My biggest advice to anyone starting out is to avoid setting expectations for how long it will take to experiment and find your footing. Unless you're following a franchise model, no one has done exactly what you're trying to do—so there’s no set timeline. And since time is money, the more you can explore, test, and learn while working another job or having some financial support, the better. Giving yourself that buffer will allow you to figure things out before fully going to market, which can ...
Jun 30, 2025•29 min•Ep. 678
Don't start coding, hiring, or building anything until you've sold the idea. Your first job is to talk to potential customers, deeply understand their problems, and validate that a real solution is needed. This is a lesson I’ve learned over multiple ventures—this being my third. In fact, we didn’t write a single line of code until we had a signed contract in hand. That shift has fundamentally changed our company culture: we stay commercially focused, but always grounded in solving real problems....
Jun 23, 2025•28 min•Ep. 677
One of my mentors shared something I always come back to — it comes down to three key things. First, self-motivation. You’ve got to have that inner drive to go after what you truly want. Second, prioritization. You need to know what matters most and what can wait. And third, mentorship. Find someone you trust, someone who can guide you. And along the way, don’t forget to trust yourself too — if something feels off, listen to that instinct.
Jun 18, 2025•24 min•Ep. 676
The rule of thumb I followed—and one I still believe in—is that it's perfectly fine to change direction, to explore different paths, or even juggle multiple interests at once. If you don’t have everything figured out from the start, that’s completely okay. What matters most is getting out there and gaining real experiences. Don’t fear trying, and don’t fear failing. Every attempt, every bit of exposure, teaches you something new—and it's that very exposure that will eventually lead you to your p...
Jun 16, 2025•31 min•Ep. 675
Keep trying—because you're going to hear a lot of "no's," and the key is to get comfortable with rejection. I even have a note taped to my desk that says, "Try to get rejected—to get over the fear of being rejected." As an entrepreneur, especially in the beginning, you'll face resistance and doubt, often from others and sometimes from yourself. But success comes from showing up over and over again, even when it feels like no one believes in you. Persistence is what separates those who make it fr...
Jun 04, 2025•31 min•Ep. 674
You know, it’s different for everyone, but a good starting point would be reading the book Emotional Intelligence. It’s a great introduction to understanding EQ. If you don’t really know who you are — and many people don’t, especially when starting a business in their 20s — take time to explore that. Talk to the people around you. Ask them how they perceive you. What do they think are your biggest weaknesses? It’s not always easy to hear, but getting that honest feedback early on can save you a ...
Jun 02, 2025•27 min•Ep. 673
Follow your heart and trust your instincts—they’re often more powerful than you realize. I’ve always had a strong gut feeling about the things I pursue, a sense that tells me, “This needs to happen, this will work.” When I’ve shared my ideas with others, the response has been overwhelmingly positive—people are often surprised and inspired, saying they never thought of it that way. That kind of validation is encouraging, but it starts with knowing what truly drives and excites you. Figure out wha...
May 26, 2025•28 min•Ep. 672
If there's one key piece of advice I'd give to anyone in business or entrepreneurship, it's to beware of the tyranny of the now—the intense pressure of immediate problems like a lost contract, a team member leaving, or an unexpected crisis. These challenges feel overwhelming in the moment, but they are temporary. Don't let short-term pain lead to emotional decisions that could harm your long-term vision. Instead, stay focused on why you started—your original dream, belief, and purpose. The prese...
May 19, 2025•26 min•Ep. 671
Stay liquid — hold on to as much cash as possible. If you're ready to go all in, be prepared to make serious lifestyle adjustments — even something as extreme as crashing on a friend's couch with just a sleeping bag. You need to fully grasp that whatever you're planning for your business — the launch, the execution, everything — will likely take longer, cost more, and face more uncertainty than you expect.Expect delays. Expect higher costs — for materials, labor, permits, and everything in betwe...
May 12, 2025•21 min•Ep. 670
Get really good at listening to your own gut. You're going to receive a lot of advice—everyone will be convinced they know exactly what you should do next. Some of that advice might be valuable, but I always take everything with a grain of salt. What’s more important is learning to pause and tune in to your own instincts.We're actually in one of those moments right now—a bit of a pivot, a shift in focus. And instead of speeding up or seeking even more input, what I really need to do is slow down...
May 05, 2025•33 min•Ep. 669
I don’t want to pretend like I know how every business works—because I don’t. But in my experience, with my own business, I truly believe the most important thing is being fully present. You have to live in the business. I just don’t see how this can be done remotely. Even if it could, I think there’s so much value—in terms of company culture and team morale—in working alongside your people. If a truck shows up and there's a lot of work to do, you jump in and help unload. If there’s trash on the...
Apr 28, 2025•34 min•Ep. 668
I'd suggest ignoring the common advice in business culture that tells you to hack your time, boost productivity, or master time management. Instead, shift your focus to managing your energy. That change made a profound difference in my life. So many of us are walking around nearly depleted—burned out, overwhelmed, and under constant stress. The real antidote isn't doing more or achieving more, but figuring out how to stop the energy leaks and restore what fuels us.
Apr 25, 2025•33 min•Ep. 667
There are two books I always recommend to entrepreneurs just starting out, and one of them is Profit First by Mike. The book is a game-changer. Coming from the corporate world, I had a traditional mindset about finances, but this book completely flipped that perspective. It taught me to prioritize profit from day one and helped me restructure how I manage cash flow and budgets in my business. The core takeaway for me was that if I'm running a business, the goal is to pay myself—not just cover ex...
Apr 23, 2025•31 min•Ep. 666
I strongly advise anyone in business to pay close attention to both internal and external factors. Your internal state significantly impacts how you present yourself in business, from pricing discussions to interactions with team members, freelancers, and contractors. What I mean by this is simple—do the work. Invest in yourself by hiring a coach, whether it's a business coach, branding coach, or life coach. I've been fortunate to work with various coaches, and their guidance has directly shaped...
Apr 02, 2025•26 min•Ep. 664
Staying organized in your business is crucial—whether it's managing finances, streamlining operations, or preparing for future team growth. Keeping yourself structured ensures efficiency and clarity.At the same time, don’t be afraid to experiment. However, it's essential to track the results of those experiments. For example, if you're investing $2,000 a month in marketing, regularly assess its effectiveness rather than assuming it's working. Similarly, don't blindly trust someone just because t...
Mar 31, 2025•27 min•Ep. 665
Fail fast and learn quickly. Don’t get attached to your idea—get attached to success. Focus on your customers, not just the idea itself, because ideas evolve. Who you are today won’t be the same as who you’ll become if you succeed.
Mar 24, 2025•26 min•Ep. 664
Keep communicating—because no business thrives in isolation. You need customers, and they need to hear from you. You often rely on partners, whether they are employees, suppliers, or collaborators in government or other sectors. Your family and friends also play a crucial role in your journey. The key is to ensure alignment between your actions and their expectations. Miscommunication or misalignment is what leads to conflict. So, if there's one essential principle to follow, it's this: keep com...
Mar 21, 2025•31 min•Ep. 662
Have as many conversations as possible and get comfortable doing so. The sooner you adopt this mindset and openly discuss your ideas, the more clarity you'll gain. Talking things through with others helps refine your thoughts, gather valuable feedback, and shape your plans effectively. Additionally, it increases visibility—people will recognize you, understand what you're working on, and spread the word. The earlier you embrace this approach, the better. Many get caught up in the building phase,...
Mar 19, 2025•26 min•Ep. 661
Be extremely intentional when hiring and managing your team. Avoid compromising on talent just to fill positions quickly. It's tempting to think, We need more people because we're growing fast, but hiring the wrong people can be more detrimental than having fewer, highly capable individuals. A strong, lean team will always outperform a larger, less effective one. In fact, I believe that at IQ, we're achieving far more now with fewer people than we did in the past.
Mar 17, 2025•30 min•Ep. 660
When starting a business today, it's essential to understand that people buy from people, and they love to buy. More than just products or services, they buy into stories. For someone to purchase from you, two things must be true: they need to know you and trust you. The best way to achieve this is by building a strong personal brand and crafting a compelling signature story. This not only helps you stand out but also differentiates you from the countless others offering the same thing.
Mar 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 659
Be flexible and open to learning. Many people step into the professional world expecting to lead right away, but success often starts with mastering the basics. If you're assigned a small task, give it your best effort—every job is an opportunity to grow. Developing the necessary skills and understanding the business takes time, so be patient and adaptable.Additionally, focus on building strong networks. As the saying goes, success isn’t just about what you know, but who you know. The connection...
Mar 03, 2025•34 min•Ep. 658
Be prepared to trust the process. When you start a business, you’re filled with ambition, high hopes, and excitement about your idea. You imagine instant success, skyrocketing straight to the top. But in reality, for most people—including nearly everyone I’ve interviewed on my podcast—it doesn’t work out that way. Mistakes happen, unexpected challenges arise, and many ideas don’t pan out. There are countless unknowns, and the journey is rarely as smooth as you expect. No one wants to hear this i...
Feb 26, 2025•26 min•Ep. 657
Stop overthinking and just start. Don't waste time crafting a perfect 300-page plan or making sure every little detail is in place. If you wait for perfection, you'll never launch your business. Take action now and refine things as you go. Step one—register an LLC. Not sure about the name? Pick one and file a DBA later if needed. Don't let small decisions hold you back.
Feb 07, 2025•25 min•Ep. 657
Learn about exits early—think about them from day one. Even if you're just starting out, understanding what happens in a business sale is crucial. We learned this firsthand in our first business. Due diligence is a powerful tool for any entrepreneur. Most people only go through it once in their lives when selling a business, which is a mistake. In today’s world, especially for young entrepreneurs juggling multiple careers and side hustles, knowing how due diligence works gives you insight into t...
Feb 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 655
Make sure you have a strong idea—something valuable that people will want to buy, not just a cool technology you hope to sell later. Build the right team because even the best ideas fail without the right people, which is why many companies don’t go far.
Feb 03, 2025•33 min•Ep. 655
You must have a well-defined go-to-market strategy in place, because without a clear plan for driving sales growth, success will be out of reach.
Jan 08, 2025•34 min•Ep. 653
What I’d say is that being a one-trick pony, whether in sports or startups, just isn’t enough. In the startup world, you need to be versatile. You can’t just be the "home run hitter" or the "heavy hitter" who relies on a single skill. You need a well-rounded set of capabilities. You have to master what you’re good at, then build on that by adding complementary skills. At the same time, you need to identify areas where you're not the best and be smart about outsourcing those tasks. It's all about...
Dec 30, 2024•30 min•Ep. 652
Value your time and yourself far more than you do now, because you don’t truly realize how little respect you have for yourself until you reach a breaking point. You’ll find yourself thinking, "Wow, it’s 11 PM, and I haven’t made any progress on my work. I've sat through a hundred meetings, yet none of my actual responsibilities are handled." Now, you’re left with no choice but to pull an all-nighter, which only leads to burnout. If you don’t respect your time or yourself in the process, you ris...
Dec 11, 2024•35 min•Ep. 651
Engage in as many conversations as possible. It’s easy to get caught up in your work, focusing solely on tasks and goals. However, networking is incredibly valuable, and it's not just about connecting with people from whom you want something. Every conversation holds potential—whether it's gaining insights into user experience, receiving valuable feedback, or discovering connections you never expected. Being open to conversations and staying approachable can lead to unexpected opportunities. Whi...
Dec 09, 2024•33 min•Ep. 650
Focus on something you're truly passionate about. Throughout our conversation today, we've touched on a lot of different aspects of marketing. For me, it all started with an interest in understanding how people think and communicate, which is at the heart of marketing. From there, I moved into advertising, which is a part of marketing, then digital marketing, adding another layer, and finally, analytics, which offers a different perspective. I've enjoyed diving into each of these areas because m...
Nov 29, 2024•29 min•Ep. 649
