Peyton Ballard and the Power of Saying No

Building Better Real Estate Systems with Shelby Pritt

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Shelby Pritt, founder of Be Real Estate Services. Shelby runs a transaction coordination business that helps real estate agents in Indiana and West Virginia keep deals on track. Shelby spent ten years in lending and title before starting her business. That gave her a close look at all the ways a real estate deal can fall apart. She took that experience and built systems to help agents save time, stay organized, and spend more time selling or being with their families. Her business just turned one year old, and she has already learned a lot. One early lesson came from scaling too soon. She brought someone on when growth looked like it was coming, but the fit was not right. More important, she realized she had not built the structure that person needed to succeed. That led to a bigger lesson about systems. You cannot expect someone to walk in and copy what you do. You need standard operating procedures, software, and a clear framework so the next person can serve clients the same way. Shelby also explains why not all transaction coordinators are the same. Many are tied to a brokerage. Her service is independent and built around each agent’s business. She creates custom task lists so agents can keep the parts they want and hand off the parts that slow them down. The biggest challenge she sees in real estate is the pace of change. Buyer and seller expectations keep shifting, and issues like inspections can create problems. Shelby believes the right system and team can still move deals to the closing table. Her best investment has been software that gives agents and clients access to deal updates at any hour. Her core principle is service first. For Shelby, business works when everyone is on the same team and focused on serving each other. The post Building Better Real Estate Systems with Shelby Pritt [https://www.joejustice.org/building-better-real-estate-systems-with-shelby-pritt/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Mykah Ballard on Building a Message That Reaches the Right People

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Mykah Ballard, creative director for Virtue Marketing Collective, the in-house marketing studio for Selah Directive. Mykah got into marketing in college and always had a goal of building an agency. That path opened when her husband looked at expanding his company, and Virtue became a way to help businesses move into new markets. She explains that her work is about giving a vision a voice. A lot of business owners know what they do, but they struggle to explain it in a way that reaches the right people. Mykah helps them build the message, the strategy, and the digital presence to connect with that audience. One lesson she learned early was that trying to talk to everybody makes the message weaker. She had to learn her own niche and find where she could bring the most value. That included helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, and even other marketing agencies that had gaps in their own support. We also talk about one of the biggest misunderstandings in social media: posting is not the same as marketing. Anyone with a phone can post, but that does not mean they have a strategy. Mykah pushes back on the “post and pray” approach and explains why targeting, messaging, and data matter. Her best business investment was a project management and CRM system that helped her stay organized. Her biggest waste was an ad that was too broad. The skill she believes every entrepreneur needs is self-discipline, because no one is always standing over your shoulder. Mykah’s core principle is simple: you do not get what you do not ask for. Whether it is a proposal, an email, or a new way of looking at a problem, you have to be bold enough to make the ask. The post Mykah Ballard on Building a Message That Reaches the Right People [https://www.joejustice.org/mykah-ballard-on-building-a-message-that-reaches-the-right-people/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Early to Bed, Early to Rise, Work Like Hell and Advertise

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I break down the old line, “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.” At first, it sounds like a simple saying. The more I think about it, the more I see a full formula for building a business, growing a career, or turning a side hustle into something real. Early to bed is not just about sleep. It is about control. Most people are not doing their best work at midnight. They are scrolling, snacking, watching shows, drinking, or wasting time. Getting to bed earlier helps cut off the part of the day where bad habits take over. Early to rise gives you leverage. Those morning hours are quiet. You can read, plan, exercise, check your calendar, or work on something before the rest of the world starts pulling at you. For someone building a business on the side, that time can matter. Work like hell means accepting that there is no way around the work. Passive income is mostly a fantasy. The work changes over time, and it can become higher leverage, but it never goes away. You have to do the work, build systems, train people, and keep moving. Then you have to advertise. Good work does not speak for itself if nobody knows it exists. People are busy with their own lives. You have to explain the problem you solve and remind people you can solve it. That is true in business, in a career, and in any kind of growth. For me, that line still holds up. Be disciplined. Get ahead. Do the work. Then make sure people know what you do. The post Early to Bed, Early to Rise, Work Like Hell and Advertise [https://www.joejustice.org/early-to-bed-early-to-rise-work-like-hell-and-advertise/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Peyton Ballard and the Power of Saying No

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Peyton Ballard, principal consultant of Selah Directive, a consulting company based in the New River Gorge area. Peyton started in HR before joining the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, where he helped launch West Virginia’s first angel network. That work introduced him to entrepreneurs across the state and led him to build his own consulting business. Peyton works with nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who need more capacity. Sometimes that means fractional executive support. Sometimes it means helping a business owner seek capital, plan a transition, or solve a problem they cannot handle alone. One lesson that stands out from Peyton’s story is the danger of saying yes to too much. Like a lot of entrepreneurs, he took on as much as he could early on because he did not know what would come next. Over time, he learned that saying no can be a business strategy. It helps him focus on the clients he can serve well. We also talk about the misconception that consulting is just talking. Peyton pushes back on that. His goal is to step in as a working partner, help clients bridge gaps, and deliver results. Peyton also sees a major need across Appalachia as the workforce ages. Many businesses and nonprofits need leadership, succession planning, and outside expertise, but they cannot afford full-time hires. His belief is simple: you do not always need a full-time employee to solve the problem. His advice to entrepreneurs is to build resilience, use systems like a CRM, and avoid wasting money on marketing that does not reach the right audience. The post Peyton Ballard and the Power of Saying No [https://www.joejustice.org/payton-ballard-and-the-power-of-saying-no/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].

Bryson Cutler on Manufacturing, Marketing, and Handmade Glass

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Bryson Cutler at Blenko Glass Company in Milton, West Virginia. Bryson works in business development, but his path started in digital marketing and IT. About nine years ago, he came into Blenko as a consultant, and that work grew into a larger role inside one of West Virginia’s most recognized glass companies. Blenko has been around for more than 130 years. It started in Indiana, moved to Clarksburg, and landed in Milton in 1921. For most of its history, Blenko worked as a wholesale company. Since 2017, the business has shifted more into direct online sales, reaching customers in all 50 states and sometimes beyond the country. Bryson talks about one of the first lessons business taught him: people matter. Employees can affect operations, cash flow, growth, and the future of the company. For Blenko, that is not theory. Their biggest challenge is not selling glass. It is making enough glass and training the next generation of glassblowers. Since skilled glassblowers are not easy to find, Blenko has to build talent through its apprenticeship program. We also talk about digital marketing, AI, cash flow, and why even a historic handmade glass company needs cameras, microphones, and a strong online presence. Bryson’s core belief is simple: invest in your people, invest in your community, and that investment comes back. Blenko lives that through tours, local spending, apprenticeships, and its work to keep this craft alive in West Virginia. The post Bryson Cutler on Manufacturing, Marketing, and Handmade Glass [https://www.joejustice.org/bryson-cutler-on-manufacturing-marketing-and-handmade-glass/] appeared first on Joe Justice Organization [https://www.joejustice.org].