Pitching Your Business Like a Pro

This week hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Brian Owens, Program Manager of B-Force Accelerator, a 12-week business development course with workshops, one-on-one technical assistance, and direct access to capital. Watch this week's episode to hear about Brian's background in music and business, the opportunity B-Force provides, the growing community, and much more!   Show notes:   (0:00) Introducing Brian Owens   (6:09) Keeping your why close   (12:52) Music in the 757   (17:00) Transitioning to B-Force Accelerator   (19:30) What is BLACK Brand? + B-Force Accelerator Overview   (25:56) Breaking siloing of resources in the region   (36:12) Collaborating vs competition within the region    (44:02) Access to opportunity + Cash Mob   (56:58) Brian's local hotspots + Conclusion    About Brian Owens & B-Force Accelerator:   Brian Owens is Program Manager and "is a Virginia Beach-raised creative and business professional with a passion for the people. He began his journey of entrepreneurship through music. Owens has been a professional musician and music business strategist for over a decade. His band, The Special Guests, has been especially impactful in the 757 by raising money and awareness for Hampton Roads based charitable causes, working with local business owners, planning shows at the Norva, and opening First Fridays on Granby St in Norfolk. Owens was Chief Communications Officer and co-founder of the neuroscience-based music-tech startup, Secret Chord Laboratories. He has been responsible for fundraising, corporate strategy, establishing and growing strategic partnerships, and communications both internally and externally. Through SCL, Owens has been able to nurture an expanding network of business mentors, tech startups, entrepreneurs, investors, music professionals, community leaders and influencers".   B-Force Accelerator is a Black BRAND cohort, a 12-week intensive for black and latinx businesses that are at least 2 years old to prepare them for capital access. B-Force Accelerator also provides free legal (key business document preparation and advising), accounting (quickbooks training, tax preparation, financial statements, and projections), and marketing resources (website development, branding assistance, social media planning, etc.).   Learn more: https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/   About the hosts:   Tim Ryan is an angel investor and the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads, Virginia.    Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and author of Anomaly, a guide on differentiating yourself and your business from the crowd.   Enjoy the show? Watch the Fervent Four Show LIVE every Thursday at 11 AM.   Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/ Watch past episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-four-show/ Listen to past episodes: https://fathom.fm/podcast/fervent-four      The Fervent Four Show:   Did you know that only 4% of businesses hit $1M in revenue? Tim Ryan and Zack Miller are the creators of The Fervent Four Show, designed to help you get there. Check them out Live every Thursday at 11 AM.   Social Media:   Brian Owens https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackbrandbiz/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-owens-05761a133/   Instagram: @blackbrandbiz (https://www.instagram.com/blackbrandbiz/)   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackbrandbiz   Tim Ryan https://www.startwheel.org   Twitter (personal): @ryantnt (https://twitter.com/ryantnt)   Twitter: @StartWheel (https://twitter.com/StartWheel)   LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantnt/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startwheel-org/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartWheel   Zack Miller https://www.zackmillersays.com   Twitter: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays)   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays   Thanks to our Sponsors:   StartWheel – https://www.startwheel.org   Companies Mentioned: B-Force Accelerator: https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/ Black Brand: https://blackbrand.biz/ Pharrell Williams: https://pharrellwilliams.com/ Louis Vuitton: https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/homepage A Bathing Ape: https://bape.com/ Blair Durham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-durham-15528a17a Norfolk State University: https://www.nsu.edu/ Norfolk State University Innovation Center: https://www.nsu.edu/nsuric Norfolk Economic Development Authority: https://norfolkdevelopment.com/ Portsmouth Economic Development Authority: https://www.accessportsmouthva.com/ Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority: https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/ West Virginia University: https://www.wvu.edu/ David Goggins: https://davidgoggins.com/ Emanuel Perez Fervent Four Show Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdDWyL7v70 Uber: https://www.uber.com/ Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ Virginia Marine Science Museum: https://www.virginiaaquarium.com/ Virginia MOCA: https://virginiamoca.org/ Neon District: https://www.downtownnorfolk.org/ The Bunker: https://bunkerbrewpub.com/ Something in the Water: https://somethinginthewater.com/ Mighty Dream: https://mightydream.co/ Music.com: https://music.com/