way for folks to
connect with you and then liketapping with the services.
Manny (31:42):
Yeah.
I'm, I'm on LinkedIn.
I'm on Instagram.
Manny Archer, you can search forme.
I'm, I'm, you know, public open.
Try to be responsive aspossible, and CoLab, C-O-L-A-E
b.com.
you can go there.
If you go to the very bottom ofCoLab, you'll see that the site
is managed and maintained byStopwatch Creative.
(32:04):
So you could go there.
And then that's, essentially ourconsulting company.
we try to have, um, you know, abunch of testimonials on there.
And, look, we're.
All about improving.
So we're open, completely opento feedback.
You know, someone once said,competition is for losers,
right?
So I think it's, you know, howcan we build together?
(32:26):
and how can we, really, again,it's a very massive world.
so how can we partner to, andcollaborate and elevate?
Let's go.
Yeah.
Kenny (32:35):
I love it, Manny, for those, tuning in, tapping with,
Manny's brand, his websites,they're amazing.
He's worked with some incrediblecompanies.
without further ado, thank youfor tuning into another great
episode of The Beyond On Mypodcast.
Peace.
Manny (32:52):
Thank you.
Welcome, welcome everybody to another great
episode of The Beyond NormalPodcast.
I'm your host, Kenny Groom.
we are in the middle of seasonseven.
Can't believe it.
We have a very special guest whohas not won, but two, incredible
businesses, that they'rebringing to the world.
our next guest goes by the nameof Manny Larcher.
(00:54):
He has an incredible, backgroundin the, Angel investing space,
but he started two companies,the first of which is, collab,
which is a data intelligence,platform that connects
businesses, the resources.
Really invaluable tool.
I checked that one out.
And then his second company thatwe'll touch on a little bit as
well is Stopwatch Creative inhis role at Stopwatch.
(01:17):
He says he's the CEO and thejanitor.
So he does all things at thatcompany.
He's wearing multiple hats.
Love to hear that.
and at that company, theytransform brands through
strategic campaigns, awesomedesign, seamless experiences for
their customers.
We have.
We haven't really had a guestyet who has come on to explain
(01:38):
how they're able to run, twobusinesses at the same time.
So I'm, I'm, I'm really excitedto have Manny on today.
So without further ado, Manny,how's it going?
Manny (01:47):
Hey.
It is going well.
Going well.
yeah.
Thank you for, for having me on.
so.
Probably will help to clarifysome things.
in terms of stopwatch.
So stopwatch was started in2017, with a co-founder Lenny.
and essentially, you know, wewere, we're a consulting agency.
We could also build tech and wecould also run marketing
(02:10):
campaigns, and have had greatsuccess.
we've worked with professionalathletes, you know, some
well-known, you know, fromColbus, Ohio, like Michael Red.
And, we've helped people selltheir companies.
Protean software, MichaelHolstein.
and essentially, during, and wealso did events called
(02:32):
Collaborate and Elevate.
and we had, we still ownedCollaborate and elevate.com.
really for us, the pandemicchanged a lot.
So when the pandemic happened,we essentially productized our
service.
And we, and over, over time,we've pivoted the, and changed
the name to collab, C-O-L-A-E-V.
(02:55):
so, I do have two companies upand running, but, for the most
part, everything really funnelsthrough collab.
Kenny (03:06):
Appreciate that distinction there.
and it sounds like, you and yourteam, did something during the
pandemic that many businesseshad to do, which is pivot, and
you were at, at least able to,to, to stay alive.
Right.
In terms of the, the businessmoving forward in a new format,
it it, it's exciting to hearthat you were able to take.
(03:27):
something that was working,prior to the world, stopped for
many people and then pivot intothat new thing.
I'm, I'm curious, you, you, youbrought up the word like
productize, like what did that,what, what all went into, making
that pivot?
to where the company collab isright now?
I.
Manny (03:44):
Yeah, great question.
And, so I think we realizedduring the p during the pandemic
quickly that we, you know, welost a lot of clients.
but the other thing really was,we were really appreciated by a
select few, So then we realizedthat, you know, lessons more,
(04:06):
you know, for, we, we had twooffices.
We also had, you know, employeeson staff, you know, multiple
interns.
So very tough.
You know, we had to make a lotof, you know, tough cuts and,
essentially.
I was listening actually to apodcast, which is why I love
what you're doing.
'cause you know, you just hearit was a random podcast.
(04:28):
I don't even know who said this,I think it was a businessman in
India, but he said, creates,they were talking about his
business.
He was definitely from India,but he said on the podcast,
create something that everyonecould afford.
If you're lucky, you know,you'll be able to help, you
know, a few people.
But if, if you're really doinggood work, you know, if you're
blessed, you'll be able to helphundreds and thousands.
And then so.
During the pandemic, there was acombination of we had clients
(04:51):
willing to pay us, you know,really top dollar, amount, but
then there's an overwhelmingdemand for, support.
so that's really where collabcame in.
and at and over time, you know,you know, you're just, it's,
it's a, it's a beautiful thing.
But, and I could go into thatmore, but that's really where,
(05:13):
where, where it came from.
I think it's.
How can you help more people andput system systems in place to,
to automate yourself andautomate really well?
Just really automate, obviouslyautomate yourself, but automate
the services that, yourcustomers want.
so that way your time is spentfocused on the most important,
(05:37):
important thing.
Kenny (05:39):
Yeah, I love to hear that.
that really sounds like wherethe world is headed, Manny, with
many of the, the new solutionsthat are out there.
Right.
In terms of, you know,automating as much as the
process as you can to, to bringvalue to your customers.
I'm curious'cause we met at areally, great event, in the Ohio
(06:03):
area where your, where your,home base is.
Talk a little bit about, whatyour experience has been like,
in that, in that, in the Ohiomarket, some of the bigger
cities, the Cincinnati's of theworld, and the, and the reason
why I asked that is because,when I went to Ohio last year.
(06:24):
I was a little bit, I was alittle shocked around just the
conversations around innovationand I, and that's where I met
you.
And so I met some, some, some,some great black founders, some
really great black talent outthere.
So talk a little bit about howthat, you know, being in that
sandbox at is Ohio, what thatdid, what, what that's done for,
(06:44):
the things that you're buildingnow.
Manny (06:47):
Yeah.
so I, you know, that's where Iwas born.
My, my mom and dad are both,from the country of St.
Lucia's.
my dad was a musician and, myolder brother and sister were
both born in New York, but kindof fell in love with Ohio and,
and really decide to, you know,raise, raise us there.
(07:07):
So, I think, you know, I, Ithink it, I really think you
have to focus on buildingskills, and, and, and really
putting yourself out there.
and I do think Ohio is veryrewarding if you do that, you
(07:30):
know, but hard, you know, I, I,there are a lot of challenges
and a lot of
Kenny (07:36):
Man, talk about it.
Talk about it, Manny.
Manny (07:38):
Probably just like most places, that, that you have, you
know, I think, one of my goodbuddies, he said, you know, Ohio
has an invisible glass ceiling.
so I I think that, you know, asan entrepreneur, you really have
to.
Really kind of put yourself outthere and, and, you really have
(08:02):
to put your best foot forward.
If I'm just being fulltransparent, I think Ohio, it's
not a, it's a very, It's It'salmost like when you go to a
bank and you have to buy ahouse.
Like if you don't have a goodcredit, if you don't have a job,
if you didn't do your taxesright, they're not gonna give
you a house.
So I almost feel like everythingin Ohio almost sometimes has
(08:25):
that level of difficulty, like.
so I think that's the, and Idon't think, I don't, I don't
know if people really know that,you know, and honestly, that's
probably why a lot of youngpeople end up leaving.
but I do think if you just focuson building something, showing
your value, I.
and you, I think I most, somepeople might say I'm annoying at
(08:48):
the end of the day.
Yeah.
'cause I promote how I'm helpingpeople.
Right.
They might say, Hey, he'segotistical, you know?
but if you go on any of mywebsites, I don't even think,
you know, I know my faces not oncollab.
Right.
And look how many people are oncollab.
Right.
So for me it's, you have to,have to, it's like the why again
(09:10):
is really, you know, twoimmigrant parents from a small
island of.
Under 250,000 people that, youknow, try to give their kids
their best life.
You know, so that's who createdme, right?
So I have to make sure that's, Ihave to make sure I take care of
them.
And then what about theirparents?
What about their siblings?
What about, so I think that'sreally what I keep the main
(09:31):
thing, you know?
And, and then I think it's sorewarding when you have, you
know, people that.
Wanna compensate you for yourtime, for your product, for your
service.
You know, it's up to you as afounder to listen to them and to
get better and improve theproduct.
I have customers that have beenpaying, who are literally since
2016, before I even had acompany they were paying me, you
(09:52):
know, when it was 10 99.
Right.
And, you know, so I think it's,there's a level and they're not
even in Ohio.
They're in, you know, So, yeah,I'll keep in clarification, you
know, but, I just think it's.
It's, you know, you have toreally, again, it's focus on
your product, focus on whypeople are paying you and how
(10:14):
you can make that better.
Because someone will try to,it's not, we all have
competition, right?
At the end of the day, right?
So one day your customer isgoing to say, Hey, I wonder if I
could get this better.
We
Kenny (10:26):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:27):
right?
Kenny (10:28):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:28):
that's why we all shop on Amazon and then we act like we
don't.
It's
Kenny (10:31):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (10:35):
yeah.
Kenny (10:35):
love, yeah.
I, I love that you, you know,that candid response around,
your experience in, in Ohio,right?
But then you, you, youdefinitely talked about the
skills and like the way that youlike, think about your business
and like solving problems forcustomers.
I'll be honest, my experience.
(10:57):
the, the bar for me, I wasreally unsure about what I could
find in Ohio.
So me being there and thenseeing incredible talent,
incredible founders that lookedlike me.
For me, it just was a little biteye-opening because I probably
went in.
thinking a little bit of whatyou just stated, and I like how
(11:20):
you, how you set it, where youreally have to focus on your
skill, like your craft.
because the people I met atBlack Tech Week, which was the
event I believe, was it?
Yeah.
was it Black Tech Week or wasit,
Manny (11:36):
Oh,
Kenny (11:37):
yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
Manny (11:38):
I think it was like a dinner, but I don't know if it
was Black Tech
Kenny (11:40):
No, it wasn't Black Tech Week.
Manny (11:42):
Con?
The
Kenny (11:43):
yeah, it was Midwest Con.
Sorry for that confusion, butthat,
Manny (11:47):
Yeah.
Kenny (11:48):
yeah, with Rob Richardson and his team.
But the thing was, when I, whenI met everybody I met there, I
felt was sharp, if you know whatI mean?
Manny (11:58):
no,
Kenny (11:58):
If.
Manny (11:59):
Look, I think, I think anyone in like any environment
like the Midwest that has todeal with four seasons every,
you know, a new season, everythree months, and we're dealing
with people's mood change allthe time.
I.
Kenny (12:11):
Yes.
Manny (12:12):
there's all history.
We all know the history ofAmerica, so we all have the same
issues.
So it's, I think it makes yougrit, right?
So in terms of talent, man, Ohiois incredible.
I mean,
Kenny (12:25):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:26):
I'm in Miami right now.
Last night I had dinner a randomtech event that I went to.
to find out it's six of ussitting at the table.
Four of us are from Ohio.
And
Kenny (12:37):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:37):
that.
So I just think Ohio, like the,there's incredible talent.
I think really what I'm sayingis presentation.
I think we
Kenny (12:47):
Yeah.
Manny (12:47):
to, I.
It's all about presentation.
You know, are your financials inplace?
Do you have a
Kenny (12:52):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (12:53):
you're raising, you have a solid deck, are you explaining
the capital access plan?
Are you ready to haveconversations about this for 45
days if you're trying to raise,you know, institutional capital?
It's just, really, you know, andat the end of the day, that's
the process, right?
I think it's just, I think it'sjust the process, right?
So, you know, I think, you know,that's the, the, the challenge.
(13:15):
And then also.
Statistically, there's not asmuch capital right.
Available if you look at thesize of the three cities.
Right.
So then look at, know, I mean,again, there and, and, and the
surrounding, there areopportunities, right?
So you just gotta, you know, Imean there are a ton of
opportunities, tons ofbusinesses coming, you know,
Kenny (13:37):
I appreciate, I appreciate that perspective and
real quickly,'cause I thinkyou're touching on the
experience that you've beengoing through the last few years
where now you're, an angelinvesting, like you're, you're
on the other side of the table,right?
You're not necessarily justthinking from the business owner
perspective, but the companiesthat, and the companies or the
individuals that at times couldbe writing.
(14:00):
Sizeable checks that helpbusinesses grow.
Like what was your.
What was your, your, yourcuriosity about being on that
other side of the table?
'cause not very many founders.
I, I see actually, you know,take that seat at the table.
They typically, I'm a founder, Iwant to go, I want to live this
(14:21):
life.
But that, that, that venturecapital, that angel investing
route is a, is another placethat they can go.
Like, why did you decide to gothat route in addition to being
a founder?
Manny (14:31):
Yeah, no, great question.
So I think that there's justcuriosity really.
in 2015, I was a part of astartup team called arina.
We raised VC funding, just 500 kfrom Rev and Ventures and Carne
Health.
And then two years later, thatcompany was strategically
acquired really for the, Ip, itwas more of like an acquihire
(14:52):
situation, so not a bigliquidity event there.
and then really what did I do in2017?
I started, you know, my company.
So, I.
I mean, yeah, there's, you know,a term kind of called a scout
where you're essentially, youknow, helping founders raise
capital.
and you could do that through,you know, you could do that just
(15:15):
out of the kindness of yourheart.
you could do that, you know, ifthey hire you as a consultant,
you could do that.
If you are investing in thecompany, you could do that if
you're getting advisory sharesin the company.
So I'll say since 2017.
you know, I looked at myself asI, you know, in terms of that
relationship where you're justworking with a bunch of
(15:36):
companies and trying to see howyou could help them in, in a
capacity grow.
primarily really more from a,trading hours for, for, for
advisor equity shares.
Right.
and I think that, in 2022 when Ijoined, jpstart Ventures, it
was.
(15:56):
Really, again, curiosity.
And Jpstart is in, essentiallyone of the most active VC firms
in Ohio.
They're in year 21, over 180investments.
so, and, and a hundred activeportfolio companies.
It's a C through series Ainvestment firms.
So it was just a really goodopportunity to just kinda learn
(16:17):
from, you know, really, youknow, kind of one of those.
of the, the oldest and, and mostactive institutions.
and it's, you know, been a greatexperience there.
it is a state fundedorganization, so there's, you
know, we only invest in Ohiofounders.
so from going back to what I wasdoing and, and you know, I'm
talking to you in Miami rightnow, I think that was, you know,
(16:41):
that, that's the interestingthing.
But me being from Ohio, it'sobviously, Has helped obviously
since I have a, a pretty, prettygreat network here, in Ohio.
So, um, yeah, all that to say, Ithink it's, I think, you know,
investing this asset class, youknow, you could invest in
stocks, you could buy homes,right?
(17:01):
Angel investing, it's typicallyanywhere from, you know, I mean,
you could write, you couldwrite, you know, a hundred
dollars checks.
Obviously you're right.
Obviously the more, for moresay.
Kenny (17:11):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (17:12):
typically under 50,000 maybe, or you know, at least
under a hundred thousand, isangel investing.
Typically, some people do SPVsspecial purpose vehicles
sidecars, right?
you could use Angel List to, to,to gather up 250 k.
a, in a, in a formal docent andinvest in any company if you
want.
so a lot of this is reallybeing, you know, just available
(17:36):
to the mass public.
and it's, yeah, I'm excited forit.
I think it's just language andfor us to understand the
opportunities.
You know, one of the most famousangel investors, J Cal,
notoriously was like one of thefirst people in Uber.
I think it was 20 5K in for, youknow, a nine figure exit.
(17:56):
so I think that's, obviouslythose are the, the home runs.
But, you know, I think it's, Ithink that's really what venture
capital about, you know?
Kenny (18:07):
Yeah, I don't, I don't even think I need a home run.
I just need a,
Manny (18:13):
Yeah.
Kenny (18:13):
a, a double.
Manny (18:14):
Yeah.
A double or triple would benice,
Kenny (18:16):
Yeah, it would be nice.
Right.
So through your, through yourwork with, stopwatch, I.
And collab.
You work with brands like, likeRed Bull, like GrubHub.
Those are just some of the, the,the, the, the bigger brands that
you work with.
I'm, I'm curious as you, asyou've worked with these really,
like globally recognizedcompanies, now we look at
(18:39):
startup founders or justfounders in general.
I'm curious, like, like do youfind that, like do you find
commonality, like how muchseparation is there between.
CoLab and a company like RedBull or GrubHub in terms of the
way that they execute, like I'm,I'm curious, like what do you
see, as that separation to getto that level?
Manny (19:03):
Yeah, it's a very great question.
and I, and I, and I still enjoy,being able to go in both worlds,
but you know, these companiesare massive.
I.
They have offices in nerouscities, employees that focus on
certain
Kenny (19:19):
I.
Manny (19:20):
they're paying up to date, you think they have it.
In terms of top talent fromengineering, from, from, from
development, you know, so interms of anything that I've done
with any big company instopwatch and collab, in most
cases, obviously executive teamsapprove the budget, but.
(19:43):
I report to, you know, thatindividual at that, you know,
small business department, thatindividual at, you know,
creative marketing or digitalmarketing, you know, so these
companies are, are just, justmassive, right?
And, and their processes,they're, you know, JP Morgan has
(20:04):
300,000 employees.
they sponsored our innovationconference for collab.
know, that's the, I mean, theseare just massive companies, so I
think it's so, so they, theytake their time and how they,
make decisions.
and you I think from a founderperspective, you know, I think
(20:25):
the benefit that you have is, isthe speed.
You know how quick you could.
to a customer.
for example, for collab, we hada customer send us such a nice
email about how they believethey work with many vendors, and
they said, you're the best SEOvendor that we have.
And that was interesting.
so it just just gave us somemore insight and more knowledge
(20:48):
to kind of double down on somethings.
Immediately, right.
No meetings.
No, no, right.
No.
Having to, to approvalprocesses.
so I think that's really themain difference.
you know, everyone has differentaspirations, especially if you
start a company.
Do you want to go public?
(21:10):
Do right.
Do, do you wanna, you know,raise a ton of, or, you know.
Institutional Capital.
Capital.
Do you want to just bootstrap?
Right?
I think you as a founder really,really, really need to that
because then you might just beend up wasting a lot of people's
time.
You know, if you.
Kenny (21:31):
Yeah, for sure.
I could see, h spending most ofmy career in corporate, a lot of
time does get wasted.
So to your point, I definitelysee the value in, like you said,
you're a founder, you make thesedecisions really quick and
there's less waste.
And I think the, where the worldis headed now, we see some of
(21:53):
these big institutions, like youmentioned, like the banks and
things like that.
Like they're saying, Hey, wehave 300,000, but maybe we can
do it with two 50 and a couple,you know, some, some ai, right?
And so I do see like there'slike this shift for.
The bigger businesses, theyalmost get a little bit like the
little guy, right?
They're, they're trying to pullsome of that into what they're
(22:15):
doing at the scale.
The scale is just different.
Like, like you said, the scaleis on another level.
You probably, in most cases,can't compete with that, as a
small business owner.
Manny (22:25):
Yeah.
Kenny (22:26):
but I'm really excited to see even big companies being
like, Hey, how can we make adecision faster without, you
know, so much,
Manny (22:34):
Yeah,
Kenny (22:35):
so many hands in the, in the, in the pot, right?
Manny (22:37):
for sure and I think, I think like how, how founders
should think about it.
Is, if you are a startup, yourgoal isn't to like, have runway.
Your go goal should be to, toget traction to take off, right?
To leave the, the, the airstrip.
So, these companies, you know,like they're in, they're in
(22:58):
every single market, you know,so.
We, we probably should look atmarkets and, and you know,
that's
Kenny (23:05):
Hmm.
Manny (23:05):
that's why investors really say, Hey, what's your go
to market strategy?
You know, like, how are yougoing to get customers, you
know, you know, are, are yougoing to have to run insane, you
know, marketing campaigns or doyou have, some knowledge in the
industry or the word of mouth iscoming.
So I think that's the, the,that's the nber one thing.
(23:26):
I think people, founders shouldthink about it, but it's such a
massive, you know.
You know, there areopportunities, so, o obviously
too, you have to figure out, youknow, you get traction, figure
out what you're doing beforeyou, you know, kind of go
everywhere, obviously.
So, yeah,
Kenny (23:44):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
I see, I see.
let's talk a little bit about.
I noticed the pricing on, I
Manny (23:56):
it.
Kenny (23:57):
think it was stopwatch creative, and, the pricing got
me excited.
Manny, I.
and the reason why is because Ioften see, business models in
our community where they say,Hey, we're just gonna go with
the bare minim.
We're gonna do 9 99, becauseit's a nice even nber that
(24:19):
people probably won't bulk at.
Like, how do you get to thepoint where you can charge
somebody$10,000?
$5,000 or even a custom packagewhere there's more value that
needs to be unlocked for them.
Like, talk a little bit aboutthat, because I think, and
specifically for Black founders,pricing is often a, an area
(24:44):
where there's, there's, there'spressure on both sides, right?
There's pressure from your,your, your, your end customer,
and maybe even internally inyour mind you're thinking, Hey,
how do I give somebody.
How do I get somebody the rightproduct for a deal?
Talk a little bit about pricing.
Manny (25:01):
yeah, no, great question.
I, I think that there, like, youknow, we're, hey, we're in the
marketing business, so it, itwas always important, you know,
what happens after you kind ofGoogle us and for us to really
highlight and what we're doingand, and, and telling our story
there.
and then, so I think it.
(25:21):
Really, so the, all of the, thepublic pricing started during
the pandemic.
and, you know, we were inundatedwith, with more, with, with,
with, with work essentially.
and then, so then the, the, whatwhat I realized is that I, like,
(25:42):
you know, I literally hadsomeone call me and like.
Someone referred him, MichaelHolstein, who we helped sell
this company.
He referred him to us.
He was like, Hey, look, I heardyou did this with Mike.
how much you charge?
And then I, and then I threw,like, I threw in the number you
said 10,000.
And he literally was like,that's it.
After working with me, you'regonna be able to triple your
prices.
Right.
And then, so then I was like,okay, well, like.
(26:06):
You know, so two things.
I was annoyed with the otherside of all of this where it's
like, Hey, we meet and then wepitch and then we go back and
forth, then we go back and forthand back and forth.
So then it was like, okay, I, Ireally was annoyed with that.
And then I had people like thiskind of calling me and, and I
mean, that guy stole his companytwo years later.
so, that's when the publicpricing, it was like, Hey, let's
(26:27):
eliminate sticker shock and thenlet's put, the demand out there.
And then I just think it's a,it's a consistency and a
revolving loop.
working with people,highlighting what you're doing.
I think what happens in my caseis that the people who didn't
have a budget didn't call.
And the people that did didright
Kenny (26:45):
Ah, that's,
Manny (26:46):
yeah.
Kenny (26:46):
that's fire.
Mandy, like you said, keepworking and then promoting what
you're doing like that is like,that's a cheat code.
Is so simple, Manny.
Manny (26:58):
And you never know.
You never know.
Like I've been to Belgrade,Serbia, I've had, you know,
clients in the Philippines, ryou know, just all over the
place.
It's kind of wild, you know?
So
Kenny (27:12):
Mm-hmm.
Manny (27:13):
that it's all about, you know, being unique.
And, and, and again, you know, Ithink every business wants to
grow.
So it's about do they trust you?
Do they think they could getvalue outta your service?
You know, so, I think that's it.
And I think if you show thevalue, I think, you know, why
(27:34):
wouldn't they to continue towork with you?
Why wouldn't they tell their.
Other business owners that youcould help them.
So that's kind of like myviewpoint on everything and, and
not letting the highs get toohighs.
And, you know, during the lows,you know, know that everything
happens for a reason, you know.
Kenny (27:50):
Yeah.
I love it, man.
So, lastly, I appreciate you.
This has been a dope, insightfulconversation.
Your, your, your background isdefinitely, you've done a lot.
just the market you're in.
I got to see you in actionnetworking and doing certain
things at, at, at the, eventDisrupt Now event.
(28:10):
And so, lastly, just a, a couplequick things.
'cause your customer base isB2B.
You're in a B2B model.
Like what does it look like for,like, when should some, when
should a business reach out toyou?
And then on the back end ofthat, like how should somebody
reach out if they wanted tostart, working with, collab or
(28:36):
stopwatch.
Manny (28:37):
Yeah, so I think it's, so we have entrepreneurs, we have,
you know, one, two, you know,person teams.
It's, I would say it's, youknow, maybe micro consulting,
maybe we could amplify their,their business.
We now, you know, are sur aresurpassing over 50,000 followers
across socials.
(28:57):
active on all channels and, andonly, you know, that nber, just
only continuing to grow.
So, You know, so yeah, theyjoined for that access to
experts on a micro consultingbasis.
That's super affordable.
Right.
The cheapest, you know, mostaffordable plan is$35.
Right.
So collab is really meant tokind of cater to anyone.
(29:18):
I think it's, and so yeah, wehave one, two person teams.
We have small businesses,restaurants, we have, Scaling,
you know, companies who wantmaybe, again, micro consulting
on their investment materials ormaybe they want connections and,
(29:38):
and their matchmaking is a corefeature in our, in our network.
So, it's a combination of, ofdoing that and it a, from a
large corporation perspective, Ithink it's initiatives.
you know, that we align with,you know, and if, if you want to
work with the vole of customers,then you know, essentially we
(29:59):
have that opportunity that wecould do creative campaigns.
so, but also I would say toofrom, there's just a pure.
Consulting aspect, right.
as well that, that we, that wehave as well too, and insights
that we have, that we work witha lot of companies too.
(30:22):
so, you know, data intelligence.
so that's really the, the kindof funnel.
And then I think if you want thehands on, you know, I look at
stopwatch again, as, as that.
Kind of hands-on support.
and we still kind of, you know,work with a, a small nber of
clients on an annual basis.
(30:44):
but our, our primary focus is,has really been CoLab for the
last five years.
Kenny (30:50):
Got it.
I love to hear, you're servicingbusiness owners, like you're
meeting them right across,collab and stop wash, and so
that's awesome to hear.
definitely pushing, more,business creation.
I.
for a black founder,specifically B2B, I don't think
there's enough founders that aredoing the type of work that
(31:11):
you're doing.
Not that, Manny is, scared, isscared of the competition, but I
just think that there's so muchopportunity.
and I, I got, I got excitedseeing the prices.
just the different options ofpricing and I feel like you're
definitely giving the wholemarket something no matter the
size of their business.
(31:31):
appreciate you for, you know,just sharing a little bit.
And so just to clarify, how,how's the best way for folks to
connect with you and then liketapping with the services.
Manny (31:42):
Yeah.
I'm, I'm on LinkedIn.
I'm on Instagram.
Manny Archer, you can search forme.
I'm, I'm, you know, public open.
Try to be responsive aspossible, and CoLab, C-O-L-A-E
b.com.
you can go there.
If you go to the very bottom ofCoLab, you'll see that the site
is managed and maintained byStopwatch Creative.
(32:04):
So you could go there.
And then that's, essentially ourconsulting company.
we try to have, um, you know, abunch of testimonials on there.
And, look, we're.
All about improving.
So we're open, completely opento feedback.
You know, someone once said,competition is for losers,
right?
So I think it's, you know, howcan we build together?
(32:26):
and how can we, really, again,it's a very massive world.
so how can we partner to, andcollaborate and elevate?
Let's go.
Yeah.
Kenny (32:35):
I love it, Manny, for those, tuning in, tapping with,
Manny's brand, his websites,they're amazing.
He's worked with some incrediblecompanies.
without further ado, thank youfor tuning into another great
episode of The Beyond On Mypodcast.
Peace.
Manny (32:52):
Thank you.
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