Tales With Taylor

Cybersecurity Tips Every Business Owner Needs to Know | Stuart Selbst

In this episode, learn more about Stu’s journey, the values that drive his work, and how he continues to make a positive impact through technology and community service. Meet Stuart “Stu” Selbst, a community-focused technologist, entrepreneur, and the founder of StuTech. With more than 30 years of experience in IT, telecommunications, and cybersecurity, Stu has built a reputation for making technology easier to understand, safer to use, and less stressful for everyday people.What began as helping seniors in his local community evolved into a trusted business founded on integrity, patience, and genuine human connection. Stu is passionate about simplifying complex technology, helping people protect themselves from online threats, and ensuring every client feels supported and empowered.Beyond his professional expertise, Stu is a devoted husband, proud cat dad, lifelong Dodgers fan, and someone who believes in kindness, service, and treating others with respect. His mission is simple: help people feel safe, confident, and supported in an increasingly digital world.

The Biggest Hiring Mistakes Business Owners Make | Jim Janosik

In this episode of Tales with Taylor, Taylor sits down with talent advisory expert Jim Janosik to discuss the evolving world of recruiting, hiring, and retaining top talent.With a career that began in hospitality and real estate development before transitioning into talent acquisition, Jim shares how the 2008 economic downturn unexpectedly led him into recruiting—and why understanding people remains the key to success. I'm also shares insights on why hiring is ultimately about people, not just resumes, job descriptions, or technology. If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, manager, or anyone interested in leadership and talent development, this conversation offers valuable lessons on finding the right people and building stronger teams.Subscribe for more business stories, leadership insights, and entrepreneurial journeys on Tales with Taylor.

Why Buying a Business Gives You a Head Start | Tales with Taylor ft. Dan Foley

Why Buying a Business Gives You a Head Start. In this episode, Dan Foley explains why acquiring a business can often be a faster, smarter, and less risky path to entrepreneurship. Dan shares how he accidentally got into banking after landing a college internship, earning his business degree, and continuing down a path that eventually led him into business acquisitions and entrepreneurship. He also talks about why contracting and service-based businesses generate so much activity in the market, and how many buyers succeed by stepping into established operations and running them effectively instead of building everything from zero.The conversation also dives into the importance of strong communication and detailed business planning. Dan explains how minimal answers from clients can create major problems and why entrepreneurs need to “sell themselves” through the way they communicate. He also shares how he created a template to help people build better business plans and present their ideas more clearly.Toward the end, Dan reflects on a lesson that changed his perspective on life and business: sometimes it’s better to be kind than right.If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, buying a business, small business strategy, leadership, or investing, this episode is full of practical insights and real-world advice.

How to Start a Virtual Assistant Business | Alana Roberts on Helping Small Businesses

Virtual Assisting Before it Was Cool with Alana Roberts. On this episode of Tales with Taylor, Taylor sits down with entrepreneur and executive concierge Alana Roberts to talk about virtual assistance, business growth, AI tools, and lifelong learning. Schedule your complimentary strategy session now! https://bit.ly/FP_StrategySessionAlana shares how she began her journey over 22 years ago helping entrepreneurs with blogging, scheduling, websites, and business support long before virtual assistants became mainstream. Today, she partners with businesses of all sizes, helping entrepreneurs stay organized, reduce overwhelm, and continue growing.Taylor and Alana discuss the importance of delegation, how AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are helping businesses operate more efficiently, and why staying curious and open to learning new skills is so important in today’s world. The conversation also touches on spirituality, meditation, community, and Alana’s passion for helping others through Packs for Prosperity, an initiative supporting people experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area.Books mentioned in this episode include The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs and community leaders.

How to Grow Your Business by Seeing the Gaps Most Leaders Ignore | Paul Sim

What’s really holding your business back? In this episode of Tales with Taylor, we sit down with Paul Sim, founder of Gap View Business Advisors, to uncover the uncomfortable truths leaders often avoid—and how facing them can unlock real, measurable growth.With over 30 years of experience, Paul has helped businesses transform from struggling operations into profitable, scalable organizations—including turning a $500K loss into a $1.5M profit. His approach goes beyond surface-level fixes, diving deep into the gaps between leadership vision and team execution.In this conversation, you’ll learn:- Why leaders struggle to face hard truths in their business- The biggest gap most organizations overlook- What “radical clarity” really means (and why buy-in isn’t enough)- How to identify and fix performance gaps holding your team back- The importance of systems over talent- How failure can become your greatest growth strategy- The balance between structure and creativity in business (jazz vs. classical 🎷)Paul also shares actionable insights on building aligned teams, improving systems, and creating a “north star” that drives real results.If you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or business owner ready to grow, scale, and lead with clarity—this episode is for you.Books mentioned: Smartrev, Essentialism