In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews marketing expert Bobbi Govanus. Bobbi shares a pivotal personal story about trusting her gut when a misdirected highway sign prompted her to start her own company, which generated $2.5 million in its first year. She emphasizes that networking is a "contact sport," stressing the importance of personal connection and trust, drawing on her experience as a regional BNI networking queen and the McKinsey‑style "McKay 66" framework. Bobbi advises business owners never to act as a bank for vendors, insisting on getting paid up front to protect cash flow. She advocates diversifying reading, friendships, and experiences to spark fresh ideas and become a visionary. Her formula for happiness is pursuing one’s passion, even in small ways. The book that most shaped her business thinking is Michael Gerber’s The E‑Myth, which taught her to build systems, delegate, and plan an exit. She shares two favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes about the energy of planning versus wishing and the value of daily courage. Finally, she lists her online platforms—Facebook, LinkedIn, Govanus.com, and reinventatsea.com—inviting listeners to connect.
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Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I am your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Bobbi Govanis with us. She is the Marketing Maven, so welcome to the show, Bobbi.
Thanks, Tyler, glad to be here.
Of course, thanks for joining us. The first question I have for you is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
I think the biggest and best story would be one that I learned about trust and trusting your gut, trusting the signs, listening to what's going on around you. I had left Circuit City. I was a store manager for one of the biggest stores in Minneapolis, and I was being sought after for other retail positions, and I was really thinking about starting my own company. Had been doing the research and, you know, working on that. But I, you know, you still go on the interviews and want to hear what people have to say and that kind of stuff. So, I was on my way. Minneapolis, like many cities, has the big highway, big circle highway around the city. And so, they said, well, we'll meet you at this hotel at that, you know, 270 and 40. And so, I said, okay, you know, and I lived in the South. So, I figured 270 and 40, that was the intersection that I was heading to. So long story short, I get there, there's no hotel. They had meant 270 and 40 North. So I was pulling off the highway and pulled into a gas station because this was back in 1995 where there's no cell phones and I was gonna make a phone call and tell them what happened and reschedule and whatever. And as I'm pulling into the road, there's a big sign. I mean, one of the great big signs and it says, "Start your own business." And I was like, I stopped, looked at that sign and said, okay. So I got out of the car and called them and said, I'm not going to reschedule. I have decided to go another way. Here's what happened. I got up, you know, wrong place, but I just made this decision because I had confirmed that morning, but it ended up, I started my company and did $2.5 million the first year. So, and built it from there. So it comes down to, You know, you got— you can't second-guess yourself. A lot of times we talk ourselves out of making a decision, um, and I always tell people not making a decision is making a decision. So you just have to really trust yourself and rely on your gut a lot of times, and then pay attention to the things— God coincidences— that happen around you.
Yes, amazing story. Thanks for sharing that, Bobbi. And what's the most valuable piece of information that we should know that is within your expertise or industry?
I was recognized as the regional, like, 600-member BNI networking queen, you know, as it was the regional member. And so I tell people that networking is a contact sport. You cannot, you know, just hand out business cards. You have to meet people one-to-one, get to know them. Find out what their spouse's name is, their kids, what their favorite sports team, you know, the people, because people buy from people they know, like, and trust. And the only way to establish trust is to share who you are and then find out who they are. One of the important things about building my company was, you know, I used the McKay 66, which is basically based on his book Swim with the Sharks or Get Eaten Alive. So you have to figure out, you know, how to differentiate yourself. And that's the only way to do that is be a person. And so bottom line, you know, you have to get to know them and sincerely try to help them. I love Zig Ziglar's quote about help enough people get what they want and you'll always get what you want.
And what's your best piece of overall business advice? Not necessarily industry specific.
Now, I think the most important thing for a business owner is to never be a bank. And what I mean by that, you do not let your vendors owe you 30, 60, 90 days. You, today's day and age, you can do ACH, you can take credit cards, whatever it is, but don't finance their company. You know, you need to get paid up front for your product and services and make sure, you know, that that's never— because becoming a collection agency is no fun. It's no fun for you, it's no fun for them. So bottom line is get paid. I like that.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Diversify everything. Don't just hang with a certain group of people. Get, read all kinds of books, history, romance, science fiction, because you never know where your next idea is gonna come from. And when you diversify yourself, the books, the friends, experiences, you're going to get more out of life and become a visionary because it puts new ideas and constantly gives you a source of fresh perspective.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
I think you have to do what you're passionate about. And, you know, maybe you can't do that full-time as your job, but if you like to write, write. If you like to paint, paint. If you like to, you know, be around people, there's plenty of ways to do that. Either if you're in a cubbyhole job, you have to make plans to meet people for lunch. You have to do that because you're going to hate your life if you don't. So, you have to figure out what you're passionate about and do that.
And what's the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
Well, I've read tons of books. I really believe in being an ongoing learner, but as far as business, I think The E-Myth The Entrepreneurial Myth by Michael Gerber. I read that book. It helped me set up the systems in my company. It taught me about delegating the things that I needed to get off my plate because I wasn't the best at them. It really helped me to set up an org chart. And if you're not really good at something, I mean, you can do it and you're cheap, but when you spend that It's negative time. And so you really have to push it off onto something else. And if you build your business to be a franchise, then it's not so hard to let go. One of the things that I think most people don't plan the end of their business, you know, how am I gonna get out of this? Do I want, how do I, you have to, you know, start with the end in mind. That's a huge, huge deal.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
I'm going to give you two. Both of them are from Eleanor Roosevelt, but I mean, almost everything the woman said was quotable. But the big thing, "It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." And the other one that I really love is, "Do one thing every single day that scares you." You've got to get out of your comfort zone. And both of those really speak to me as a person and inspire me to do more, to not let things grow under my feet, to continue to grow and continue to seek new opportunities all the time.
Yes. Thank you so much for coming on, Bobbi.
So much value.
And last question I have before we let you go is, where's the best place for people to find you online?
Well, I'm everywhere. It's Bobbi, B-O-B-B-I. Govanus, G-O-V-A-N-U-S. I'm on Facebook, LinkedIn. You can go to Govanus.com. You can go to my reinventatsea.com is my reinvention retreat website. So, there's lots of places to find me. And I do answer my phone. So, there you go.
Awesome. Perfect. Thanks again for coming on, Bobbi. We really appreciate it.
You bet.
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