Wisdom.MBA

Michael Minter has had a very successful career as a creative marketer working with some of the world's largest footwear brands.  Michael is currently the CMO of Reef, a 40-year-old legendary sandal brand that has recently seen an expansion in its product catalog and growth in eCommerce sales.  Prior to Reef, Michael was the Global Head of Marketing for DC Shoes, leading many of the company's iconic collaborations with the likes of the Andy Warhol foundation and the Mandalorian. Michael and I discuss how his upbringing in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea allowed him to approach brand marketing from a very unique perspective. We talk about his formal educational training first at SCAD followed by San Diego State University, and Michael provides his advice for anyone looking to become a CMO or creative director.This podcast was a lot of fun for me, because I also got to geek out on skate, snow, and surf culture, and we debate the topic of keeping aging sponsored pros on the payroll or not. Both of us disagree slightly on the topic, but it makes for some interesting takeaways for brands.If you are interested in creative, marketing, brand positioning, partnerships and collaborations, then you will enjoy this episode.  Discussion Topics:(1:34) Growing up in Papua New Guinea.(4:35) How an analog youth in a remote village led to a unique cultural perspective.(8:20) Brands that Michael admires.(12:19) The role good creative plays in marketing strategies.(22:48) Creative education.(26:28) Advice for trying to become a CMO at a major brand.(31:06) The importance of collaborations for brand growth.(43:51) Keeping legendary team riders on the payroll.(51:29) Working with Ken Block.(55:26) Growth potential for Reef.(58:40) Rapid fire. 

Bakari Akil is a visiting lecturer at Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management teaching students how to buy a business. Bakari is also a successful search fund entrepreneur and independent sponsor. Bakari recently sourced the acquisition of a burlap bag manufacturer, secured equity financing, closed the deal, then recruited and hired the CEO to operate the business. Bakari shares his inspirational story about growing up extremely poor and discovering Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition to provide generational wealth. We talk about how ETA is a great path for anyone, particularly if you don't have an MBA or went to business school.Bakari is currently traveling around the world as a digital nomad managing his numerous ventures remotely. He provides great advice for anyone looking to use entrepreneurship and a distributed support staff to live a dream lifestyle.This podcast is for anyone looking at Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition as a career choice or for anyone who loves a great entrepreneur story.Discussion Topics:(2:10) World travel and advice for remote entrepreneurs.(9:40) Not financial advice … the best financial advice.(18:32) Going into ETA or Private Equity.(26:05) The New York Times & Bakari's entrepreneurship journey.(32:29) Learning ETA without going to business school.(40:22) Advice for searchers.(50:00) Bakari's NYP search deal and investment thesis.(1:00:45) Rapid Fire.

Ryan Duey is the Co-Founder + Co-CEO of plunge.com. Plunge has seen fantastic growth with increases in demand for cold plunge and contrast therapy coming out of the pandemic. Ryan and I go deep into what caused the company's parabolic rise and how he and his co-founder Michael Garrett were able to both help create and capitalize on the current cold plunge boom.We talk about getting free organic exposure from Lebron James. Plunge's origin story during COVID lockdowns. His appearance on SharkTank, goals for the future and his honest advice for young entrepreneurs. A really fascinating insight is Ryan's concept of the entourage effect. I had never heard of the concept before, but I think it is a genius and a big reason why the company and cold plunges in general took off so quickly in the United States.If you like health and wellness or a great founder story that involves taking risks and pivoting during adversity, then I think you will really like this episode.Discussion Topics:(1:17) Icebreaker: study abroad.(3:16) Lebron James, Tony Hawk, Andrew Huberman and more. (14:37) Why did cold plunge go parabolic in December 2022?(21:30) The entourage effect.(24:09) Which celebrity has the coolest house?(30:47) Plunge's origin story - necessity is the mother of invention.(38:12) Sharktank … was it worthwhile?(43:00) Sauna launch.(51:29) Advice for young entrepreneurs.(53:33) Rapid fire.

Chris McKleroy is the founder and CEO of Nocs Provisions, a company which has reinvented binoculars. Chris is a successful entrepreneur with a proven track record of designing disruptive products and bringing them to market.Prior to Nocs, Chris was the Head of Product and Co-Founder of Boombotix, one of the original Bluetooth personal speaker brands to enter the market. Chris helped scale the business from $200k to over $13 million in annual revenue. We discuss the lessons learned from massive growth, raising venture capital and what it was like partnering with Wu-Tang.Chris and I discuss product development, prototyping and why product market fit is so critical. He shares his insights on how to bootstrap a business idea and talks about the importance of finding your MVB “Minimum Viable Business.” He shares his advice for overseas manufacturing and how to disrupt established markets with innovatively designed products.If you like product development, direct-to-consumer marketing and design then I am sure you will love this episode.Discussion Topics:(1:28) Working with Wu-Tang.(10:08) Business & design programs for Entrepreneurs.(17:12) Scaling Boombotix to a $13 million business.(24:12) Bootstrapping Nocs Provisions.(30:51) Advice for Entrepreneurs.(36:45) Product design process.(44:46) Manufacturing products in China during COVID.(58:10) Minimum Viable Business.(59:00) Rapid fire questions.

Bradley Harris is the principal and CEO of A-Frame - a venture studio built for sustainable growth.  Brad and I met on acquire.com, an online marketplace for buying and selling startups. I was looking to purchase the surf and board sports business that he had founded. I loved what he had built and his focus on being a socially minded entrepreneur. Brad ultimately sold the business to someone else, but we have stayed in-contact and have helped each other on our respective entrepreneurial journeys.Brad is a 3x founder and advisor with a deep understanding of go-to-market strategies, brand management and mobile technology. His super-power, however, is being able to position brands for social impact in ways that are authentic and resonate with consumers.We talk about how he positioned his surf eCommerce business Good Wave to meet an underserved portion of the market, namely surf parents. We geek out hard on surf culture and board sports and how brands can be better leaders of social impact.Brad is a great guy with a lot of wisdom to share.  I hope you enjoy.Discussion Topics:(1:14) Brand archetypes in action sports.(6:18) The best winter ever and finding your why post-exit.(11:42) Building a business for surfing parents and families.(28:32) Product development process.(37:40) Advice for selling on acquire.com.(52:17) Vision for A-Frame ventures.(54:40) Rapid fire.

Will McGuire is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for helping startup founders raise capital. Will and I take a deep dive into the JOBS act and how equity crowdfunding came to be in the United States. We talk about a bill that just passed in the house of representatives that would improve access to capital and how accredited investors are defined.We also talk about how his business Incolo.io is leading the charge for helping level the playing field for who gets funding. We discuss whether adding influencers to your cap table is a good idea or not and a step-by-step guide for raising money through equity crowdfunding and whether it is the right choice for your business.Discussion Topics:(2:40) Icebreaker Multipotentiality(7:42) The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act(16:10) The growth of equity crowdfunding.(17:20) Incolo's origin story.(25:29) Traits that make founders investible. (28:36) Step-by-step guide to raising investment crowdfunding.(35:52) To use influencers or not on your cap table.(42:30) Building the best outdoor music venue in the southeast.(46:13) Rapid fire questions.

Mike Fata is a true pioneer in the health food sector and a passionate advocate for wellness. Mike's story is as inspiring as it is unconventional. His career began not in the boardroom, but in a personal battle with weight loss and the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. This journey led him to discover the nutritional potential of a plant that was largely overlooked.In 1998, Mike co-founded Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods, transforming it into the world's largest hemp food manufacturer, and in the process, changing our understanding of hemp as a health food ingredient. In 2019, the company sold to Tilray for $419mm. Like his passion for the hemp industry, Mike now devotes his time, energy and capital to helping founders in the natural products industry grow and thrive. Mike has a proven track record of success. As the Chairman of the Board for Sol Cuisine, the company was acquired by Plant Plus Foods in January 2022 for $125mm.  Many of Mike's portfolio brands like Mid-Day Squares and Love Good Fats have experienced incredible growth thanks in part to his mentorship and guidance.While very busy, Mike still provides wisdom and guidance to entrepreneurs through his podcast Founder to Mentor and his new book GROW 12 Unconventional Lessons for Becoming an Unstoppable Entrepreneur.Mike and I talk about the early stages of launching a startup in a nascent industry, health and wellness and launching consumer products online and in retail.  Mike's story is a fascinating journey of personal transformation and overcoming adversity with a great deal of wisdom that I think many people can relate to.Discussion Topics:(1:48) Icebreakers: How Mike is currently using AI tools and 80s TV.(6:33) Early days of hemp in Canada.(14:52) Financing/bootstrapping a hemp business.(19:56) The health & wellness boom.(25:56) Investing in founders and natural products startups.(29:02) Do you launch in eCommerce first then retail?(30:50) Can the Mid-Day Squares playbook be replicated?(34:14) Breaking into the US market from Canada.(35:53) Advice from Mike's book GROW.(41:06) How nutrition and health benefit entrepreneurs.(45:13) Best lessons for entrepreneurs that you will not learn in business school.(50: 52) Rapid fire questions.(51:59) Shoutout to The Weakerthans “One Great City”

Jen “JB” Braly is a hands-on transformation executive with a proven track record of driving large-scale change. Most recently, she was the Vice President, Program Office for Moderna during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reporting directly to the Chief Digital and Technology Officer, JB helped the company grow from a pre-commercial research start-up with less than 1,000 US employees and no revenue to a $20 Billion global enterprise with over 4,500 employees. There needs to be an operations and logistics business case on Moderna because JB's stories from behind the scenes are wild.JB is an absolute force of nature with a very impressive resume. Air Force Captain, project manager, lean guru, Poets & Quants “100 Best & Brightest Executive MBA,” and the 1st and only EMBA to receive MIT's “Graduate Women of Excellence Award.” In addition to all her success, she is also a really cool and fun person. I loved this conversation.If you are interested in knowing what it was like managing one of the largest and fastest product rollouts in human history or what it's like doing an Executive MBA at a top business school, then you'll want to listen to this episode.Discussion Topics:(2:35) AI productivity tools for project managers.(13:01) Moderna and the COVID-19 response.(29:39) Working with brilliant classmates in EMBA programs.(46:35) Advice for people thinking about an EMBA program.(1:04:05) Rapid fire questions.

Kelly Smith has had an incredibly diverse career and is a true business renaissance man. 5 exits. Investor in companies which were acquired by ESPN, Amazon and Google. Vice President of Digital for Starbucks China when the company was experiencing massive growth opening a store a day. Chief Digital Officer at MGM Resorts International, Hagerty and now Athletic Greens.Kelly and I talk about what it's like transitioning from start-up founder to a Fortune 100 corporate role. His successful track record for building companies that get acquired. Digital transformation and the future of the online art space.We also talk about German cars, Swiss watches and other luxurious spoils awarded to those bold entrepreneurs who are comfortable taking risks. There is a lot of great wisdom in this episode and Kelly is an all-around good guy with great stories to tell.Discussion Topics:(1:40) Fast dad cars.(6:34) Entrepreneur to intrapreneur.(12:30) 5 exits.  What's the secret?(17:50) Venture capital & investing.(20:18) Saying no to Elon Musk.(23:49) Digital transformation mindset.(31:48) Building a new category of product with Athletic Greens.(38:11) Imagekind and the online art market.(51:00) Rapid fire questions.

Eddie Cohen is the founder of Walden, a brand that designs, engineers, and manufactures products for meditation. Eddie's founder journey started after a 10-day meditation retreat. As a product designer who worked at Apple, he discovered that the products at the retreat lacked inspiring aesthetics. With Walden, Eddie wants it to become Nike for the mind, providing customers with beautiful and thoughtfully designed products that promote a mindful lifestyle.Eddie and I discuss his founder journey, why he decided to manufacture products in the US, the post-COVID health and wellness boom and how he manages to finance inventory for his growing product assortment. He also provides insights for how entrepreneurs can use meditation for dealing with the inevitable stresses of building a company.If you love a good founder story from someone who is truly living their passion, then I think you will enjoy this episode.Discussion Topics:(1:20) Icebreaker: Instagram handles and burning man.(5:28) Meditation & mental health in a post-COVID world.(12:12) Designing a better cold plunge.(17:39) 10 days of silence.(22:44) Japanese Zen influence.(29:00) Using meditation to become a better entrepreneur.(38:50) Inventory financing and launching new products.(47:59) Giving up a dream job to become an entrepreneur.(52:43) The future of Walden.(55:50) Rapid fire questions.

Andrew Lachlan is the founder and CEO of Sauna House, a modern bathhouse committed to enhancing bathing culture and social wellness.  Joe Rogan, Jesse Itzler, Russell Brand, Wim Hof … there is no shortage of Internet health and wellness gurus talking about the benefits of sauna and cold plunge. Atlantic writer Helen Lewis argues that we are in the “Golden Age of Gurus” where there has been an explosion in podcasters and internet personalities promoting the benefits of these ancient practices.Is this a fad or will it become a lasting part of American culture like yoga? Andrew and I go deep into this topic and discuss his founder journey and why he has felt compelled to bring modern communal bathing to American audiences. He shares the ups and downs of founding the business and operating pre and post-COVID and why he is looking to franchise the Sauna House model.As someone who has travelled the world experiencing multiple bathing cultures first hand, this topic is very dear to my heart. I love it and I feel that Andrew is at the leading edge of trying to build a large and lasting brand in this growing space.If you like a good founder story, care about the health and wellness space or are just curious about the sauna/cold plunge boom, then I think you will enjoy this podcast.Discussion Topics:(1:32) Icebreaker … saunas and bathhouses in films.(7:53) The golden era of gurus and the rise of sauna and cold plunge in the US.(14:29) How COVID-19 impacted Sauna House.(17:40) Is this a trend or a lasting movement?(24:21) No phones, clocks or mirrors. Designing a sacred space.(32:16) Health benefits of sauna and cold plunge.(38:22) Where Andrew's passion for sauna came from.(44:05) Sauna House business origin story.(54:31) Sauna House franchise goals.(1:00:38) Rapid fire questions.

Jason Gulya is a Professor of English at Berkeley College. In 2020, Jason received Berkeley's Faculty of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence. He is also a higher ed consultant who helps students and professors prepare for the future and gives advice on how to utilize artificial intelligence in and outside of the classroom.Jason has a wealth of knowledge and actionable advice for using A.I. He outlines many great resources that you can use immediately to make yourself more productive at work. We talk about the future of the humanities, white collar work, the idea of a second brain and the emergence of a new profession he calls an A.I. Prompt Engineer. He even shares A.I. hacks for creating online classes and training manuals in record time.If you are an educator, entrepreneur or just someone who is interested in A.I. and how to “work smarter, not harder” then you will enjoy this podcast.Discussion Topics:(1:06) A.I. tools you need to be using right now.(10:50) What A.I. means for the future of work.(13:00) A.I. and the future of the Humanities.(18:33) Second brains and offloading effects.(26:45) Using A.I. to build a business.(36:00) Who owns A.I. copyrights?(41:25) OpenAI Codex.(44:38) Advice for educators. Grade the interaction with A.I.(45:27) New careers as a prompt engineer.(49:34) Advice for colleges and universities.(54:42) What does the future look like?(59:19) Rapid fire questions.

Jake Karls is the Co-Founder and Rainmaker for Mid-Day Squares, the first functional chocolate bar on the market. The company was founded in 2018 by Jake, his sister Lez and brother-in-law Nick. Their goal is to build a modern chocolate company with functional ingredients.The company has since exploded. Their peanut butter bar became the number 1 selling SKU in its category at Target. They received over 20 million organic views on social media in three months, and Jake was recently on the cover of Forbes 30 Under 30 digital edition.Jake and I talk about a whole host of topics, social media marketing, brand building and the hardships of entrepreneurship. Jake gives lectures at universities on branding & story-telling and has some incredible insights on the importance of fostering connections with your audience. Jake has infectious energy and I really enjoyed this podcast. Even if you are not an entrepreneur or founder, I think there is a great deal of wisdom and insights in this episode that you'll enjoy.Discussion Topics:(1:45) Living life with cameras always on.(3:49) Having a supportive partner as an entrepreneur.(10:28) Mid-Day Squares growth stats.(15:34) Founders as storytellers.(22:34) Using humor and emotion to go viral.(30:07) Entrepreneurship demystified. (36:00) Amazon & wholesale strategies.(39:39) Raising $17.5 million in growth capital.(43:00) Rapid fire questions.

Finn McKenty is one of my favorite YouTube content creators who is also a brand strategist and marketing director. Between his Punk Rock MBA and personal channel, Finn has over 500k subscribers on YouTube. The Punk Rock MBA looks to promote career, business and life advice for the DIY community. Finn skillfully analyzes the cultural significance of punk and metal like a tenured English lit professor. With deep research and an incredible wealth of knowledge, you can easily find yourself going down a YouTube rabbit hole for hours on topics like how “Tony Hawk's Pro Skater changed music forever” or “what actually killed grunge?” We talk about his process and what it takes to make a living as a YouTuber. Finn also has a successful career as a marketing strategist and brand coach. We discuss what impact OpenAI's ChatGPT will have on marketing, how to create content for viral lift on TikTok, whether being an entrepreneur is truly punk rock and why he thinks celebrity cap tables are a dumb idea.I am a big fan of Finn's and his brutal honesty when it comes to mentoring founders, entrepreneurs, and band members. His advice is very direct and to the point. We geek out on a lot of topics and try not to hold back any punches. If you are interested in popular culture, music, brand marketing, data analysis and what it takes to make a living as a YouTuber, then I think you'll enjoy this episode.Discussion Topics:(1:37) Icebreaker – Artists that capture the zeitgeist of the 2020s.(9:16) Reverse engineering the TikTok effect.(18:29) ChatGPT for marketers.(24:07) Is being an entrepreneur punk rock?(35:27) Digital marketing business case: GetGood Drums.(42:45) Succeeding as a YouTuber.(1:05:32) Celebrity cap tables are dumb.(1:16:31) Rapid fire questions.

Harvard Business School Students Juan Ruiz and Doug Walsh run communEtA -- an MBA student-run fund which invests in search entrepreneurs. The first of its kind; it is a community of LPs, students, and searchers.  The group looks to provide exposure and training on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition and source high-quality investment opportunities for LPs and finally highlight ETA as a viable career option.We discuss why communEtA was launched and Juan and Doug provide their insights on how best to source and close deals. As a West Point graduate, a platoon leader, and a team leader for the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade for the US Army, Doug also gives advice for veterans who are both looking at business school and ETA as a career choice.This episode focuses heavily on ETA, the process of searching for a business to buy, closing on it and ultimately running it.  Even if ETA has never crossed your mind, I think there's value for you in in this episode … particularly if you are like me and want to constantly find ways to increase your personal net worth. For the search fund entrepreneurs listening, we try to add value, particularly on ways to better source deals and increase the odds of going from LOI to close … something that I have struggled a fair amount personally.Discussion Topics:(1:29) Icebreakers.(7:14) communEtA's origin story & screening criteria for investments.(14:34) The economics of search. Is it worth it?(19:02) The deal sourcing process.(25:55) Advice for self-funded searchers.(29:33) Advice for Veteran searchers.(35:28) communEtA's portfolio.(38:56) Increasing the odds of getting from LOI to close.(48:24) Rapid fire questions.

Sheena Brady is the founder of Teasewellness.com, a wellness brand that creates all natural, tea and botanical based products that support you to live and lead consciously. As a B-Corp and through its' Founder Fund, Tease also helps support under-represented women entrepreneurs with mentorship, strategic resources and funding.Sheena is a tea Sommelier with a wealth of knowledge. As an owner and co-founder of a tea company myself (mositea.com), we geek out on the different ways teas can support you throughout your day. Sheena also blows my mind with some genius tea and booze infused cocktail ideas. She really knows her stuff.Having worked at Shopify for almost 8 years on the merchant success team, Sheena shares her insights into eCommerce, changes in omni-channel marketing and how to succeed as a D2C brand in the post-Facebook era. As two eCommerce vets, we also share our secrets on how to prepare for this holiday shopping season.Finally, Sheena tells her story of appearing on TV's Dragons' Den (Canada's version of Shark Tank) and how she managed to out-smart one of the Dragon with the ultimate chess move which you will not want to miss.Discussion Topics:(1:30) Ice breaker … wine pairings.(5:07) Becoming a Sommelier and discussing tea culture.(12:55) Tease Wellness origin story.(24:03) Working at Shopify while running a side-hustle.(30:34) Influencers and TikTok marketing.(35:35) Q4 2022 Holiday Shopping predictions & secret sauce.(40:30) Was appearing on Dragons' Den worth it?(48:36) Rapid fire questions.

Justin Sibley is the CEO of POWDR, an adventure lifestyle company that owns some of the best resorts on earth, including Copper Mountain, Killington, Silver Star and more. Justin is a fellow Fuqua MBA graduate who was the Vice President of Finance at Backcountry.com before becoming CFO and then co-President of POWDR. POWDR also owns Woodward. If you know anything about board sports, you know that Woodward is the leading name in action sports progression and innovation with facilities across North America. Justin and I talk about how he has been able to help leverage the Woodward brand and assets across POWDR's portfolio of resorts.As an international company with properties in different states and provinces, we talk about the challenges of running a hospitality business during the pandemic. Justin and the team at POWDR put on a master class on adjusting to adversity. He shares a lot of great insights and wisdom for managing a massive organization through COVID-19.This episode was a lot of fun for me. As a life-long shredder with a failed pro-snowboard career, I got to geek out on both business and the snowboard industry. If you love the outdoors, action sport or just want to learn more about scaling a large complex organization, this podcast is for you.Discussion Topics:(3:11) New offerings at POWDR.(4:54) The business strategy of expanding into more year-round offerings.(12:51) Woodward … perhaps one of the greatest strategic acquisitions ever?(21:53) Woodward Park City build and opening.(24:02) Managing through COVID-19 with 8,000 employees.(30:29) Playing forever and focusing on environmental protections.(34:25) Advice for people looking to build a career in outdoor adventure lifestyles.(37:47) Rapid fire.

Natalya Wallin is an endurance athlete with an amazing work career. Natalya just finished a 100-mile ultramarathon in Moab, Utah. We talk about setting hard goals, remaining tenacious when faced with adversity, the ups and downs of ultrarunning and the parallels between endurance races and pursuing an MBA.Natalya talks about her time at the White House, meeting the Obamas and working for the US Department of State and the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. She is currently consulting for the apparel action forum in London and serving as interim Chief Strategy Officer. The forum brings together industry leaders and CEOs at St. James's Palace to identify solutions to address supply chain risks, including forced labor and promote sustainable practices in the apparel industry.Natalya is a complete bada$$ with inspiring wisdom to share. This episode provides great motivation for anyone looking to tackle really hard challenges, and we open up about our difficulties raising kids while working full-time and pursuing and MBA. Discussion Topics:(1:19) Traveling to over 30 countries and favorite locations.(7:15) 100-mile ultramarathon in Moab, Utah.(11:14) The highs and lows of ultra-running.(17:30) The parallels between pursuing and MBA and ultra-running.(24:20) Interning at the White House.(28:44) Working for the US Department of State & preventing human trafficking.(44:11) Advice for working parents pursuing an MBA.(51:12) Rapid fire questions.

Rory Gillis is the President of Triangle Media Partners and Founder of Triangle Digital Partners. Triangle Media Partners is the largest lifestyle influencer in the Research Triangle Park of North Carolina. The company owns Chapel Hill Magazine, Durham Magazine, Chatham Magazine, Heart of NC Weddings, Sip + Savor and Triangle Weekender. Triangle Digital Partners is the digital wing of the business which focuses on display advertising, social media marketing and more.With CNBC recently naming North Carolina as America's Top State for Business in 2022, Rory and I talk about why more businesses and professionals are moving to the area and what makes it ideal for professional recruitment. We also talk about small to medium sized business ad budgets, geofencing, digital marketing and how her company has managed to bridge the gap between traditional print media and cutting-edge online marketing techniques.As a warning, this episode focuses heavily on our hometown, but even if you are not from here, there is a great deal of wisdom on how best to grow and build a business in an ever-changing digital landscape.  If you are from North Carolina, you'll want to stick around as we dish out dirt and have heated exchanges about our favorite local businesses and more. Discussion Topics:(1:25) Why North Carolina is the top state for business in 2022.(8:25) Triangle Digital Partner's origin story.(16:27) Geofencing, location data and microproximity.(21:30) Scaling a business.(28:02) Mentorship and team building.(31:38) Hiring and motivating Millennials and iGen.(37:04) Intraprenurship vs. Entrepreneurship. (46:15) Controversial rapid fire.

Kasper Kubica and David Spratte are the co-founders of Carpe, makers of Dermatologist recommended sweat care products. Carpe is quickly becoming a major player in the world of antiperspirants, competing against giants like Unilever which owns Degree, Dove and AXE. From their humble beginnings, we then talk about how they have positioned Carpe to succeed in a hypercompetitive market and what makes their products unique.Both Kasper and David have become true sweat experts and have leveraged their knowledge to produce hilarious and informative content across channels like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube. If you are interested in start-ups, co-founding a business with a close friend, launching a direct-to-consumer brand and the different ways you can die from sweating too much, then this podcast is for you.Discussion Topics:(1:46) How you can die from sweating too much.(7:11) Becoming sweat experts.(12:09) Early product development.(14:47) Carpe's total addressable market.(19:16) Launching a D2C product in a highly competitive market.(25:02) Content strategies for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.(32:16) Expanding into retail.(35)52) Rapid fire.

Andrew Gazdecki is the founder and CEO of MicroAcquire which is billed as the world's #1 acquisition marketplace for Startups. Andrew is a successful founder with 3 exits to his name.  He has been named an Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, and had the Fastest Growing Company in San Francisco in 2014 according to Inc.Andrew and I talk about his entrepreneurial journey and spend a lot of time discussing what I call “digital ETA.”  Many people are familiar with Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) which traditionally focuses on Entrepreneurs acquiring brick and motor established family businesses. Digital ETA, however, specializes in the acquisition of eCommerce and SaaS businesses which include more digital than physical assets. The time to close can be much faster with such deals, and Andrew has built a platform to help search entrepreneurs get deals done in a more streamlined way.If you are interested in startups, eCommerce or are thinking about acquiring an online business, you will want to tune into this podcast. Andrew is passionate about helping founders and entrepreneurs succeed and has a great deal of wisdom on the topic.Discussion Topics:(1:25) MicroAcquire by-the-numbers. 2.5 years and $1.75 billion.(3:07) The catalyst for launching MicroAcquire.(9:17) Vetting deals to help increase the probability of a sale.(16:09) MicroAcquire's total $11 million raise.(27:05) The demographics of a typical buyer on MicroAcquire.(30:06) The financing of a typical deal on MicroAcquire.(33:56) Valuation multiples for eCommerce businesses.(41:28) How Amazon brand aggregators are changing the market and valuations.(44:20) Andrew's keys for success.(48:15) Rapid fire questions.

Nick Gray is a successful entrepreneur, author and talented public speaker who has given a very inspiring TEDx talk on how he built and sold his multimillion-dollar start-up Museum Hack. Nick also runs a popular newsletter for business owners and entrepreneurs with topics such as productivity hacks and how to use virtual assistants. Nick and I talk about our mutual love of tea, his new book, how he helped build his family's business which ultimately sold to private equity and how his passion project side hustle became one of Inc 5000's fastest-growing companies, featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more. Finally, having reimagined how people attend Museums, Nick shares his wisdom on how Universities and business programs can make educational content more engaging.Nick has a BS in Business from Wake Forest University and current resides in Austin, Texas. If you are interested in entrepreneurship, how to throw the ultimate party or building and selling businesses, then you will want to tune in.Discussion Topics:(1:15) Tea and travel.(8:25) Icebreakers & how to throw amazing parties.(17:38) Launching Museum Hack.(27:48) Working in a family business.(32:09) Selling businesses.(38:31) The future of education.(44:16) Rapid fire questions.

Robert Graham is a successful search fund entrepreneur. As a Partner at Search Investment Group (SIG), Robert advises searchers on deal sourcing, due diligence, and capital raises. He is also an investor in multiple Private Equity and search deals in the lower-middle market and is the CEO of Pillar Health Group, a group of healthcare companies he acquired through a self-funded search.Robert and I discuss why he thinks the traditional search fund model is broken, and he provides his wisdom and expertise on how to improve it. Robert has an impressive track record for getting deals done and helping search fund entrepreneurs retain as much ownership as possible. If you are interested in acquiring a small business and want some pragmatic and honest advice, then you'll want to listen to this podcast. Robert has an MBA from Harvard Business School and undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and worked in both private equity and operations before becoming a search fund entrepreneur.Discussion Topics:(1:11) Why the traditional search fund model is broken.(7:35) Why Robert took the self-funded search approach.(16:00) What makes SIG's approach different.(22:28) The profile of a successful self-funded searcher.(26:47) How COVID has changed deal sourcing.(33:41) How to deal with broken deals.(44:37) How search funds will change over the next 5 years.(49:32) How to mitigate the impact of a personal guarantee.(53:43) Rapid fire questions.

Ishveen Jolly is the CEO + Founder at OpenSponsorship. OpenSponsorship is a marketplace that connects brands to professional and amateur athletes. The platform covers multiple sports in 120 different countries.Ishveen and I talk about how she built her business and the NCAA's recent policy change that allows current and future athletes to generate revenue from their name, image or likeness. This is a massive change in the US sports marketing industry and a bit of a wild west landgrab as schools, athletic departments and brands look to find new and creative ways to help student athlete generate money. We talk about the opportunities and challenges this rule change offers students and how brands can capitalize on them.Ishveen received a BA and MA from Oxford in Economics and Management. She was recognized as an Inc Top 100 Female Founder and Forbes 30 Under 30. If you love sports or technology or just want to learn more about the future of collegiate sports marketing, then you will want to tune in.Discussion Topics:(1:17) Our favorite celebrity athletes.(2:28) OpenSponsorship elevator pitch & origin story.(11:51) Athletes using social media during the Olympics.(15:26) NCAA NIL (name, image and likeness) policy change.(23:59) Advice for brands looking to partner with student athletes.(39:00) Oxford University Angel Fund and raising capital.(42:50) Advice for how Universities can better prepare students for NIL opportunities.(46:17) Rapid fire questions.

Tommy Sowers is a true renaissance man with an incredible resume. He is an entrepreneur, academic, politician and a decorated Military officer with an 11-year career in the Army, having achieved the rank of Major. He has taught at West Point, the University of Missouri and Duke. He also served as the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.Tommy is currently the President of flyExclusive, which is the fastest growing private jet charter in the United States, located in Kinston, North Carolina. Tommy and I discuss the future of private aviation and how COVID-19 has impacted the demand for private jet ownership. Tommy also talks about cofounding GoldenKey, a venture backed firm which disrupted the buying and selling of homes. The company raised $3.7 million in funding and was sold in 2018.Tommy graduated first in his class at the Special Forces Qualification Course, and we talk about how his military training and time as a Green Beret prepared him for diverse leadership challenges. Tommy completed his undergraduate from Duke University and earned his MSc and PhD from the London School of Economics.This episode has a lot of great insights on leadership, dealing with adversity and adapting to different work environments and situations. Also … if you have dreams and aspirations about flying private or owning a jet, you'll want to tune in.Discussion Topics:(1:47) Duke basketball & being a seven-foot Army Ranger.(4:45) Private jet travel and sales during the COVID era.(14:14) Investment trends in the private aviation industry.(20:56) Adding innovative technical jobs in North Carolina.(26:15) The economics of jet ownership. Does it make financial sense?(29:00) Becoming an entrepreneur, founding GoldenKey and raising venture capital.(35:54) University education and teaching styles.(41:40) Special Forces mindset to help with career and life transitions.(49:35) Veteran career transition advice.(53:33) Rapid fire questions.

For this podcast, I plan to tell the story of why I got into ultrarunning. I was never a runner, but I decided this year to completely immerse myself in it. This year, I have finished 5 ultras, the last of which was a 100 miler that I podium at, but after finishing the race I suffered kidney failure.  I spend 5 days in the hospital and almost had to be put on dialysis. I basically developed Rhabdomyolysis where the muscle breakdown from running 26 hours straight poisoned my kidneys. I think this story is valuable to the podcast because I have learned a lot throughout the entire process, from setting a stretch goal, to training, to developing a working excel model for my race, to over-coming setback and learning from mistakes.  At the beginning of 2021, I interviewed Dan King, the founder of ReadyTalk who is also the World's Fittest CEO. That discussion really opened my eyes of how and why physical fitness can make you a better leader and sharpen your resolved to handle stress and challenges.If you are interested in ultrarunning, pushing yourself to physical limits, embracing challenges or just learning a little bit more about what makes me tick, I think you will like this episode. There is definitely some wisdom that you can apply to business and life. It is my most personal yet and I feel it has been helpful to showcase some of my vulnerabilities, which I hope is a leadership quality in and of itself.Discussion Topics:(2:20) Why I decided to get into ultrarunning.(4:20) Motivating factors for running long distances.(10:55) How to train for ultras.(19:24) Overview of the actual 100-mile race.(26:07) Suffering and overcoming post-race acute kidney failure.(28:43) Lessons learned from this entire process.

Chris Bingham is a successful entrepreneur, specializing in eCommerce operations, supply chain and logistics. In Q4 2020, the world experienced Shipageddon where the pandemic significantly increased demand for online goods while straining global supply chains. As we enter Q4 2021, we should expect to experience Shipageddon, the sequel, with even greater challenges, as brands experience inflated ocean freight container costs, container shortages, congestion within ports, lockdowns in factories, temp labor shortages and more.Chris and I talk in-depth about scaling eCommerce operations, surviving the holiday shopping season, growing and selling a business as well as the future of MBA programs. If you work in eCommerce or are thinking about a career in logistics and operations or are just fascinated with global supply chains and how messed-up they are right now, I think you will enjoy this episode.  Chris has an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Campbell University and has been a start-up coach at UNC for over a decade.Discussion Topics:(1:33) Tobacco Road basketball rivalry.(6:00) Founding and ultimately selling Riley Life Logistics.(12:14) Sleeping in your warehouse and scaling a business.(17:41) Scaling a warehouse labor force during Q4.(25:12) The biggest change in eCommerce logistics over the last decade.(28:51) Running two companies at once.(33:12) Dimensional weight calculations and shipping automation.(36:58) How to renegotiate your shipping rates.(44:25) Launching Ship Simply to help eCommerce brands grow.(50:52) Shipageddon and its sequel.(1:01:58) Business school advice.(1:08:33) Rapid fire questions.

Dave Hunt is the inventor, Founder and CEO of Crossrope, weighted jump ropes with a mobile app that lets you work out anywhere. Dave and I talk about bootstrapping his business and recently making Inc. 5,000 fastest growing companies. We also discuss the explosive growth of connected wellness devices and the at-home fitness market and how Crossrope differentiates itself from companies like NordicTrack, FightCamp, Peloton, Tonal, Mirror and Whoop. Dave and I also discuss the benefits of influencer marketing, brand building, customer acquisition strategies, building company culture, recovering from injuries and more. Prior to starting Crossrope, Dave was an Aviator in the Navy for almost a decade. He is a graduate of Babson College's Entrepreneurship program and is currently completing a Masters program in Entrepreneurial studies at M.I.T. Connected at-home fitness is a high-growth and well-funded market with fierce competition. Dave's insight and perspective provides valuable wisdom for anyone in the industry or direct to consumer product marketing in general. His story of founding and growing Crossrope is also very inspirational for any startup entrepreneur. Discussion Tops:(1:42) Recovering from serious injuries.(5:01) Physical fitness as a requirement for CEOs and stressful jobs.(10:56) Jump ropes as a highly efficient workout.(13:44) The importance of making workouts fun.(17:15) Business growth during the pandemic.(19:29) Crossrope's competition and the home fitness landscape.(23:40) Managing logistics issues during explosive growth.(26:34) Building a brand and community engagement.(30:11) Customer acquisition and working with social media influencers.(37:40) Bootstrap or raise money?(45:30) Strategies for competing in the connected fitness device market.(56:43) Education advice for entrepreneurs.(1:00:14) Rapid fire questions.

Mike Lingle is a software developer and entrepreneur who currently mentors founders and has build tools to help build better financial projections for startups. Mike co-founded SlideRocket, which at the time of launch was a revolutionary cloud-based presentation software. SlideRocket was acquired by VMWare within 30 months of the company's initial VC funding.Mike studied at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson College, where he teaches classes on startup financials. Mike has mentored over 1,000 startup founders and shares his wisdom for increasing a founder's chances of success. We discuss SlideRocket's launch and eventual exit, how engineers can become successful entrepreneurs, how to build and create better financial models and the future of business education.  Discussion Topics:(2:00) Pausing to pursue a dream passion project post-exit.(6:30) Start-up to exit with SlideRocket.(24:12) Advice for engineer entrepreneurs.(27:40) Recruiting technical founders.(29:56) Guidance for building better financial models.(45:08) The future of business school education.(50:50) Common mistakes made by young founders.(53:21) Rapid fire questions.

Trevor Ewen is the Chief Executive Officer at Southport Ventures, an acquisition fund which focuses on buying profitable mission critical, B2B SaaS businesses. In addition, Trevor runs Southport Technology Group which builds custom product & software tailored to the needs of small to medium enterprises. As an experienced software engineer, Trevor has overseen full-stack teams in clean energy, insurance, finance, and media. Trevor has implemented a unique hybrid model for his search fund which has allowed him generate revenue to subsidize his search and help generate deal flow.  We talk about the pros and cons of running a self-funded search, launching a search fund with a partner, developing proprietary deal flow technology, and more.  If you are interested in entrepreneurship through acquisition and buying a business, you will want to tune into this episode.Trevor has a BS from Northwestern and an MBA from London Business School and Columbia Business School via the joint, global program.Discussion Topics:(1:45) What is a search fund and what skills do you need to be successful?(7:10) Columbia Business School experience for searchers.(9:28) Advantages of international search funds.(12:56) Pros and cons of a focused investment thesis.(19:42) Acquiring B2B SaaS businesses.(27:03) Valuing a business early in the process.(36:06) Launching a search fund with a business partner.(42:44) Using proprietary software and interns to help with deal flow.(49:30) School and launching a search during a pandemic.(1:01:38) Hybrid search fund hedge model.(1:14:02) Rapid fire questions.

Stix Nilsen has built an incredible career in lifestyle brand marketing. Starting in 2004, Stix was the Sport Marketing Manager for Red Bull North America, working with the biggest names in action sports. He then went on to work as the Lifestyle Marketing Manager for Pabst Blue Ribbon. The marketing campaigns done during that time helped revitalize the brand which has been around since the mid-1800s. During his tenure, the Pabst Brewing Company portfolio grew to almost $1 Billion in revenue. Stix has worked as a consultant for White Claw and is now the Vice President of Lifestyle Marketing for Liquid Death Mountain Water, a company that recently secured a Series C round of funding putting its total backing to date at $50 million. Liquid Death's cap table has names on it like Tony Hawk, Wiz Khalifa, Steve Aoki and more. Stix and the team at Liquid Death continue to do extremely creative marketing and the company is quickly changing how water is marketed, sold and consumed.Stix has a unique perspective on team building, grassroots marketing, branding and authenticity. He is a high energy and fast-moving marketing guru who cares about giving back to others. Stix has a BA in Mass Communication and Media Studies from Hamline University and is a mentor at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado.This is a fun episode with some incredible insights for anyone interested in brand marketing, action sports or innovative start-ups looking to disrupt commodity markets with punk rock sensibilities. Discussion Topics:(1:53) The return of summer music festivals.(6:37) Red Bull's entry into the North American market.(13:52) Red Bull marketing the heads of its athletes.(18:18) Red Bull's attention to detail and cutting-edge events.(27:37) Pabst Blue Ribbon 100x increase in sales through grassroots marketing.(35:27) The ROI of long-term marketing efforts at Pabst.(42:00) PBR's outlook in a post-Pandemic world.(50:00) Liquid Death's approach to comedy and viral ads.(58:56) Becoming a great brand while doing good.(1:04:03) Raising $50M with celebrity investors.(1:10:01) Building the coolest marketing team ever.(1:15:54) Stix advice for others looking to get into action sports and marketing.

Des Martin is the Vice President of Marketing at Brave Software, responsible for leading marketing and growth for the Brave browser. Brave is a free, privacy-focused browser that blocks third-party ads and trackers. Users retain guardianship of their data and have a faster and safer browsing experience. Integrated into the browser is a token called the Basic Attention Token ("BAT") which anyone can buy and sell on most cryptocurrency exchanges. Users also earn BAT while browsing and can pay BAT to publishers to access and support digital content and services online. I believe that BAT and Brave represent one of the most interesting projects in the crypto spaces which aims to disrupt the $330 billion digital advertising industry. Des is part of a world-class team at Brave, which includes Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript, Mozilla, Firefox.Des is a crypto evangelist and highly experienced digital marketer. He and I discuss the recent volatility in the entire crypto space, Elon Musk’s crypto endgame, bitcoin as an inflation hedge, monetizing attention, Brave and Basic Attention Tokens, the Internet of Value, Web 3.0, and the future of digital marketing. Des also shares his wisdom and guidance for anyone looking to make a career in crypto and where you should focus your attention to do so.Discussion Topics:(1:50) Bitcoin’s recent dip in price.(5:45) Elon Musk’s crypto endgame.(12:08) Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation.(15:19) Brave mission to put privacy first.(19:16) Governance and controls related to user privacy.(23:46) Brave’s user adoption & growth.(28:00) Basic Attention Tokens.(30:08) The Internet of Value.(35:25) Digital Marketing’s crisis of consciousness. (43:10) Advice for anyone looking to make a career in crypto.(50:26) Rapid fire questions.

Rahul Pagidipati is the CEO of ZebPay, India’s oldest and most widely used Bitcoin and crypto asset exchange, with over 3 million users and $3 billion worth of transactions. Prior to ZebPay, Rahul was a co-founded of Freedom Health which became the largest Private Health Insurance company in America with over $1.8 Billion in annual revenue. The company was acquired by Anthem in 2018. Along with his family office, Rahul has led investments in multiple "Unicorn" Healthcare companies.Rahul has a JD/MBA from the Northwestern School of Law and Kellogg School of Management, and he has been investing in Blockchain and digital currencies since 2011.Rahul and I talk about his early investments in Ethereum, what he thinks about Dogecoin, the future of digital assets, basic attention tokens, Ethereum 2.0 and more. If you are a crypto expert or beginner, there are plenty of great insights in this episode. We also talk about Rahul risking much of his personal wealth to acquire ZebPay despite the Reserve Bank of India’s ban on crypto-related payments – a move many felt was crazy but turned out to be an incredible investment once the Supreme Count of India reversed the ban. Finally, Rahul shares his wisdom on the future of business school education and he shares his advice for anyone seeking a career in crypto.Discussion Topics:(1:45) All things Ethereum.(15:52) Acquiring ZebPay during the Reserve Bank of India’s ban on crypto-related payments.(19:10) ZebPay acquisition investment thesis and risk-taking.(21:50) Social impact, corporate social responsibility & Bitcoin as social enterprise.(28:52) Mining Dogecoin back in 2014.(31:28) Interesting NFT applications that is not art or collectables. (38:55) How co-founding Freedom Health helped prepare Rahul for success with ZebPay.(44:00) MBA & business school advice.(48:19) Basic Attention Tokens (BAT).(49:27) The Metaverse pioneers and prisoners.(58:22) Rapid fire questions.

Nate Bosshard is an entrepreneur, investor and brand builder of iconic, category-defining, multi-billion-dollar consumer brands. He has managed and re-positioned heritage brands through changing market dynamics, been on IPO rocketships, experienced being inside of company acquisitions and integrations. Nate has had an incredible and diverse career working as brand manager for Burton Snowboards, The North Face and GoPro. He was the co-founder of Tonal, the world’s most intelligent fitness system. Currently, he is the Founder and Managing Partner of Offline Ventures which has invested in companies like Clubhouse, Notion, and Hims & Hers which in 2019 was the second-fastest startup to become a unicorn after Bird. The company went from founding to an IPO in 4 years at a $1.6Bn valuation. Nate and I talk about anticipating cultural trends before they happen, the recent explosion of digital art and NFTs, The North Face/SUPREME collaborations that he helped build, his philosophy and methods for marketing major brands, venture capital and stealth projects that will help define new categories. Nate is very bright and has a gift for seeing opportunities and growth before others. He holds an MBA from Babson College and shares his thoughts and advice for students contemplating an MBA.Nate has some really cutting-edge insights that you are not going to want to miss.Discussion Topics:(1:55) The future of digital art and NFTs.(9:42) The North Face/SUPREME collaboration.(12:40) Staying true to oneself while transitioning to different industries and roles.(15:37) The intense curiosity needed to identify culture trends and VC opportunities.(17:58) Hims and Hers explosive growth through data analytics, regulatory change and market tests.(24:00) Qualities of that make a good founder from an investor standpoint.(27:03) Managing the GoPro, The North Face and Burton Snowboard’s brands.(30:15) Launching Tonal and the future of gym equipment post-COVID.(35:37) What the next big thing will be.(39:28) Why pursue an MBA?(44:21) Rapid fire questions mostly focused on snowboarding.

Shannon McIntyre Hooper is a fellow classmate from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business Executive MBA program. Shannon talks about what it took for her to be awarded the coveted distinction of Fuqua Scholar, graduating in the 10% of our class. We also talk about what it was like to go back to campus for two weeks during COVID and how the experience changed our perspectives on business school education and networking.Shannon is a healthcare innovation and business strategy enthusiast with experience and leadership in both start-up and corporate environments. Currently, she is the Chief Growth Officer of ReviveHealth, which recently won healthcare agency of the year for 2020; their clients include the nation’s leading hospitals and health systems, as well as health technology and services innovators. Shannon has been on the frontlines of helping hospitals navigate PR, marketing and communications during COVID-19, and she shares her insights into what that process has been like and her predictions for changes to healthcare technology moving forward.Finally, Shannon has a deep understanding of stoic philosophy and she shares her wisdom for how stoicism can help make one a better CEO, executive and business leader.Discussion Topics:(2:10) Strategy for becoming Fuqua Scholar.(5:40) Business School Bubble. Going back to campus for school during COVID-19.(9:43) Stoicism in business and how stoic philosophy can make one a better business leader.(27:04) Marketing, communications and strategy for hospitals dealing with COVID-19.(30:44) Expected innovations for healthcare technology.(35:28) Rapid fire questions.

Dan King is former CEO of ReadyTalk, a company he cofounded with his brother Scott in 2000. ReadyTalk makes cloud-based conferencing and communications technology that more than 6,000 businesses use for virtual meetings, webinars and training sessions. Dan was recognized as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 in the Software Services category. In 2017, ReadyTalk sold to Premiere Global Services Inc.Dan has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and related fields. Prior to ReadyTalk, Dan held senior positions in business development and financial management for ICG Communications.Dan earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a MBA from the University of Colorado, where he also lettered in track and cross country. Still active in Masters athletics, Dan won a gold medal in 8K Cross Country at the 2011 World Masters Track and Field Championships. In 2012, Dan earned the title of World’s Fittest CEO® by winning the CEO Endurance World Championship. Last month, Dan set three American Records for running in his age category.Dan is an incredibly inspiring person. We talk about how personal fitness can help one become a better CEO, the psychology of risk-taking and building a company after the dot.com bubble and exiting 17 years later.Discussion Topics:(2:00) Dan’s early years as a “ski bum” working for Vail and Breckenridge.(5:10) Starting a business from scratch, raising $13.5 million and then losing funding a year later.(11:25) The psychology of risk-taking.(17:35) Advice for starting a business with family members.(22:29) How founders and CEOs can become better salespeople.(28:31) Dan discusses his business mentorship role with Techstars & Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network.(30:34) Dan discusses his running career and using COVID lockdowns to improve his training and setting World records.(35:53) Becoming the World’s Fittest CEO and how fitness helps improves one’s abilities as a CEO.(39:43) Rapid fire questions.

Amanda Russell has been referred to as “Carrie Bradshaw meets fitness.” As an award-winning brand creator and international digital marketing strategist, Amanda helps companies re-imagine how they interact with their customers and manage their businesses in the new digital world.She is the creator of Fit Strong and Sexy, an online fitness and lifestyle community for women. Amanda has been featured in publications including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Women’s Health Magazine, SELF and SHAPE. Selected as one of the world’s Most Popular YouTube Fitness Stars by Ryan Seacrest, Amanda knows first-hand what it takes to build a strong brand.Amanda designed & co-created UCLA's Influencer Marketing course, the world’s first fully accredited program in Influencer Marketing. She has now brought that curriculum to the University of Texas at Austin and is in instituting it in universities across the globe.Amanda and I discuss her new book “The Influencer Code: How to Unlock the Power of Influencer Marketing” as well as the state of marketing curriculum at Business schools. Amanda also shares her inspiring story of missing the Beijing Olympics due to a career ending injury and how she used that experience to a pivot and become a successful entrepreneur. Amanda has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Richmond, Robins School of Business and an MBA from Mercy College. Discussion Topics:(3:07) How MBA programs should be updated to meet the changing nature of modern-day marketing.(9:11) How to find and exercise one’s influence.(10:38) Influencer marketing misconceptions: buzz vs. influence.(13:15) How best to justify your marketing spend and win budget.(18:14) Free versus paid advertising and attribution.(25:40) Legal considerations for Influencer marketing.(29:48) Amanda’s story of launching a business in NYC and early Youtube days.(41:45) Rapid fire questions.

Sam Weeks earned his MBA from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, funded by a scholarship from the Saïd foundation. He was named on the Dean’s list, elected Social Chair, and graduated with Distinction in 2018. Based in Amsterdam, Sam founded a consulting business with the purpose of leveling the playing field for international applicants, helping determined candidates get admitted into top business schools. International applicants often feel at a disadvantage expressing the nuanced differences between schools. Sam personally guides candidates through every step, supporting their application with his own experience and writing.Prior to starting Sam Weeks Consulting, he worked as an Equity Derivatives Trader at IMC Trading. In addition to his MBA, Sam has a Master of Engineering degree from King’s College in London.Sam and I talk about the business school admissions process and trends that he has seen in 2020, working directly with admissions officers. We compare stories of studying in the US versus the UK and why Said Business School was a great fit for him. We also discuss how business schools have adapted during COVID and I share my experience of being back on-campus at Duke this past September.Sam shares a lot of great advice and wisdom for anyone looking to apply to business school. Discussion Topics:(3:09) Sam’s decision to launch an MBA consulting business.(5:57) Business application stats for 2020 and why schools are seeing increased applications.(10:00) Advice for avoiding “achievement soup” in MBA application essays.(15:00) Selecting the right business school.(18:43) Oxford University’s Saïd Business School experience.(29:35) The future of MBA program formats post-COVID.

Reggie Love is a true renaissance man and witness to history. Reggie was a political aide and former Duke football and basketball player. He was the captain and a starter for the Duke Men’s basketball team during his senior year. Reggie served as the special assistant and personal aide for President Barack Obama. He has traveled the world, met with world leaders, hung out with Jay-Z and Beyoncé and was at the President’s side during his campaign and while working in the White House.Reggie and I discuss his best-selling book Power Forward: My Presidential Education. We talk about the inauguration, balancing academics and sports, and mentorship. Having worked directly with two incredible leaders (Coach K and Barack Obama), he shares his wisdom on different management styles and how to lead during uncertain times.Reggie has a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke in Political Science and Government and an MBA from the Wharton. We talk about the challenges of balancing work and a rigorous MBA program and some of the hardest classes he took while at Wharton.Discussion Topics:(4:45) Preparing for the President’s Inauguration day speech.(9:09) Duke Basketball and going from walk-on to team captain.(15:14) Mentorship & volunteering to help others.(20:04) Choosing a career path and advice for recent graduates.(24:24) The Wharton MBA experience and the most challenging courses.(28:54) Working one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms.(31:01) Post-COVID economic recovery discussion.(35:26) The similarities and differences of Obama & Coach K’s leadership styles.(38:42) Rapid fire questions.

Helen Bulwik is an experienced CEO, board director, strategic advisor and executive mentor. Helen has been the CEO of six middle-market private equity-owned companies. She has led business development and client strategy for the retail management consulting practices of IBM, Accenture and the Tom Peters Group, and she started her career as a merchandiser for Macy’s. Helen has also served on more than a dozen private and public boards, and she has been the only female on every one of them. Helen has a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.Helen is also the founder of Pacific Art Group which has over 10,000 images, sold in over 122 countries. As a retail and eCommerce art guru, Helen talks about the art market, recent changes to retail and what company’s like Macy’s need to do be successful going forward. Helen also provides her advice for female executives looking to join corporate boards. Finally, we discuss why only 11% of business school cases involve female protagonists and what needs to take place in order to help change that.Discussion Topics:(2:55) Adjusting to COVID-10 lock downs from a business and personal standpoint.(5:51) The global art market and growth in Chinese contemporary art.(9:22) Trends in online art and the impact of COVID-19 on sales.(15:25) Macy’s Inc. plan to reclaim luxury leadership.(20:21) The future of retail post-COVID-19.(23:04) Advice for female executives looking to join corporate boards.(27:25) Female protagonists in business school cases.

For this episode, I try something a bit different by having two guests on the show. I interview fellow classmates from the Executive MBA program at Duke. Bailey Smith and Noah Smith (no relation) were both Navy Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) with deployments in the Arabian Gulf and South China Sea. They both share their experiences from their time in the Navy and the challenges and similarities of managing sailors versus employees. Noah completed this undergraduate degree from Clemson University and is now a Product Manager at Corning Incorporated, one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science. Bailey graduated from Cornell University and is an Assistant Vice President of Global Technology and Operations at the Bank of America.In addition to talking about life in the Navy, we have open and candid conversations about what it is like to balance work, family and school during COVID-19, transitioning to all online classes, and in Bailey’s case, having a child while in the program and doing classes from the hospital the day after giving birth. If you are a perspective student contemplating an Executive MBA, I would encourage you to take a look at the podcast show notes to skip ahead as needed to where we provide our advice on how best to manage the program and give tips for success.Discussion Topics:(2:02) Deployments and navigating ships at Sea. (9:22) Dealing with sleep deprivation.(15:18) Naval officer portrayal in movies and literature.(18:40) Traveling the world and favorite port calls.(21:41) Earning trust and managing sailors versus employees.(28:37) The decision to pursue an EMBA and why the format works.(35:30) Adjusting to all online classes.(42:55) Rapid fire questions on the pros and cons of an EMBA program.(52:55) Time management advice for working parents doing an EMBA.(1:04:01) #1 piece of advice for success in an EMBA program(1:06:39) Having a child in the middle of term 2.

Joe Colopy is the founder and former CEO of Bronto software, a cloud-based provider of commerce marketing automation headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. Bronto grew its revenue from zero to $50 million dollars over fifteen years with a $200M exit in 2015, selling to NetSuite which was then acquired by Oracle. I’ve known Joe since 2006 when I started using the platform and have watched it grow and become an industry leader in omni-channel marketing. Recently, Joe launched Jurassic Capital which invests in B2B software companies throughout the Southeast, leveraging his experience to help growth-stage software companies scale. Two years ago, he also launched GrepBeat which covers tech news and views for Raleigh-Durham and the surrounding area. It’s like TechCrunch for the Research Triangle Park with a bit of Buzzfeed. It is a great resource for entrepreneurs in the area to help their voices be heard and put RTP on the map as an emerging and world-class business hub. Joe completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Economics from Harvard University and has an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With an MBA and Computer Science degree, Joe and I get pretty technical and talk about what it takes to scale a software business, hire and recruit developers, and we discuss future trends in digital marketing. Joe also provides his insight into how best to leverage an MBA education and the relationships you build while at school.Discussion Topics:(2:43) The skills needed to start a business and then scale it.(5:44) Keeping motivated when faced with failures and setbacks.(8:40) Bootstrapping a business from the ground up with the right partner.(12:45) Launching GrepBeat and helping entrepreneurs share their stories.(18:04) Building company culture and recruiting and retaining software engineers.(23:56) Community involvement and Joe’s experiences in the Peace Corps.(29:35) Future trends in omni-channel digital marketing.(38:11) Advice for putting an MBA education to best use in one’s career.

Judy Toran Cousin is a business builder and strategist with over 20 years of experience in business development, marketing and management of large corporations, start-ups and non-profits, including Salick Health Care, Health Management Advisors, Reebok International and Procter and Gamble. Judy has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Judy and I worked together at Circle Graphics, which is the world's foremost producer of grand and large-format digital graphics. The company also produces business and transit signs and has developed disruptive and very innovative wall décor products.Judy joined Circle Graphics in August 2012 as Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of the Consumer Digital Printing division. From 2016 to 2020, she was the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, acting as the primary steward of the Circle Graphics brand across the company's multiple business units, with an emphasis on innovation and differentiation.Judy and I take a deep dive into Intrapreneurship, acting like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization. She excels at building successful business units within a company, scaling them into sustainable and profitable divisions. She shares her insights and processes for growth and getting companies to adopt a culture of innovation, something that is particularly important for businesses having to adjust to COVID-19. Judy also shares some great insight for female executives and recent MBA grads.Discussion Topics:(2:57) Intrapreneurship & innovation.(4:35) Overcoming resistance to change in an organization.(5:20) Building a culture of innovation.(10:07) Identifying industry trends for new product launches.(13:02) Judy’s favorite product she has worked on.(15:01) Motivating young employees with intrapreneurship opportunities.(20:07) Using intrapreneurship to adjust during COVID-19.(27:36) The Harvard MBA experience.(29:02) Advice for female executives and recent MBA grads.

Cate Gropper is a fellow classmate in the Executive MBA program at Duke University. Cate works as a Production Manager at NBC News' TODAY Show. Cate is the primary contact for NBC teams in the field, handling all the logistics for live-broadcasts, including managing all on-site crew, communicating with the Control Room and handling any location-specific challenges. Having worked on projects in Northern Alaska and Greenland with Al Roker, we discuss the struggles of filming in such remote locations. Cate also discusses her time working as an NBC Universal page, meeting Leonardo DiCaprio and adjusting to working in a newsroom during COVID-19.Cate and I also discuss what it’s like to be MBA students with full-time jobs adjusting to online classes while under quarantine, and we provide advice for those about to start a program.Discussion Topics:(1:28) Cate discusses her role as a Production Manager at NBC.(5:13) Working on “Al in the Arctic” with Al Roker in Northern Alaska.(15:05) Filming “Climate in Crisis” in Greenland.(19:50) Working as an NBC Page during Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary special.(23:53) Has Kenneth Parcell helped or hurt the page program at NBC?(25:45) Working in NYC broadcasting during COVID-19 lock downs.(32:15) Advice to students entering MBA programs during lock downs and quarantine(38:15) Cate discusses why she selected an Executive MBA over a daytime program.(44:01) Applying an MBA education to work.

Chidi Erike is a Client Partner at Facebook where he helps clients like Unilever, Peloton and Starbucks optimize their businesses across Facebook’s ad platforms. I met Chidi a few years back while I was attending a Facebook marketing summit. I was impressed with a presentation he gave on leveraging the platform for growth and taking an analytical approach to optimizing social media ad spend. Having worked at JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch and SocialCode, Chidi leverages his experience in banking and technology to identify opportunities and solve problems for large growth companies and help them reach their potential through strategy, marketing, and operations. Chidi also helped launch Facebook Elevate, a program designed for women and minority-owned businesses, providing them with customized workshops focused on business solutions and reaching new customers.Chidi has a BS in Marketing and Finance from State University of New York at Albany. He completed his MBA from Duke in 2012 with a focus on Strategy and Finance. He was also a professional basketball player, so Duke fans, we also talk about one of my favorite topics – Duke Basketball.Discussion Topics:(1:43) Chidi’s roles at Facebook from ad auctions to client partnerships.(5:45) Leveraging a background in Finance at Facebook.(6:40) How best to improve one’s marketing on Facebook/Instagram.(14:35) Optimizing creative for engagement.(16:59) Instagram shopping.(20:44) Spooky Instagram ads. Are you listening to my phone?(25:56) COVID-19’s impact on advertising and businesses.(32:45) Diversity & inclusion at Facebook Elevate.(40:37) Why Chidi selected Duke over other schools.(42:00) Playing professionally & thoughts on Duke Basketball.

Ted Baker is the co-founder of QALO (pronounced “kay-lo”), an active lifestyle company which was started in 2012. Their hero product, a functional silicone ring, has disrupted the multi-billion dollar wedding ring industry. In 2018, QALO was ranked #151 on Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies list. People like Lebron James, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Steph Curry now wear them. Ted’s story is a great example of how new innovative products can create a white space, unlocking unmet sources of customer value while capturing share in established markets. Ted shares his insights on the grit and tenacity it takes to bootstrap a company to phenomenal growth. Ted earned his MBA, with a focus in entrepreneurial and small business operations, from Loyola Marymount University. He currently serves as Board Chairman of www.qalo.com.Discussion Topics:(1:29) Backstory on how and why Ted started QALO.(5:35) Launching without outside investment.(7:35) Brand, culture and building an active lifestyle brand.(14:30) Dealing with new competitors after explosive growth.(17:26) Innovation and new product launches.(22:57) Selling on Amazon and omni-channel marketing strategies.(29:15) How to bootstrap a company for growth.(35:40) Variable marketing and return on advertising spend (ROAS).(40:45) Leveraging a business school education as an entrepreneur.

Wisdom.MBA is a podcast where I interview business school students, professors and alums. We look to share wisdom, focusing on the hard-lessons learned through different career, school and business endeavors and share insights into how you can put a business school education to best use.On this episode, I interview Ari Medoff who is a good friend and business advisor with a wealth of experience in search fund entrepreneurship, also known as Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). ETA is a challenging and at time lonely path, but if successful, it can be a great way to own equity in a business and become a CEO at a young age. If you’ve had dreams of owning your own business or are just interested in learning more about the search fund process, I think you’ll enjoy this podcast. Ari earned an MBA/MPP from Harvard Business School and Kennedy School of Government. Before that, he worked as a Venture Capital/Merchant Banking Analyst at Lehman Brothers in New York where he was part of teams investing in consumer products, healthcare services, hotels, and enterprise software. Ari founded Arosa LLC in 2011 as a self-funded searcher and completed his acquisition of Nurse Care of North Carolina, a premier provider of in-home care services, where he serves as CEO. Since that time, he has also completed numerous other acquisitions within the healthcare space. Ari teaches a seminar on Search Funds at HBS and is also a board member of a number of great organizations in North Carolina. Discussion Topics:(2:00) Venture Capital at Lehman Brothers.(9:45) Being a good Operator/Investor.(11:45) The mindset required to be a Search Fund Entrepreneur.(16:23) Why search funds are growing in popularity.(23:18) Tenacity, loneliness and the challenges of searching for a business.(33:30) Post-acquisition and the transition phase.(40:29) Building trust and setting a vision for your new business.(44:29) The wisdom of long-term business focus.(48:34) Pivoting a healthcare business during COVID-19.(53:37) Volunteering in the community as a business leader.

Welcome to Wisdom.MBA a podcast where I interview business school students, professors and alums. We discuss economics, finance, entrepreneurship and more. But most importantly, we look to share wisdom, focusing on the hard lessons learned through different career, school and business endeavors and share insights into how you can put a business education to best use. Whether you are a prospective student considering an MBA or a fortune 500 CEO, hear advice from other professionals with diverse backgrounds and very unique stories. I am your host Gavin Jocius. I’ve spend 19 years working in eCommerce and technology and have helped sell a few companies along the way. I am also the founder of River Wise ventures where we look to invest in promising startups and acquire eCommerce businesses. Learn more about me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gjocius/