How I built this - Birmingham Style

On this podcast, we interview business owners and ask them about the secrets of successful entrepreneurship. Hear how this person built their business, what struggles they faced along the way and most importantly, how you can apply that same wisdom to your own life and business. If you're a Birmingham entrepreneur looking for helpful advice then tune in today! In this episode we listen to 2 Athletically inclined entrepreneurs right here from Birmingham, and to their stories or how it all began and how they want to make Birmingham better!

On this podcast, we interview business owners and ask them about the secrets of successful entrepreneurship. Hear how this person built their business, what struggles they faced along the way and most importantly, how you can apply that same wisdom to your own life and business. If you're a Birmingham entrepreneur looking for helpful advice then tune in today!   In this episode we listen to 3 amazing women entrepreneurs right here from Birmingham, and to their stories or how it all began!

Shegun Otulana followed his brother to Birmingham from Nigeria in 1998. After arriving in Birmingham, he knew he wanted to build something big. Just recently Shegun Otulana's startup Therapy Brands sold in a $1.2 billion acquisition.  Following that success, Otulana is dedicated to scaling the next round of Birmingham-based startups with Harmony Venture Labs, his newest venture. This idea came to him by being part of the startup ecosystem—building startups, failing, building products and succeeding, and looking at the companies he's invested in. He wants to create a flywheel that helps grow the startup ecosystem here in Birmingham. Birmingham is his home and where his family is. It's also where he's been fortunate to have a lot of people help him. It's where his kids are growing up, and it's a fantastic place to live. There's a lot of good about Birmingham. His teams have been able to bring startups to life, and the people on those teams have gone on to lead and grow other startups. When you focus on growing people rather than companies and then those people go on to found other startups, that's where Otulana finds success.

Will is a principal of Capital Growth Real Estate, where he focuses on junior and big box disposition, site selection for retailers, land brokerage, and acquisitions. With over 17 years' experience in the commercial real estate industry his current retail clients include Aldi Foods, Taco Bell, Logan's Roadhouse, Dave & Busters, NTB, Tuesday Morning, and Jack's Hamburgers. Will's past Landlord clients include Bayview Financial, Brookhill, C&S Wholesale Grocers, CW Capital, DDR, Inland, Interwest Capital, Wal-Mart and others. Prior to becoming a principal at CGRE Will worked for The Shopping Center Group (TSCG) in their Birmingham, AL office where he specialized in Tenant and Landlord Representation. Will holds a BA degree in Real Estate Finance and Economics from The University of Alabama. When he isn't working or spending time with his family he is an active “Big Brother” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, flies planes, Hosts Small Groups for The Church of The Highlands(COH), Christian Financial Coach for COH, and an Active Board Member for Save A Life. Will was named Top 40 Under 40 in 2008 by the Birmingham Business Journal.

Being on the leading edge of ideas and technology energizes me, especially when they are helping to make humanity and our earth a little healthier and happier. Cindy entered the corporate world by helping to build AT&T's very first internet service, WorldNet, at the then corporate headquarters in NJ. She then went on to serve as VP of Sales and Marketing for one of the first commercial search engines in the U.S. (Magellan) in San Francisco. It was an energizing roller-coaster of a ride and she saw what was happening in technology and media and decided to move back home to Alabama. Cindy then founded AL.com, working in concert with the newspapers in the state. We started at ground zero and worked to build it into a $20M/yr digital media company. Bham Now was born out of this vision, which moved her to Birmingham to start the new media company. Her team is focused on creating and publishing digital content with a customer first mindset; helping them connect and stay informed all while supporting the Greater Birmingham community. Local people and local businesses are the two loves of her life.

Nick Sellers has deep roots in sports and service to the State of Alabama. And he brings that experience and passion to his position on loan from Alabama Power as CEO of The World Games 2022. As former Chairman of the Alabama Sports Council, he led a board that oversaw the growth of several regional and national sporting events including the SEC Baseball Tournament, the Magic City Classic, and the Davis Cup Birmingham. After beginning his career in sports marketing and as an advisor to the Governor of Alabama for economic development and policy, Nick joined Alabama Power in 2003 where he has held management positions both at Alabama Power and Southern Company including executive leadership of Business Origination, Project Management & Construction, Division Vice President, and Vice President of External & Regulatory Affairs. In addition to the Alabama Sports Council, his other previous community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Foundation, Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, and Board Emeritus member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. After earning his undergraduate from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, Sellers went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the Birmingham School of Law.  He resides in Birmingham with his wife and three children.

In 1995, Micah broke his neck in a near-fatal surfing accident. During the intense recovery period that followed, God began to reshape Micah and taught him that life is but a vapor. God also gave him a passion to invest his short life advancing the gospel and serving the poor. In graduate school, he traveled to Africa and was broken by the extreme poverty he encountered. Awakened by the experience and moved to respond, a vision to alleviate poverty and multiply disciples formed which led to the founding of Vapor Ministries in 2004. He and his wife Audrey have 2 children and have dedicated their lives to meeting needs, feeding souls, and elevating God in desperate places.

Gusty Gulas is the Team Leader of the Gusty Gulas Group, Birmingham's #1 Team in Homes Sold since 2012. The G3 Team also holds Birmingham's only endorsement from Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran. The Team is also endorsed by Birmingham Mountain Radio's Reg and Will, 102.5 The Bull's Dollar Bill and Madison and JT with WERC 105.5'S. In the last two years Gusty's team has sold over 850 homes! Gusty is the President for the Birmingham Association of Realtors. Gusty is currently the Top Rated Realtor on www.Zillow.com in the greater Birmingham Alabama area with the highest rating and most reviews. Gusty and team proudly represent many Home Buyers and Sellers that are either relocating to town, buying their first home or looking for an excellent marketing strategy to sell their home. His team is focused on making the Home Buying and Selling Experience easy! Gusty's past professional accomplishments include:2016 Nominee for Residential Sales Associate of the Year for Birmingham Association of Realtors; 2013-2014 Best Realtor for Birmingham Magazine; 2011 Birmingham Business Journal Top 40 under 40; 2007 Finalist Rookie of the Year for Birmingham Association of Realtors Gusty is married to the former Katie Minton of Gadsden Alabama and currently live in Homewood AL where they have two sons named Tripp and Max. Gusty received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2003 from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha social Fraternity. Gusty's hobbies include: Alabama Football, Concerts, traveling and Golf.

Ashley McMakin's upbringing created a love of all things food and cooking. After graduating with a business degree from the University of Alabama, Ashley entertained the idea of pursuing culinary school. However, she quickly realized that that was going to cost her more than she had at the time. So, she instead chose to begin working at a local advertising agency, while running a small catering business on the side with one of her coworkers. What started as a small side gig being run out of her condo, soon turned into catering parties and corporate lunches. Within three months she quit her job to work full time with the new venture, which would eventually become Ashley Mac's. Ashley Mac's was built on her love of food and serving others, and after 15 years, that remains the same. But it's not just the food that sets Ashley Mac's apart—it's the people working there who make it special.

Keith and his wife Amy founded Taziki's in 1998. He served as President from May 1998 until December 2012, and then served as the Chief Franchise Officer from June 2012 till 2017. Keith has returned to manage the flagship market in Birmingham, AL, and continues to lead our culinary R+D and the HOPE project, Taziki's signature charity. Before creating Taziki's, Keith Richards worked under the direction of Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar and Grill- which won the elusive 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for the most outstanding restaurant in America. Today, Keith and Amy and their two sets of twins live in Birmingham, AL, where Keith serves on the Shelby County Chamber Board and advances the cause of employing special needs students in Birmingham and across the country.

When Starnes first came to Birmingham, he was an assistant golf professional at Birmingham Country Club but soon found, “It was pretty obvious the golf business was not going to be my long-term future,” he said. “I was clearly not cut out for that business.” So in 2008, he looked to find a sales job and landed one with the community newspaper 280 Living, which was started by Patti Henderson. Three months later, in June 2008, Starnes purchased the business from Henderson for $10. “I had no money, no credit and no experience in publishing, so it was really … a perfect place to start in an industry, you know, that kind of had some trouble at that time,” he joked. With the list of contacts he had accumulated over the months he was a salesperson, his frugal nature and single lifestyle, Starnes was able to devote extra time to his new publishing company. “When I started out, all I really understood was I could only spend what I could spend and no more,” he said. “It was a really good lesson in business. You've got what you have, and that's what you have to work with.” In just a few short years, Starnes grew his company from one paper to seven, covering Homewood, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Birmingham proper and Trussville in addition to the 280 corridor and Mountain Brook. The papers and its advertisements have won numerous awards through the Alabama Press Association and have continued to grow both in numbers and in content within communities.

Forrest has been in the fitness industry since 1996 and he is famous for saying that he “can't imagine doing anything else.” His fitness story began in college. As the smallest guy on the cheerleading squad at Auburn University, he needed to put on about 30 pounds to hang with the other guys and have the strength to press his partner above his head! Putting on that 30 pounds of muscle put Forrest's life on a new trajectory that made him aware of just how powerful exercise and physique development could be on the entire human psyche. From there, he started pursing natural bodybuilding contests as a way to express his passion for fitness and placed very well in several local contests. Others starting asking him how to get into shape, and before he knew what had happened Forrest was in the personal training industry! In 2001, he opened his first Fitness Together personal training studio. He eventually grew that into six studios that he owned and operated right in Birmingham. After success with those six, he decide to sell them for the chance to purchase the franchise rights to develop the Fitness Together franchise brand in Alabama, Florida and North Carolina. Despite a great deal of success in this endeavor developing Fitness Together in these three states, in late 2007, Forrest had been unable to shake the feeling that he just had to get more directly back in the fitness industry and help people transform their lives. And that is the spark that lead to the creation of the Iron Tribe brand. In 2013, Forrest published a book about the Iron Tribe story, documenting this very story of deciding to get his friends together in his garage to workout throughout 2008 and 2009, which lead to the opening of the first Iron Tribe gym in 2010.

Alexander Shunnarah was born in Birmingham and attended John Carroll Catholic High School. He attended Samford University but transferred to University of Alabama at Birmingham; he graduated with a BS in political science and sociology in 1991. In 1995 he received his law degree from Birmingham School of Law and after working in Birmingham, he established his own law firm in 2001. Shunnarah's company started with one legal assistant and marketing that consisted of "handing out business cards to family and friends and fellow church members". By 2014 his firm, headquartered in Birmingham, covered North Alabama and in January 2014 had started Alexander Shunnarah & Associates, which covered the Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi coastal areas. In 2016 he opened a new corporate headquarters in Birmingham, employing 60 attorneys. Shunnarah is well-known for the ubiquity of his billboards. He refused to disclose how much he spends on advertising, but did make a video poking fun at his "unparalleled billboard empire across the state and the [southeast]" and has spoken on national conferences about his marketing campaigns. In 2016, he was named "Master of Marketing" by The National Trial Lawyer Magazine. At that time, he and his slogan "Let Me Be Your Attorney" were found "on more than 2,000 billboards and thousands of TV commercials and other ads"

In this episode of How I Built This - Birmingham Style, Dr. Patrick Murphy from University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Collat School of Business's Entrepreneurial Program & Ron Holt CEO of Pink Zebra Moving discuss what society views as a "flaw" that can actually be a superpower for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs often have to wear many hats and juggle lots of tasks -- which means they're more likely to commit a mistake. Instead of being afraid of making mistakes and not advancing your business, in this episode hear how you can embrace your flaws and mistakes and how to make them a source of your best ideas.

Birmingham, Alabama is a city of entrepreneurs and innovators. And in this episode of How we built this Birmingham Birmingham Style, we have Betsy McAtee from Dreamland BBQ who's been able to grow her company into a regional brand by making delicious food with Southern pride.