In this episode, we will be talking to Brian Magrann, the co-founder of Boilerplate.co. Originally from Philadelphia suburbs and went to Penn State, Brian started his career as an auditor and then got to work in a federal government where he did consulting. He eventually worked in a start-up distribution type of company where he identified a pain point related to tracking documentation requests. I love how he went from being a process improvement consultant to founding a software company which f...
Aug 17, 2023•36 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I am lucky enough to be joined by a multi awarded leader and professional speaker Victoria Pelletier, founder of Unstoppable You. Victoria is a C-Suite transformational leader, a keynote speaker, a Board Director and at the same time a mom, wife, fitness fanatic, foodie, wine lover, you name it! But what stands her out is her strong passion for making a difference to the society, excelling wherever she sets her heart on. Be sure to watch this episode and learn how to be the Unst...
Aug 15, 2023•28 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast A very special episode of The First Customer podcast with Shruti Pandey, a freelancer QA Engineer AND Podcast host ... that sounds familiar! Shruti walks us through her journey to stepping out of the corporate grind and into the world of freedom with consulting and freelancing. Her story is full of passion, pride, and love for her family and her personal time. Let's take the long flight over to Mumbai together and talk to a fantastic human-being in this weeks episode ... a MUST listen! Chec...
Aug 11, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is with the great Bo Motlagh, CEO & Founder of United Effects. Bo shares his early exposure to tech and his transition from architecture to the software development world. He explains the inspiration behind United Effects, which focuses on streamlining authentication and data integration for businesses. Bo discusses his journey, the company's evolution, pricing strategy, and customer engagement, revealing how networking, customer feedback, and adaptability have shap...
Aug 08, 2023•33 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Marcel Petitpas is a driven entrepreneur who embarked on his business journey with a fervent passion for building companies. However, his early ventures faced significant challenges as he navigated different industries, trying to find the right product-market fit. Despite initial setbacks, Marcel's resilience and determination led him to co-found Parakeeto, a company that assists creative and digital services firms in streamlining their operations. With a focus on pre-selling and customer v...
Aug 03, 2023•39 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Michel Nematnejad is the founder of Mila Labs. As a skilled software engineer, he started his journey as a freelancer on Upwork, providing services to clients worldwide. Michel found success by focusing on niche markets and showcasing his expertise. This led to landing his first significant client, which boosted his confidence and opened doors for future projects. As a business owner, Michel learned the importance of balancing technical skills with sales and marketing. He acknowledged that while...
Aug 01, 2023•36 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The First Customer podcast, host Jay Aigner interviews Neeraj Vir, the managing partner of Amalgam Inc. Neeraj shares his journey from being born and raised in New Delhi, India, to eventually landing in the United States in the early 2000s. He talks about his background in technology and his career growth from a developer to an executive in the information technology space. Neeraj also discusses the impetus behind starting Amalgam and the challenges he faced as an immigrant en...
Jul 27, 2023•16 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Renee, the spirited co-founder of the CAPE Movement, started her journey in Southeastern PA. She honed her skills in personal development and wellness before launching an initiative aimed at facilitating individual growth. Armed with years of experience and a profound passion for nurturing self-improvement, Renee co-founded the CAPE Movement, a platform committed to providing individuals with the tools and inspiration necessary to realize their dreams and enhance personal and professional compet...
Jul 25, 2023•22 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Frommm Wessssst Philadelphia, Ezra Cohen, raised in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, initially pursued a career in animation inspired by the Dire Straits' video "Money for Nothing." He attended the University of the Arts where he delved into various artistic mediums but found his true passion in metal sculpture, particularly artisanal blacksmithing. However, after graduation, a lack of resources and studio space led him and his friend to shift their focus towards graphic design. They est...
Jul 19, 2023•27 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Today we bring you the intriguing journey of Kevin King, the CEO, and founder of Effective Solutions. Born from the dorm rooms of American University, Kevin's venture arose during the inception of the internet era, paving the way for a 25-year-long entrepreneurial voyage that witnessed multiple pivots, strategic partnerships, and growth. Our conversation delves into the excitement and challenges of the early days, the evolution from web design to a multifaceted digital entity, and how the c...
Jul 18, 2023•24 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast In this week's episode, we sit down with Marcus Blair, the dynamic engineer-turned-entrepreneur who is making waves in the tech industry. As the CEO and Founder of Omega Digital Solutions, Marcus used his extensive engineering experience to bridge the technology gap between large corporations and smaller businesses. His thrilling journey from corporate to entrepreneurial life serves as an exciting roadmap for aspiring business founders. Marcus delves into the nuances of founding Omega Digit...
Jul 13, 2023•37 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Atlanta born-and-raised CTO and Co-founder Hesom Parhizkar cut his teeth in electrical engineering before making the switch over to computer science and the rest was history. His sharpened his skills in strategy, architecture, design and development for more than two decades then co-founded an innovative company, AdvizorPro, that provides their clients direct access to high-quality financial advisors, registered reps, and agents. Upgrade to business class this week because we're taking a qu...
Jul 11, 2023•48 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Jake Stein grew up in North Jersey and had the itch for entrepreneurialism early in life. He started creating businesses ("hair-brained schemes") in high school and that interest and passion for business never went away. He learned about venture capitalism in college, dove into that world headfirst, then came out again looking to create more businesses of his own. Do yourself a favor and look up "Startup Entrepreneur Rap Video" on YouTube to see what kind of guy we're ta...
Jul 06, 2023•44 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Joe started his journey in Minneapolis, Minnesota and discovered a passion for language at an early age. Then he saw C3P0 and decided to make a universal translator a reality. He's a serial entrepreneur and IT Transformation Architect with a broad technical foundation in AI, Natural Language Processing, applications/solutions, integration, data and infrastructure and cloud implementation. Oh, and he's also fluent in Japanese and European languages. Toss on your headphones and settle in...
Jul 04, 2023•31 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Chris started out in the Lehigh Valley but also spent a ton of his youth in Philadelphia. He has an inspiring story of how being adopted helped shape a lot of his entrepreneurial journey and perspective on life. He went on to found multiple businesses, coach tons of clients to success, and help inspire people to be a better version of themselves. Get yourself a day pass to the Lehigh Valley Zoo this week and let’s wander through the exhibits of the extraordinary life of Chris M. Sprague. Connect...
Jun 29, 2023•48 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Peter grew up in quiet Quakertown Pennsylvania. He bounced around a bunch of different non-profits, lived in the nations capitol, but his love for PA couldn't keep him away forever. Pete took his passion for politics and non-profits and built a platform that gives people a voice with social impact programs and movements. He shared lots of lessons about how to create change and go out on a limb for an idea you believe in. Hop on the PA Turnpike this week and buckle up for a fun conversation ...
Jun 27, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Born in Brazil, Nick Balee wrote business plans as a kid. He moved to America and trained with international chess champions. After college he pivoted from his history background to start his first business back down south in Brazil. After learning some important lessons, he moved back to the states and went into sales. His background in cold calling eventually helped him create second successful business. He queued up thousands of people in his network and started dialing. The rest is history. ...
Jun 22, 2023•30 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Philly born and raised, Drew Griffin's lessons around starting with the end in mind should serve any future or current entrepreneurs well. A really inspiring, humble, smart guy that shared a lot of how he built his empire. Starting as a wound-care nursing specialist, Drew took a different path than some to being a serial founder. Now he's started and sold multiple tech companies. He also lost 125 lbs using intermittent fasting! Hearing that story alone should be enough to tune in this ...
Jun 20, 2023•37 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Damian may be one of the nicest, coolest, and inspiring guys you'll have the pleasure of meeting. His experience ranges from representing some of the top NFL and NBA athletes in the world to founding a revolutionary platform to help people secure their future careers. Phynally is a platform that allows job-seekers to meet transparent employers and professionals without cannabis pre-employment screening. The connections Damian has made in the sports, business, and entertainment world speaks ...
Jun 14, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast My cheeks still hurt from laughing so much with the absolutely wonderful Dr. W. Soyini Powell ("Dr. Sy"). What should I have expected with someone who calls herself "The Rogue Gynecologist"??? Applying the lessons she learned from getting healthy, Dr. Sy offers a transformational experience to help you take back control of your health and live your best life. Leaning on her decades of experience across various medical settings, environments, and challenges, she set out to cha...
Jun 13, 2023•38 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast There's quite a few people I meet that I think I can outwork. Adam Fiore is not one of those people. From his early days in the Navy to starting multiple successful businesses, Adam has walked his talk. He's currently working on his company Limitless AF which is a combination of wellness and healthtech. Put the bag of chips away this week and cinch up your belt for a really fun episode with an inspirational and impressive founder. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/i...
Jun 08, 2023•40 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast From Jimmy Johns franchisee to co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, Matt Wampler (pronounced wham-pler) worked harder, then smarter. Matt took the path of restaurant owner to consulting to founder after identifying a huge gap in restaurant analytics and never looked back. Order up a hoagie and kick back and relax for a fun episode with an even more fun guy this week. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/ The First Customer Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@thefir...
Jun 06, 2023•27 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Dave started his business early and learned a ton of lessons along the way. From his first customer to his current portfolio of happy clients, Dave always listened to his employees and clients to build a trusting culture that has stood the test of time. Call up your current accountant and tell him you may be late to lunch and buckle up for a fun ride this week with Co-founder of Quanitify Dave Ashworth. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/ The First Customer Youtub...
May 31, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Starting out in South Street in Philadelphia, April Burks based her life around volunteer work and building communities and events. She quickly found her path to creating successful businesses and giving back to her community. Grab a cheesesteak at Jim's and kick back and listen to the story of an awesome human being doing awesome founder things in this week's episode. Pink Social Strategies https://www.pinksocialstrategies.com/ Sponsored by: JDAQA Software Testing - https://www.JDAQA....
May 23, 2023•35 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast A slip and fall down the stairs woke Sean up to chase his dream of creating his own AI-powered planner app, Heydai. Heydai learns patterns about your time and the things you need done to recommend a balanced agenda between productivity and leisure. Sean's a great guy with a great story on how to take what you've learned across your career and turn it into an awesome product. Make sure you have "Listening to The First Customer" on your agenda today and tune in for a great epis...
May 16, 2023•36 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast A standup comedian and standup guy. Steve started his journey in Jersey before setting out west and making a name for himself in comedy. Founder and host of "The Coop Tank" and about a million other things, Steve lives by a simple but awesome rule: Don't be a jerk. He's a master interviewer and a masterful guest. No laugh tracks needed for this one, grab a drink and settle in for a really fun episode! Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/ The Fir...
May 10, 2023•45 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Shawn Richard's awesome company hails from equally awesome Eagle Mountain, Utah. His previous life in operations and business development helped kick off his journey into consulting and owning his own business. His passion to help others grow their business has allowed him to create an impressive coaching and consulting services firm. He's a long-distance Phillies fan and compassionate leader with the experience to back it up. Tighten up your cleats and get ready for a trek out west, i...
May 03, 2023•37 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast From custom made lacrosse sticks to upending one of the biggest industries in the world -- Carl is not your average sauceman. Carl's a tall, big-energy-but-down-to-earth founder with all the ingredients for big-time success. He and his co-founder Paul are taking the condiment industry by storm with a novel concept, powdered ketchup called AWSM Sauce. Across their late-night taste-tests to game-changing pivots, I had a lot of fun getting to know Carl better on this weeks episode. Grab your f...
Apr 18, 2023•44 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast DOCTOR Miles Aron is an extremely cool guy. He's worked at ESPN, NASA, Stanford Linear Accelerator where he worked on Cryogenic Dark Matter Search experiments, and the founder of multiple exciting startups -- just to name a few places. An audiophile on a never-ending quest for learning has been a thread connecting Miles from childhood to his current role as co-founder and CEO of Arcanium. He's got pHD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Oxford, Bachelors in Acoustical Engi...
Apr 11, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you live in or near Philadelphia you'll eventually be asked "Do you know Mike Bertoni?" A sales-machine-turned-business-owner, Mike is never short of energy or great advice. He's built an incredible staffing agency laser-focused on SaaS talent. His innate ability to excite his audience, be creative with his sales process, and flood the room with positive energy make it clear why PhillyTech has had hockey-stick growth. Hop on some jug handles to the Jersey Turnpike this wee...
Mar 22, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
