In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ann Carden, CEO and Founder of Expert In You. Ann delved into her entrepreneurial journey, which began in Missouri, influenced by her father, an entrepreneur. Ann's early ventures started with a doll business that she grew into a global enterprise, crafting and selling her own line of dolls. This experience instilled in her a deep understanding of business mechanics, leading her to build and manage multiple successful health clubs and weight ...
Aug 28, 2024•25 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Tomé Duarte, the Fractional CTO and Founder of Penguin Objective. Tomé shares how he started the year strong with a record-setting Q1, crediting his meticulous use of spreadsheets for managing his operations and cash flow. Originally from Portugal, Tomé explains that he lived in Brazil and Ireland before settling back in his homeland, though his primary market is North America due to the fast-paced business culture. He emphasizes how the U.S. and ...
Aug 26, 2024•23 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jennifer Cresswell, Founder of Thoughtgro. Jennifer grew up in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area and having a background in industrial engineering from Cornell, Jennifer's drive to improve and optimize systems led her to launch Thoughtgro in July 2022. Despite initial challenges and a steep learning curve, Jennifer emphasized that her success stems from a blend of creative problem-solving and proven processes. Networking, content creation, an...
Aug 23, 2024•20 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Tim Branyan, founder of TrueFanz. Tim grew up in Kokomo, Indiana and explained how his early life, including the influence of his comedian father and his curiosity, shaped his entrepreneurial spirit. Tim's first business venture was modifying Xbox consoles during high school, which taught him about market demand and customer service. His first more formal business, Rocket Grow, was an automated social media platform that provided crucial lear...
Aug 21, 2024•23 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jim Keeney, founder and CEO of Dapt Tech. Jim explains that the entrepreneurial drive is fueled by a desire to build things and solve problems, which began for him in childhood. He talks about how Dapt Tech helps businesses track profit and loss by activity, allowing them to accurately assess the costs of specific jobs and make informed decisions about future projects. Jim also shares his background in software development and how his experience w...
Aug 19, 2024•26 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mark Allen, Co-founder and CTO of Cobalt Innovations Inc. Mark grew up in Bluebell, Pennsylvania. He credited his wife’s influence for igniting his entrepreneurial spirit. Initially working in tech as a software consultant, Mark eventually co-founded Cobalt during the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform was developed rapidly in response to the urgent mental health needs of healthcare workers, with Penn Medicine as their first client. Cobalt provides h...
Aug 16, 2024•24 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Timothy Poore, the CEO and Co-founder of ATP Healthcare. Timothy shared insights into his journey as an entrepreneur, reflecting on how his upbringing, particularly his parents' business endeavors, shaped his work ethic and determination. He discussed the origins of ATP Healthcare, a company that specializes in finding post-acute care placement for challenging patients, often navigating complex cases involving criminal backgrounds, insurance ...
Aug 14, 2024•20 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Catherine Griffin, Founder of Impactable. Catherine recounts how her experiences leading a fund and accelerator in Philadelphia, which focused on social entrepreneurship and global innovation initiatives, inspired the creation of Impactable. Catherine explains that Impactable is a predictive impact analytics and reporting platform designed for both founders and investors. The platform helps startups and private companies measure and report their i...
Aug 12, 2024•24 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Natalie Doyle Oldfield, CEO and founder of Success Through Trust Inc. Natalie grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and shares that she was inspired by her parents' strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. Her father’s experience as an author and business owner profoundly influenced her career path. Natalie discusses how her upbringing and extensive career in the IT industry, particularly in marketing and sales, led her to develop a pro...
Aug 09, 2024•23 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Marc Portney, CEO and Founder of Globalsource Infrastructure Partners. Marc spent his early days in Queens, New York, where he displayed an entrepreneurial spirit by shining shoes for pocket money. He emphasizes the importance of relationships in business, recounting how his hands-on approach and authenticity have been pivotal in building and maintaining successful ventures. Marc's rebellious nature and distaste for conventional bosses propel...
Aug 07, 2024•24 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Monik Pamecha, CEO and Co-founder of Toma. Monik grew up in Bombay and was influenced by his hardworking father. This environment fostered an early interest in technology, leading him to create websites and tech blogs as a teenager. His first notable venture involved writing a humorous blog about a school friend's body hair, which gained significant attention and marked the beginning of his fascination with online content creation and monetiz...
Aug 05, 2024•23 min•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview a very, very special guest, Rick Nucci, CEO and co-founder of Guru. Rick, highly regarded in the Philadelphia tech scene, reflected on a memorable moment at the Founder Factory event, where he humorously referenced a sports figure to highlight the significance of operations roles in companies. He emphasized the vital role of operations professionals in leveraging AI and technology to enhance business efficiency, drawing a parallel to the often und...
Aug 02, 2024•35 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bobby Varma, CEO and founder of Princeton Identity. Bobby shared her journey from her early life in India to her entrepreneurial ventures in the U.S. She highlighted how her father's love for travel and entrepreneurship influenced her adaptability and problem-solving skills, which are crucial traits for an entrepreneur. Bobby detailed her academic path through Rutgers and Drexel, which led to her passion for biomedical engineering and subsequ...
Jul 31, 2024•26 min•Ep 153•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell, co-founders and co-CEOs of FunkkOFF, a company that creates innovative oral care products. Joelle, a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in finance, and Sonia, an experienced brand manager with a passion for strategy and analytics, share their journey from childhood friends to business partners. They discuss the origins of FunkkOFF, a product designed to remove stains from teeth quickly and easily, inspired by ...
Jul 29, 2024•26 min•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mark Lin, Founder and CEO of Sliimeyhoney. Mark shares the journey of how he founded his gourmet slime company. He explains that Sliimeyhoney creates slimes that not only look and feel like favorite foods but also smell delightful, making them sensory toys. Mark started his business during the COVID-19 pandemic from his home's storage room while he was in high school, initially asking his parents for $200 to buy glue and borax solution. The i...
Jul 26, 2024•21 min•Ep 151•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jared Waters, CEO of Mini Materials. Jared shares his unique journey from a small-town upbringing to becoming an entrepreneur. Jared explains how moving frequently in his childhood helped him become more outgoing, a trait that benefits his entrepreneurial ventures. He reveals that he bought Mini Materials, a company known for producing miniature construction materials, after discovering it on Reddit. The original founder started making the product...
Jul 24, 2024•24 min•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Veon Brewster, the founder of Veba Baby. Veon shares her journey from Jamaica to the U.S., where her upbringing in a household focused on education inspired her entrepreneurial spirit. She details her academic and professional background, highlighting her work in tech at Google and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Veon's motivation to create Veba Baby, a smart baby bottle monitor, came from a personal experience when her son fell ill after drinking ex...
Jul 22, 2024•28 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 148•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 147•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 146•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 145•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 144•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 143•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 142•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 141•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 140•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 139•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 138•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 137•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 136•Transcript available on Metacast 
