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Blake Modersitzki, managing partner at Pelion Venture Partners, will speak at the Inventory Management + Growth Summit hosted by Fishbowl Inventory on Sept. 28, 2021.

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Former Major League Baseball MVP Dale Murphy will speak at the Inventory Management + Growth Summit hosted by Fishbowl on Sept. 28, 2021.

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Fishbowl Inventory will host the Industry Management + Growth Summit on Sept. 28, 2021.

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Entrepreneur Daymond John will speak at the Inventory Management + Growth Summit hosted by Fishbowl on Sept. 28, 2021.

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The changing paradigm of how small to medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs are having to kick up their game has been heightened in the past year because of COVID-19.

Help is coming, according to Fishbowl Inventory. On Sept. 28, Fishbowl will hold its first free, online Inventory Management + Growth Summit for business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone looking to improve their management and life skills.

The theme of the summit is “Learn, Grow and Scale.”

Based in Orem, Fishbowl offers desktop and online manufacturing and warehouse management solutions so organizations or enterprises can track assets.

“SMB owners once saw a need in their market and wanted to dive in and become entrepreneurs. All business owners got their start one way or another, but many of those owners have not received specific training or acquired degrees in business management, marketing, finance or leadership,” said John David King, CEO of Fishbowl. “We hope that through this summit we can ultimately help these men and women learn, grow and scale their businesses. You need to learn first in order to grow. Then you can scale your business the proper way.”

The summit is filled with more than 10 hours of guest panels and motivational speakers. The keynote speakers will not only help business owners specifically but also help attendees scale their life to better heights on a personal level.

Headline speakers for the summit include ABC’s “Shark Tank” investor and FUBU founder/CEO Daymond John, who will lead the inventory management section, as well as Intuit Chief Revenue Officer Bobby Morrison and Vice President of Partnerships Gavin Orleow, who will headline the growth track with Navy SEAL John Choate and two-time former Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Dale Murphy.

Murphy’s presentation, “Creating a Persevering Mindset,” will be targeted at helping participants find strength and keys to improving the way they think about themselves, their goals and their business.

“I love to talk about baseball and my experiences,” Murphy told the Daily Herald. “Baseball is an interesting game and an everyday sport. You play 180 games a year. You have to be resilient. If you don’t learn it in baseball, you’re not going to make it.”

Murphy noted that players start in the minor leagues and go through a series of tests and growth experiences that, one by one, prepare them to move to the majors.

Like Murphy, what you think you will do may not end up being what you do. He said he changed playing positions two times, with learning curves as part of those changes.

“You have to work on self-doubt,” Murphy said. “Figure in your mind how to battle staying in the moment.”

There are down days, he said, and even the best hitters in the game only achieve a batting average around .300. “That means you’re 30% successful and 70% of the time you’re a no hitter.”

Murphy said one of the great lessons in life is to understand resilience. Through experience, you figure out how to bounce back.

“There is a lot of negativity out there. Focus on positives,” Murphy said. “A positive mindset keeps you going. If I strike out, what can I do differently?”

Murphy noted there can be 1/8 of an inch difference between hitting a home run or a fly ball.

The Fishbowl summit gives Murphy the opportunity to spread his enthusiasm not only for baseball, but also for the game of life.

Blake Modersitzki, managing partner at Pelion Venture Partners, will discuss “How to Create a Culture of Growth.”

“Growth can be defined different ways.” Modersitzki said. He said that the pandemic, and even before, has resulted in many people working from home and not interacting with each other.

He is concerned that workers who don’t see people every day may lose the ability to communicate.

“My parents taught me the value of hand-written notes,” Modersitski said. “Now, my kids have instant communication.”

He said he needs to let people know how much he appreciates them. He enjoys interesting and robust conversation.

Modersitski said he is also concerned that people now want instant gratification, that they want things too quickly.

“Like making soup, soup takes time,” Modersitski said. “You can’t replace time by adding more vegetables. You need it to simmer for a while.”

“Managers want to do things too quickly. Let the universe process what’s going on, or you miss greatness,” he added.

Jake Goeckeritz, vice president of marketing for Fishbowl, is excited about the presentations, saying this first summit came together with a lot of help and luck.

Those involved are people who want to give back, he said.

“Our mantra is ‘Learn, Grow, Scale,'” Goeckeritz said. “We picked these speakers strategically.”

Goeckeritz said his father was an entrepreneur who escaped from Germany. “His story has a strong influence in my life.”

His father spent 45 years as a Volkswagen mechanic. He had a hard time learning from others and that would have made a difference in his business and life.

Goeckeritz said that wise men learn from their mistakes. Wiser men learn from others. Participants at the Fishbowl summit will have the opportunity to learn from some of the wisest people in business and life.

“When we start thinking we’re smarter than we are, we hinder our growth,” Goeckeritz said. “If you as a leader stop investing in yourself, you’re going to stop progressing and will hold your company back.”

Goeckeritz also encourages the older generation to invest in learning from the younger generation.

“Learning on both ends is important,” he said.

Other Fishbowl summit featured speakers include:

• Andrew Smith, managing partner of Savory Fund and co-founder of R&R BBQ, Mo’ Bettahs, Swig and more.
• Matt Frisbie, chief marketing officer of Little Giant Ladder Systems.
• Vince DeAngelis, vice president of carrier partnerships at Shippo.
• Joe Hansen, CEO of Buy Box Experts.
• SalsaQueen Zapata, owner of Salsa Queen.
• Brian Hayes, chief financial officer of NOW CFO.
• Sophie D’Souza, vice president of optimization at Spiralyze.

“I’m honored to be a part of Fishbowl’s Growth Summit,” said Smith, of Savory Fund. “Being a lifelong entrepreneur, I am always impressed when successful companies give back to those looking for growth. I love sharing some of my winning strategies.”

Goeckeritz said he is excited to hear from Maharba Zapata, “The Salsa Queen.” Zapata, a Utah resident, emigrated from Mexico, never finished high school and less than five years ago was a single mother of seven children living on food stamps and Medicaid.

Her turnaround story is impressive, as she has become well-known for her fresh gourmet salsas.

Panel discussions include everything from marketing a business to creating synergy in software.

“John Choate will have a Q&A about how to learn from the Navy SEALS,” Goeckeritz said. “You can learn from so many aspects. I want people to know the whole purpose of the summit is to learn and grow and that’s why it’s free.”

To take advantage of the free Fishbowl Inventory Management + Growth Summit, register at fishbowlgrowthsummit.com. The summit will be entirely virtual. Over 10 hours of speaker content and panel discussion will be available for viewing on Sept. 28 and thereafter.

For more information on Fishbowl Inventory, visit fishbowlinventory.com.

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