The First Customer - podcast cover

The First Customer

Ever wondered how to use your experience to start or grow a business? 

The First Customer intimately dissects successful entrepreneurs journeys to their first customer. Learn from practical real-life examples of regular people transforming into superheroes by starting their own business. 

Buckle up … the rocket is taking off! 

Episodes

The First Customer - Reinventing APIs for Legacy Systems with DreamFactory CEO Terence Bennett

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Terence Bennett, CEO of DreamFactory. Terence shares his unconventional journey from a military intelligence officer to leading a developer-focused API company. He explains how his entrepreneurial parents influenced his mindset and how his military background taught him to solve problems creatively. He also shares how dealing with dyslexia and joining a support group at Google helped him discover his strength in thinking outside the box. Terence d...

Jun 04, 202525 minSeason 1Ep. 208

The First Customer - Why Picking a Niche Early Can Make or Break Your Agency with CEO James Griffin

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview James Griffin, CEO of Invene. James shares how he transitioned from a self-taught coder with early entrepreneurial tendencies to leading a successful healthcare-focused software firm. Raised in an engineering-driven household in McKinney, Texas, James initially pursued biomedical engineering before shifting to computer science, eventually leveraging a full-ride college scholarship to start several ventures. His turning point came after a mentor in...

May 28, 202530 minSeason 1Ep. 207

The First Customer - Closing Inventory Gaps With A Tech Platform with Bevz Co-founder Jason Vego

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jason Vego, co-founder and CEO of Bevz, a digital platform helping mom-and-pop liquor and convenience stores go online and manage inventory. Jason shares how growing up with an entrepreneurial father planted the seed for his own ventures, including an early attempt to build software for dog groomers. The failure taught him valuable lessons about understanding an industry from the inside. That insight became crucial when launching Bevz with his chi...

May 21, 202526 minSeason 1Ep. 206

The First Customer - Positioning Yourself To Win in a Cutthroat Industry with Founder Brett Tiagwad

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brett Tiagwad, founder and CEO of Elevated Angles. Brett shares his unconventional path from finance to drone media. After a challenging personal journey, including recovery and the loss of his mother, Brett found solace and inspiration in flying drones. What started as a therapeutic hobby quickly became a business idea when he realized the visual impact drone footage could have. With no prior experience in photography or videography, he taught hi...

May 14, 202522 minSeason 1Ep. 205

The First Customer - How Dissatisfaction Can Fuel Business Growth with Founder Christian Espinosa

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Christian Espinosa, founder and CEO of Blue Goat Cyber. Christian shares his experience of growing up in poverty with an unstable home life, seeking structure in the Air Force, and eventually transitioning from a successful freelancing career to launching his first company, Alpine Security. Christian explains that boredom and the desire for growth pushed him to scale his business, which involved convincing long-time clients to trust his growing te...

May 07, 202521 minSeason 1Ep. 204

The First Customer - How to Stick with Your Vision and Resilience with Co-founder and CEO Dori Yona

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dori Yona, Co-founder and CEO of Simple Closure. Dori shares his entrepreneurial journey, which began with a childhood influenced by his entrepreneur parents and a deep connection to Silicon Valley. He first launched a dating app in Israel, but quickly pivoted to create Earny, a consumer fintech company that automated price protection refunds from retailers and credit card companies. The idea sparked from a real-life experience where he successful...

Apr 30, 202521 minSeason 1Ep. 203

The First Customer – Mistakes, Mentors, and a Maverick Mindset with CEO Mark Wormgoor

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mark Wormgoor, CEO and tech coach at The Maverick CTO. Mark shares that despite a successful 25-year corporate career in IT, he felt unfulfilled after reaching his long-term goal early and ultimately chose to go independent. He candidly reflects on the decision-making process behind leaving corporate life, his early startup missteps, and how a failed venture with a co-founder taught him valuable lessons about product-market fit. His initial foray ...

Apr 23, 202525 minSeason 1Ep. 202

The First Customer - What Most Startups Miss About Lead Gen with Founder and CEO Bert TerHart

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bert TerHart, CEO and Founder of LeadBrain AI. Bert shares how his upbringing in a small Canadian town and the work ethic of his entrepreneurial father shaped his approach to business. From surveying frozen land with his dad on holidays to founding three companies in the tech and healthcare sectors, Bert emphasizes the importance of deep customer commitment and understanding your niche. He recounts his journey from System Modal Software to NextGen...

Apr 16, 202520 minSeason 1Ep. 201

The First Customer - Scaling Internal Talent and Building from Within with CEO Bridgette Ferraro

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bridgette Ferraro, CEO of iCopy Legal. Bridgette shares her unexpected journey from studying human services at Purdue to leading a legal document retrieval company. She recounts how a bold consulting pitch turned into a long-term leadership role, where she embraced the challenge of scaling a traditional, service-first business into a tech-enabled powerhouse. Bridgette emphasizes the importance of asking questions, understanding internal processes,...

Apr 09, 202523 minSeason 1Ep. 200

The First Customer - Why Networking is a Developer's Best Friend with Codingscape CTO Jimmy Jacobson

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jimmy Jacobson, CTO of Codingscape. Jimmy discovered programming through his father's university lab computer, unaware it could be a career. He later pursued computer science, freelancing while working at Overstock and Zappos. Zappos’ culture encouraged risk-taking, fueling his entrepreneurial drive. He co-founded Wedgies.com, a social media polling tool with clients like The Wall Street Journal and the White House. Despite its success, ventu...

Apr 02, 202524 minSeason 1Ep. 199

The First Customer - Breaking into the Birmingham Tech Scene with Co-founder Will Blackburn

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Will Blackburn, co-founder of DevClarity. Will shares he's from Birmingham, Alabama, where he still resides. Although he moved to Atlanta, thinking Birmingham lacked a tech ecosystem, he returned after seeing local success stories and opportunities. Birmingham’s smaller, supportive startup community, centered around the Innovation Depot, made it easier to build connections than Atlanta’s bigger, less personal environment. This supportive comm...

Mar 26, 202526 minSeason 1Ep. 198

The First Customer - Embracing Open-Mindedness and Independence with CEO Tatsiana Kirimava

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Tatsiana Kirimava, CEO and co-founder of Orangesoft. Tatsiana shares that she grew up in various countries, including Poland, Belarus, and the U.S. She attributes her open-mindedness and independence to her parents, who encouraged her to make her own decisions. She highlights her ability to communicate effectively and build networks as essential skills she honed throughout her life. Her passion for technology from a young age naturally led her to ...

Mar 19, 202523 minSeason 1Ep. 197

The First Customer - How IT Pros Thrived by Choosing the Right Clients with Founder T Brad Kielinski

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview T. Brad Kielinski, Founder of IT Pros. Brad shared his journey from growing up in Plymouth Meeting near Germantown Academy to becoming a successful tech recruiter in Philadelphia. Inspired by witnessing his uncle and aunt’s homegrown business grow to 400 employees and his father’s inventive spirit, Brad gravitated towards entrepreneurship early on. His career path began with internships in IT and eventually led him to work for various tech recruit...

Mar 12, 202523 minSeason 1Ep. 196

The First Customer - How To Avoid The Pain of Missed Opportunities with Founder Charles Sims

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Charles Sims, CEO and founder of Investimate. Charles shares how he grew up around innovation and leadership inspired him to build and scale ventures, starting with a paintball supply company as a child. His ability to adapt and thrive in chaos earned him the moniker "Hurricane CTO" during his tenure with organizations like the LA Clippers and United Talent Agency, where he became known for troubleshooting crises and bringing stability t...

Mar 05, 202523 minSeason 1Ep. 195

The First Customer - The Path from Real Estate Mogul to Wealth Tech Innovator with CEO David Snider

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview David Snider, founder and CEO of Harness Wealth. Growing up in Boston, David's early exposure to financial services and an interest in problem-solving shaped his career. After co-founding and helping grow Compass, a major real estate brokerage, he realized that navigating tax and financial complexities was a major challenge for business owners and high-growth employees. His personal experience with a missed tax-saving opportunity underscored ...

Feb 26, 202523 minSeason 1Ep. 194

The First Customer - Marketing, Momentum, and Making It Work with CEO and Founder Jason Shafton

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jason Shafton, CEO and founder of Winston Francois. Jason shares his journey from growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Chicago to becoming a growth and marketing consultant for tech startups. Inspired by his parents’ business ventures in high-end audio equipment, Jason developed an early passion for business, launching a small airplane-selling stand as a child and later a record label in high school. His career took him from Google to leader...

Feb 19, 202519 minSeason 1Ep. 193

The First Customer - Empowering Tech Founders to Build Successful Companies with Vladimir Baranov

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Vladimir Baranov, CEO and founder of Human Interfaces. Vladimir had early exposure to the turbulent Russian business climate, which made him cautious about entrepreneurship, but his experiences in the U.S. gradually changed his perspective. In college, he created a textbook-sharing platform, an early taste of entrepreneurship, though without charging users. Later, he ventured into finance, spending over a decade in capital markets before transitio...

Feb 12, 202520 minSeason 1Ep. 192

The First Customer - Why Niching Down is the Fast Track to Product-Market Fit with CEO Peter Bonney

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Peter Bonney, CEO and founder of Fastbreak RFP. Peter shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his childhood in a small town in Massachusetts. Growing up with a father who ran shoe stores and constantly engaged in side hustles, Peter absorbed key lessons in customer focus and hustle. He reflects on how his early experiences shaped his business philosophy, especially his dad’s mantra, "The customer is your job," which continues t...

Feb 05, 202520 minSeason 1Ep. 191

The First Customer - What Risk-Taking Looks Like When You Have a Plan with CEO Shae Feltz

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Shae Feltz, CEO and founder of NOTICS, an IT service provider based in Minneapolis. Shae delves into his humble beginnings in Brainerd, Minnesota, where he learned early on that working for someone else wasn’t for him. At just 16, Shae launched a mobile iPhone repair business, gaining valuable insights into marketing, sales, and fulfillment. He credits his early experiences with shaping his approach to business, including the sale of his first ven...

Jan 29, 202526 minSeason 1Ep. 190

The First Customer - From Supply Chain Snags to Seamless Solutions with Founder and CEO Brian Glick

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brian Glick, CEO and founder of Chain.io Brian traced his inspiration to a family background in leadership and entrepreneurship, coupled with firsthand experience in customs brokerage. Dropping out of college, Brian’s entry into the supply chain world began humbly, crawling under desks to set up computers. Over time, he recognized inefficiencies in the customs and freight industries, which spurred the creation of his first company, Aspect9, and ev...

Jan 22, 202521 minSeason 1Ep. 189

The First Customer - Paving a Path from Rocks to a Dynamic Creative Agency with CEO Jon Wise

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jon Wise, the founder and CEO of Jon Wise Creative (JWC). Jon started his childhood in suburban Atlanta, where his father ran a local software store. Jon recalls his earliest entrepreneurial endeavor at a community festival, selling “Tucker Rocks” to neighbors, which marked the beginning of his creative and business-minded spirit. After studying music in Boston and freelancing in event production, Jon leveraged his burgeoning Instagram presence to...

Jan 15, 202522 minSeason 1Ep. 188

The First Customer - Creating Relational Ecosystems for Leaders and Teams with CEO Etienne de Bruin

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Etienne de Bruin, Founder and CEO of 7CTOs. Etienne shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his upbringing in South Africa to founding his organization that supports technology leaders. Growing up during a time of global isolation for South Africa, Etienne reflects on how this scarcity of resources fostered a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. With a background in computer science and early exposure to personal comput...

Jan 08, 202536 minSeason 1Ep. 187

The First Customer - The Role of Personalized Nutrition in Holistic Wellness with CEO Rachel Sanders

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Rachel Sanders, CEO and Co-Founder of Rootine. Rachel shares the transformative journey behind her health and wellness brand. Rootine’s mission is to empower individuals with personalized, data-driven health solutions, starting with custom multivitamins tailored to biological data. Rachel recounts how her upbringing in a holistic health-focused household, combined with her experience in investment banking, highlighted the gap between technological...

Dec 18, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 186

The First Customer - Demystifying Backend Development with Founders Hunter Fortuin and Tom Carmona

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Hunter Fortuin and Tom Carmona, co-founders of Wolfjaw Studios. Based in Troy, New York, Wolfjaw specializes in backend development for online gaming services, tackling the complex systems that enable matchmaking, account management, and telemetry. Tom recounts how the company’s first major client originated from a network connection cultivated over three years. By focusing on honesty, stellar communication, and high technical standards, Wolfjaw h...

Dec 11, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 185

The First Customer - The Three To Twelve Month Rule in Personal Branding with CEO Jason Barnard

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jason Barnard, CEO of Kalicube. Jason recounts his beginnings in the music industry, where he started a record label after failing to secure a deal for his band. This led him to his first customer, a record company, which he gained through relationship building. He further explains the challenges he faced with his second company, a children’s entertainment platform, which ultimately succeeded due to a significant audience demand, evidenced by five...

Dec 04, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 184

The First Customer - The Power of Community in Building A Successful Consultancy with Dave Reinhold

In this episode, I was very, very lucky enough to interview my former boss, Dave Reinhold, Founder of VentureCPO. Growing up in New York, Dave recounts his first “business” selling bubble gum and fans to classmates, reflecting a lifelong drive for independence and resourcefulness. His early passion for technology blossomed with his first computer, a Commodore 64, which sparked a fascination with digital products. Dave went on to study management information systems at Binghamton University and e...

Nov 27, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 183

The First Customer - The Secret Sauce For Success in Cybersecurity with Co-Founder Deanna Sheward

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Deanna Sheward, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Capablanca. Deanna shares her unique journey from academia to entrepreneurship. She recounts how her background in art, architecture, and research instilled in her a passion for learning and personal growth, which later fueled her pivot into the tech industry. Deanna explains how the skills she honed as a researcher—like public speaking, project management, and self-promotion—naturally transl...

Nov 20, 202424 minSeason 1Ep. 182

The First Customer - The Quiet Wins: The Formula for Progress with Founder and CEO Sean Languedoc

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Sean Languedoc, Founder and CEO of Outforce AI. Sean recounts his unconventional start in business, inspired by advice to "learn by doing" instead of pursuing an MBA. He shares his experience launching a tourism venture during Expo 86 in Vancouver, which taught him the value of adaptability when the business didn’t take off as expected. From there, Sean explored various industries, including commercial real estate and digital media, with...

Nov 13, 202425 minSeason 1Ep. 181

The First Customer - Pioneering Solutions for an Inclusive Future with Founder Jordan Saunders

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jordan Saunders, founder and CEO of NextLink Labs. Jordan reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, building computers at age 12. He shares how his passion for technology led him to pursue consulting right out of college after studying computer science at Penn State. Over the past decade, Jordan has grown NextLink Labs into a technology consultancy, focusing on custom software development, c...

Nov 06, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 180

The First Customer - Aligning People, Purpose, and Progress with Co-Founder Alex Levin

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Regal.io. Alex grew up in Manhattan with a father who ran a steel service business. Alex absorbed early lessons about business operations and efficiency. While his father’s ventures in technology during the late 90s exposed him to a rapidly changing landscape, Alex initially explored entrepreneurship by selling wild fruit with his brothers as a child. After working for another company rather than launching his own...

Oct 30, 202421 minSeason 1Ep. 179
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