The Founder Centric Plan

Monica Talbert joins us in this episode to talk about how her passion for saving the ocean and food experiences that lead to an exciting journey of providing the best tasting plant-based seafood on the planet.   You can learn more about Monica's products at  www.plantbasedseafoodco.com    

CPG veteran, regenerative farmer, beekeeper, and spelling bee enthusiast Douglas Raggio of Pass The Honey talks about his transition from CPG investor to founder, the dark underworld of the honey industry, and the importance of building a generational business.  If you're a CPG founder, get excited about branding your unique product, "one SKU" business models, and the future of food, by leaning into this episode.

The future of food is not just plant-based, but sustainable and allergy-free which is the sweet spot for Laura Meemken's All Clean Food. Join me in this 13-minute interview as Laura gives us the latest updates and long term plans for her products and presence across the USA and beyond. Full disclosure: My household is a loyal customer. 

In an age where the media headlines mystify the idea of "starting out", Creator Nova is changing that narrative. Former Alibaba exec Mark Fleming talks about how Creator Nova is paving a straight path for entrepreneurs to get started in one of the most in-demand segments of Health & Wellness, as well as sharing his childhood beginnings that led him here. You can learn more about their solution at www.creatornova.com

Your cap table is the most important tool for tracking the value of your equity and is the most overlooked. Learn how you can manage all the moving parts that dilute your equity so you can start and exit your company on your own terms.  Total running time: 15:13 mins.

In this episode, I sit down with Chattanooga's finest, my favorite art advisor Elizabeth Ruffner to talk about all things art as a passion, an investment, and as therapy. The ins and outs of art collecting, working with dealers, and art galleries are de-mystified. If you're thinking about collecting art and don't know where to start this episode is for you.

For the last episode of the year, Michele Davis shares her life which she describes as, "Death, Divorce & Chocolate", showing us that no matter what your circumstances, or your age, you can start fresh and take risks.  Be inspired and enter the new year knowing time is on your side as Michele overcomes a few obstacles, including public speaking. 

Investor, founder and philanthropist David Benzaquen covers the spectrum of challenges, opportunities and impact of the plant-based CPG industry and the mission behind his latest project, plantbelly.com. If you're looking to fund inventory, raise capital, get into stores in the most cost effective way and avoid fatal mistakes, you don't want to miss this info rich episode. 

Laura Meemken's passion for food has shifted from therapeutic to entrepreneurial, as she shares her experience of eating clean with others and encouraging a healthier lifestyle in the process. If you're looking to create a sustainable healthy product without compromise, Laura Meemken's All Clean Food has done just that.

In an industry once dominated by "moguls", Jon Gosier's Film Hedge seeks to deputize a new wave of independent producers through an innovative film financing program that lets them become their own movie studio. In this episode, learn how this is the next shoe to drop in an already disrupted film industry.

If the headcount at the factory is over 100 and a good portion of them are unvaccinated, there are ways to comply with the vaccine mandate without firing them.

Why celebrity investments don't always succeed, and what are the exceptions to this.  

Getting mortgage is often a stressful process that takes a lot of coordination between multiple parties. But what if you could pull them together and make it accessible and hassle free? Jess Kennedy shares how Beeline is doing just that, and how the user experience is separating her from the rest.  Hint: it all starts from the inside out. Join us for a fun casual discussion on what I'm sure will be insightful for any founder seeking to build the next wave of online platforms.

Peter Hazlehurst takes us through an introspective look at his 25 years of being ahead of the curve on today's rapidly emerging fintech sector, and the team that came together along the way to form Synctera.

SoLo Funds is mobile marketplace for short term loans for everyday activities like money for the subway, buying lunch, paying your electric bill or car note. The idea: learning how to borrow and repay small loans so one can command larger loans, possibly to build wealth through a real estate portfolio. Surprisingly this micro borrow lifestyle is a concept lost to many venture capitalists, but Founder Travis Holoway found a way to raise $10M anyway. In my first ever interview, learn how Travis overcame the social and economic class divides between the VC's and his users, to jump start the most socially impactful fintech company of the decade.

From ideation, traction to raising capital, Wethos founder Rachel Renock shares her internal process of going from advertising creative to founder of a virtual studios platform empowering creative freelancers everywhere to collaborate and build together. Rachel also discusses what's next for Wethos, and how living in Nashville has helped craft her vision. 

Jessica founded Align, an executive coaching agency during the pandemic to meet the needs of those facing stagnation in their business, career, and relationships. I spent most of our time diving into Jessica's thoughts on the paradigm shift of dating, relationships, especially for busy founders and executives, as we head into summer and recover from the lockdowns.