The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Brian Ambs. Brian is a photographer by trade but also a content creator focusing on spicy foods, sour foods, cooking, & skateboarding. He is an avid marathon runner too, but his main passion lies in promoting the hot sauce industry. Check out Brian on YouTube where he eats and reviews spicy foods including a variety of peppers and hot sauces. In this episode Mark & Brian discuss the growing hot sauce community, cross breeding peppers, the endorphin rus...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 78
The Necessary Entrepreneur we welcomes Phil Treadwell, Founder & Mindset Coach at M1 Academy, as well as a national speaker and podcaster with nearly 20-years experience as a top-producing mortgage professional. Phil collaborates with industry thought leaders and has built teams in markets nationwide. He has been named one of the Top 10 Founders You Should Follow in 2024 by USA TODAY. He’s also the host of the Mortgage Marketing Expert podcast where he interviews mortgage & real estate i...
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 77
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Micah Carroll, President & CEO of The Rookwood Pottery Company located in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood right here in Cincinnati. The company was first founded in 1880 by pioneering artist Maria Longworth-Nichols. She built the company into a world-renowned ceramics studio, attracting the attention of famed artists and ceramicists all over the world. Today, Rookwood continues to build upon its rich heritage and creates the highest quality Art Pottery and...
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 76
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Rick Bell, co-founder & designer at Cincinnati Watch Company. Rick is an avid watch collector. His hobby led him to taking apart watches and then rebuilding them in his basement. In 2016, Rick Bell & Mark Stegman created Build Your Own Watch, providing watch fans the ability to assemble and case their own watches. Rick's video instruction is still available on YouTube. In 2018 Build Your Own Watch evolved into Cincinnati Watch Company with the Union Te...
Jan 08, 2024•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 75
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Tim McDaniel, the Kentuckian who moved west to chase dreams. Tim is a freelance film production professional currently working in LA for HBO. He has a background in movies, tv shows, commercials, and corporate video. He is experienced as a line producer, production manager, production coordinator, and assistant accountant. During the conversation, Mark & Tim discuss the entertainment industry, news media, comparison syndrome, being resilient, and the pros ...
Jan 01, 2024•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 74
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Kassandra & Courtney Pike, Co-Founders of Fliptable Plus. Fliptable Plus is a transformative mobile app, enhancing the hiring experience for both employers and job seekers in the restaurant & hospitality industry. Fliptable allows businesses to take control with easy-to-use hiring, POS, and payment software. In this episode, Mark, Kassandra, and Courtney discuss problem-solving pain points in the restaurant industry, why they chose the tech route vs op...
Dec 25, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 73
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Josh Quinn, Co-Founder of Boone County Distilling Company. Josh has a background in law enforcement and was an investigator for the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Josh and his best friend and business partner, Jack Wells, founded Boone County Distilling Company in 2012 which is located approximately 15 miles south of Cincinnati, OH and is a member of the Kentucky Craft Bourbon Trail. During the conversation, Mark & Josh talk about the origins of the com...
Dec 18, 2023•2 hr•Ep. 72
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Chase Crawford, founder of Four by Three Productions. Chase launched his career by creating viral fake Taco Bell commercials in his hometown. He rose to prominence writing and directing commercials for the real Taco Bell while still in high school. After high school, he began producing feature films under the Four by Three moniker, working with stars such as Adam Conover, Joe Chrest and Cody Kearsley, to bring nearly 20 independent films to life between 2017-2...
Dec 11, 2023•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 71
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Imteaz Ahamed. He is the head of performance marketing for the infant nutrition business unit at Reckitt. He's a data-driven leader known for delivering scalable solutions, seizing high-growth opportunities, and leading multidisciplinary teams globally. His expertise lies in developing industry-leading practices, managing end-to-end content, social and commerce experiences for the omnichannel shopper, and driving business performance through digital strategies...
Dec 04, 2023•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 70
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Nick Hutchison, founder of Book Thinkers, a growing 7-figure digital marketing agency that serves mission-driven authors. His podcast, Book Thinkers: Life-Changing Books, features captivating interviews with world-class authors such as Grant Cardone, Lewis Howes, and Alex Hormozi. During these discussions, Nick delves into the pages of their books, uncovering practical and transformative takeaways for his motivated audience. Nick is also the author of Rise of ...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 69
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Ultra Runner and 2023’s World Champion of Big’s Backyard Ultra, Harvey Lewis. Big’s Backyard is the original backyard ultra, invented by Lazarus Lake. For those of you who are unfamiliar it’s a last man standing event. This year Harvey broke the world record at 108 straight hours covering 450 miles. We helped Harvey put together a fundraiser with a goal of reaching $100,000 for the Brighton Center right here in Northern Kentucky. The Brighton Center’s mission ...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 68
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Dre Baldwin, CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 33 books. Dre’s content has been viewed over 100 million times. His daily Work On Your Game Podcast has over 2,600 episodes and over 7 million listeners. Dre had a 9-year professional basketball career, playing in 8 countries. Dre’s framework is the "roadmap in reverse" for professional mindset, strategy, systems and execution. During the conversation, Mark & D...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Jack Cook & Elliot Hebeler, founding members of Illusion Islands Entertainment Studio who just opened their Midwest Headquarters right here in Cincinnati Ohio. Jack & Elliot met in LA and realized they both grew up in the greater Cincinnati Area. Jack is a movie director, and Elliot is an actor with a background in production. They just finished up production for the upcoming movie “The Private Eye” starring Matt Rife due out in February 2024. Mark tal...
Nov 06, 2023•2 hr 52 min•Ep. 66
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Neal Hoffman, a Shark Tanker, CEO of FanRoll by Metallic Dice Games, and Creator of Mensch on a Bench, the most publicized brand to ever come out of Shark Tank. Mensch on a Bench started as a way to bring more Funukkah to Hanukkah. FanRoll Dice creates high-end accessories and experiences for the tabletop gaming market through creativity and innovation. Mark & Neal talk about when the idea hit for Mensch on a Bench, the struggle to make it happen, and pitc...
Oct 30, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 65
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Tomas Keenan from Step It Up Academy. He is an example of “Technician turned CEO”. He began his career as a custom car audio installer. He co-founded an industry-leading GPS Tracking and Dashboard Camera installation company, growing it to a 7-figure business and later moved into the coaching space for industry leaders and business owners. Mark & Tomas talk about how he learned a strong work ethic from his uncles in his youth, how he finished up high schoo...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 64
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Dan Oliver of Dan-O's Seasoning. Dan-O’s Seasoning was founded in 2017 near Louisville, KY and has become one of the fastest growing seasoning companies in America with a mission to change the world one table at a time, aiming to inspire people to cook up a whole lotta fun with the best all-natural, sugar-free, low-sodium seasoning products available in the market. With over 6.5 million followers across social media platforms and retail offerings in over 30,00...
Oct 16, 2023•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 63
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Kenny Koepnick from The Toy Department in Fairfield Ohio. The Toy Department is a premier destination for collecting and nostalgia. It was founded near the beginning of 2018 by 4 friends who realized how much the area lacked the presence of a great toy store. They strive to bring back that old toy store feel we all grew up with by stocking the highest quality and largest variety of toys and collectibles around. They moved to an even larger location earlier thi...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 62
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Bobby Mackey. Bobby is a country music singer with a career spanning more than 5 decades and is the owner of Bobby Mackey’s World in Wilder, KY. Bobby found himself at a crossroads of moving to Nashville, or staying local as his career was taking off. He decided to stay in Northern KY and opened Bobby Mackey’s Music World in 1978 next to the same railroad track he worked in his youth. Bobby Mackey’s World could be named The Grand Ole Opry of NKY featuring live...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 61
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Cordelia Heaney, President & CEO, Corporation for Findlay Market. Cordelia is an experienced leader in food access, gender equity and economic justice advocacy, with a background including non-profit, government and higher education. Her multi-sector knowledge brings unique skills to diverse organizations. Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest continuously operated public market that connects farmers, producers, sellers, and customers since 1852. It is one of Ci...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 60
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Will Clarke. Will played college football at West Virginia and was called up to the NFL when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014. He also played for the Arlington Renegades, the 2023 XFL Champions. Will coaches Union Raiders Youth Football, and is training to get back into the NFL. Mark & Will talk about growing up in Pittsburgh, the differences between college football, the NFL, and the XFL, the “dog mentality” of the greatest athletes, showi...
Sep 18, 2023•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 59
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Ben Schmidt, Purveyor of Hydration, and President Kelly Heekin from HOIST IV-Level Hydration. HOIST is unlike other hydration drinks because it closely matches your body's natural osmolality. It is 110% more hydrating that water with 3x the electrolytes and half the sugar of traditional sports drinks. HOIST is so effective, it's been chosen as the electrolyte hydration solution by the US Military and authorized by the Department of Defense. Mark, Ben, & Ke...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 58
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Chef Christian Gill. Christian is the company owner at Christian Gill's Culinary Gang and a Spiceologist at Spiceology. He found inspiration in his grandma's kitchen at a young age. He started his career as a cast member at Walt Disney World and then an executive chef at Cincinnati Art Museum. Later he opened Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey. He has been on the Food Network and Netflix including winning top prize in Guy’s Grocery Games. He won again on Ultimate T...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 57
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes John "The Dancing Trucker" Drury. John is a super spreader of joy and social media sensation. With a huge following across social media platforms and millions of views on Tik Tok, John does what he does best, and that is dancing to make people smile. John is a truck driver. At one point he lost 100 lbs doing Zumba, eventually became a Zumba instructor. He's been on Steve Harvey, danced with Mario Lopez, and auditioned for America's Got Talent. After overcoming...
Aug 28, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 56
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Mark Siebert, CEO of iFranchise Group. The iFranchise Group is a leading franchise consulting firm that offers strategic planning, operations training and documentation, franchise marketing and sales, advertising fund management, and franchise recruitment. Their consultants have helped thousands of businesses assess their franchise potential. They also help existing franchisors improve franchise sales effectiveness, generate more leads, decrease costs and impr...
Aug 21, 2023•57 min•Ep. 55
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Channel 3 Gaming founder, Joel Willis. Joel worked at GE for nearly 10 years. From there he became a humor writer, editor, and social media manager for Scary Mommy and then eventually editor in chief for The Dad. Joel co-wrote a book "Dad Law: The Definitive Reference for All Things Dad." After leaving The Dad, Joel founded Channel 3 Gaming, a new social platform for gamers. Mark & Joel talk about Joel's background and career, content creation, gaming as a...
Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 54
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Cincinnati reporter and news personality Bob Herzog. Bob has been in the media business since the mid 90s. He joined WKRC, Local 12 in 2005 and currently anchors Good Morning Cincinnati with Sheila Gray. In 2023, Bob received the Joe Nuxhall Award for being a tremendous storyteller, broadcaster, and an advocate for communities in the Greater Cincinnati area. Bob loves time with his wife and four kids, as well as music and movies. Bob and Mark talk about being ...
Aug 07, 2023•2 hr 52 min•Ep. 53
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Cincinnati Local Favorite, actor, podcaster, and director, Mark Borison. Mark & Mark discuss Joe Rogan, the Jungle Jim's International Market Podcast, various commercials starring Mark Borison, bad jobs, scarcity mindset, being stuck in metiocrity, being open to what the future can hold, what Cincinnati needs to get to the next level to avoid being a fly-over loaction, "no's" turning into "yesses", and doing shit is the quick way to opportunity. Find out m...
Jul 31, 2023•2 hr 59 min•Ep. 52
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes 20-year investor, advisor, and CEO at Ubiquitous Energy (UE), Susan Stone. Mark & Susan talk about how Susan became CEO of UE, climate tech/clean tech, the secret of VC's, rating metrics 10+ yrs into a company vs early VC, what makes a great CEO, goal setting, solar window pricing, and more. Susan Stone has been a longtime board member and investor at UE. Prior to joining the company, she was the founder and CEO of Sierra Wasatch Capital, an early stage ve...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 51
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes Andrew Amann, the CEO and co-founder of NineTwoThree Venture Studio , a two-time Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company in the United States, and the leading mobile app development agency in Boston as ranked by Clutch.co . Since co-founding NineTwoThree Venture Studio in 2012, Andrew has helped launch 50 apps for funded startups and tech brands and launched 14 startups internally-funded startups. He is an experienced intrapreneur and entrepreneur. He is responsible...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 50
The Necessary Entrepreneur welcomes stand-up comedian and Cincy Shirts co-founder, Josh Sneed. Josh is making his mark as one of the top young comics in the business. He quit his comfy day job at Procter & Gamble and followed his passion to make people laugh. He has been on Comedy Central, opened for various members of "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour", makes regular guest appearances on "The Bob & Tom Show", and has released comedy albums. Josh is also the co-founder of Cincy Shirts. Cincy ...
Jul 10, 2023•2 hr 35 min•Ep. 49
