Host (NachoTuesday): Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another Nacho Tuesday! Today, I have Adam from Chore joining us. Without further ado, we'd love it if you could introduce your company and what you do.

Adam (Chore): Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me, NachoTuesday. So, Chore provides back-office services for startups. Essentially, what that means is we pair you with a fractional Chief of Staff to run all of your HR, compliance, finance, and equity work. These are all the key things that you, as a founder, need to do that take a huge amount of time but aren't your superpower or core competency – we handle that for you. The goal is that we will save you 20 to 40 hours a month, or almost 500 hours a year, so you can get back to doing what you do best, which is presumably building your company and hitting major milestones because time is precious. You pay us, we give you more time. Yep.

Host (NachoTuesday): Yeah, that's a good point. There's an old adage that goes, "Work on the business, not in the business," right? You often find founders who are doing a lot of the busy work but failing to actually work on the core business model, scaling, or selling their product or service, which is far more important than some of the other tasks that temporary workers could handle. It truly angers me, NachoTuesday, when I see that situation. I come across founders like that all the time. So, to give a quick background, I'm a four-time founder. I've also invested in over 200 companies, so I guess some people define that as a super angel at this point. But the companies I invest in, and of course, a huge number of other startups I encounter, often have founders who say, "Well, I need to do this because I need to learn how to run my business." And I think, what are you talking about? Like, literally, do you think Elon Musk cares at all about what payroll system Tesla is running on or why the state of California is calling them about some random HR issue? No, he does not care. He cares about getting the next big car or the next rocket out for SpaceX. Forgetting Elon's politics for a second, as an entrepreneur, he is someone who is laser-focused, and that laser focus enables him to do things that people have trouble even understanding and believing, but that really make a difference in the companies he's built.

Host (NachoTuesday): Yeah.Good afternoon and good morning to those on the West Coast. Today, I have Will Andre here with Nod Cards. Without further ado, we'd love for you to introduce your company and what you guys do.

(00:15) Yeah, thanks, Andy. It's great to be here. Nod Cards is an employee branding platform. If you consider the surface area of your business based on your employees, you might put them in hats or polo shirts, any sort of physical uniform. Think of Nod Cards as the digital component to that. We give every employee a link, a QR code, a digital business card, an email signature, and several other physical and digital assets that help expand your brand's surface area instantaneously. Some of the immediate value our customers get from our platform is increased employee engagement. Giving them something to share that represents your brand is a huge value add. Also, improved customer experience, having a click-to-call, having a real person on the other end of that engagement, is super valuable. Customers love the convenience of scanning a QR code or receiving a link via text or email that goes directly to a person at your company. Finally, in the big picture, you'll see your brand grow in real-time, which is fascinating. Every time your team engages online, their QR code is scanned, someone clicks to get in touch, view your website, or check out your Facebook, you'll have access to that information right away, so you can see how your brand is performing.

(01:42) Very exciting, and you have a term for that, right? Digital jerseys or digital uniforms?

(01:50) That's the mental model. A lot of branding stops halfway. If you have a fleet of trucks, for example, you'll put the phone number, website, and maybe a slogan on them. You might even wrap the vehicle. But what about the people in those vehicles, driving around and representing your business? They'll have a hat and a polo shirt, but much activity is happening online that organizations aren't capturing. That's where we fill the gap. We enable discovery through searches for your people on Google or social media, and surface those employees as touchpoints for your brand. It's a great way to increase your brand's surface area.

(03:03) That's so true. You see it replicated across any company with good branding. For restaurants, you have the logo on the takeout bag or the soft drink. You've got to get the branding out there. And there are great ways to do it where it's fun and rewarding for employees, so they don't feel like a billboard. Your team members can be advocates for the company, directly or indirectly. Not everyone needs to get on a mic and scream about your brand, but everyone can do their part to promote the team and the company.

(03:53) That's right. Having the tools to do that is a step in the right direction. Today, you give a new employee an email address, maybe a computer, and a phone extension. That's a one-to-one relationship with your brand. Turning your employees into a one-to-many is where the amplification comes in for your brand presence and impact.

(04:23) Absolutely. When I go back to my hometown in the Seattle area, everyone wears Microsoft or Amazon shirts. This is just a digital component of that.

(04:41) That's great. How did you get to this place in your career? What led you to start NodCards, and tell us about your background?

(04:52) I started my career at a digital products agency, creating brand engagement for big brands. We were creating apps and websites during Web 2.0. I worked directly with marketing teams. After that, I went into consulting. My clients were marketers, and brand consistency was a common pain point. We thought about enabling it with a light touch. We set up a central admin, so they can create their entire team in about 20 minutes and syndicate it out. Now, they have a suite of brand assets to promote their business. The impetus was finding this common pain point. Brand consistency studies show it can contribute to a 10% increase in revenue. It's a real opportunity for organizations to leverage digital tools to increase their brand surface area.

(06:52) Can you highlight more areas where employees can get involved in branding? You mentioned email, business cards, and swag. What are some easy lift items for employees or leaders?

(07:05) One asset we offer is a LinkedIn background banner with your logo, brand image, and a QR code linking to the employee's contact information or other corporate information. All links and calls to action benefit the business, whether it's sales promotions, social channels, or email collection for incentives. Once deployed, employees can choose to be passive or active brand ambassadors. They can share their sharing link in group texts, promoting their services. There are many ways employees can get involved, and they love the variety of assets.

(08:35) The key point is that brand ambassadors don't have to be salespeople. Even introverted types can participate without changing their behavior.

(09:04) Exactly. We see project managers with Nod Cards email signatures getting dozens of clicks daily because they send many emails, bringing people deeper into the organization.

(09:31) Consistency is key in branding. Your platform helps coordinate that. It's hard to have consistency without coordination, especially as companies grow. Your platform helps brands coordinate consistent messaging and branding across all employees in a turnkey manner, right?

(10:00) That's 100% right. We're centrally managed, with multiple admins and team-specific links. It's about consistency and low effort. Employees don't need an app; it's a link on their phone's home screen. They can copy and share the link or use our built-in sharing applications. Changes are syndicated to all employees on the team. You can send notifications about updates, like a new email signature with directions to your facility.

(11:20) Image is everything, especially for startups. With a consistent branding strategy and coordination, you look more professional, attracting customers and investors. Do you typically work with founders at the startup level?

(11:45) Absolutely. Startups need this capability. When a customer lands on a Nod Card, they see a serious company that has its act together and prioritizes customer experience. We offer a sense of comfort and trust.

(12:15) For larger companies, do you work with branding teams?

(12:47) We work with brand managers, social media managers, and others responsible for promoting the brand across digital touchpoints. Social media is a huge pickup, especially for sales teams. Sharing a Nod Card is like an ad for your brand. We work with brand teams, marketers, social media managers, and sometimes founders who are hands-on with their brand.

(13:45) Any examples of companies doing a great job?

(14:10) We have great stories on our blog. We do welcome posts for new customers. We also offer stand-up desktop signs, which are great for building connections with customers face-to-face. They print from our platform and fit into photo frames. Automotive is a big vertical for us, and we also see a lot in travel and leisure. Anywhere customer experience is the differentiator, Nod Cards provides value.

(15:39) What branding trends do you see this year? There's more personalization, especially in B2B. People are moving away from dry business brands.

(16:04) On that note, we're at a crossroads with AI. Two key things are coming into focus. One is people-led content. Brands with a people-first presence will cut through more than ever. Having your team be the face of your organization is important as consumers tune out AI-driven content. While AI visuals are cool, people want human connection. They want to know they're connecting with a real organization. The other trend is that as AI features become commoditized, your brand becomes your moat. It's about trust and how you make your customers feel.

(19:25) That's a great point. Community and human touch are important. People want human interaction, especially in customer service. Team members as brand advocates are essential. As it's easier to launch new products, people will work with trusted brands.

(20:40) That's the name of the game. Connecting with real people will be an unlock for brands that want to grow.

(21:12) What tips would you offer to first-time founders?

(21:12) Be patient, stay focused, and lean on your values. They can be the foundation for your decisions. Stay consistent, talk to customers, and use those conversations for improvements. Break tasks into smaller chunks and celebrate milestones. Don't take yourself too seriously. Learn from failures. I've had businesses that didn't materialize, but it's all education.

(24:07) Many people don't get these lessons, so I really view entrepreneurship as a career, a journey, rather than a final destination. As you said, you don't start a company just to say, "If I don't IPO, it's a complete failure." It's about recognizing every little win along the way. Even a base hit is still a win. And even when you experience failure, if you don't take it personally and see it as an opportunity to learn and create a memory, you can benefit from it. I've formed really good friendships from failed companies because we, as the "cool kids" say, "stood on business." We failed together, but from that, we realized we were all similar people with shared life experiences and interests. We were still there for each other, even when things didn't work out. That's the essence of friendship, and you can emerge from those experiences with stronger relationships than ever. From time to time, I'll find a business card from a previous company and have a laugh. I'll think, "I can't believe I did the branding that way." We had a company called Spot Survey with a dog logo, which was the corniest thing, but those were our early attempts at branding. I get a good chuckle when I find those old items.

(25:48) It's always great to come across your box of memories from past business ventures. I keep notebooks, and each one lasts about six months. When one is full, I put it in a closet. One day, I'll go back and review them, finding reminders of the minutiae of running a business—whether it's preparing for a call or working on a campaign with checklists. I love revisiting those things as a reminder that it's a journey with a lot to do, and the road to success is bumpy.

(26:14) Yes, you can read a lot in books, but it doesn't compare to the tuition you get from living through it. Real-life experience prepares you for the next challenge. You'll say, "I've been here before," and you'll have the feeling and know what to do without needing a book to tell you. You want to combine learning from others' failures and reading books with gaining real-life experience, which gives you that gut instinct to make decisions and know what to do in the moment. Absolutely. Sometimes people rely too much on spreadsheets to tell the story, but the story isn't always there. Sometimes it's as simple as talking to customers, as you explained earlier. It seems basic, but many companies don't do it. They build features and try to draw conclusions from spreadsheets. If you listen to your customers, one-on-one conversations can be very revealing about what you should be doing and what their experience is like. Enough of those conversations will get you to the heart of the matter and help you build a better product. After all, we're trying to help people solve problems they'll pay us to solve. We often forget that when building cool tech products.

(27:44) It's essential, and people need to push through. Once you get a customer, check in with them regularly. They'll appreciate it, which builds retention and minimizes churn. Talking to people and exploring how they use your product is the best way to get insights. Hearing what they like always feels good, and sometimes you're solving problems you didn't know they had, which is pretty cool. Often, early adopters become advocates and feel like they're part of the team, committed to and involved in your success.