In May 2017, the Miss America Organization announced that Dosh would be its sponsor and Official Travel and Cash Back App. When booking travel arrangements, travelers can use the app to earn cash back. The app is easy to set up and allows people to do all the things they usually do, such as shopping and eating out, while earning cash back in the process. The Miss America Organization benefits when users download the Dosh app through either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store using www.dosh.cash/missamerica.

Plus, Dosh allows users to donate the cash back they get from redeeming travel or other offers to a charity of their choice, further promoting one of the key pillars of the Miss America Organization, giving back.

In addition, Dosh provides other services and features that include:

• A streamlined cash-back process that includes no UPC scanning, receipt documentation, mail-in rebates, or promo codes.
• The ability to donate to charities or transfer cash earned to a bank account or PayPal directly from the application.
• A hotel-booking service that ensures the lowest prices and provides additional cash back.
• Marketing tools for businesses that include consumer data analytics and insights designed to increase customer loyalty and enable targeted advertising efforts.

The post The Miss America Organization Partners with Dosh appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

The world is absorbed with online connections. Today, in our hyper-connected world, people are focused their social media relationships built on Likes, Follows, Comments, and Shares. But does the number of “connections” you have on LinkedIn or the Followers you have on Facebook translate to the size and value of your network? I would argue that no, while the size and engagement level of your social graph is a powerful tool you can utilize to spread a message, it is not the same as networking or growing a strong personal or business network. No matter how the world changes, true, quality networking will always be about creating relationships by connecting with another individual.

What does networking look like today? Networking is so much more than passing business cards or connecting on LinkedIn. To be the most effective, you must enter every networking situation with a shift from a sales mindset to a relationship mindset. Ask questions. If I am in a room with business people, I ask about who they are and I get to know them in order to build a relationship. I feel that every single person I meet, could help make me a better person. And, that I have an opportunity to make their life better, as well. Relationships are the core of life and relationships create opportunity.

Then, I find something that we both have in common or an intersection of our worlds. This helps build a common bond that will be the spark for the relationship. This commonality could be something as simple as an interest in a sports team, having attended the same school, or any point of conversation that is memorable and unique to your relationship.

Finally, I focus on how I can give, before I focus on what I can get. I find a way to assist them with something they need, a goal they have, a passion, or a business need. Offering to help without expecting return will work to solidify the relationship we are building.

Networking today is the process of

1. Focusing on getting to know the other person,
2. finding a point of commonality, and
3. looking for a way to assist them with something they need. Always give without expecting a return.

I’ll share an example of a great networking experience I had recently. I met a business leader named Jon within a few months of moving to Austin. He has been part of very successful companies throughout his career and was introduced to me by someone who I had met in Austin. I had helped the first person with something and he helped me by introducing me to Jon. Relationships create opportunities!

When Jon and I went to have coffee, I focused on building the relationship, not selling him anything or jumping into shop talk. We talked about who he is what he is interested in. Eventually, we talked about my passions and our enthusiasm for Austin since moving, my desire to get to know the city, and the cash back app company I had founded called Dosh. Based on that interaction, he ended up offering to introduce me to his network. By the end of the day had already introduced me to 6 other business leaders. Within 24 hours, I had scheduled coffee or breakfast meetings with each of them.

Those 6 people have introduced me to a world within the Austin community that has led to tremendous opportunity, new personal relationships, and to new hires of outstanding caliber at Dosh. That one original relationship ended up leading to incredible connections for me personally as well as for Dosh as I work to grow the business. Relationships create opportunities!

The post What Does Effective Networking Look Like Today? appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

In addition, Dosh provides other services and features that include:

• A streamlined cash back process that includes no UPC scanning, receipt documentation, mail-in rebates, or promo codes.
• The ability to donate to charities or transfer cash earned to a bank account or PayPal directly from the application.
• A hotel-booking service that ensures the lowest prices and provides additional cash back.
• Marketing tools for businesses that include consumer data analytics and insights designed to increase customer loyalty and enable targeted advertising efforts.

For additional information on the Dosh app, visit www.dosh.cash.

The post Dosh Teaming Up With Leading Brands and Retailers appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

In addition, Dosh provides other services and features that include:

• A streamlined cash back process that includes no UPC scanning, receipt documentation, mail-in rebates, or promo codes.
• The ability to donate to charities or transfer cash earned to a bank account or PayPal directly from the application.
• A hotel-booking service that ensures the lowest prices and provides additional cash back.
• Marketing tools for businesses that include consumer data analytics and insights designed to increase customer loyalty and enable targeted advertising efforts.

The popular blog Tracy’s New York Life recently featured Ryan Wuerch’s Dosh mobile app and provided screenshots that revealed how it works and the cash back it generated on items such as Manhattan hotel rooms and the New York City PASS. In the blog, Tracy Kaler describes her family members as coupon clippers and said she appreciates Dosh for allowing her to get cash back without the hassle of finding specific coupons, cutting them out, and remembering to use them. Once people sign up with Dosh, they can take advantage of the platform by adding any credit cards and debit cards that they want. Each time a Dosh partner business registers a transaction, available offers are converted into cash that appears in the user’s Dosh wallet. The funds can ultimately be transferred into a user’s linked bank account. Tracy Kaler said she uses Dosh to earn cash back when she shops at various businesses. She also mentions Dosh offers at Lord & Taylor, Nike, Macy’s, and Dean & Deluca. The amounts vary: the cash back generated from a single transaction could be $2 or $100, for instance.

The post Dosh Cash Back App Featured in Tracy’s New York Life Blog appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

In addition, Dosh provides other services and features that include:

• A streamlined cash-back process that includes no UPC scanning, receipt documentation, mail-in rebates, or promo codes.
• The ability to donate to charities or transfer cash earned to a bank account or PayPal directly from the application.
• A hotel-booking service that ensures the lowest prices and provides additional cash back.
• Marketing tools for businesses that include consumer data analytics and insights designed to increase customer loyalty and enable targeted advertising efforts.

The post Dosh – Enabling Travelers to Access Cash Back on Purchases appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

The post Dosh Gives Consumers a New Way to Shop and Receive Cash Back appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

I have been honored to raise a family of four boys alongside my wife, Shawntel. Together, we have worked to instill in them the values we believe are most important in life: how to care for others, the importance of hard work, have a positive attitude, appreciation for what we have, and so many others. Beyond being a good person, I believe these lessons have a direct impact on the level of success you will experience in life. As a business leader and serial entrepreneur, my ability to be a strong and effective leader has played a major role in my success.

PUT IN THE HARD WORK

Leadership is one of those skills that is best taught by example. I was lucky to have in my great examples in my parents growing up and have worked to be a positive example for my children throughout their lives. It starts with a lesson my parents taught me from a young age: to have anything in life, it requires hard work. If you are striving for that promotion, saving for date night, or studying to get into your dream college, everything will require dedicated time and effort. But hard work is about more than just the time you put in. It’s about persevering through the setbacks. This includes one of the most difficult things about being dedicated to your dream: embracing the “No.” Learning to look at each “No” as progress instead of a setback is challenging emotionally and logically. However, reframing the “No” into a step closer to the right “Yes” will enable you to eliminate the fear associated with rejection. The “No” is not failure, but a learning moment. It is through these moments that success is possible. This is a vital step in becoming a strong leader.

HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

The second lesson my parents taught me was the importance of a positive attitude. If you go through work, life, or your relationship looking for the next roadblock, the next reason to quit, the next unfairness, you will find them strewn about your path in abundance. There is no one who can look at the world through this frame of mind and find success. Instead, you must have a positive attitude that appreciates and recognizes the small (and big) wins, the strokes of luck, and the hidden opportunities. Leaders who inspire their teams are able to visualize success and share that optimism to create a contagious positive attitude throughout their company.

When I look back over my career, it was these two foundational leadership lessons that have enabled me to find success. I have learned to exemplify these skills in the face of challenges and the “No.” I have learned to focus on the vision and keep a positive attitude throughout and use that to inspire my team. This experience is what I used to teach my children the same values and leadership skills throughout their lives. In fact, this is not the first time I have written about the specific actions my wife and I take to instill this into our children. I have written in other blogs about our Red Plate Dinners and the importance of individual recognition and appreciation. I have written about the importance of the search for knowledge and desire to know yourself and those around you, through our Dinner Questions tradition. And I have written about the business trips and money management lessons that enable our children to understand business and personal ownership early on.

LIVE IT DAILY

These are just a few of the specific actions that my family has incorporated into raising our children to be strong and moral leaders. However, there are opportunities every day to teach leadership through example and storytelling. That simple question, “How was your day, Dad?” is an opportunity to teach through a true experience that occurred that day, either in business or personal life. Whether a challenge or success, these stories help our children learn about relationships, business, problem solving, and how to have a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

EMBODY OPENNESS AND HONESTY

We believe that a commitment to openness and honesty provides insight to real-life challenges that adults face throughout their careers and lives. It is likely that one day one of our sons will find himself facing a similar challenge and will be able to recall how his parents handled it and use that knowledge to make the best decision. They will learn daily how to deal with difficult life experiences.

We are so proud of our children and the success they have achieved already. I have seen them carry these lessons out in real life, whether it be in school, golf, baseball, work, or with friends. They are able to process and understand and work through complex problems with a positive attitude and a drive for success. My oldest, Braden, has navigated his career path and has stayed committed to his passion for his own life while achieving success, despite unexpected challenges and the “No.” I see it in him in the way he interacts and supports his friends and how he is supportive and loving to his wife.

REMEMBER HUMILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

Each of my children will take a different path and each will encounter challenges and successes. I am proud of the paths they have taken so far and excited to see their continued success as they grow. My wife and I will continue to share with them our life experiences and how we will handle each one. And, knowing my children are growing up to be strong leaders, I too, will listen to their stories and experiences and learn from them because, after all, the final lesson in being a strong leader is knowing when to be humble and learn from those who are wiser than you.

The post Vital Leadership Lessons to Teach your Children from a Young Age appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

Photo by Demi Kwant on Unsplash

How does a company begin? Where does the spark of inspiration originate? For many, the idea is sparked when a need is recognized. But a successful company needs more than just an idea. A company is made from an idea, a researched and proven gap in the market, and a team of people who are passionate and qualified to bring the idea to life and profitably fill that gap.

At times, the spark of a new company comes from a constant analysis of current market conditions and comparing which trends are converging, or are likely to converge in the near future. In the past, I saw the prevalence of social media and mobile service and created Solavei, which drove over 400,000 mobile service enrollments exclusively through social marketing in its first three years. In 2012, I saw a new gap in the market: a need for a discount consolidation program that gets users cash back without them spending hours digging through online coupon sites for discounts or scanning receipts by hand into their phones. Combine this with the fact that 68% of adults in the United States have a smartphone, up from 35% just 4 years ago, and it was obvious the ideal platform for a service like this would be an app. This spark turned into my current project, Dosh, an app that automatically finds cash back for consumers without the hassle of scanning receipts or searching for offers online. This process transfers the money spent on advertising back into the hands of the consumers and allows companies to more effectively reach their target market.

The basic steps I use at the start of a new company are:

1. Determine the details of your idea:
   1. Analyze the current market condition, the convergence of trends, and determine where the gap is.
   2. If filled, would this gap lead to demand, to profit?
2. Build out the company business plan:
   1. Determine exactly what the company will do.
   2. What resources will the company need? Financially? Technology? Expertise?
3. Determine who you need on your team:
   1. What expertise do you need to hire?
   2. How many people will you need to bring your company to life?
   3. What company culture do you want to create?

Once you have these questions outlined, the start of your company is getting close. Still, it is imperative to remember that a company is dependent on the quality of the parts. This means, you need to find not only the right expertise, but the right people with that expertise. I always recommend finding people who are far better than the company founder in each of his/her individual areas of expertise, whether it be finance, marketing, operations, or technology. Then, ensure these people are passionate about the project and are ready to take ownership of their department. I have always found that giving people ownership of their area of expertise results in the best outcome for a company.

One of the most important components of a starting successful business is the necessary capital and the right investors who believe in your vision. Once you have the capital to launch your company and begin identifying your team, empower them to be the “CEO” of their own area. I have spoken in past blogs about the CEO Mentality and I consistently find that this creates better results, morale, and passion for the company. Another important piece is educating each of your team members so they clearly understand what the vision of the company is and know what is necessary to achieve that vision. It is deeply important to ensure that each person has the same understanding of the vision and priorities of the company. Without this clarity, individuals will have a difficult time reaching their objectives.

What other steps do you use when starting a new company? What components would you add?

The post The Art of Starting a New Company appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

Photo by Jen Light

Quality time with family is so important. When each of my boys reach 10 years old, they know something special will happen. That is when they begin planning a one-on-one trip with me during the summer for 5 to 7 days. This trip is always to accompany me on a business trip to another city or country, sit in each of the business meetings, and get to experience what it is their father does for a living. What’s exciting is this is a trip they get to have every year and always to a different location.

During the day they sit in everyone of my business meetings which gives me an opportunity to see first hand the relationships that I have and what causes business to progress.  These trips aren’t all work and no play. We are sure to plan experiences that are uniquely important to them and who they are. In the past, my sons have chosen to play golf at a course they’ve always heard about or view a great play in London or NYC, or go to a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. I try to give them the experience of visiting my favorite restaurants or sites in cities that I often visit as well to share with them my passions, as well.

It is amazing having my boys with me and sharing that time with them. I greatly enjoy sharing with them my passion for the work I do as well as teaching them why I do and say what I do in meetings, how to act professionally and how to present myself. All of these elements are vitally important to success and are applicable no matter what career path they take in life. These are real life moments where I can take the opportunity to teach them important lessons while at the same time watching grow personally and professionally as they develop their own powerful presence.

With sons who are now 23, 20, 11 and 9, I’m looking forward to the trips this summer. Brennan counted down the months until his 10th birthday, as he knew his trip was coming.  And my second son, Barrett, who turns 21 in April just asked me, “Where are we going this summer, Dad?” The tradition will continue with Bryson, our 9 year old, being he’s already naming the places he wants to go.  The countless memories that have been forged and the experience each of my sons have gained from our family and individual trips, is my way of preparing them for the real life situations that they will experience once they are running their own companies or working in their field of choice. They are developing their leadership skills, world view, and business insights that will be tied to our times together.

The memories for me though are worth more than any trophy or any amount of money that I possess.  Sitting on the plane sometimes by myself reliving in my mind the different trips, deep conversations, the laughter and seeing their eyes light up when they do something they’d only imagined.  Memories…..Braden at 11 years old, staying in London at the Lanesborough Hotel, touring history with my son, seeing a play on London’s “Broadway” and walking the streets of London, eating at my favorite Chinese restaurant Hakkasan and talking about the days meetings.  Waking up in the morning on the coast of California with Barrett at 14 years old, driving in the car to our first meeting and talking about our day, seeing him in the crowd as I spoke at an investment banking conference and feeling more pride knowing one of the most important people in the world was watching me, playing golf in the afternoon then feeling so incredible that night as we watched the San Francisco Giants win their first game of the playoffs in the season they won the World Series.  My first trip with Brennan to Puerto Rico where we boarded the plane and I looked to see the amazing smile of happiness, scuba diving with him in crystal blue water and him standing on stage with me as he spoke with such eloquence and price about some of the most incredible people in the world. Memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime!

These trips are designed to expand my son’s horizons and broaden their worldly perspectives, but I find myself constantly learning from my son’s unique vision and dreams. In the end, I may appreciate these trips even more than my sons do. I cannot wait for our next trip together.

The post PART IV – How Business Trips Will Teach Quality in Work and the Power of Relationships appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.

Photo Credits: Dave Crosby

From time to time someone will ask me how I fit in quality family time while working and traveling. Ultimately, it is all about making the decision to prioritize that part of your life. I have previously talked about my 24 Boxcar theory, where every hour of your day is a boxcar, and you make choices on what to fill those cars with.

Family time must be part of those 24 boxcars, even when I am out of town.

The way I look at it, family time does not always have to be an extensively planned outing. Quality family time is right at our fingertips, yet is often overlooked. I’ve always believed that in order to have quality time, you have to make quantity time. The reality is you can’t make quality time. Rather, you have to have enough quantity of time and then quality time will appear when you least expect it. Take, for example, the daily practice of family dinner. This is a hugely important part of strengthening family and community bonds. It gives families a chance to create engaging conversation between siblings and between children and parents.

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut of daily questions that don’t lead to engagement but instead lead to the same stock answers. Questions such as “What happened today at school?” can often lead to a known dead end answer of “nothing” or “the usual.” While these are important questions to ask your children, they are not the most effective way to bond and grow with them. That’s why, during my family time, I’ve found it invaluable to ask questions that spark the imagination, expand knowledge, and get everyone involved to create cross-generational relationships. These types of questions can range from the personal to the aspirational to the theoretical.

One way to spark true engagement is to make it a game by creating or purchasing a deck of dinner table question cards with a prompt or question that will start conversation about a topic that may never have arisen otherwise. Questions such as: “Where would you choose to live if you had to live in another country?” “Which wild animal would you most like to be?” “Which family or school rule would you most like to change?” “Is it more charitable to spend your money or time?

Through these conversations we learn more about our own hopes, dreams, and aspirations as well as those of our family, all over a single dinner.

One of the most significant benefits of these conversations to our family, which always seem to expand beyond the original scope of the question asked, is we get a chance to learn that we share many of the same hopes and dreams for ourselves as we do for one another, giving us a unique chance to learn from one another and a deeper understanding of how closely we’re all connected through our familial bond.

Another way to engage your children and make them feel special, valued and a part of what you do outside of the home is to bring them into your current environment. Just yesterday morning, as our 11 year old son, Brennan, was having breakfast and getting ready for school I said to him, “Brennan, I’d really like to tell you about all the different business deals I have going on right now so you can understand every time I’m talking about it at home. I’d also like to get your thoughts on some things.” He immediately got a smile on his face and said, “I’d like that.” Yesterday afternoon when he came home from school, one of the first things he asked me was, “Dad, can you tell me about all the deals you’re working on?” It was obvious to me that he’d been waiting all day to talk with me about it. Sometimes all it takes is to simply engage and get the conversation going.

These are just some of the ways I work to build relationships with my sons and my wife. I try to be very purposeful with the sometimes limited time I have with my family whether it is through the Red Plate tradition, helping them learn about finances and investment or simply through talking with them over dinner, and I am very thankful for each of these moments with my family.

The post Part III – Time around the Dinner Table appeared first on Ryan Wuerch.