I met John Clapham or "JC" in Raglan, New Zealand last year when I walked into his shop hoping they weren’t yet closing and said while huffing from my brisk walk, “What time do you close?” He responded with a smile, “depends on whose asking…LOL." And from there, we ended up chatting for about half an hour. I left thinking, I want to hear more of this guy’s story . JC didn’t go to college and worked his way up from tagging surf leashes in a retail shop to becoming CEO of Volcom Australia. He is t...
Jun 24, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 23
What began as a tribute to my dad has unexpectedly become part of my healing journey, transforming from purely business and entrepreneurship to learning through storytelling. How I Built My Small Business recently won a 2025 Communicator Award of Excellence as an educational series , validating the creative endeavor of hosting, editing, and producing this show. • Season One focused on business creation and growth while Season Two explores guests' expertise and perspectives beyond business • Lear...
Jun 17, 2025•12 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Today’s guest is Dave Pope, a friend of mine from college who spent 14 years in sales in the Northeast before making a bold move and buying Kaytech, Inc., a surface preparation company based in Greenville, South Carolina. At the time, he had no prior experience as a business owner. In this episode, Dave shares what it’s really like before, during and after acquiring a small business with stories from his first year as an owner-operator. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube . Let’s con...
Jun 10, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Today’s guest is Samantha Rose , an Emmy award-winning television writer and three-time New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter. She’s the founder of Yellow Sky Media , a literary development company that collaborates with celebrities, experts, and industry leaders to bring their powerful stories to life. Recently, Samantha stepped into the spotlight with her own memoir, Giving Up The Ghost , a poignant exploration of the grief and unanswered questions that followed her mother’s suicide. Her work...
Jun 03, 2025•53 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Today’s guest is Glenn Harrold , a meditation guide whose relax and sleep well recordings have personally helped me get much needed rest at times when I’m tired but wired. Glenn is an international best selling self-help author and one of the world’s most successful hypnotherapists. His guided meditations and mindfulness audio titles have been streamed over forty million times. And, his CD title, Complete Relaxation, is the only gold disc ever awarded by Nielsen for a self-help title. Glenn’s st...
May 27, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 19
As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve often turned to my own parents’ story for inspiration, a belief that we’re all capable of achieving anything we truly believe in, and a reminder that taking risks is often the key to making meaningful leaps in life. Today, I’m joined by Neri Karra Sillaman , who shares her extraordinary journey, from fleeing her home country as a refugee to building a global, multi-million dollar luxury brand , and teaching entrepreneurship at Oxford. She’s a 3-time TEDx speak...
May 20, 2025•57 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Today’s episode is not so much about starting a business, but a glimpse into the neuroscience of influence and the power of Neurolinguistic Programming. My guest is Dr. Josh Davis , PhD in psychology and neuroscience from Columbia University. He’s the international bestselling author of Two Awesome Hours and an upcoming title The Difference that Makes the Difference . Josh is the founder of the Science-Based Leadership Institute , a sought-after keynote speaker, and his writing has appeared in H...
May 13, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Jennifer Tsay is the co-founder and CEO of Shoott - with two Ts, a fast-growing company making professional photography more accessible for clients and a reliable supplemental income for photographers. In just seven years, Shoott has grown from $800K to over $9 million in revenue, achieving operational profitability and expanding services to over sixty cities across the US. "Jen" shares her journey in a very candidly and authentically, and we talk about leadership, giving and receiving feedback,...
May 06, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Today we have Lloyd Rooney sharing his journey - from leaving the traditional schooling system at 12 due to dyslexia, learning how he learned best, to bartending in the UK and now owner-operating multiple restaurants in New Zealand, employing over 135 people. Lloyed is a co-founder of The Jetson Group , a collection of distinctive restaurants in New Zealand: The Quay , No. 8 , Loco , and The Cove Cafe . I had the chance to meet Lloyd and Mike during a recent stop at The Cove Cafe and I was struc...
Apr 29, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Tara Bielawski is a medium and today’s conversation is not so much about starting a business and more so about perspective, her gift and her journey to mediumship. Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, and it’s what led me to start this podcast. Conversations like this, whether you believe in mediumship or not, are part of my journey of asking bigger questions about life, connection, and what really matters. Back in December of last year, I was invited to attend a group med...
Apr 22, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Today’s conversation with Dr. Bill Rawls and Braden Rawls is about understanding health at a cellular level. Dr. Bill Rawls is a licensed physician with over 30 years of experience in medicine. After facing a personal health crisis in his early forties, he turned to herbal and alternative medicine, restoring his health and becoming a leading voice in holistic wellness. He is the bestselling author of "The Cellular Wellness Solution," and serves as the Medical Director and Co-Founder of Vital Pla...
Apr 15, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Kerri Futch is a friend of mine who moved from Northern California to Wisconsin to be closer to family and to chase a dream vision for a Wolf and Fox , boutique winery and an event space. This episode is more of a casual conversation and catch-up between friends, but there are oodles of nuggets in her story, her strategic approach, and you’ll get real-time insights and perspective into what it’s like being in the midst of a less than 1 year-old business. Kerri and her husband, Jon, purchased for...
Apr 08, 2025•35 min•Season 2Ep. 12
This interview was so entertaining to host because I felt like I was back in college for an hour and had the most interesting guest teacher who made me laugh, play games, and have fun - all while learning. Duncan Wardle, the former head of innovation and creativity at Disney, is on a mission to teach people how to access their natural creative abilities, to be innovative, explore curiosity, connect through empathy and tap into one’s intuition. As soon as I saw Duncan in the online recording room...
Apr 01, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Today we’re diving into the world of publishing with Jackie Ashton —literary agent, journalist, and founder of Bookmark, a boutique agency helping thought leaders bring impactful books to life. Before launching The Bookmark Agency , Jackie was an agent at Lucinda Literary, where she landed major publishing deals for authors like Dave Pell ( Please Scream Inside Your Heart ) and Scott Shigeoka ( Seek ). With a deep understanding of the publishing industry, she specializes in helping authors craft...
Mar 25, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Today’s episode is part of Podcasthon , a global effort bringing thousands of podcasts together to raise awareness for charitable causes. My guest today is Christopher Helfrich , President and CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. , the foundation he co-founded with Stephen and Ayesha Curry to tackle childhood hunger, early literacy, and active lifestyles for kids in Oakland. Since launching in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. has raised and invested over $32 million —directly impacting underserved children and famil...
Mar 18, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Laura Wachtel talks about how improv can make life—and work—better. The principles of improv—like saying ‘yes, and,’ thinking on your feet, and embracing the unexpected—can transform how you communicate, lead, and handle challenges. Laura is the owner of Zipline Improv , where she’s bringing improv out of the theater and into the real world—helping individuals, businesses, schools, and communities use play to sharpen listening, build connection, and get out of their heads. Subscribe on Apple Pod...
Mar 11, 2025•37 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Ru Hill is the founder of Surf Simply , a globally renowned boutique coaching resort in Costa Rica that has transformed the way people learn to surf. Unlike traditional surf schools, Surf Simply takes a science-based, technique-driven approach , breaking down the complexities of surfing into teachable, measurable skills. This method has attracted everyone from complete beginners to seasoned surfers looking to refine their craft. Beyond the waves, Ru is a deep thinker on business, leadership, and...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Today, Dr. Alexa D’Agostino is coming on the show to share insights on how to build a company from six to seven figures or seven to eight. Alexa founded her first official company at 18 and went on to build and then exit multiple businesses achieving over nine figures in exits by the age of 30. As a part of her journey, she has raised over $100m for charities worldwide. As the CEO of Thynk Consulting Group , Alexa specializes in scaling businesses through strategic marketing, sales, and leadersh...
Feb 25, 2025•34 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In today’s episode, Hayes Hitchens talks with us about his journey starting and building Moondance Adventures . Moondance is a teen adventure travel program that sends over 2000 teenagers each summer on trips across five continents and over twenty countries with a commitment to foster personal growth, leadership skills, problem solving, decision making and a love for the outdoors. For some backstory, Hayes was the dean of students and director of summer programs at my school and I remember him t...
Feb 18, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Today we have Dr. Megan Lyons on the show to talk about recognizing early symptoms of burnout, ways to optimize your health, and fix the root causes of illness. Megan is a Harvard graduate with two Master’s degrees, two Board Certifications, and a Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition. She is a passionate health and wellness expert, inspiring others to feel their healthiest and happiest. In 2014, Megan pivoted from the management consulting business world to follow her passion for wellness by opening ...
Feb 11, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Andy Hunter is the founder CEO of bookshop.Org In todday's episode, he talks about his innovative solution to save indie bookstore. Quoting the New York Times, “The rapid rise of Bookshop.org during the shutdown has been hailed as a boon for independent stores.” B-Labs announced the company as one of the “best for the world,” and in the top 5% of all B-Corps. The business model is brilliant on so many levels, and I can’t wait for you to hear what he has to share. Andy is also the co-creator of t...
Feb 04, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today we’re joined by Alexandra Janelli, a leading hypnotherapist and founder of ModrnSanctuary, an alternative beauty and wellness spa and winner of Philadelphia Magazine’s 2024 “Best of Philly.” She is also the founder of My Burble, a transformative app designed to help users overcome stress, anxiety, sleep issues, and other personal challenges through tailored guided visualizations and meditations. As one of New York City’s premier hypnotherapists, Alexandra has guided Academy Award-nominated...
Jan 28, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
I’m trying something new this week by releasing a shortened highlights episode alongside the full one. It’s designed for those of you who may not have time to listen to the whole episode—perfect for a quick commute or a busy day. To be honest, it’s more work, and my ADD brain isn’t entirely convinced this idea is worth continuing, but I wanted to experiment and see how it goes. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you like and appreciate the highlights version, or should I stick to full-length epi...
Jan 24, 2025•14 min
Today we’re diving into why building and scaling a business—and achieving more freedom and free time—starts with the “who” in your business. Our guest, Dr. Geoff Smart , is the Chairman and Founder of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm specializing in helping companies make high-impact hiring and leadership decisions. With over $100 million in revenue, ghSMART’s hiring strategies are in high demand because they deliver results. If you’ve ever wondered, “Who is the world’s expert on hiring?”—jus...
Jan 21, 2025•53 min•Season 2Ep. 1
🎉 Season 2 of How I Built My Small Business is Coming January 21! Get ready for more thought-provoking stories, expert wisdom, and actionable advice to help you grow in both business and life. This season, I’m sharing conversations with incredible guests, including: Ru Hill ( Surf Simply Resort ): Discover why his impactful business model and unique perspective earned him an invitation to speak at MIT’s Sloan School of Business. Dr. Megan Lyons ( The Lyons Share Wellness ): A Doctor of Clinical...
Jan 14, 2025•3 min
Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized ! I’m Anne McGinty, host of the show. While full-length guest episodes are on hold for the holidays, I’ve prepared a collection of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired until Season 2. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube . Let’s connect! Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty Instagram: https://www.ins...
Jan 10, 2025•9 min
Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized ! I’m Anne McGinty, your host. While we take a break from full-length guest episodes for the holidays, I’ve curated a series of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired. Each bite-sized episode features a collection of powerful snippets from interviews, organized by topic for easy listening. Stay tuned for quick insights to fuel your business and personal growth! Season 2 drops the week of January 25, 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , S...
Jan 07, 2025•9 min
Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized ! I’m Anne McGinty, host of the show. While full-length guest episodes are on hold for the holidays, I’ve prepared a collection of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired until Season 2. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube . Let’s connect! Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty Instagram: https://www.ins...
Jan 03, 2025•9 min
Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized ! I’m Anne McGinty, your host. While we take a break from full-length guest episodes for the holidays, I’ve curated a series of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired. Each bite-sized episode features a collection of powerful snippets from interviews, organized by topic for easy listening. Stay tuned for quick insights to fuel your business and personal growth! Season 2 drops the week of January 25, 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , S...
Dec 31, 2024•9 min
Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized ! I’m Anne McGinty, your host. While we take a break from full-length guest episodes for the holidays, I’ve curated a series of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired. Each bite-sized episode features a collection of powerful snippets from interviews, organized by topic for easy listening. Stay tuned for quick insights to fuel your business and personal growth! Season 2 drops the week of January 25, 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcast , S...
Dec 24, 2024•5 min
