We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marissa Gifford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marissa below.

Marissa , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

I am deeply concerned about the state of public education in the United States. I believe that our current system is failing to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century. Here are my views on what is wrong with our current public education system and what should be changed to enable students to have a more fulfilling life and career.

One of the biggest problems with public education is the lack of choice and competition. I firmly believe that the government should not be in the business of providing education and that parents should have the ability to choose the best school for their children. Competition among schools will lead to better outcomes for students, and schools that fail to provide a quality education will be forced to improve or go out of business. We need to empower parents to make the best decisions for their children and allow them to choose the school that best fits their needs.

Another issue with public education is the overemphasis on standardized testing. Standardized tests place too much emphasis on rote memorization and do not accurately measure a student’s ability to think critically or creatively. Our schools should focus more on teaching students how to learn and how to think for themselves, rather than simply teaching them to pass a test. We need to reduce the emphasis on standardized testing and allow our teachers to be more creative in their teaching methods.

In addition, public education is too focused on the needs of the system, rather than the needs of the students. We need to make our schools more flexible and responsive to the needs of individual students, and we need to give teachers more autonomy to tailor their teaching methods to the needs of their students. One size does not fit all when it comes to education, and we need to recognize that every student has unique needs and abilities.

Public education should focus more on teaching practical skills that will prepare students for the workforce. Too many students are graduating from high school without the skills they need to succeed in the modern economy. Our schools should do more to teach students practical skills like coding, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. We need to ensure that our students are prepared to enter the workforce and that they have the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

I believe that our current public education system is failing our students, and we need to make significant changes to ensure that they have a more fulfilling life and career. We need to increase choice and competition, reduce the emphasis on standardized testing, make our schools more responsive to the needs of students, and focus more on teaching practical skills. Only then will we be able to provide our students with the education they need to succeed in the modern world.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Growing up poor in a small town and working hard to achieve success has shaped my life and helped me build a reputation of integrity in the high-tech industry over the past 30 years. Despite the challenges I faced, I always remained committed to maintaining my values, and this has been instrumental in earning the trust and respect of my colleagues and clients.

Being a person of integrity has been central to my success. It has enabled me to build a strong sense of trust with my clients, who know that I will always act in their best interests. This has allowed me to maintain long-term relationships with them, resulting in a strong client base that has supported me throughout my career.

Hard work has also played a critical role in my success. From an early age, I learned the value of working hard and being persistent in pursuing my goals. This has helped me to achieve success in the high-tech industry, where innovation and hard work are essential to staying ahead of the competition.

Growing up poor has taught me to be resourceful and creative, which has been invaluable in the fast-paced world of technology. I have learned to think outside the box and find innovative solutions to problems that others may have overlooked.

I have built a reputation as a reliable and skilled professional, with a commitment to excellence and a strong work ethic. I have earned the trust and respect of my colleagues and clients through hard work, integrity, and a commitment to doing the right thing, even when it is difficult. These experiences have taught me the importance of staying true to my values and maintaining a strong work ethic, which has enabled me to succeed in a challenging and competitive industry.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Owning a business can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. One of the toughest moments in my journey as a business owner was the day I had to miss a payroll. It was a difficult decision that I never imagined I would have to make, but it was necessary due to financial stress caused by a poor sales team.

As a business owner, I always understood the importance of cash flow and the need to maintain a healthy bottom line. However, despite my best efforts, my sales team was not performing as expected, and our revenue was declining. As a result, I found myself facing a cash flow crisis that made it impossible to meet our payroll obligations.

Missing a payroll was not only emotionally difficult, but it also had a significant impact on the morale of my team and my business partners. I had always prided myself on treating my employees well, and it was painful to see them suffer because of the company’s financial troubles.

However, my partners and I refused to give up. Instead, We focused our energy on finding a way to turn things around. We analyzed our sales process, restructured our team, and invested in new marketing initiatives. We also reached out to our existing clients and worked hard to build stronger relationships with them.

Fortunately, our efforts paid off, and we were able to generate more revenue and stabilize our cash flow. We were able to pay back the missed payroll, and we went on to achieve greater success than ever before.

Looking back, I realize that the experience taught me several valuable lessons. It reinforced the importance of having a strong sales team and reminded me that even the most well-managed companies can experience financial difficulties. Most importantly, it taught me that perseverance and determination are essential traits for any business owner.

Owning a business can be a challenging experience, but it’s important to stay focused and committed in the face of adversity. Even when faced with difficult decisions, it’s essential to remain honest and transparent with your team and work hard to find a way through the toughest times.