In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Tim Swindle, co-founder of PaddleSmash. Tim shares his journey from growing up in Chicago and being inspired by his entrepreneur father to his early ventures, including a golf teaching business at age 12 and a successful software company called PointDrive, which was later acquired by LinkedIn. He also discusses his passion project, a board game called Utter Nonsense, which eventually led to the creation and success of PaddleSmash, a hybrid game co...
Jul 19, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 148
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Assaf Pashut, the Founder of Chefee Robotics. Assaf shared his entrepreneurial journey, which began in Israel and Silicon Valley, where he developed a love for food and business. His initial foray into entrepreneurship was as a swim instructor, which later led him to start a catering business called The Flying Falafel during his college years. Despite the success of his catering business, COVID-19 lockdowns forced Assaf to pivot, eventually leadin...
Jul 17, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 147
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Bouton, co-founder of Gatsby Chocolate. Ryan grew up in rural Virginia, and initially worked at Halo Top as the first employee and later leveraged that experience to co-found Gatsby Chocolate, the first-ever low-calorie chocolate on the market. Ryan emphasized the challenges and lessons learned from the Halo Top journey, which included extensive R&D to perfect the product before launching it to consumers. Ryan discussed the evolution of G...
Jul 15, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Charisse Pasche, co-founder and COO of Dapper Boi, an all-gender, body-inclusive clothing line based in San Diego. Charisse shares her journey from growing up as a first-generation Filipino immigrant in a family of entrepreneurs to co-founding Dapper Boi with her wife. She recounts their early business ventures, including an LGBT social networking site, and the eventual founding of Dapper Boi during their honeymoon. Charisse discusses the sacrific...
Jul 12, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 145
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Rasmus Barfred, co-founder of THEMAGIC5. Rasmus recounted his early days in Denmark, where his entrepreneurial spirit was subtly influenced by his mother's approach to life. He didn't initially set out to start a business, but his involvement in a software venture during university with his future co-founder Bo laid the foundation. The project saw moderate success but eventually stalled due to regulatory hurdles. Rasmus's career the...
Jul 10, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 144
In our first episode of our Shark Tank series, I was lucky enough to interview Sam Chason, the Founder and CEO of Storage Scholars. Sam shared his entrepreneurial journey from humble beginnings to success on Shark Tank. Growing up in Westchester County, he always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He started with a lemonade stand and progressed to flipping items to fund his education at Wake Forest. This drive led him to create a storage solution for college students, initially called Wake Storage, ...
Jul 09, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 143
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Eric McHugh, the President and Chief Growth Officer of SHOPX. Eric grew up in Southern California, which exposed him to a wealth of entrepreneurial resources. He recounted his experiences at a VC incubator where he interacted with numerous startup founders, gaining invaluable knowledge that shaped his career. Eric emphasized the importance of aligning with the right investors, sharing a lesson learned from his first startup about the challenges th...
Jul 04, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 142
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Scott Martinis, the CEO and Founder of B2B Catalyst. Scott shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his unexpected entry into the business world after initially planning a different career path. He discusses his early experiences in marketing agencies, the challenges of nailing down product-market fit, and how his first attempts at running his own coaching business didn't pan out. Scott emphasizes the importance of gaining substantia...
Jul 02, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 141
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ted Mann, the CEO and co-founder of CollX, a platform designed to help collectors determine the value of their trading cards. Ted shares how the idea for CollX was inspired by his son’s interest in Pokémon cards and the difficulty in assessing their value. He explains that the platform utilizes advanced technology, such as visual search, to allow users to take pictures of their cards and instantly get value estimates. This innovation addresses a c...
Jun 27, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 140
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brian Pickell, the CEO and co-founder of KPInterface. Brian shares how his upbringing in the Valley Forge area and the influence of his ambitious older brother, along with his faith, shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. He reflects on his transition from working at other startup firms to co-founding KP Interface with his partner, Matt Kirby. The partnership combined Matt's sales expertise with Brian's operations and delivery skills, leadin...
Jun 25, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 139
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Casandra Mann, the VP for Operations at Precision Systems Inc. (PSI). We delved into the history and resilience of PSI's founder, Walt, who overcame throat cancer and significant business challenges, including the impact of 9/11. Despite losing $7 million in contracts overnight, Walt rebuilt the company from scratch, emphasizing a culture of integrity, quality, and strong personal relationships. Casandra highlighted how these values have been...
Jun 20, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 138
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bill Evans, CEO of Liberty Fox Technologies. Bill recounts his journey from growing up in Northeast Philadelphia to establishing his own company after being laid off from a previous job. Inspired by his family's entrepreneurial background, Bill took the plunge into entrepreneurship, initially starting Liberty Fox Technologies in 2010. He explains how the company began with independent consulting and has evolved into a software consultancy spe...
Jun 18, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 137
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Zach Rattner, CTO and Co-Founder of Yembo. Zach discusses his upbringing, including his formative years spent tinkering with computers in rural Vermont, which laid the groundwork for his future in technology. He elaborates on how Yembo, a company specializing in computer vision for property inspections, emerged from his intersection of experiences in AI and his wife's career in the moving industry. Zach details how Yembo's AI technology ...
Jun 14, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 136
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jon Kinney, the Founder and CTO at Headway. Jon delves into his entrepreneurial roots, tracing his upbringing in Southwest Wisconsin. Growing up in a household where his mother was a graphic designer and his father was a musician, Jon was surrounded by creativity and technology. His first foray into business was selling items on eBay, where he learned HTML to enhance his listings, an experience that sparked his interest in programming. His exposur...
Jun 12, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 135
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alyson Caffrey, the dynamic COO of Operations Agency. Alyson recounts her East Coast upbringing and how the "Northeast hustle" instilled a unique drive in her. Despite not coming from an entrepreneurial background, she became an "accidental entrepreneur" after leaving her 9-to-5 job. Within 30 days of her departure, she was fully booked with clients needing her operational expertise. She reflects on the surprising yet fulfillin...
Jun 05, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 134
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jeremy Gordon, CPO and CTO of Startup Science. Jeremy shared his background, revealing how his experience with the Air Force laid the groundwork for his disciplined and focused approach to entrepreneurship. He spoke about his transition from military life to civilian pursuits, including his ventures into fitness with his wife, starting a gym, and developing the fitness app, Kinetic Coach. Jeremy emphasized the challenges and rewards of managing th...
Jun 03, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 133
This episode is extra special because I was lucky enough to interview THE AJ Bruno, Founder and CEO of QuotaPath. AJ wears many hats—he's a limited partner, podcast host, serial entrepreneur, commercial pilot, dad, and much more! AJ delves into the personal aspects of his life, including his upbringing in Pittsburgh, where his father's entrepreneurial spirit and career as a commercial pilot heavily influenced him. AJ recounts his early experiences in acting and entrepreneurship, which ...
May 28, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 132
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jerry Macnamara, CEO and Founder of Proven Chaos. Jerry grew up just outside of Philadelphia and his entrepreneurial spirit wasn't directly influenced by his parents but rather by his high school soccer coach. Inspired by his frustration as a senior leader making others rich with his decisions, he decided to start his own ventures. His first business, an internet company selling customized soccer uniforms, was born out of his desire to contro...
May 20, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 131
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Matt Watson, Founder, CEO, and CTO of Full Scale. Matt grew up around entrepreneurial parents who ran a flea market business, he gained early exposure to the world of business and sales. His first venture, Venn Solutions, stemmed from a serendipitous encounter with a car dealer needing software assistance. This initial success led to the growth of Venn Solutions, which was later sold to Auto Trader. Following the sale of Venn Solutions, Matt ventu...
May 13, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 130
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Adam Trachtman, Director and Owner of Lucid Circus. Adam's upbringing in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and his formative years at a creative and performing arts high school in Philadelphia laid the groundwork for his journey. With a blend of analytical precision inherited from his mother and a risk-taking spirit from his father, Adam embarked on a bold move to the Czech Republic at just 19 years old, driven by a desire to immerse himself in Europe...
May 06, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 129
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Karim Kerachni, Co-founder of Steamates and head of franchise development for Massachusetts at PropertyGuys.com. Karim shares insights into his entrepreneurial journey and unique approach to productivity while traveling the world. Born in Canada and raised in France, Karim's upbringing in a family of entrepreneurs and his diverse cultural background laid the foundation for his ventures. With a background in engineering and business, Karim emb...
Apr 29, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 128
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Whitney Stowell, Founder and CEO of Cribworks. Whitney discusses his entrepreneurial journey from a rural upbringing to navigating the fast-paced business world. Growing up on a farm instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in Whitney, who later transitioned into the professional realm by working in government and defense contracting. Whitney delves into his experience founding Cribworks and acquiring Old Glory, a professional rugby team, as its first ...
Apr 22, 2024•23 min
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Olivia Parkes, CEO of The Systems Boss. Olivia shares her story of moving from the UK to Chicago, driven by a desire to pursue her dreams and create a thriving enterprise in the United States. From her early aspirations to her eventual realization of starting her own company, Olivia's tale is one of determination, resilience, and unwavering dedication. Olivia provides valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs she encountered along th...
Apr 15, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 126
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Rachel King, CEO and Founder of King Law Firm. Rachel offers insights into her journey as an entrepreneur and lawyer. Her upbringing, shaped by divorced parents and small business owners in the family, instilled in her a passion for law and entrepreneurship. Her father's profession as a lawyer and exposure to small business operations influenced her career choices significantly. Starting her law firm right after graduating and passing the bar...
Apr 08, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 125
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mike Powrie, CEO and Founder of CloudWave. Mike delves into the genesis and evolution of CloudWave as a disruptive force in the contact center industry. Mike's background in IT, particularly in unified communication, laid the groundwork for his entrepreneurial journey. CloudWave was born out of frustration with the antiquated and inefficient systems prevalent in contact centers. Recognizing the need for a better solution, Mike leveraged new-a...
Apr 01, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 124
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Adrian Knight, CEO and Founder of Spectacular Group. Adrian delves into his journey as an acquisition entrepreneur and his unique approach to business. A World Champion participant in the Spartan games, Adrian shares his experiences and insights into building successful ventures. Adrian's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age when he started his first business at 13, demonstrating his early aptitude for entrepreneurship. Despite facing...
Mar 25, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 123
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bob Moore, CEO and co-founder of Crossbeam, a leading company in the partnership intelligence space. Bob shares his journey, emphasizing his passion for solving the challenges of partnership growth, which led to the inception of Crossbeam. He delves into the essence of Crossbeam, portraying it as a data-centric solution that revolutionizes partnership dynamics by providing a secure platform for sharing valuable insights while maintaining data owne...
Mar 18, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 122
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview The Jasmin Alić, Founder of Hey Jay, and also a LinkedIn aficionado. Jasmin dives deep into his journey, starting with his childhood in war-torn Bosnia. Despite the adversity, Jasmin found solace in American hip-hop, which sparked his love for English and writing. Initially aspiring to be a rapper, Jasmin's career took a turn towards education, where he discovered his passion for writing and teaching. Transitioning from education to freelanci...
Mar 15, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 121
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Luis Castaneda, co-founder and CTO of Capablanca. Luis dives into his journey from growing up during the emergence of the internet to his current role in the tech space. Luis shares how his early experiences with DIY computing in a culture of innovation laid the foundation for his career in technology. He discusses the ever-evolving landscape of technology and identifies the parallels between past innovations like the internet and current trends l...
Mar 13, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 120
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Kelley Thornton, CEO and Founder of Tiege Hanley. Kelley's inspiration for Tiege Hanley stems from his personal experience and observation of the skincare market's untapped potential in the United States. Initially, he sought to cater to older demographics like himself but found unexpected success among younger consumers due to strategic digital marketing efforts. Kelley reveals the meticulous process of formulating Tiege Hanley products...
Mar 11, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 119
