From Fire Captain to Founder: Tim Smith's Journey with HeartCert

In this episode of Dial It In, Dave and Trygve interview Tim Smith from HeartCert, a Twin Cities Fire Captain and EMT. Tim shares insights on process improvements and tricks for growing businesses. He discusses the founding of HeartCert and its growth over the years. Tune in to learn from Tim's experiences and gain valuable knowledge for your own business.

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Show Notes:
00:03:38 Feel confident in emergency situations.
00:05:47 First aid classes have changed.
00:11:08 Flexibility and innovation during COVID.
00:20:27 Early recognition of cardiac events.
00:23:05 Balancing life and entrepreneurship.
00:28:07 Building software is challenging and expensive.
00:34:46 Always strive for improvement.
00:40:38 Shortage of CNAs, growing demand.

In this episode, Tim emphasizes the importance of prioritizing family over business to achieve a balanced life. He always introduces himself as a father of two, highlighting the significance he places on his family. Tim acknowledges the challenges of balancing business and family but shares his approach of scheduling family-related activities and commitments first, then filling in the rest with work and other responsibilities.

Tim also stresses the need for patience and reliance on others to maintain a balanced life. He emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks and trusting others to handle them, allowing oneself to step back and observe. Although relinquishing control can be challenging, Tim believes it is necessary for achieving balance.

Overall, this episode underscores the significance of prioritizing family and finding a balance between work and personal life. Tim's experience as an entrepreneur and a father sheds light on the challenges and rewards of leading a balanced life.

In this episode, Tim discusses the importance of prioritizing and scheduling important aspects of life, such as family. He emphasizes the need to schedule these priorities first before filling in the rest of the schedule with other tasks and responsibilities. Tim shares that he leads with his family when introducing himself, highlighting the significance he places on his role as a father. He used to prioritize work and hustle 24/7, but he realized that this was not sustainable. Now, he schedules his family commitments first and ensures that he doesn't compromise those scheduled times. Tim compares this approach to the concept of stones, rocks, and sand, where the important things are the stones that should be prioritized and scheduled first, while the less important things are the sand that can fill in the gaps. Ultimately, Tim's message is that making time for important things is crucial, and it requires consciously prioritizing and scheduling them.

In this episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of mentorship, coaching, and support systems for business owners. They mention experiencing lonely bumps in the road and moments of doubt in their entrepreneurial journey. However, they highlight the significance of having someone to lean on, whether it's a mentor, coach, or a supportive team, in overcoming challenges and staying motivated.

The speaker specifically mentions BusyWeb, a web-based company, as instrumental in providing the support and partnership they need. They value having someone to lend an ear, offer guidance, and help navigate the complexities of running a business. The speaker acknowledges that they initially underestimated the various requirements of starting and maintaining a business, such as having an email host and a website. They express gratitude for BusyWeb's assistance in these areas.

Additionally, the speaker emphasizes that being an entrepreneur requires patience and the ability to rely on others. They stress the importance of patiently observing as others contribute to the growth of the business. They also mention that starting a business is like creating a whole new company, with its own set of requirements and customer service needs. This highlights the significance of having support systems in place to handle these additional responsibilities.

Overall, this episode underscores the benefits of mentorship, coaching, and support systems for business owners. These resources provide guidance, assistance, and a sense of partnership, helping entrepreneurs navigate challenges, stay motivated, and ultimately succeed in their endeavors.