amazing speed, coverage and control. change the way you wifi. xfinity. the future of awesome. good morning. coming up on msnbc's ub ub, we go back with family experts. tell you what she needs to do to make the lead and get a lead from sam's club, plus simple things you can do to give your office a new look and feel. it's makeover day coming up on "your business." hi, everyone.

i'm j.j. ramberg. welcome to "your business," the show dedicated to helping you grow your business. i first met this woman two months ago at her iced tea factory in detroit. she had been running her business for two years and earned steady sales but still didn't earn enough to pay herself. we called in the experts, they made introductions and together we gave that business a workout. she makes and sells her own ellis island has by kiss island

tea based in detroit. it's heralded from her jamaican family. her grand forecreated this drink back in the 1920s. >> what is your favorite accomplishment on wall? >> my favorite accomplishment is forbes. >> reporter: her finances are good so far but she's taken home no salary. that's why she asked our show for a makeover and last month we travel traveled to detroit to get it started. >> i can walk you through the business. >> you've got it. >> we learn thad she's got a great product and strong instincts for running a business. >> she's worked very, very hard and very committed and very committed. >> she definitely knows where she wants the take her company. >> they found she needs to step it up on the marketing, on

packaging, and on the distribution. >> vague great product is only part of what it means to be success snoofl what to look out for is what they're going to bring to the party shah this makeover begins with scott miller, founder of core strategy group and greg brinkley. they help with companies like hers to get to the next level. >> you have to take the principle. >> at first scott was impressed with her media presence. >> looked at all the video of you on tv and i said, okay, she's an up-and-comer, everybody's got their eye on her, but they were so focused you. >> he noticed that all the press she got was on her charming personality and overlooked her product ellis island tea. >> i thought no wonder this item is not getting out of the box.

this woman is too attractive. >> she needs an exciting brand identity for her tea that will grab people's attention. >> yes, it's a tea, but what kind of tea. >> building a brand identity no easy task. it starts by asking lots and lots of questions. >> what do you want people to feel when they're drinking it? >> the first thing i all get is, oh, my god, it's so smooth and they say it tastes like real tea. >> as we define what it stands for and what makes it unique and where we're going to take the brand is how we have a wall around it. >> next they contacted skid more studios. a local design firm in detroit. they helped her find labels, packaging, and maybe a new name, eye-catching items that will get noticed on a store shelf.

then they arrived with the artwork. before presenting new labels, kasha explained how they came up with the new design options. >> we've been working with the team, giving you a way to pop off the shelf. >> he began by explaining how the product has to sell. the label has to do all the work. >> at first glance the label stops yound you go, that's interesting. hen you grab it, hold it in your hand and say this is more interesting and then you say, i'll taking this home with me. >> they studied with the competitive products so the new label wouldn't get lost in the crowd. >> you're competing against the big boy snas that's how they arrived at the brand identity which they summed up in three years. unhurried island craft. this is the position. this is what sets you apart.

>> at last the unveiling of the first label design. >> nice. >> i have one for you to hold in your hands. we made a craft tea label inspired by jamaican dance hall posters. first off. >> ellis island family tee. >> i'm trying to adjust to the name change. >> there's more. >> there's more? yes, there is more. the same message but a very different look. >> i want to introduce you to the black star line of iced tea. it's inspired by the golden age of travel. so now what we've done is created that same concept, that refreshing, relaxing, taking you on a jury tea. >> if i had to make a decision, i would definitely go with this one. this screamed authentic. i just got a connection to this

one. ellis island tea is gone now? >> it's gone. >> when i first saw the black star label, my instinct was, this is it, this is going to be the label we use going forward and it kind of scared me. it scared me how quick i was willing to jump and forget about ellis island tea. was speechless and didn't know how to react, but i would definitely say that was the biggest surprise. >> i'm surprised nyala is as open as she is in taking suggestions and even as extreme as thinking about brand name. that was a surprise. >> a phrase on the label really caught nigh ala's attention jamaican sweet tea. with no other tea called

jamaican sweet tea, she has a whole other strategy. >> you set yourself up on the shelf against anybody else you reviewed and you said, e i'm your own thing. you can't compare me the something else. you've got to try me. jamaican sweet tea. >> i'm interested to see what scott has to say. >> i'm like you. i'm drawn like this one. i think she's got two excellent choices and she made a right choice at the end of the day. >> i can't wait to see it on the shelves. i'm wondering if we could put these on the shelves and people watch. >> oh absolutely. >> they took the sample bottles to a local whole foods for a test drive in the display case. >> look at this. >> yeah, wow. that's -- >> we don't even need do that. >> that's the great thing about this label. it pulls outright in. >> i really like this one. >> it does. it pulls you in. it really pops. >> it really pops. >> to get threat from here into

here is accomplished with clear stuff here. >> back at the factory the whole foods vice president for it came in to weigh in on the designs. >> i want your opinion on what you think which label does a better job at popping and brangd? >> i think this one looks like fun and hip, you know, but the messaging can be overwhelming. i'd go with this one. >> okay. that was the one that we decided to go with. i'm glad you chose that one. >> i do think the new label going to help. it's really about creating a design and telling a story. >> that one really does stand outet. it calls you right into that centerpiece and has a very good story to tell once you get in there. >> nyala was thrilled. that's only half the equation. without increased distribution, no one will ever see those labels. >> this somewhere all the

ingredients get measured out and mixed. >> that's where the executives of hms host comes in. they operate many food concessions at 44 of the 50 busiest u.s. airports. hms had already given nyala a test run at o'hare airport and now they've come to detroit with an offer. >> you're in one of the most competitive fields in the industry is bottled beverage. you're doing great. >> you've gotten every order in on time, so we'd like to roll you out to 14 more airports. so we're excited to try that out. >> nice. >> we're really excited to get you to the next level. >> that was major to. be honest, i wasn't expecting that. >> i think if you can move into this direction, we think we can do a lot more business with you. >> when i was talking to host, e was very surprised at the amount of reach that they're giving me here. that was definitely a shocker there. i wasn't -- i was expecting

maybe an additional one or two airports. >> this is a game changer. the increased demand will allow nyala to increase consumer cost and lower prices. then came a phone call from ed in bentonville. you know what's in bentonville, corporate home of sam's club. they invited her in for a meeting. >> here we are at s.a.m.'s headquarters in bentonville, arkansas. and this is the msnbc crew. we're going in to find out the verdict. is it going to do, not do? poker face. >> sam's club wants to hem with this makeover too. they offered to start her in the 32 stores in the midwest region. >> in michigan, indiana, and ohio, this will be the only iced

tea in the cooler? >> correct. you would be the exclusive refrigerated iced tea that sam's club carries. >> okay. i like the sound of that. okay. i guess i'm often told they try to run before i walk, so i will take my time and own michigan first and then the midwest and see where we go from there. >> they went over to the local sam's club. >> this where i'll be? >> yes. this is the juice section. one of the highest options in the cooler box. they'll see your option and they'll be encouraged to try it. >> of course, tla because my display-ready packaging and bottles are going to pop. >> if i were to like at nyala at take off and invest or sell off. i would definitely put her in the take off and success. is this a million dollar idea or

$100 million idea? time will tell. >> i feel like this is the big break i've been waiter for all this time. i feel very, very excited. it's like a breath of fresh air and like i'm just getting started. a quick footnote to this story. a few days ago we got a call from her. she told us after the camera crew left and experts went home, she really loved the new label designs but she wasn't ready to give up the name ellis island tea, so the guys went back to the drawing board and this is the final version of the label. we want you to weigh in. should she have went with black star or keep the name ellis island tea. there's a lot of talk. i wonder if it's growing your business or not.

our next guest is. she's here to tell us why and how to do it. he's at duke university's school of business. good to see you, dory. >> thanks, j.j. >> i like this talk but i'm a little confused by it. in the old days you could just have a great company. martha stewart, her brand was her personal brand, but if you were building dishwashers, you didn't have to be out there. your dishwasher spoke for itself. so why do we have to think about person brand? >> it's important for a few reasons. number one, the competition for top talent is enormous, and if you have a strong personal brand as being a good innovative forward leading thinker, that innocecentivizes the right one. the same thing goes with finding investment. there's a longstanding saying, you bet on the jockey, not the

horse. they want the business leader. if you have a strong brand, that's enormousry helpful. >> so it's not necessarily to the consumers. there might be something to get your consumers to buy your product, but it's reallier running your business. so let's get o the how-to. number one irk you say express what you want to be known for. >> yes. the starting place, many people think wrongly that personal branding is about looking out into the world and saying what does the world wand me to be and how can i pretend to be that? that's where it gets knocked because it's about phoniness or inauthenticity. that couldn't be further from the truth. first it's about clair fig your values. here are them and how can i better share them and portray them to people. >> that makes sense. >> share with your investors. >> yes. everybody these days knows that having a mentor is important but

there's misconceptions about mentorship. many people think it has to be one perfect person that represents everything we want to be in the world. that's a eun i corn. i advocate having a board of mentors, meaning having a gruel of people around you you like and respect. it's about taking the skills and talents that they have and learning those facets from them. >> this goes after your last point about emulate your role models. pick what you want to be like. >> that's right. you can think really broadly about h. your role models could be the people in front of you. they also could be historical figures that you learn about from reading biographies. they could be people that you know just slightly in your industry but are a few years 'head of you. they're where you want to be. and you can begin to stalk them in a good way. see what media organizations they're involved in and you can

begin to model yourself so you can get some of the same results. >> two more. set up a google alert on yourself? >> yes. very easy. simpling free. you can literally type the phrase google alert into google and set one up for your naum and the numb of your business. this will alert you every time it's mentioned on the internet. that way if there's incorrect information, you can correct it fast. if there's someone saying nice about you, ku can thank them rapidly. >> okay. finally maintain long form content which is hard for some people but it gives you a chance to be thoughtful about things and put them on paper which organizes your own thoughts. >> that's exactly right. it's very easy for people to send a 140-character twee and feel like they're being productive and getting things out there. but what really it is din kwishs it is creating long-form

contempt or blogs or videos that share your perspectives and ideas in a deep way. that's what enables people to see it in a deep way. >> by the way, if you're not a fabulous writer, you can get someone to edit it. >> any time. >> this is great. thank you so much, dorie. good to see you. >> thanks. if you're looking to give your office a brand-new look which will help your company culture and morale, you don't have to spend a lot of money. we've got some great dyi tips that can give your work environmental a completely different feel. our office has become a test ground for experimental design. a lot of things we test out we try to see if they work or don't work and bring them into startup

spaces. for instance we have a green wa wall. >> we've taken plants and have them. as they grow we'll race them up chrk will be a full green wall that separates the reception area from the working area. >> it's an amazing sort of asset or design asset to draw from, so adding something like a plant wall is not very expensive. we're trying to give a maximum solution for a maximum spend. this is a stack wall. we've used suitcases, apple baskets. these are wine crates from etsy for around $20. you can find them anywhere at a

vintage shop of flea market. >> you're working with this pair dock of how do we give a space a feeling of permanence while impe it needs to grow with a company. that trance yans is a difficult thing to accomplish. we use greenhouses so you don't have to use a architect to get a concerns room up because you may not be there in six month and why waste so much time when you can disassemble something and bring it with you? >> it's something people notice. we named them halo, video phone, and run the world after beyonce's bons. >> the post-it wall where people write notes and put it onto congratulate other people or mask how they align with our three tenets.

post-its are inexpensive. why not have fun with it. >> this standing desk is a great example of startup offices with mobility. there are teams of four and six. it's unnatural for people to sit down for eight to six hours a day. standing desks are around $800 to $10,000. in this case we took an ikea countertop and attached pipe legs with casters so it can move around the space. >> this is one of our favorite add ones to this office. it's a great way to inspire employees. we put up fun quotes. we use this space for company lunches. we try and keep it positive with a nice message. this is from thomas edison. it's a great quote.

>> we're always experimenting with lighting. lighting can make or break a space. in this particular office we wanted to experiment with residential lighting. commercial lighting can tend to feel cold or sort of boilerplate boring. and so we used chandeliers. we wanted to see how do chandeliers function when we put them on dimmers? can you get enough ambient light? what kind of feeling does it give you? i think the result was great. i mentioned desk space. one of the things we wanted to experiment was using vintage and found tables and how you can create a cohesive look when every table is different. we used a paint color. we painted them all the same color and saw what happens. it gives a unity to the work space. >> in order to grow your

customer pabase you need to rea the right people at the right time. we have five tools every marketer should know from entrepreneur. >> chatty people sets up a messenger chat bot that takes orders and gathers data to customize your sales pitch without you physically having to be there. two, promo republic is a con tent builder. post to facebook, twitter, and linked in. hot jar will analyze your website's performance with information about how visitors are spending time on your site so you can better serve their needs. four, yoast gives you ideas to optimize your search. and five, majestic helps you up your back link quality with

metrics and comparison tools, this index makes sure you have a way to connect all possibly customers to your products and services. when we come back, more advice on helping your business grow including what sort of metrics you need to get funded. and why you shouldn't let your ego get in the way of your business decisions. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com.

one thing i as a startup we're always finding is they want metrics. what's an affordable way to get the metrics that we need to close the deal for seed funding? >> if you have a full on website, get metrics around customer engagement and how they're interacting with your site. the website is one of the first places to get metrics. the second place is to start getting anl ittics around your customers. around customers that are current. how many do you have? how is that number changing over name? what's the churn? and then finally, financials. financials is a huge area for metrics. what are the sales? what are the margins? and again, how is that number changing over time? look to areas like websites,

customers and financials, and hopefully that will give you a good ground starting point for metrics and it will be enough to get a vc's attention and want to learn more. >> we have the top two tips you need to know to help you grow your business. let's introduce or panel. carol roth is a business strategize, a former investment banker and an angel investor. >> and dori clark is a professor at duke university's school of business. i was just at duke for my reunion, it's so fun. it was great to be there. let's get your tip. >> thank you. my tip is that business owners really need to rethink their goal setting. one of the biggest problems that we have is that we set goals that number one, have too many facets, too many sub goals and number two, we don't review them

frequently enough. rita mcgrath has done research into the most successful businesses. it turns out the business environment is changing so fast these days that actually the most successful businesses don't just have annual plans. instead, they are re-evaluates their goals every four to six months. we need to start doing that and choosing fewer goals. pick one or two things to focus and go deep on. that's the path to success. >> in any business endeavor that you do, you need to be pursuing roi which is return on investments instead of roe which is return on ego. there are too many activities these days whether it is social media, whether it is pr, whether it is networking, where there is an opportunity for you to feel really great about yourself. you get the likes on facebook or twitter. you collect so many business cards and a networking event,

but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is advancing your business. and until you can pay your payroll and your mortgage with ego, you don't want to be focusing on that. you want to focus on what brings in the money. anything that you're doing, whether it's on a short-term basis or a long-term basis, has to have a very clear plan an how you're going to translate that into dollars and sales for your business and not just making yourself feel great. >> great advice. thanks, both of you. this week's selfie is from lui s santos the owner of bright n shine teeth cleaning. from florida. i know dogs who could use this service. pick up your smart phone and take a selfie of you and your business and send it to us at your business at msnbc.com. if it's easier, use twitter and

tweet it to us. include your name, the name of your business, and location, and don't forget to use the hash tag, your business selfie. >> thank you for joining us. we would love to hear from you. if you have questions or comments, e-mail us. we read every single e-mail we get. you can go to our website. it's openforum.com/yourbusiness. remember, we make your business our business.

although the law required no reason at all to fire an fbi director, the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly, the fbi. by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the work force had lost confidence in it leader. those were lies, plain and simple. >> good morning and welcome to "politicsnation". that was perhaps the most