Welcome to Startup Gems! We find undiscovered startup growth hacks, stories and case studies from every random nook and cranny of the internet. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, an aspiring startup enthusiast, or simply someone seeking inspiration, Startup Gems is your source for the stories that ignite the flames of innovation.
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this solo episode I'm breaking down one of my favorite business ideas right now: API arbitrage and the great unbundling. I talk about how huge companies were built by unbundling parts of Craigslist, and why the same thing is happening today with tools like Apify, Clay, Zapier, OpenAI, and Claude. I share the story of Nico, who went from working in his family's restaurant to building a software business doing $3,500/month in recurring revenue with almost no technical background. Then I walk through a bunch of simple business ideas anyone can build by wrapping existing tools in a cleaner, easier product. If you want to implement AI into small and medium sized businesses, check out https://www.playmakersai.com/Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Colin Stroud, founder of Go Somewhere, and we talked about how he built a business helping business owners get way more value out of the credit card points they're already earning. Colin broke down how he charges $875 for a consulting call, made $231,000 in his first full year, and gets most of his clients from LinkedIn. We also talked about why most people use points the wrong way, how business owners can earn more from their existing spending, and why “earn and burn” is usually better than hoarding points forever. You can find Colin at https://www.gosomewhere.world and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gosomewhere/Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Ryan Doser to talk about how he's turning Claude skills into a real digital product business. Ryan breaks down what a Claude skill actually is, why it's basically an SOP for AI, and how he launched a Claude Code Skill Stack that made over $3,000 in 30 to 45 days. We also talked about how anyone can turn their own knowledge into sellable AI skills, whether it's for marketing, SEO, YouTube, gardening, trading cards, or almost anything else. Ryan also showed how he uses Claude Code to turn YouTube videos into SEO blog posts, build landing pages, create a personal marketing OS, and run workflows across tools like Stripe, WordPress, Appify, Google Calendar. You can find Ryan at https://ryandoser.com/Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
I'm proud to have Bizee sponsor this video. I've been using their platform for years to start my LLCs and continue to gain valuable support from their service. It's a company I genuinely trust and am excited to recommend to you. https://bizee.com/━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Natalie Rosario to talk about how she makes money through government contracting without doing the actual work herself. She explained how she finds contracts on SAM.gov, gets quotes from subcontractors, marks up the price, and keeps the profit. We talked about her first hazardous waste contract, a catering contract that made her $11,000 in two weeks, and a $962,000 landscaping contract where she used past pricing data to understand the opportunity. Natalie also broke down how beginners can start with an LLC, use AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to understand proposals, and search past government spending on USAspending.gov. We also covered why reliable subcontractors matter, why many people quit too early, and how one contract can create steady income for years.Follow Natalie here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalietheceo/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@natalietheceoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bizmotionwithnatWebsites mentioned:SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/Contract opportunities: https://sam.gov/opportunitiesUSAspending: https://www.usaspending.gov/APEX Accelerators: https://www.apexaccelerators.us/Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Marc Hyman and we talked about how he built a simple iced coffee cart business using a gutted Home Depot tool cart instead of an expensive coffee truck or espresso machine. Marc broke down why cold coffee, nitro coffee, and simple event setups can be such a profitable “business in a box.” We talked through the numbers, including how a cup costs around $3 to make, sells for around $8.50, and how his best event cleared about $8,000 in net profit over two days. We also got into the best locations for this type of business, including festivals, farmers markets, car washes, gas stations, and other overlooked spots with built-in foot traffic. You can find Marc at https://sunburstnitrocoffee.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Kyle, also known as the Website Landlord, and we talked about one of the most interesting low-overhead online business models I've seen in a while. Kyle explained how he builds simple local SEO websites for niches like junk removal, auto glass repair, and epoxy flooring, ranks them on Google, and then rents the leads out to local businesses for recurring monthly income. We talked about why these sites don't need to look pretty, how he got his first client to wire him $6,000 within 20 minutes, and how he eventually scaled this into a business doing around $100k/month with very low overhead. We also got into lifestyle businesses, time freedom, passive income, and why Kyle intentionally keeps the business simple instead of chasing massive growth. You can learn more at https://rentlocalsites.com and follow Kyle on:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@websitelandlordYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KyleReviewsCoursestopspotkyle@gmail.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with William Lindholm, who built a wild new business around cold caking, sending cakes to prospects to book sales meetings. We talked about how he started with birthday cake automation in Norway, moved to San Francisco, pivoted into outbound sales, and hit $120,000 in monthly revenue just weeks after the pivot. William broke down why physical gifts cut through better than cold calls, emails, and DMs, especially as AI makes online outreach noisier. We also talked about using cakes for agencies, real estate, accounting, customer retention, and how he uses AI agents to source and negotiate with bakeries. You can find William on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-daymaker/contact@daymaker.comhttps://www.daymaker.com/Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Michael McCoy, co-founder of Prepa Pizza, to talk about how he turned a simple pizza dough kit into a multi-million dollar business. He started by making the kits in his basement with his wife and selling them at local farmers markets, where he did around $60,000 in one summer working part-time. We also talked about how he took the business online, scaled with Facebook ads, hit over $160,000 in a single month, and why farmers markets are one of the best places to test simple product ideas. You can check out Michael's business here: https://prepapizza.com/https://www.instagram.com/myprepapizza/michaeljamesmccoy@gmail.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Brett Williams from DesignJoy and we talked about how he built a one man productized service business that grew into a massive cash-flow machine. He broke down how he launched with no audience, made around $10,000 on day one, kept his full-time job until the business was doing $80,000 a month, and eventually grew it to peaks of $200,000 a month with almost no overhead. We also talked about what makes productized services so powerful, why design and branding matter even more in the age of AI, and what kinds of agencies people can start right now using skills like copywriting, short form editing, thumbnail design, and AI-first development. Brett also shared his favorite AI tools, his best prompting advice, and why speed and simplicity are winning more than ever.https://x.com/BrettFromDJEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Corey Ganim and we broke down a simple but really smart service business built around AI assessments for small businesses. We talked through how he went from a friend offering to pay $1,000 for AI help to turning that into a repeatable offer using a voice agent, Claude, and a clean client report. We got into how the assessment works, what kinds of AI tools and simple software get recommended, and why the real money often comes from the upsell after the initial audit. Corey also shared practical ways to get your first customers, including local meetups, office hours, free assessments, and even door knocking. Finally, we talked about why you do not need to be a real AI expert to sell this, you just need to be a little ahead of the average client. You can find Corey through his Build With AI podcast on YouTube and podcast platforms.Find Josh:YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@coreyganimcorey@returnmytime.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━This guy turned $90 into $50K in a year selling ad space on postcards that get mailed to thousands of homes. He finds local businesses in Facebook groups, closes 95% of his deals over text — one plumber paid him $1,100 in five messages. No cold calls, no Zoom, no employees, no ads. He just connects local businesses to local homeowners through the mail and pockets $4–5K profit per run. He even showed me the exact Facebook post he uses and the trick that gets business owners to DM him first. This one blew my mind.Find Josh:
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━The Most Overlooked Way to Make Money with AI (+10 More Ideas) - Chat with Michael Girdley | Ep. #181https://open.spotify.com/episode/67kATaWJ935Ec4O3oViPWN?si=WehmyjUfTeiAnLbk0xX0kAMichael Girdley is back and we went even harder this time. I sent his ideas to my newsletter, you guys voted, and we only talked about the best ones.We got into AI persona marketplaces, a MasterClass killer where you actually talk to Steve Jobs, the return of local journalism, an app that yells at you for getting distracted, negotiating 70% off college tuition, and why AI audits might be the best business any of you can start right now. One idea was so good I started building it in Claude while we were still recording.Find Michael on X at https://x.com/girdley or at https://girdley.com. He's also launching Bedrock (https://girdley.com/bedrock) for quality of earnings if you're buying a business, and https://www.fixedlabs.ai/ for AI audits.Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Vadim is 18 years old, has zero coding experience, and just made $5,000 in his first month from an app he vibe coded using Claude Code. His app Vugola competes with Opus Clip, a company that raised $50 million, and he built the whole thing without writing a single line of code. We talk about how he built it, the AI tools he's using to run his entire company with agents, and why he thinks every business needs to be built agentic-first.Find Vadim on Twitter/X: https://x.com/VadimStrizheusTry his app: https://vugolaai.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Mike Yoder started a drone deer recovery service in Ohio and made $50,000 in his first 10 weeks. Four years later he's doing over $32 million a year selling thermal and agricultural spray drones. In this episode he breaks down exactly how he got his first customers, the unit economics of spray drone businesses (70%+ profit margins), and why this might be the biggest untapped opportunity in blue collar entrepreneurship right now. If you know someone in the military, send them this episode.Find Mike:https://www.youtube.com/@dronedeerrecoverymike@hledrones.comDrone Deer Recovery — https://dronedeerrecovery.comhttps://nuwayag.com/@nuwayag on all platformsEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Kip Roland went from a suspended Amazon account and a newborn baby to building a $450K/year live selling business — starting with zero followers, zero experience, and a storage unit full of kitchen appliances. In this episode, Kip breaks down exactly how live selling works on Whatnot and TikTok, how he sources liquidation goods for 80–90% off retail, what his first stream looked like (150 items sold in under two hours), and how anyone can make their first $1,000 in profit live selling. He also covers hiring streamers, switching categories, selling food on live, and why he thinks live selling is the biggest untapped opportunity in e-commerce right now.Links mentioned:Kip on X/Twitter: @kip_rolandKip's free newsletter on live selling: https://liveselling-academy.kit.comLive Selling Academy (with Shannon Jean): https:www.liveselling.academy/TKO — Get 2 months for $20B-Stock (liquidation sourcing): https://bstock.comWhatnot (live selling platform): https://whatnot.comEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Meet Jon Cheney. A year ago he woke up, had an idea, and built an entire business in a weekend with zero coding experience and $400. By Tuesday he had his first customer — who paid him $15,000. A year later he's at $2.5 million in revenue, over 50% profit, and on pace for $7 million this year with just a handful of employees.Jon breaks down exactly how he found his first customers, how he prices his services, and the simple 3-part framework he uses to close deals. No hype, no fluff. If you've ever thought about starting something but felt like you didn't have the right skills or money, this one's for you.Find Jon here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheneyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheneypianoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheneypianoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cheneypianoWebsite: https://genaipi.orgEnjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Get Plans of Grandeur for $47 (video-only price)
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━If you want your own AI agent, check out Robby's community at https://heyron.ai and use code CHRIS for $10 off your first month.Robby Houston gave an AI agent a budget and told it to make money. 13 days later he's at $8,4K MRR and he's not a coder.In this episode Robby breaks down exactly how his AI agent Ron identified a business opportunity, built the infrastructure, and grew a paying community from scratch while Robby was just "human in the loop."Enjoy!---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Snail Mail Episode with Hannah: https://youtu.be/KuQtxDCmyO4Michael Clark and his wife started sending stories through the mail. That's it. No complicated tech, no complicated business model. Just letters.Last year they did $7M in revenue!In this episode Michael breaks down exactly how they built it, how they find customers, and how you can start something similar.Check out The Flower Letters
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I talk with Matt Howe, a former high school math teacher who started flipping items on Facebook Marketplace to make extra money and eventually built a full equipment dealership. Matt shares how he went from making around $40K as a teacher to flipping lawn mowers for quick profits, earning $20K to $30K in one summer and eventually scaling the operation by hiring drivers, working with a mechanic, and sourcing underpriced equipment from dealers who didn't want to deal with used inventory. Over time, the side hustle turned into a real dealership doing over $1.1M in a single month in sales. We break down how he finds deals, negotiates prices, scales the operation, and why buying low and moving inventory quickly matters more than fixing things. If you want to follow Matt, check out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@matt_howeEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with David Stillson to talk about the world of small rental businesses and how he's built a few of them on the side. We started with his moving tote rental business, where he buys industrial totes in bulk and rents them to people who are moving, often through partnerships with realtors who gift the rentals to their clients.We also talked about his RV rental business, where he bought a travel trailer, listed it on platforms like Outdoorsy and RVshare, and validated the idea with about $7,000 in revenue in the first season. Finally, we touched on his small podcast and music studio rental, which started as a hobby but now occasionally generates income.You can find David Stillson on X at @DavidStillson.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Everything I've ever done to grow from zero to five million followers. All in one place — Plans of Grandeur Content Mastery 10% of all gross revenue will be publicly donated to the National Kidney Foundation. That one's personal.━I sat down with Sariah Howell, the founder of Memory Magnets Co, and her story is wild. What started as a small idea to print more family photos turned into a business making custom photo magnets that completely took off.She began with a $700 machine, started selling magnets at local markets, and eventually discovered a huge opportunity doing live magnet printing at weddings and events. From there the business exploded, reaching $1.63M in revenue in its first full year.We talked about how the business works, how she gets customers, and why this simple product can be such a powerful side hustle.You can find Sariah Howell and all of her links here:https://linktr.ee/memorymagnetscoEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Here are three very specific ways of getting rich with low cost franchising. Explore any of these franchises here: https://go.franzy.com/chris-koernerI sat down with Alex Smereczniak from Franzy to talk about why franchising might be the most overlooked path to wealth creation in America. We broke down how to think about risk tolerance and brand maturity, why some franchise models command higher exit multiples, and what I should have done when I first spotted Planet Fitness as a wide open opportunity years ago. Then Alex shared a few franchise concepts he's excited about right now, including an insurance adjusting model, a home sale prep and light renovation business, and a surprisingly massive window box subscription business. We also hit a couple wild cards like artificial turf and Airbnb cleaning, plus how people use SBA loans to finance deals like this. If you want to explore franchises with a tool that matches you to the right concept, check out the links below.LinkedIn (personal):https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/alexfromfranzy/ X (Twitter):https://x.com/AlexfromFranzy LinkedIn (company - Franzy):https://www.linkedin.com/company/franzy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexfromfranzyEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━HoldCo Bros are back! In this episode, I bring Nik Hulewsky back on and we basically try to dunk on that whole AI Twitter doom loop of “what are you building” while everyone screams about agents and AGI. Nick explains why we're still early, why most people have barely touched AI, and why the real advantage right now is building skills and staying ready to pounce when the obvious use cases show up.Then he shows me what he's actually built, including his locally hosted OpenClaw setup he calls Gary, plus a few really practical workflows that make him look like a magician inside a normal company. We talk about the difference between clean and dirty data, why “record your meetings” is the easiest unfair advantage, and how someone could turn this into real money through AI consulting, bootcamps, fractional roles, and building simple internal tools that save teams a ton of time. If you've wanted a simple, non confusing breakdown of agents, workflows, and how to monetize this stuff, this one is it.You can find Nikolas Hulewsky on X at @CoFoundersNik and on YouTube at Nikonomics.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I sit down with Matt and Joni from Sonoma Strong Hauling to hear one of the most incredible comeback stories I've ever encountered. Matt opens up about his journey from prison and rehab to working a $15-an-hour job at Safeway, all while trying to restart his life at age 35.We dive deep into the "candy dish" marketing strategy they used to win over realtors and how they turned a beat-up pickup truck into a business netting 35% margins on $50,000 a month. This conversation is a masterclass in how constraints equal creativity and why "closed mouths don't get fed" in the world of entrepreneurship.YouTube: Sonoma Strong Hauling — Hundreds of videos on starting and growing a home service business.Website: sonomastronghauling.comFacebook: Matt VickInstagram: @SonomaStrongHaulingEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Jim Rowe went from flipping a single $1,200 pallet to doing $60,000 in sales in his first month out of an old tow truck shop in rural Washington. In this episode, he breaks down how he buys liquidation pallets, restaurant equipment, and random auction finds, why selling matters more than buying, and how he rolls profits over and over to scale fast. He also shares wild flips like buying industrial hinges for $2.28 each and reselling them for $50 plus the mindset shift that helped him move from restaurants to reselling full time.Find him on X at https://x.com/resellerrowe, where he posts reselling wins, auctions, and tips for growing a flipping business.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode I'm sharing my 7 favorite food business ideas for 2026, all designed to be simple, approachable, and high margin.Some are true side hustles you could start this weekend. Others could turn into full-blown, scalable businesses. I break down the real numbers, startup costs, margins, and how I'd actually test each one in the real world.If you've been looking for a practical way to get started, this is a playbook you can actually run with.7. Grill cleaninghttps://www.chrisjkoerner.com/newslettersss/newsletter-00516. Mini pancakeshttps://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2009705202274934846?s=205. Dehydrated fruit https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2000296786557354459?s=204. Picnicshttps://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20104285893602717993. Frozen grapeshttps://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2011495240079696010?s=202. Bakery stand x3https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aUV1WjbGiQMhttps://x.com/mhp_guy/status/19886117350337292691. Watermelon x3https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cjkoerner_my-poor-wife-i-cant-even-go-to-a-parade-activity-7346972455653056512-2B7b/https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2011909126876790956?s=20Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Follow Hannah: https://linktr.ee/hannahmakesIn this episode, I'm sitting down with Hannah Gustafson, the founder of The Tiny Project, to discuss a business model that is as brilliant as it is approachable. Hannah left the corporate grind to start a "silly" front-yard stand that has since exploded into a snail mail subscription club with 4,100 members. We break down how she reached nearly $50,000 in monthly revenue in just six months with almost no upfront investment and zero paid advertising. Hannah proves that business doesn't need to be a high-tech headache because it is often just about a one-ounce envelope and the courage to start tiny. This story is the ultimate proof that an authentic, human-centered side hustle is absolutely doable for anyone.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Try Quo free + get 20% off your first 3 months: http://quo.com/tko20Missed calls are one of the easiest ways to lose customers without realizing it. Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is the AI-powered business phone system that helps make sure that doesn't happen.With one shared inbox for calls, texts, and voicemails, your whole team has context and Quo's Sona AI can answer calls, take messages, and qualify leads 24/7 when you can't.━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I break down how to buy big things with very little money and why constraints are actually your biggest advantage. I share real stories from my own life, from buying my first house as a broke college student to structuring deals for real estate, businesses, and assets without large down payments. We talk about creative deal structures like seller financing, balloon payments, graduated payments, lease to own setups, and why building trust with sellers matters more than having perfect credit or a pile of cash. The goal of this episode is simple. Stop thinking you need money to get started and start learning how to structure smarter deals instead.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I break down 11 of my favorite beginner-friendly business ideas that are affordable to start, realistic, and actually scalable. These are real businesses I've seen work in the wild, from simple service plays to overlooked opportunities most people ignore. If you're looking for practical ideas you can actually start without experience or a huge budget, this episode will give you plenty to think about.11 Wall printing - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTtB1D2khE2/10 Lawnmower flipping - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTJE7vHEpom/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YebLPyVcTr8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYj_Ns5LGEo&list=WL&index=69 Sticks with LED lights - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTRWxBRkn7D/8 Realtor heygen - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20187773531874347237 Cleaning car seats - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUHE5_UEhMb/6 Trash can cleaning - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSqwj90ElnO/Podcast Interview - https://youtu.be/7Ow9qRVCWM8 5 Hot cocoa and chips - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2016982470688985256https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20184228568757084424 Kids artwork - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20155189136108052953 Gas station vending - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20181275090874659702 Timelapse giveaways - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/20194742223143940361 Cheap jetskis - https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/2019541145844687119Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
⚠️IMPORTANT UPDATE⚠️: This episode was recorded on Saturday during the initial viral surge of Moltbook. Since recording, several major security vulnerabilities have been reported, including potential API key leaks and prompt injection risks. I wasn't aware of these specific exploits at the time of filming, but they definitely reinforce my warning in the video to be careful with permissions.━Ride the AI tidal wave together. Join the community of AI consultants learning to charge $500–$35k/mo (per client): https://playmakersai.com/━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Moltbook Newshttps://moltbooknews.comA brand new platform called Moltbook is going viral fast. It's basically Reddit, but instead of humans posting, it's AI agents talking to each other. In this episode, I break down what Moltbook actually is, why it's exploding, and how I quickly built and launched a site around it using AI. We then zoom out into the bigger opportunity around AI agents, OpenClaw, and what it looks like to monetize this wave through services, tools, and consulting before it becomes mainstream.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Forest Coughtry to break down one of the most underrated businesses I've seen in a long time. Forest moved to Montana knowing nobody, started a small wholesale snack distribution business, and quickly scaled it to $50K+ months with no employees and no vending machines. We walked through how he went from selling pastries in Colorado to building a high-margin jerky and candy route serving nearly 100 stores, why this model beats vending machines, and how simple relationship-based selling can outperform “passive” side hustles. Forest shares real numbers, startup costs, margins, and exactly how he lands accounts without contracts or cold email. This is one of those businesses that's hiding in plain sight.You can find Forest Coughtry on YouTube at Coughtry Wholesale, where he documents building and scaling his distribution business step by step.https://www.skool.com/@forest-coughtry-1344Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I make $10k–$35k profit per month on Facebook by reposting content that isn't mine. It's legal, ethical, and takes me just 3 hours a week.In this video, I'm showing you the exact "fair use" strategy I use to monetize viral clips without filming original content. I'll share my screen and walk you through the entire process—from sourcing videos to the "comment hack" that drives me over 500 email subscribers every single day.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I sat down with Danny to break down how he built an AI voice agent for his barber that turned missed calls into booked appointments and grew into a real business charging upfront fees plus monthly retainers. We talked about why barbers and local service businesses are a perfect niche, how easy these agents are to demo and sell, and why this feels like an early window similar to Yelp or Google Business Profiles.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Tim to break down how he took a simple idea he saw online and turned it into a real-world business making thousands at fairs and events. We talked about how he started with a mobile RC construction trailer, charging by the minute, why lowering prices actually doubled demand, and how he broke even on roughly $10–11K in startup costs. Tim shared real numbers from events, including his best week doing around $2,600, and explained how county fairs, private parties, and corporate events became his main revenue drivers.His website is https://canudigitrc.com/ and you can reach him at tim0617@gmail.com.We also dug into how he built custom session-tracking software with AI, why that made the business easier to run and scalable, and how he's now opening a physical retail location with plans for memberships, higher capacity, and eventually franchising. This episode is a great look at how low-barrier, offline businesses can still work incredibly well when you validate demand first and keep things simple.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Greg Isenberg and we turned into idea machines. We riffed through a bunch of approachable business ideas with low startup costs, from mobile bike washing and vending machines to simple physical products, Facebook Marketplace tools, and even Pokémon cards. The whole conversation is about spotting overlooked opportunities, validating ideas fast, and actually starting instead of overthinking.You can check out Greg's podcast, Startup Ideas Podcast, here:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gregisenbergFollow Greg on X: https://x.com/gregisenbergGreg's website: https://www.gregisenberg.com/Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Jameson to break down how he went from a high paying finance career to building a multi million dollar home services business from scratch. We talked about why testing ideas matters more than overthinking, how he validated demand before committing, and why simple high ticket services like deck building can be incredibly powerful when done right. Jameson also shared very tactical advice on branding, pricing, lead generation, and why speed to lead and social proof matter more than most people realize.You can find Jameson on X here: https://x.com/jamesonhaslamEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Ride the AI tidal wave together. Join the community of consultants learning to charge $500–$35k/mo (per client): https://playmakersai.com/━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━In this interview, I sit down with Brandon Gadoci, who went from launching his AI consulting firm to an $80,000/month run rate in just 5 months. We discuss why companies are desperate for "AI Operators" , how to price your services between $20k-$35k/month , and the specific tech stack used to build solutions.https://x.com/bgadocihttps://gadociconsulting.com/Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━This story is absolutely wild. Kirk and his brother started their business, Junk Teens, when they were just 15 and 17 years old. They went from riding bicycles to the dump to find old speakers to buying a $75,000 dump truck with CASH.We talk about how they managed high school while building a company , how they scaled from $120k to nearly $1 million/year, and why they don't talk business at the Thanksgiving dinner table.If you want to see what real hustle looks like, do not miss this one.Follow Kirk & The Junk Teens: https://linktr.ee/Junk.TeensYouTube: @JunkTeens (Go subscribe, this is where they show the behind-the-scenes) Instagram: Search "Kirk McKinney" or "Kirk McKinney Jr." Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Quinn Miller to catch up on how his vending machine business has grown and where he's taking it next. We talked about why vending is such a strong cash flow business, how he finds and evaluates locations, and what he's learned from scaling machines across apartments, offices, and hotels. We also got into pricing, product selection, and why sales and momentum matter more than most people think when you're getting started. If you're curious about vending or machine-based businesses in general, this one is packed with real-world insight.You can find Quinn on Twitter at @QuinnJMiller - https://x.com/quinnjmiller, and he also has a vending machine course for anyone who wants a deeper, more hands-on walkthrough of the business - https://linktr.ee/quinnjmillerEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━"How'd You Do It?" Podcast: My new passion project with my wife where we ask parents how they raised their kids in the faith: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ILzjEkp0dW8vPVR7Ywy1K━It's a wrap on 2025. This is my annual deep dive where I break down everything: the businesses I started, the ones that failed, and exactly where I'm making money. I'm sharing specific net profit numbers across 7+ income streams, not just revenue. I also talk about why I finally killed the Secret Pickleball Club idea , the "return on headache" that led me to move on from other ventures , and my investment strategy for the year, from "NEFL" stocks to angel investing. Plus, a look at why I impulsively signed up for an ultra marathon with zero trainingMentioned in this episode:My 2024 Year-End Recap: If you're interested in how my 2024 went (filmed from a hotel room in San Francisco), you can watch that here: https://youtu.be/kd3wxK_FAO8"Middle of Nowhere" Video: This video is my pride and joy. I had a lot of fun filming it—"I started a business in the middle of nowhere": https://youtu.be/zdqqBELJQ1QAppliance Rental Video: My first long-form video to hit a million views, featuring Kyler: https://youtu.be/UCdWRg1KQLYBook Flipping Video: Mindi turning $1 into $5,000 from books: https://youtu.be/kHRKeDqsoG8NEFL Stocks: My breakdown of why Founder-Led companies with Network Effects outperform the market: https://neflstocks.com/TKOwners: My community for business owners: https://www.tkowners.com/PlaymakersAI: My community for AI consultants and automation: https://playmakersai.com/Fast Tree Care: The tree trimming business I own with my partner James. It's been flat lately and we've been a bit complacent, but it's still profitable: https://fasttreecare.comBackyard Funhouse: My sport court and installation business: https://backyardfunhouse.com/Texas Snacks: My Buc-ee's resale business (that finally got our tax refund!): https://texassnax.com/Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I sat down with Korey McDavid, the founder of Juiced Fuel, to talk about how on demand gas delivery actually works as a real business. We get into why this plugs directly into everyday behavior, how repeat usage turns fuel into predictable revenue, and which customers really make the model work. Korey shares how he started this on the side, how the business compounds once people build the habit, and where it's headed next. He's now in his third year and on pace to do over $1 million this year, which makes this a great example of a straightforward business executed well.You can check out Juiced Fuel at https://juicedfuel.com and follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/juicedfuel.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━In this episode, I talk about the parts of entrepreneurship that people rarely tell you about and why so many founders feel blindsided once they're in it. I share a simple GRIT framework I've developed after years of building and breaking businesses, and why understanding these challenges upfront matters more than chasing upside.We get into the emotional swings, the hidden costs, and why progress often feels slower than expected. I also walk through practical mindset shifts that help you stay steady, focused, and moving forward when things get uncomfortable. This episode is about seeing the full picture before you decide if this path is really for you.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━In this episode, I walk through dozens of real, practical ways to turn unwanted land into cash flow. I talk about how land that looks ugly, rural, or overlooked can actually become a serious income engine if you think about it differently. From renting out raw land for camping, parking equipment, or RVs, to placing sheds, tiny homes, or storage containers, I break down how people are making money without overcomplicating things.I also share ideas around subdividing land, master leases, portable self storage, tree farms, firewood, pallet businesses, sheds, sports courts, and even some weird but surprisingly profitable niches most people never consider. The big theme of this episode is optionality. Once you own land, especially land no one else wants, you suddenly unlock dozens of ways to monetize it.The goal here is to show that you do not need perfect property, massive capital, or years of experience to get started. You just need ideas, creativity, and the willingness to look at unwanted land as an opportunity instead of a problem.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my community at https://TKOwners.com━Beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chris━I sat down with Mindi Reinke and we walked through one of the simplest, lowest risk reselling businesses I've seen in a long time. She shared how she bought pallets of school books for $1, which is what she usually pays, used eBay and ChatGPT to sort and list the inventory, and turned that into roughly $5,000 in revenue. We talked about why curriculum is the real money maker, how book arbitrage actually works, and why this is a business almost anyone can start with just a phone and very little upfront cost. You can find Mindi Reinke on X at https://x.com/hey_mindi Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Join my AI Consulting Community (PlaymakersAI):https://playmakersai.com/Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━I sat down with Will Cannon again and we talked about how he went from scraping and selling lead lists to building multiple million-dollar SaaS businesses. We covered his early background, losing everything in 2008, and how that pushed him into B2B data, cold email, and eventually software.We broke down how he built a profitable lead-selling agency with almost no upfront costs, why recurring revenue changed everything, and how UpLead got its first customers. Will also shared how he thinks about copying existing businesses, acquiring customers before building, and why you do not need to be technical to make this work.Will shares his free playbooks and his socials at IAmWillCannon.comGet Will's Free Cold Email Playbook: https://iamwillcannon.com/free-resources/the-cold-email-playbookWant to copy Will's system? He gives away his entire strategy (scripts included) in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YmJsHESukCo2i9YS9xNMD?si=DDT_jlpeRviFBe7lr4KNKAEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Join my AI Consulting Community (PlaymakersAI):https://playmakersai.com/Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━If you are new here from the Diary of a CEO episode, welcome. I am really glad you are here. And for everyone who has been with me from the beginning, I appreciate you more than you know.In this episode I took all 254 past episodes and pulled out the very best ideas, lessons, guests and takeaways so you do not have to go back and binge everything unless you want to. I walk through my top 23 episodes and rank them from 23 to 1. You will hear why these ideas work, what I love about them, where people get stuck, and how you can use them no matter how much money or experience you have.If you are new to my world, this is the perfect starting point because it gives you the full overview of the most tactical and approachable business ideas we have ever covered. If you have been listening for a while, this is a great refresh and a fun look back at what has actually changed people's lives.Rank 23Episode 55. How to Start a Six Figure Side Hustle Exclusively on Facebook MarketplaceRank 22Episode 229. Starting a Drone Business and Drone Roof InspectionsRank 21Episode 226. Domain Name InvestingRank 20Episode 239. Laundromats with Tyler PurcellRank 19Episode 210. Etsy Print on DemandRank 18Episode 73. Porch PumpkinsRank 18Episode 186. Mailbox RepairRank 17Episode 196. Forestry MulchingRank 16Episode 162. Lessons Learned from Starting 75 Plus BusinessesRank 15Episode 170. How to Get a Yes from EveryoneRank 14Episode 175. Hummingbird Food E Commerce BrandRank 13Episode 144. How to Get Everything You Want Out of LifeRank 12Episode 207. Which AI Should You Use to Make MoneyRank 11Episode 233. Beginner Friendly Ways of Making 10 GrandRank 10Episode 228. Three Million a Year from Tiny AI ToolsRank 9Episode 203. How to Make a Million Dollars in Six MonthsRank 8Episode 230. How to Copy Businesses and White Label Them with Go High LevelRank 7Episode 205. The Most Overlooked Business Idea You Have Ever Heard OfRank 6Episode 248. Eight Ideas for You to Start This WeekendRank 5Episode 169. Twenty Five Tips Tools and Tricks to Use ChatGPTRank 4Episode 161. How to Start an Ad Agency with AI Video GenerationRank 3Episode 156. Reselling Liquidation ItemsRank 2Episode 164. DirectoriesRank 1Episode 204. I Started an Online Business in 56 MinutesEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Quick update before you dive in. We're shifting our upload schedule from three times a week to two. Instead of Mo-Wed-Fri, we'll now be posting every Tuesday and Friday. With all the new formats we're producing, three a week became tough to keep at the level we want. This new cadence will help us keep the quality high.━A year ago I interviewed Cinco about his line striping business. That episode is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xd6KRw895dstoagycodp5?si=SE8Zssb_SvGNToYYHWazUQHunter heard it, got inspired, and nine weeks later he had nearly fifty thousand dollars in revenue with zero experience.I sat down with Hunter Schenewark to break down how he made almost fifty thousand dollars in his first nine weeks with a simple striping and seal coating business. He had zero experience, started in a small town, did his first job for free in a local Facebook group, then used cold email to land big church projects. We walk through how he priced jobs, how he found customers, the equipment he bought, what it cost, and why seal coating became the real money maker.Hunter on Xhttps://x.com/HSchenewarkHunter's websitehttps://417striping.comEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Quick update before you dive in. We're shifting our upload schedule from three times a week to two. Instead of Mo-Wed-Fri, we'll now be posting every Tuesday and Friday. With all the new formats we're producing, three a week became tough to keep at the level we want. This new cadence will help us keep the quality high.━I sat down with Will Cannon to break down how cold email really works today. Will has sent over one hundred million cold emails and grew one of his companies to a million dollars ARR almost entirely from it. We talk about how to write short emails that convert, how many follow ups you actually need, how to build a list, and what works right now for getting your first customer fast.Will shares his free playbooks and his socials at IAmWillCannon.comEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chrisAnd right now, for Black Friday, you can use Promo Code: 2025BFCM for 20% off any annual plan.━Quick update before you dive in. We're shifting our upload schedule from three times a week to two. Instead of Mo-Wed-Fri, we'll now be posting every Tuesday and Friday. With all the new formats we're producing, three a week became tough to keep at the level we want. This new cadence will help us keep the quality high.I sat down with Connor Gross ( https://x.com/c_gro ) in New York and we went deep on one simple idea taking proven products and changing the form factor to unlock ridiculous upside. We talk about how Billy Mays, OxiClean, and late night infomercials turned into today's DTC and TikTok style direct response, then riff on everything from “AG1 in a gummy” and brands like Grüns, Starface pimple stickers, and stain remover stickers for kids clothes, all the way to race day temporary tattoos that show your elevation profile and aid stations. From there we get into filtration for cyclists and runners, mouth tape for performance and pollution, third party testing apps like SuppCo and Seed Oil Scout, and the crazy opportunity in being the trusted auditor for supplements, snacks, and food labels. We wrap by talking about city based silent retreat concepts inspired by OtherShip, how to productize attention and stillness in a noisy world, and why there is so much money sitting in boring categories if you are willing to innovate on packaging, distribution, and trust.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chrisAnd right now, for Black Friday, you can use Promo Code: 2025BFCM for 20% off any annual plan.━Quick update before you dive in. We're shifting our upload schedule from three times a week to two. Instead of Mo-Wed-Fri, we'll now be posting every Tuesday and Friday. With all the new formats we're producing, three a week became tough to keep at the level we want. This new cadence will help us keep the quality high.I sat down with Marcus Lemonis, someone I've admired for over fifteen years, and we talked about business, purpose, regret, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. Marcus opened up about his wins and losses, why he gave away millions with no expectation of return, and how he thinks about entrepreneurship in a world shaped by AI. We also got into The Profit, The Fixer, and why your gift comes with responsibility. I loved this conversation and I think you will too.He also shared his newest big idea, which is building an “everything home” ecosystem through Bed Bath and Beyond, Bye Bye Baby, and blockchain tech. It's one of the most ambitious concepts I've heard in a long time.You can find Marcus here:Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcuslemonisInstagram: https://instagram.com/marcuslemonisTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@marcuslemonisAnd you can watch his new show The Fixer on Fox, Fox Business, and Hulu.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
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