Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
Whether your training is mandated by law or just there to help your employees be better at what they do, training is an important part in keeping customers happy. You’ll hear about the journey from Creative Courseware President Annie Swartz, we’ll auction off a computer monitor and get your daily dose of continuing education credits. All that, and a tip that could help you keep your employees around a bit longer.
Transcript
Jeff Randolph:
Welcome to the Small Business Miracles podcast. I’m Jeff Randolph. This small business podcast is brought to you by EAG Advertising & Marketing. We’re going to talk about marketing and we’re also here to celebrate entrepreneurs. We have marketing news and advice that business owners can use to keep moving forward. And don’t miss our featured interview with Annie Swartz from Creative Courseware. We’ll talk to her about corporate training right after this marketing tip.
In today’s marketing tip, I’m going to talk a little bit about employees, and slowing down just a little bit. Because business moves pretty fast, and business owners have 110 things on their mind that are all very, very important. That can cause us to be short with people. And I get it. Now, I’m here, stopping for my gourmet coffee, because I want to taste the gourmet coffee, and you stop me in the hall while I’m headed back to my office.
Look, if I’m curt with you, it’s because time is a factor. But as business owners, we can’t overlook the people who help us get where we’re going, the ones who are also likely spending time on the front line with our customers. There’s a Glassdoor fact that I’m going to throw out here. One of their surveys showed that 53% of employees say they would stay longer at their company if they received more appreciation from their boss. Just showing a little more appreciation, 53% of people would stay longer.
I know, we’re moving fast, but taking a little extra time to show kindness and appreciation can really pay off. It pays off in longer termed employees who don’t have to be trained to provide great service. It’s worth the extra time to spend on being nice and showing some appreciation towards your employees.
Can we get a the more you know graphic kind of thing going on here with the star sound? It’s a PSA, it’s like a public service announcement.
Thanks so much. We’re at our featured interview section and I’m here with Annie Swartz, the president of Creative Courseware. Annie, welcome to the show.
Annie Swartz:
Thank you so much, Jeff. It is an honor to be here.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, honor is a bit strong, but thank you for being here. Thanks for taking some time out.
Annie Swartz:
It’s a pleasure.
Jeff Randolph:
Let’s start, because Creative Courseware has been around for a bit.
Annie Swartz:
Yes.
Jeff Randolph:
When you tell other people what you do for a living, what are you telling them about Creative Courseware?
Annie Swartz:
Oh, man. So we are a custom development and training company. So basically we work with, I would say the majority of our clients are midsize organizations or corporations who are looking for very specific types of training. So it’s not training that you could get off the shelf.
Jeff Randolph:
Off the shelf.
Annie Swartz:
Off the shelf. So we work with their, we call them subject matter experts. So we work with their employees, and we get all of the information that’s in their heads. And we put it down into little digestible chunks of information to teach other employees.
Jeff Randolph:
Other employees.
Annie Swartz:
Correct.
Jeff Randolph:
And we’re talking large companies here too, right? This is large and medium-sized, large and just large?
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, I would say large and medium-sized companies.
Jeff Randolph:
Large and medium size.
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, we work with a lot of companies who are federally regulated, so there’s a lot of rules coming out every year. And those rules are getting constantly updated, so they have to create training to inform their employees.
Jeff Randolph:
Training usually happens when it’s mandated, and it should.
Annie Swartz:
You would hope so.
Jeff Randolph:
And it should happen when it’s not.
Annie Swartz:
Correct.
Jeff Randolph:
Thank goodness that some places are mandated where you can do that.
Well, Creative Courseware was founded in 1984. You are a second generation owner. If you tell us about the origin story from 1984 to today, skip around however you’d like, but tell us how did it start? What’s the story?
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, absolutely. So my mom, Connie Swartz, she started it in 1984. Before that, she was working for, I think, Blue Cross and Blue Shield in their training department. And she is a very independent rogue thinker. And so she decided that she could do it better on her own. And so she started Creative Courseware in our den, I think.
So I remember, we were one of the first families to have a computer, so we were pretty popular. We had the floppy disks and the games, and I was the coolest kid on the block for a while.
Jeff Randolph:
I need to know, is this an Apple product? Is this a Commodore 64? What are we talking here? Do you remember? IBM XT?
Annie Swartz:
You are giving way too much credit for…
Jeff Randolph:
It was a box. It was gray, and they were all gray.
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, exactly. But I do remember people being very impressed with the fact that we owned a computer in the house.
Jeff Randolph:
As long as there were games, that’s all that matters.
Annie Swartz:
Yes. I think Oregon Trail, I think we played a lot of Oregon Trail.
Jeff Randolph:
Perfect.
Annie Swartz:
Yes. So she started it in the house. I love my father dearly. I think that he’s a fabulous guy. He’s very nurturing, the roles in our family were reversed. Mom had the traditional male characteristics. Dad had the traditional maternal characteristics. And while I love him dearly, he is also a very non-risk taking person. So I cannot imagine him supporting this idea very much, just because it’s totally against his personality.
So the fact that she did it anyway and moved forward with it and ran it for 30 plus years, I think it was 33 years, and did really well. I think she was the leading training company in Kansas City. I think definitely regionally known. It was all woman-owned before a woman-owned company was a thing and cool to do.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah. That’s pioneering, for sure.
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, exactly. So I think that she started with VHS tapes when VHS tapes were around and people knew.
Jeff Randolph:
Wait, they’re not around? Yes, they’re still around.
Annie Swartz:
Exactly. So she did a great job. And then once she’d had it for 30, 35 years, she decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. She was ready to pass it on, move it on. So my background is in education, in curriculum writing, but it was all academic. And so she was getting ready to fold it just because she hadn’t found a buyer that she wanted to sell it to. It just didn’t feel like a good fit.
And so I just talked to her one day, and I was like, “Well, what if I take it over?” And she’s like, “But you don’t know anything about business, and nor do you know anything about what I do.” And I was like, “Yeah, well, those two things are a little bit of an issue, but I feel like we could figure them out.”
Jeff Randolph:
I feel like I could overcome that. Yeah, well, that’s good. And knowing entrepreneurs always look for that exit. And they want to know where their exit is, and it’s good to have that stay in the family. And you’ve been taking it from here and continuing the fine, fine tradition.
Annie Swartz:
Correct.
Jeff Randolph:
Excellent. When you have a client, new client come in, and you’re just starting to work with somebody, what is that conversation like? How do you start with a new client?
Annie Swartz:
So usually clients will come to us and they will say, “We are seeing problems with X Y Z.” So they’re saying, “We’ve noticed that our employees, I don’t know, that we’re having a hard time either retaining employees or we’re having a hard time… “Or we’re getting,” I don’t know, I’m just thinking of recent conversations I’ve had. “That we’re getting a lot of calls into the help desk about this.” And so they will say, “We would like to train our employees on whatever.”
Jeff Randolph:
Whatever that is.
Annie Swartz:
Correct. And then our job is to speak with them, and to ask them lots of questions to really figure out what is the problem. Because a lot of times it’s not really a training problem. It might be a culture problem, or it might be, I don’t know, a management problem. So we’re really working with them in figuring out really what do the employees need? And if that’s training, then what are the specific objectives that we’re trying to get at?
Jeff Randolph:
On building out from objective. This really does sound a lot like curriculum development, and building in those learning objectives and making sure that the people hit them in an objective manner.
Annie Swartz:
Yes, that’s exactly what it is.
Jeff Randolph:
I’ve done that once or twice, I think. For delivery of that, you’re not doing VHS tapes anymore?
Annie Swartz:
No, we haven’t done those in at least a year.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s good. What are the delivery methods? Is that all web-based? Is it in person? What does that mix look like?
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, it’s a mix. So I would say some companies still like the old-fashion instructor-led, so they want a person in front of a classroom interacting with the students. I learn best that way, so I can definitely understand the draw for that. A lot of it is web-based, so I’m sure you’ve taken, I don’t know, regulatory training over something or another where you have little characters on a screen with voice bubbles telling you, I don’t know, not to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom, or whatever.
Jeff Randolph:
There are many rules that we’ve learned from that, yeah.
Annie Swartz:
It’s pretty exciting. Now they have AR, so augmented.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh yeah, augmented reality.
Annie Swartz:
Correct.
Jeff Randolph:
Is the AR side of things.
Annie Swartz:
Yeah. So one of the ways that we’ve seen that is, I’m trying to think of in a mechanical department. So let’s say it’s plumbing, or let’s say it’s HVAC or something along those lines, and they’re trying to teach their employees or their learners how to fix something mechanical. And what they used to do is they would have, let’s say it’s a, I don’t know anything about HVAC, but let’s say it’s a heating apparatus and they need to show them how to fix a certain aspect of it.
They would have that actual heating apparatus, and they would break it and then they would teach their people how to put it back together or fix it. But that can be really expensive, depending upon the type of equipment. So with AR, what they’re doing now is that they can show them in an augmented reality how to do it so that they’re not breaking and then putting back together the actual equipment so many times.
Jeff Randolph:
So that technician walks up to a furnace unit and says, “Oh, the lower blower motor is totally destroyed. I can tell from this or that, and then here’s how I would fix it.” Oh, fascinating stuff. That is a wonderful new world that we live in. And I would imagine that that approach gives you the ability to put real-world situations in front of people, and just problem solve the way you would if you were putting a pilot in a flight simulator and giving them a problem to solve as they dive thousands of feet.
Annie Swartz:
Right.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s amazing. I want to throw us right into the lightning round.
Annie Swartz:
All right, I’m ready.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, lightning round. Okay, so here’s the lightning round.
Annie Swartz:
Wait, I have a question. Do I only get so many seconds to answer? Is it like two seconds?
Jeff Randolph:
No. No, you are allowed to sit there and stare at me silently for as long as you need to and come up with an answer.
Annie Swartz:
Okay, I’m going to try for two seconds.
Jeff Randolph:
A two second response time.
Annie Swartz:
Three seconds.
Jeff Randolph:
No problem whatsoever.
Annie Swartz:
I feel like I should go with the first instinct.
Jeff Randolph:
It’s a good goal. And if I were building learning objectives around this, I would measure that.
Annie Swartz:
All right, I’m ready.
Jeff Randolph:
So first lightning round question, what is your guilty pleasure? It’s like a belted out loud in the car song, that when this song comes on the radio, you cannot help yourself. It’s an [inaudible 00:11:58] driveway moment. You must stop and sing this song.
Annie Swartz:
Easy. Madonna, like a prayer.
Jeff Randolph:
Nice. That’s a classic. That’s a classic. What is the best business advice you’ve ever gotten?
Annie Swartz:
Best business advice. Man, this isn’t going to be a three-second one. I think to, I guess, be proud of how you’re showing up every day. And in conversations, be authentic with what you’re offering to your clients and to the people that you work with.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, very good.
Annie Swartz:
I think that’s really important to me, that I don’t… This is off the record or whatever, I don’t know, but I’m not sure how to say this, but when I think of big businesses, I think of this very rigid, fake…
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah, where everything isn’t always as genuine as it could be.
Annie Swartz:
Correct.
Jeff Randolph:
And you’re just plastic and you’re there, and people can see through that. And people can see through plastic. They know that that’s happening. You can hear that that’s happening. And when you show up and you’re very genuine, it works. That’s a good thing. I like that business. You could also classify that as great life advice. Just show up and be yourself, and be a real person. Don’t be a jerk. So thinking about owning a business, so you come in and you didn’t have all the knowledge of being an entrepreneur when you first started. As a business owner, what element of your business do you wish you knew more about?
Annie Swartz:
I wish I knew more about marketing, Jeff.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, see, you’re in the right place. A lot of people say accounting or HR. It is the marketing, that’s the actual answer?
Annie Swartz:
Yeah. Accounting, I had to ask a lot of questions and of somebody else who did it, and try and figure it out on my own. But now I know that. So marketing, I know nothing.
Jeff Randolph:
We’re going to keep talking about marketing.
Annie Swartz:
Great.
Jeff Randolph:
We’re going to keep talking about marketing.
Annie Swartz:
Good.
Jeff Randolph:
I’ll set this next question up like this. Spider-Man’s uncle on his deathbed, said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Annie Swartz:
Man, I would love to be able to communicate with those who have died. For, I don’t know, or mediums. I don’t know, superhero.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah, I’m going to allow it. Yes, 100%.
Annie Swartz:
Because I feel like that would give such solace, and I don’t know, comfort to people, to those who are still living.
Jeff Randolph:
Man. And so what I find fascinating about that answer, and I’ll pause long enough to give you just an amazing amount of credit for it. I want to be invisible or I want to be able to fly, or something like that. Your superpower gives you the ability to give other people comfort. That’s a caring and compassionate kind of superpower. You’re a lot nicer than everyone else, I think, certainly than me.
Annie Swartz:
I have to say also, I don’t follow any comic book, superhero thing, so I didn’t really know what my options were. So I didn’t have anything to choose from.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s fair. That’s fair. Well, but you naturally go to, “I’m here for other people. I’m here to help. I’m here to help.”
Annie Swartz:
I don’t know about that. That’s too much credit. Don’t give me that.
Jeff Randolph:
What is your biggest frustration as a business owner?
Annie Swartz:
Oh, staffing.
Jeff Randolph:
Staffing, yeah. And these days, that’s a real thing.
Annie Swartz:
Staffing.
Jeff Randolph:
We’ve been working with a lot of people, and I’ve been doing some speaking on employer branding and how to be the employer of choice. You are not alone in that world. People are having that. In fact, there are a lot of times where we’ll talk to people about building a marketing plan. And we’ll build a platform and they go, “That’s great. I immediately need to pivot and figure out how to hire people because we do not have the staff to do the work that we’re about to get.”
Annie Swartz:
Exactly.
Jeff Randolph:
It’s real. That is real. Lightning round question. I think this is going to be the last lightning round question, and I’ve saved this one for the last. You are also somehow strangely trained as an auctioneer.
Annie Swartz:
Oh, yes. Yes.
Jeff Randolph:
Could you give us some of that? Could you throw some patter down for us?
Annie Swartz:
I can. I’m a baby auctioneer, so yes, but I can. What would you like me to auction?
Jeff Randolph:
Let’s see. This monitor.
Annie Swartz:
The monitor.
Jeff Randolph:
This monitor where all the audio is being recorded on right now. I’m watching the wave files go right now.
Annie Swartz:
Okay, perfect. But you’re going to have to bid on them, like by raising your right hand, left hand.
Jeff Randolph:
Got it.
Annie Swartz:
Are you ready?
Jeff Randolph:
I’m in.
Annie Swartz:
All right. So next item that we have up is this beautiful monitor here. It’s black. It’s by some company that I’m sure is super impressive. It’s the best one you can get on the market. On the monitor, will you bid $5? $5? $5? Here, now. $5, now, 10, 10, 10, $10, 10, 10, 10, 10. 10. Five, now. Five and a 15. 15, 15. $15, 10 now, 15.
Jeff Randolph:
15.
Annie Swartz:
15? 15, 20. Do I hear $20? Can we hear now 17,5? 17 and a half, 17 and a half.
Jeff Randolph:
You have 17 and a half.
Annie Swartz:
17 and a half. Now 18. 18. 18. Now $18, and now 19. $19 bid, now 19 bid. Now 19, 19, 19.
Jeff Randolph:
I’m out, give it to him.
Annie Swartz:
All in. All done.
Jeff Randolph:
All in. All done.
Annie Swartz:
Sold for $18 to the bidder over here.
Jeff Randolph:
Nicely done. Holy cow, that’s a skill. That’s definitely a skill.
Annie Swartz:
It’s not a skill. I have a long ways to go, but it’s pretty fun.
Jeff Randolph:
Good stuff. Well, where can people find you?
Annie Swartz:
They can go to the website. Www.creativecourseware.com.
Jeff Randolph:
That seems like the right place to go. Creativecourseware.com.
Annie Swartz:
Yeah, that’s [inaudible 00:17:46].
Jeff Randolph:
And looking forward to it. Thank you, Annie Swartz, president of Creative Courseware for being with us on the podcast today. Thank you so much.
Annie Swartz:
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Jeff Randolph:
And that is our show. Thanks for listening to the Small Business Miracles podcast. Remember to subscribe. Leave us a five-star rating and review. Drop us a line on the website at EAGADV.com if you have some thoughts. Until then, we’ll be out here helping entrepreneurs with another small business miracle.