Podcasts about 10m

Thinking about selling your fitness studio one day? The smartest move is to start preparing long before you're ready. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Mitch McGinley, Founder and CEO of Boutique Fitness Broker, who has guided countless entrepreneurs through one of the biggest transitions of their lives—selling their business. With experience spanning studios, spas, gyms, and beyond, Mitch brings both empathy and expertise to the exit process. In this episode, he shares common mistakes to avoid, trends shaping boutique fitness, and how to set up your business so it sells for the maximum value. Key Takeaways: → How selling a yoga studio opened the door to advising others. → The difference between being a broker, consultant, and advisor. → How biggest mistakes business owners make include having messy books, unclear HR, and being too tied to the business. → Why talking openly about selling makes deals easier and better. → How to turn a dragged-out deal into a multimillion-dollar exit. Mitch McGinley is a former studio owner, business broker and exit planning advisor specializing in boutique fitness. He originally worked in hotel management with Omni Hotels, and then with an investor who was flipping boutique hotels in San Diego. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife Karson bought their favorite yoga studio. During that time he began consulting in the boutique fitness industry, teaching seminars at Mindbody University and other fitness conferences all over the world, helping studio owners make better business decisions. After successfully selling his studio in 2019, he merged all of his worlds to create Boutique Fitness Broker, helping other entrepreneurs in this industry maximize their biggest payday. He has helped facilitate over 60 transactions in the past five years, with over $10M in transacted value in 2024 alone. Connect With Mitch: Website: https://boutiquefitnessbroker.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boutiquefitnessbroker/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchmcginley/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sparrow automates employee leave management—a compliance nightmare that consumes thousands of HR hours annually at companies with distributed workforces. With $64 million in total funding through their recent Series B, Sparrow has achieved 14x revenue growth between their Series A and Series B by solving what became an "insurmountable problem" as states, counties, and cities each passed conflicting paid leave regulations over the past decade. In this episode of BUILDERS, Deborah Hanus shares how she scaled from $1.2 million in her first year while running everything part-time by discovering that the path to enterprise adoption wasn't solving employee frustration—it was quantifying the hidden costs of compliance risk, payroll errors, and retention that director-level HR leaders were desperately trying to contain. Topics Discussed: The regulatory explosion that made leave management unsolvable in-house: overlapping federal, state, county, and city requirements across distributed teams How Sparrow pivoted from a $50-per-leave consumer product to enterprise software after discovering director-level buyers saw a fundamentally different problem than employees Why Sparrow's biggest competitor is internal management rather than other vendors, and how this shaped their entire go-to-market strategy The 4-10x ROI framework: how preventing paperwork errors that cost customers $1 million+ justifies $100K platform investments Scaling from founder-led sales with zero sales background through systematic hiring processes—including reaching out to 100+ candidates for their first sales hire Customer qualification strategy: vetting prospects not just for current pain, but for alignment with the product roadmap 2-3 years forward   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Map pain perception across org levels to find economic buyers: Employees experienced leave management as "taking me a lot of time"—roughly 20 hours of taxes-level complicated paperwork. Director-level HR leaders, CFOs, and employment lawyers saw something entirely different: retention problems from employees leaving after bad leave experiences, litigation risk from compliance gaps across jurisdictions, thousands spent on employment lawyers for each leave event, and payroll calculation errors when state programs cover partial wages. Deborah's initial consumer product hypothesis failed because employees would only pay TurboTax pricing (~$50), requiring massive volume. The enterprise motion succeeded because strategic buyers owned the full cost stack. Map how pain manifests at each organizational level, then build your ICP around whoever owns the aggregate business impact rather than the tactical workflow friction. Build ROI models around error prevention, not efficiency gains: Sparrow doesn't sell time savings—they sell payroll accuracy. Their typical customer sees 4-10x financial ROI because the platform prevents mistakes that cost significantly more than the subscription. When paperwork is filed incorrectly, employees miss 60-70% of pay for 12-20 weeks, and with 70% of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, employers often make up the difference to prevent attrition. A $100K Sparrow investment typically saves $1M+ in payroll corrections alone, before counting the thousands in hours HR spends with employment lawyers for each leave event. Calculate the true cost of the status quo—including error correction, compliance penalties, and retention impact—not just the labor hours your product eliminates. Design qualification frameworks for roadmap fit, not just current pain: Deborah emphasizes that "everyone has this problem, but not everyone is going to be a fit for the product today and where it's going to be two years from now." Sparrow deliberately vets whether prospects will be excited about their product evolution 3-4 years forward, not just whether they have leave management pain today. This drives retention and customer advocacy as capabilities expand. Build qualification criteria that assess prospect-product alignment across the entire customer lifecycle—including future module adoption, integration depth, and use case expansion—rather than optimizing only for closing deals on current functionality. Treat hiring as systematic sourcing, not urgent gap-filling: Despite being in "back-to-back calls all day" unable to "send order forms fast enough," Deborah took time to reach out to approximately 100 candidates to make their first sales hire. She emphasizes defining what each role should accomplish 5-10 years out, then building sourcing strategies to achieve 50% confidence in that long-term outcome. This intentional approach—coupled with her value of "scaling intentionally"—enabled efficient growth without typical scaling chaos. Resist the startup default of "just hire someone fast." Instead, invest upfront in role definition (including the 5-year trajectory), source systematically rather than opportunistically, and accept lower short-term velocity for higher long-term scaling efficiency. Recognize emotional volatility as statistical artifact, not signal: Deborah reframes the classic startup "highs and lows" through a data science lens: with sparse early data, founders overfit to individual signals. One person saying "your product is stupid" triggers existential doubt; one saying "everyone should use it" creates irrational exuberance. As companies scale and data accumulates, the noise averages out—70% neutral-to-good outcomes with 30% fires becomes manageable rather than anxiety-inducing. She found scaling "much easier than that first year" because "you can sort of plot out your trend line and you can see where you're going." Build systems to accumulate data points faster (more customer conversations, more experiments, more leading indicators), recognize that early-stage emotional swings reflect sample size rather than reality, and make decisions based on trend lines rather than individual data points. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

If your revenue has stalled despite strong demand, this playbook shows how numbers, systems, and leadership, not bigger ad spend, restart explosive growth. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Karl Maier, Founder of Abunden, an experienced CEO and business advisor who has played a key role in doubling sales at 5 companies in just 2 years. In this conversation, Maier explains how installing a 13-week cash forecast, building repeatable operating systems, and developing leaders unlock capacity so growth sticks. He also shares his Abundant Framework, insights from his book Surfing Economic Chaos, and what actually changes when you scale from $10M to $100M. Key Takeaways: → Why growth stalls after early success, and how shifting from heroics to repeatable systems and delegation restarts momentum. → The 13-week cash flow cadence: a simple weekly forecast that prevents surprises and fuels confident decisions. → When marketing isn't the first lever: fix finance, ops capacity, and delivery so sales gains don't break the machine. → “Every time you double, everything breaks”—what to upgrade (process, tools, roles) before pressing the gas. → The hardest part of $100M isn't spreadsheets, it's people, alignment, and leadership bench strength. Karl Maier is the founder of Abunden, where he helps CEOs transition from survival mode to achieving predictable, profitable growth. Specializing in energy-related companies, Karl turns financial blind spots into powerful growth engines, guiding both organic and acquisition-led expansion. He has extensive experience in private equity, family office roles, and capital raises, including supporting a $10M fracking water cleaning project and raising debt and equity for a $192 million EV private equity acquisition. Karl's expertise spans mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including buy-side support for international expansions and a $45 million B2B distribution company. He has also been instrumental in turnaround situations, such as guiding a healthcare services company to 40% growth and helping a coffee company pivot to hand sanitizer during COVID, generating $400K in just five months. With global CFO experience, Karl has led teams across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. Connect With Karl Maier: Website: https://abunden.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlkmaier/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, host Analytic Dreamz provides a detailed chart and sales breakdown of "Cholo 2" by rising corridos tumbados star Victor Mendivil and Latin trap icon Eladio Carrión. Released November 21, 2025 via Rico o Muerto / Baja Sound LLC, this high-energy trap-reggaeton fusion track bridges Mexico and Puerto Rico with street-luxury themes, produced by BeatBoy, Chongo, and DJ Lico.Analytic Dreamz examines the artists' trajectories: 19-year-old Victor Mendivil from Obregón, Sonora, boasting 16.1M Spotify monthly listeners post his 2025 album Tutankamon featuring Natanael Cano; and Eladio Carrión, the Puerto Rican-American pioneer with Latin Grammy wins and a shift from swimming to music stardom.Explore early momentum just 10 days in: 5M+ Spotify streams, 500K+ YouTube views, massive TikTok virality driving 300% streaming spikes, and strong regional consumption across Mexico (40%), Puerto Rico (25%), and US Latinos. With mobile dominance, weekend peaks, and crossover fanbase synergy, "Cholo 2" is poised for Billboard Hot Latin Songs entry and projected 10M+ streams by year-end in the evolving música Mexicana-trap landscape.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

¿Cómo transformar una experiencia cercana a la muerte en un motor para facturar 10 millones de euros? En este episodio, Guillermo Milans, CEO de Baïa Food, comparte un viaje de emprendimiento que comenzó hace 12 años tras sufrir una peritonitis grave y vivir de cerca la enfermedad de su padre.

While the bike helmet industry screamed "you need this for safety!", Gloria Hwang did the opposite. She made helmets so beautiful that 25% of Thousand customers are wearing helmets for the first time ever. Thousand now offers helmet and bike accessories in 20+ countries with financial backing from REI and the Clif Bar Family Office. Gloria talks all things customer loyalty, business branding, and nailing your product roadmap for maximum impact. She intimately shares how a personal tragedy inspired a mission to save 1,000 lives, and how that number grew to 1,300+ through their lifetime crash replacement guarantee. You'll learn the counterintuitive strategy that made safety cool, and why Thousand wins with culture instead of competing on tech features. You'll learn: Why fear-based marketing fails and what works insteadThe psychology insight that built a $10M+ brand across 20+ countriesHow 25% of customers are first-time helmet wearersTransitioning from maker to manager over 10 yearsTaking back the product roadmap to return to core differentiationWhy solving customer problems beats chasing growth at all costsChapters:00:00 Introducing Gloria Hwang, Founder & CEO of Thousand1:30 How to Change Customer Behaviors 4:11 The Personal Tragedy That Started Thousand & The Design Philosophy That Wins Every Time5:15 Why 25% of Customers Are First-Time Helmet Wearers7:30 Steps to Get Further Differentiated & Beat Out The Competition 9:55 Strategies for Collecting High-Quality Customer Insights 16:00 Expanding to 20+ Countries & Quality Standards19:50 The BEST Advice Gloria Has Ever Gotten 24:30 The Hardest Transition Gloria Went Through & How to Tackle People Problems 29:20 What to Ask for When Pitching Investors (Surprise, it's NOT Money)  32:48 How Motherhood Changed Her Approach to Business Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

The secret sauce behind profitable consumer subscriptions?Meet the Subscription Value Loop — a framework so good, it's basically the “Conjoined Triangles of Success”… but it actually works.

In this episode, John Wilson is on-site in Chicago with Aizik Zimerman, owner of J.Blanton Plumbing, to break down how one of the fastest-growing plumbing companies in the country built a sewer and drain growth engine. Since buying the $6M Jay Blanton business at the end of 2022, Aizik has scaled it to ~$25M this year and a $30M run rate — and nearly half that growth is coming from sewers. They unpack the investments, the operational build-out, and the marketing + sales system that turned trenchless lining into a repeatable, high-volume profit center. Aizik shares the exact playbook behind his “Unclogs for Dogs” offer, why they send salespeople with cameras first (no junior drain tech flip), and how they price lining as the cheaper alternative to excavation to beat inertia and win the market. If you're trying to add $5–$10M of revenue through drains, improve close rates, or build a trenchless division that actually scales, this episode is a must-listen.What You'll LearnThe 2022 → 2025 growth story: $6M to $25M+ and what changed operationallyWhy Aizik bet big on sewers while competitors stayed HVAC-heavyThe economics of lining vs. digging: pricing, margins, and why “cheaper lining” winsHow a $1M+ CapEx investment (UV curing trailers, jetting, prep teams) unlocked volume

Guests: Dustin Mitchell – Co-Owner, Half Moon Plumbing Tiffany Mitchell – Co-Owner, Half Moon PlumbingGuest Links: Dustin Mitchell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustin-mitchell-364310250/ Tiffany Mitchell: (no public LinkedIn available — can add another link if preferred) Half Moon Plumbing Website: https://HalfMoonPlumbing.comIn this episode of The HVAC & Plumbing Hustle, Tim talks with Dustin & Tiffany Mitchell from Half Moon Plumbing in the Tulsa Metro. After years of steady but stagnant growth, they recently hit $10M+ in plumbing-only revenue, placing them in rare company. They break down the mindset shift, business acumen, leadership development, and operational changes that made it possible.What We CoverHow Half Moon Plumbing went from stagnant to scalingThe mindset shift behind their $3M → $10M breakthroughThe marketing leap that changed everythingWhy technical excellence became a growth limiterBuilding leaders internally as they scaledTheir in-house technician training universityCulture challenges at $10M vs. $3MWhy strategy + intention beats relying on skill aloneThe personal growth required to grow a company

Welcome back to The Starting Line Podcast with host Cole Taylor!In this episode, Cole interviews Clayton Hepler, a land private equity operator, educator and CEO of Hepler Land Holdings, who is backed by a $15M land fund has closed 273+ properties and $10M+ in volume. We discuss extreme ownership, returning to traditional American values, using land as a wealth creation asset, and Clay's story of facing bankruptcy and betting on himself.Tune in!Connect with our guest;https://www.instagram.com/clayhepler/https://clayhepler.io/Our resources:Book a call with us here:Business Coaching Health Coaching Free health resources & community:The Optimized Entrepreneur GroupFree faith brotherhood:www.facebook.com/groups/winnerscirclebrotherhood/Connect with Cole:www.instagram.com/coledavidtaylorwww.cole360.com

BREAKING: The Steelers have waived Darius Slay. Another big-name free agent turned disaster. A $10M deal down the tubes – a very Pirates-esque move. We talked about how the fans were right on this one and it felt like the Steelers trying to tell all of us that we were wrong. More BREAKING news: The Steelers claimed Adam Thielen off waivers. We continued to react to the breaking Steelers news in the last 30ish minutes – cutting Darius Slay and signing Adam Thielen. Donny Football Debrief – Who were some of the funny Steelers free agent signings in recent years? And another Penn State candidate appears to be off the board. How many options do they have left?

BREAKING: The Steelers have waived Darius Slay. Another big-name free agent turned disaster. A $10M deal down the tubes – a very Pirates-esque move. We talked about how the fans were right on this one and it felt like the Steelers trying to tell all of us that we were wrong. More BREAKING news: The Steelers claimed Adam Thielen off waivers.

This week's Espresso covers news from Mercado de Recebíveis, Clara, BHub, and more!Outline of this episode:[00:30] – Creditas raises $108M Series G led by Andbank[00:40] – Mercado de Recebíveis raises $28M FIDC[00:48] – BHub raises $10M to bring AI to Brazil's accounting market[00:58] – ColmeIA raises $3.4M reaching a $94M valuation[01:08] – Clara raises $70M in debt[01:19] – Unergy raises $5M in a Pre-series A round[01:30] – Cenit raises $1.8M to automate tax management for SMEs[01:41] – Frankles raises $1M led by Südlich CapitalResources & people mentioned:Startups: Creditas, Mercado de Recebíveis, BHub, ColmeIA, Clara, Unergy, Cenit, Frankles.VCs: Andbank, Crescera Capital, BBVA Spark, Covalto, International Finance Corporation, Hi Ventures, Südlich Capital.

Alex is an AI recruiter that autonomously handles phone screens, video interviews, and candidate communications at scale for enterprise talent teams and staffing firms. The company rebranded from Apriora after acquiring alex.com for over half a million dollars—a brand investment that immediately increased word-of-mouth referrals and inbound pipeline. In this episode of BUILDERS, we sat down with Aaron Wang, Co-Founder & CEO of Alex, to discuss achieving seven figures in revenue through founder-led sales in staffing, their "respectful zagging" approach to standing out in a crowded AI agent market, and building toward network effects that could fundamentally reshape talent matching. Topics Discussed Justifying a $500K+ domain acquisition to co-founders and investors Building candidate experience that drives engagement rather than rejection Design decisions around AI avatars versus voice-only interactions Differentiation strategy in marketing: zagging without rage baiting Hiring framework based on incentive understanding and first-principles thinking Market segmentation between staffing firms and corporate TA teams Long-term platform vision leveraging cross-company recruiting data GTM Lessons For B2B Founders Quantify intangible asset ROI through pipeline metrics, not brand sentiment: Aaron defended the $500K+ alex.com purchase by tracking "huge increase in word of mouth and inbound, which is obviously directly measurable." The previous name Apriora created friction in sharing and referrals. With enterprise contract sizes, removing pronunciation and memorability barriers has concrete pipeline impact. The domain also functions as a balance sheet asset. Founders should evaluate premium domains against customer acquisition cost and deal velocity, not abstract brand value. Extract vertical-specific insights before horizontal expansion: Alex reached seven figures in staffing revenue exclusively through founder-led sales before entering corporate TA. Aaron noted they had "a few key insights into what made staffing particularly relevant as a market." This concentrated approach allowed them to refine product-market fit and build referenceable customers in one segment. Only after achieving clear traction did they expand strategically to corporate TA. Founders should resist premature market expansion—depth in one vertical provides the learnings needed for successful adjacency moves. Structure interviews to surface first-principles thinking across functions: Aaron described having A-player marketers conduct first rounds, then A-player engineers conduct second rounds for the same candidate. This cross-functional approach tests whether candidates can operate from first principles rather than just applying domain playbooks. The key insight: "A players want to work with A players and A players can identify A players. A B player can't identify an A player." Founders should design interview loops that reveal foundational reasoning ability, not just functional competence. Hire for incentive mapping ability over category experience: Exceptional marketers understand "what is incentivizing someone to share or post or like" and how to create mindshare. Aaron emphasized this matters more than HR tech background, citing Vinod Khosla's gene pool engineering concept. You need domain expertise somewhere in the company, but hiring everyone for it dilutes your ability to think differently. Founders should prioritize candidates who demonstrate deep understanding of human incentives and can identify non-obvious differentiation opportunities. Align brand aesthetic with product philosophy to reinforce positioning: Alex deliberately avoided human avatars, choosing nature imagery and green color schemes to make AI feel "grounded" rather than "abstract." This extends their product belief that "bad AI is worse than no AI"—the brand needed to signal reliability and familiarity. Aaron explicitly contrasted this with rage baiting tactics: "not something we're interested in doing." Founders should ensure visual identity and messaging tactics authentically reflect product values rather than chasing engagement metrics that misalign with positioning. Map product roadmap by studying adjacent verticals with faster adoption curves: When discussing category, Aaron compared Alex to Harvey rather than interview intelligence tools. He noted HR tech "tends to lag others" in technology uptake, making legal AI a better predictive model. Just as Harvey expanded from document review to email automation to client portals, Alex views phone screening as "one important, but only one portion of what a recruiter does today." Founders in slower-adopting categories should analyze product evolution in faster-moving verticals to anticipate feature expansion and avoid getting boxed into point solution positioning. //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Sure built the technology infrastructure enabling the world's biggest consumer brands to embed complex insurance products directly into their core transactions—from auto purchases to home loans. In this episode of BUILDERS, Wayne Slavin shares how Sure pivoted from a consumer mobile app to B2B infrastructure after insurance executives kept pulling engineers into boardrooms to see the backend, why prospects who choose to build end up on Sure's "wall of shame" after their attempts fail, and the vertical integration strategy that could make legacy carriers obsolete within 20 years. Topics Discussed Sure's founding: turbulence on a Vegas flight led to a prototype that converted 15.91% from ad click to insurance purchase The accidental pivot to B2B infrastructure when insurance C-suites started calling people into boardrooms to see Sure's backend system How Sure became "chameleons" matching each partner's corner radius, modal behavior, and loader effects to avoid breaking product experiences The three failed paths that create Sure's best customers: DIY builds, direct carrier partnerships, and naive marketplace strategies Why buy-versus-build objections signal misaligned incentives—enterprise buyers trading career-safe "buy" budgets for execution-risk "build" projects The vertical integration roadmap: from collaborative carrier partnerships toward turnkey solutions backed by sovereign wealth funds AppleCare as the embedded insurance template: multi-decabillion dollar business now integrated into device selection, storage, color, and financing flows GTM Lessons For B2B Founders Run weekend demand tests before year-long regulatory builds: Wayne built a prototype over a long weekend and drove traffic through Google and Facebook ads to test first principles—do people want to buy insurance online, how soon before travel, how much coverage? The 15.91% conversion rate justified committing a full year to regulatory partnerships before bringing on a team. For founders in regulated spaces, creative demand validation derisks the compliance investment required before launch. Watch what gets pulled into the boardroom: Sure pitched their mobile app to insurance C-suites who responded with polite interest. Then executives started calling colleagues into meetings specifically to see Sure's backend operations system—the infrastructure they'd spent hundreds of millions trying to build. After three or four meetings with the same pattern, Wayne realized the backend was the product. Pay attention when prospects ignore your intended offering but get animated about something else entirely. Target solution-aware buyers who've already failed: Sure's most successful customers fall into three categories: those who tried building themselves and lost institutional knowledge when engineers left, those who partnered directly with carriers who took customers away and sold them competing products, or those who naively tried offering 50 insurance options when California markets now have two viable carriers. Wayne explicitly doesn't consider prospects choosing to build as their ICP—they lack awareness of execution risk and will waste Sure's time before returning years later. Treat build decisions as pipeline, not losses: A prospect from 2020 called yesterday after their DIY attempt resulted in three people leaving the company with nobody understanding how their cobbled system works. Sure maintains a "wall of shame" tracking decision-makers who chose to build and no longer work at those companies. For infrastructure plays with 18-36 month sales cycles, maintain relationships with build-path prospects—they're future pipeline once reality hits. Product integration depth wins embedded deals: Sure's differentiation isn't database speed—it's becoming invisible within partners' products. Wayne describes matching exact corner radius, modal patterns, and loader effects so product teams don't fight the insurance insertion. This requires deep product expertise across partners' stacks. For embedded solutions, technical flexibility that respects existing UX decisions matters more than raw performance metrics. Sure enables complex insurance purchases without customers touching their keyboard—everything pre-filled from partner data. Map internal buyer incentives in enterprise deals: Wayne observed that enterprise buyers face perverse incentives: requesting more budget and resources for build projects looks good internally, but they're unknowingly trading stable "buy" expenditures for career-ending execution risk. Large companies will pay "a bajillion dollars to Salesforce" because it works and removes risk, not because anyone loves it. Help champions articulate how buying derisks their execution versus the alternative—it's not about your product superiority, it's about their job security. //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.   Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Interview Date: June 22nd, 2025Episode Summary:Dytto (aka Courtney Kelly) — the fembot icon of the dance community whose viral “Barbie Girl” freestyle on World of Dance launched a global following of ~10M across platforms. A professional mover, personality, and director, she's appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, starred in national campaigns (Android Wear, Target), and most recently served as Assistant Choreographer for Shakira.In this conversation, Dytto traces her path from studio kid and cheerleader to self-driven freestyler, sharing how an alter ego helped her overcome stage fright and claim a unique lane in a male-dominated popping/animation space. She breaks down the business: why brand deals followed when she started talking (not just dancing), how she balances content “pillars,” and the realities of name usage, credits, and trademarking a stage name.We also dive into monetization (and why dancing to copyrighted music pays everyone but the dancer), creating original music (Fembot Files), and her upcoming training app The Next Move—a practical system for turning freestyle fear into confidence. In the live Q&A she offers concrete drills, mindset resets, and career advice on evolving publicly, navigating street vs. commercial worlds, booking without auditions, and staying grounded in who you are—especially when everyone's watching.Shownotes:(0:00) – Welcome & intro: “Barbie Girl” viral phenom joins the show(2:13) – Early dance journey: from studio kid to freestyler(4:27) – The making of “Barbie Girl” — purpose behind the moment(6:20) – Creating “Dytto”: alter ego that conquered stage fright(11:43) – Managing identity: real name vs. stage name(15:50) – Viral momentum → brand deals, Ellen, and global recognition(19:47) – $100K brand deal & secret to attracting sponsorships(25:16) – New ventures: launching The Next Move freestyle app(26:56) – Owning creativity: why she makes her own music (Fembot Files)(1:18:16) – Final reflections: authenticity, vulnerability, and self-beliefBiography:Dytto, the fembot icon of the dance community, is a professional mover, personality, and director. You may have seen her as a 17 yr old in her first viral freestyle on World of Dance called 'Barbie Girl' which launched her into a fruitful career. Since, she's been in numerous commercials, campaigns, and productions, some even of her own, being self-directed and produced for her infamous Youtube channel. Most recently, we watch her work come to life from her time assistant choreographing for the one and only, Shakira.Connect on Social Media:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iam_dytto/Website - iamdytto.com

Pastor and bestselling author Mark Batterson joins Bob to unpack one of the most misunderstood principles of growth: the way breakthroughs actually happen—gradually, then suddenly. From Warren Buffett's compounding to Jim Carrey's famed $10M check, to the long arc of ministry, writing, generosity, and family life, this conversation is a hopeful reset for anyone who feels "behind."   In This Episode Why most "overnight success" stories take decades What 95-year-olds say they would do differently (and how it should change our lives today) The "25-year time machine" mindset that makes ordinary moments priceless Why young adults often underestimate what God can do in 10–20 years How Mark pastors a church with seven properties and zero debt — and the long-term mindset behind it Turning your church "inside out": how NCC generates $2M/year through marketplace engagement The hidden power of giving goals (and the difference between getting vs. giving goals) The surprising truth about Buffett's wealth: it's not returns… it's time Mark's take on grand gestures, faith steps, and why God honors long obedience Bob's story of writing a 5-year giving goal that seemed impossible—and what God did What to do when your dream is taking way longer than you thought   Key Quotes "You'll overestimate what you can do in two years and underestimate what God can do in ten." —Mark Batterson "Faith is taking the first step before God reveals the second." —Mark Batterson "The greatest risk is taking no risks." —Mark Batterson "We decided to do a ten-year book launch. Let's give it a decade and see if it's any good." —Bob Lotich Timestamps 00:00 — Why get-rich-quick thinking never works 01:00 — Introducing Mark Batterson & the story behind Gradually, Then Suddenly 02:00 — What 95-year-olds regret most 04:00 — The "25-year time machine" for parenting and life 05:00 — Why we plan vacations better than our futures 07:00 — The power of long-range thinking (and why it's so rare) 08:00 — Why most people quit right before the breakthrough 10:00 — Bob's 10-year book launch strategy 12:00 — Early results vs. long obedience 14:00 — The myth of the fast start: Circle Maker sales + slow beginnings 16:00 — Teaching a generation to love "gradually" 19:00 — Mark's 29-year pastoral journey and miraculous property story 21:00 — Why NCC's venue generates $2M/year 24:00 — What church leaders can learn from marketplace strategy 28:00 — Jim Carrey's $10M check and the power of a grand gesture 29:00 — Bob's five-year giving goal that changed everything 32:00 — How giving goals open doors for God to move 34:00 — What to do with dreams that are taking too long 35:00 — Closing encouragement + where to get the book   Resources & Links Mark Batterson's new book: Gradually, Then Suddenly The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday   If You Enjoyed This Episode Please leave a rating & review — it helps more people discover the show and live with biblical wisdom about money, purpose, and calling. BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime).   If you haven't checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life (https://seedtime.com/smrl/), we think you'll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as "a money book for people who don't read money books."  You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠Analytic Dreamz delivers the full stat-packed breakdown of Monopoly GO! in this essential Notorious Mass Effect segment. Scopely's free-to-play mobile Monopoly phenomenon since April 2023 has surpassed 150M+ downloads, maintains ~10M daily active users, and shattered records with $5B+ lifetime revenue – the fastest casual mobile game ever to $1B (7 months), $2B (10 months), and $3B (15 months). October 2025 revenue hit $69M while November estimates reach $151M, keeping it in the global top 5 grossing apps. Analytic Dreamz dives into the addictive core loop of dice rolls, property building, and rent collection, plus Shutdown and Bank Heist minigames, nonstop live ops events, sticker trading, and dice-driven monetization. Current Thanksgiving Partners event (Nov 25-30) rewards the Festive Pumpkin Token, 5K dice, and Wild Sticker for completing four friend builds, while the recent Fall Feast (62 levels, 20K+ dice) fueled Harvest Racers. Full reward tables, Hasbro's $112M 2024 earnings share, and ARPDAU of ~$0.50 all covered. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Raju Patel founded eShow over 25 years ago after building a speaker portal for a magazine company and realizing he had a repeatable software product. What began as a one-man shop in suburban Chicago evolved into a robust event-management platform serving associations that needed complex, multi-module functionality. His business grew steadily as he delivered registration, booth management, speaker portals, and onsite systems for demanding event teams.  Today eShow has 125 employees, more than 14 integrated modules, and supports hundreds of events each year for 300+ customers, including large association conferences with tens of thousands of attendees. The company has always been profitable, self-funded, and built through careful reinvestment, steady hiring, and deep product expansion. Raju rebuilt the platform multiple times, including a shift to a modern stack. Still independent with over $10 million in revenues, Raju is now building a VP-level leadership team, exploring practical growth capital, and planning a hybrid event model that blends in-person and virtual experiences. His story highlights long-term passion, practical growth, and a deliberate shift from hands-on founder to capable CEO after decades in the game. Key Takeaways Deep Domain Focus – Serving the most complex association events created defensible differentiation. Slow, Steady Compounding – Year-over-year growth came from incremental improvements, not big bet. Passion Over Money – Raju built for love of the work, not an exit, which sustained him through decades of change. Multiple Rewrites Needed – Long-term SaaS requires full platform rebuilds, and Raju completed two with a third underway on a modern stack. Late-Stage Professionalization – Hiring VPs, defining ICPs, and strengthening leadership came only after passing the $10M threshold. Quote from Raju Patel, founder of eShow "Looking back after 20 years running this as a small business in software,  think I would have figured out how to pull a little bit more money out. It would have given me a better peace of mind."  "I wouldn't have even known how to spend if I pulled a million out back then, it would have been wasted. I was very frugal and investing in my business every year."  "But now I could figure out how to spend a million dollars, on savings and other personal spending that would be meaningful. It would be liberating. I deserve it, so I'm going to spend a little bit more, not be frugal. I can be frugal in my business and in my personal life not be so frugal!" Links Raju Patel on LinkedIn eShow on LinkedIn eShow website Podcast Sponsor – Full Scale This podcast is sponsored by Full Scale, one of the fastest-growing software development companies in any region. Full Scale vets, employs, and supports over 300 professional developers, designers, and testers in the Philippines who can augment and extend your core dev team. Learn more at fullscale.io. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

Luxury, Trust & the Future of Travel: Inside THIRDHOME with Giles Adams What if your second home wasn't just a retreat—but a passport to the world's most extraordinary properties? In this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Giles Adams, Partner & President at THIRDHOME—the global private club redefining luxury travel, home exchange, and how the world's wealthiest families experience their time off. With more than 20,000 properties across 103 countries, THIRDHOME has built a trusted network of second-home owners who trade time at multimillion-dollar estates, private islands, penthouses, safari reserves, and even yachts. Giles shares the origin of THIRDHOME's “club over platform” philosophy, why simultaneous swaps don't work for ultra-high-net-worth travelers, and how they built a brand so trusted that growth is driven almost entirely by member word-of-mouth. He also breaks down the creation of THIRDHOME Reserve, the ultra-exclusive tier for owners of $10M+ homes—and what it takes to serve some of the world's most discerning clientele. Jess and Giles dive into the art of earning trust with luxury homeowners, the surprising impact of their Paramount+/Netflix TV series Millionaire Holiday Home Swap, and why connection—not consumption—is the currency that really powers global travel at this level. Whether you're building a premium brand, navigating UHNW markets, or simply fascinated by the future of luxury hospitality, this conversation is packed with insight, psychology, and strategies from a company that has quietly mastered them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would you do if your business lost 75% of its revenue overnight? In this episode, Kevin Bees sits down with Alexis Sikorsky, a profit maximisation expert who not only survived the 2008 crash but went on to sell his software company for over $100 million. Alexis shares the real, behind-the-scenes lessons on scaling, crisis management, and navigating private equity — the stuff founders rarely hear until it's too late. In this episode, you'll discover… Why every business needs a 9-month war chest How to spot private equity red flags before signing the deal Why long-term plans fail,  and why 4-year strategies work The surprising $40M exit target most founders should aim for How virtual C-suite teams help $8-10M companies scale faster Connect with Alexis Sikorsky at asikorsky.com Or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asikorsky/ Happy listening! To discover more marketing strategies, make sure you join us at the next Marketing Ecosystem™ workshop to map out your one-page marketing plan. Here's the link to register (no cost!): http://basicbananas.com/virtualsummit Or apply to join the popular Clever Bunch program to accelerate your business growth: https://www.basicbananas.com/cleverbunch Here's to creating ripple effects of brilliance everywhere we go! The Basic Bananas TeamThe post S15 EPISODE 21: How a 75% Revenue Collapse Became a $100M Exit with Alexis Sikorsky first appeared on Basic Bananas.

Want to start a $1M side hustle? Get 100+ ideas here: https://clickhubspot.com/gtb Episode 769: Sam Parr ( ⁠https://x.com/theSamParr⁠ ) and Shaan Puri ( ⁠https://x.com/ShaanVP⁠ ) talk to Sheel Mohnot ( https://x.com/pitdesi ) about $10M business ideas you could be early on.  — Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (3:42) 50-year mortgage (11:22) #1 - AI Yard Vision (15:02) #2 - AI Pool Vision (24:05) #4 - Peptides (35:43) #5 - eHarmony for Surrogacy (44:13) #6 - EMS - not the one you're thinking (55:53) #7 - Prediction Marketplaces (56:30) Books are a waste of time (58:13) Message the owner — Links: • BTV - https://www.btv.vc/  • DeepLawn - https://deeplawn.com/  • Roofer - https://roofer.com/  • Hone - https://honehealth.com/ • Katalyst - https://katalyst.com/  — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com  • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano //

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠Analytic Dreamz breaks down Virlán García's bold independent statement Mi Entorno in this detailed Notorious Mass Effect segment. The Guasave, Sinaloa native (born Jesús Virlán Báez García) released his introspective 12-track album October 9, 2025 via La Cima Records, exploring personal growth, loyalty, selective circles, and life beyond major labels. Six weeks in, Analytic Dreamz tracks the numbers: 5M global Spotify album streams, 1.2M on the title single, 15K digital units, 8.8M monthly listeners, 70% U.S.-driven streams (65% Southwest/border states), weekend doubles, +50% spike after Viva Latino placement, and a +30% surge from a Mexican beer commercial sync. From indie revenue retention to catalog uplift (+15%) and projected 10M streams by year-end, this segment covers every key stat, geographic trend, and why Mi Entorno marks García's mature evolution in modern regional Mexican music. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A Note from James:Tye Sheridan is one of my favorite actors. You might know him as Cyclops in the X-Men movies (Apocalypse, etc.) or as the lead in Ready Player One—which is not only a great movie but also one of my favorite sci-fi books. One of his first films was Mud with Matthew McConaughey.What I didn't realize: since 2016, while still acting, Tye has also been a serious AI entrepreneur. He and Nikola Todorovic co-founded AI-powered VFX/CGI company, Wonder Dynamics, now an Autodesk company, that built AI tools to make visual effects more accessible.I wanted them both on to talk about how AI will change filmmaking—potentially letting someone like me make a movie that would normally cost hundreds of millions because of VFX—and, just as important, how Tye balanced being a movie star and an entrepreneur at the same time. I also wanted Nikola's take on where AI is going and whether it will take jobs. Fascinating conversation ahead—here are Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic.Episode Description:James sits down with actor–founder Tye Sheridan and VFX director Nikola Todorovic to unpack how their company's AI tools (now part of Autodesk) are changing what small teams can pull off—and what that means for studios, budgets, and actual stories. They trace the path from stitching 360° GoPro rigs and a VR proof-of-concept… to a first demo for Steven Spielberg… to a platform that lets indies do big-look work without big-studio burn. You'll hear clear, non-hyped answers on where text-to-video fits, why they focus on editable 3D over black-box 2D, and a candid take on the only moat that still matters: writing something people care about.What You'll Learn:A workable cost model for VFX-heavy projects: where 10× savings can come from—and where they can't.How to run “lean” on real productions: recruiting cross-disciplinary talent and sequencing funding without chasing hype cycles.3D pipelines vs. text-to-video: why pros need full control of lighting, camera, and performance—and how Sora-style tools can still complement the workflow.Story first, always: the audience forgives limited budgets—not lazy scripts.A pragmatic future for studios and indies: expanding voices without erasing human actors or craft.Timestamped Chapters:[00:02:00] “Hollywood is nervous”: James frames the AI anxiety he's hearing in studio rooms.[00:03:01] A note from James: why Tye's career (from Mud to Ready Player One) made him the right guest—plus Nikola's VFX roots.[00:06:03] Tree of Life to tech startup: meeting on set, Chivo's influence, and early curiosity about tools.[00:13:46] DIY 360° & the Spielberg audition: the VR demo, a $10k experiment, and a first product pitch to Steven.[00:20:12] The question everyone asks: will AI erase studio jobs—or expand what smaller teams can make?[00:24:00] Distribution changed—financing didn't: presales, streaming, strikes, and why a bigger shift is still coming.[00:27:12] Reality check on budgets: VFX vs. SFX, and how a $100M effects bill could land near $10M.[00:36:02] Running lean + real backers: Founders Fund, MaC VC, Horizons; hiring for overlap (CV/ML/VFX/eng).[00:37:44] From waitlist to workflows: who used the platform first, and a TV case where weeks became days.[00:42:12] Sora vs. 3D pipelines: where text-to-video fits—and why pros avoid black-box 2D for final shots.[01:00:45] “A decade of procrastination”: the founders joke about building a company to avoid writing their own film—then set sights on making it.Additional Resources:Tye Sheridan — filmography and roles (Ready Player One, X-Men). WikipediaNikola Todorovic — Co-founder, Wonder Dynamics (Autodesk company). linkedin.comAutodesk acquires Wonder Dynamics — press release (May 21, 2024). Autodesk NewsAutodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio) — product page & docs. AutodeskReady Player One (2018). WikipediaThe Card Counter (2021). WikipediaThe Tree of Life (2011) & Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. IMDbSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” — Ralph Waldo EmersonLet's recap the most powerful moments of the Win the Day podcast in 2025!Hopefully, like me, you've learned a lot, but most importantly you've taken ACTION on what you've learned.If you missed the recap for the first half of the year, check out Episode 244.What's your favorite tip? Leave a comment to let us know.Onward,JamesPS —⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We just passed 10M+ views on YouTube! ⁠⁠Join 23K+ other YouTube subscribers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Simple Numbers, Big Profits with Greg Crabtree: How to Scale Without Debt or Chaos   Most business owners chase revenue—and lose sight of profit. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Rocky Lalvani sits down with Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits, to cut through the noise and talk about what really drives a successful business. A self-described "recovering accountant," Greg shares how data—not opinions—can transform how entrepreneurs see their numbers, make decisions, and grow sustainably.   If you've ever felt like your financial reports are confusing or your growth isn't showing up in profit, this conversation will show you exactly where to look and what to fix.   In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why accounting data is often misleading—and how to use "simple numbers" instead. How to measure labor efficiency so your team drives profit, not just revenue. The power of gross margin as the real top line of your business. Why debt-free growth is possible with strong cash discipline. What Greg's 100-company study reveals about the real state of today's economy.   Key Takeaways: Gross Margin is King – Stop paying attention to revenue. Profit lives in the margin. Know Your Labor Efficiency Ratio – Every $1 in labor should create $2 in gross margin. Cash is a Strategy – Keep two months of operating expenses in the bank—your safety net for growth. The Economy is Shifting – Growth won't come from the market; it'll come from taking share from weaker competitors. Simplify Your Dashboard – If a number doesn't drive a decision, take it off the report.   Bio: Greg Crabtree, speaker, author, entrepreneur and financial expert.  Greg founded his own firm Crabtree, Rowe and Berger to focus on helping entrepreneurs build their economic engine.  After being named to the INC 5000 list for 2019, Greg's firm merged with Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPA's and Advisors, a top 20 U.S. Accounting firm to help broaden their impact on the entrepreneur community. Greg serves as the Partner in Charge of the Simple Numbers Consulting unit. In 2011, Greg's first book "Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits" shares his core principles of how to turn your business into a wealth building engine.  In 2014, Greg contributed a chapter to Verne Harnish's book, "Scaling Up" on how to improve profits though labor efficiency.  In 2020, Greg released his newest book, "Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling".  Greg is a frequent speaker to groups like EO, Scaling Up (Gazelles), Metronomics, Bloom Growth, Vistage, ACETECH and many Mastermind groups and has presented in over 15 countries.  Greg also chairs the EO@Wharton Executive Education program for the last 7 years and serves as an EO Accelerator trainer since inception of the Accelerator program. Both books are available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible.   Links: Simple Numbers - https://www.simplenumberscri.com/ Greg Speaking - https://gregcrabtree.net/   Conclusion: Greg Crabtree reminds us that business success isn't about how much you sell—it's about how efficiently you turn effort into profit. The future belongs to entrepreneurs who understand their numbers, make decisions from data, and lead with discipline. As Greg says, "You don't need more data—you need the right data."   Whether you're running a $1M or $10M business, this episode will help you stop guessing, start measuring, and finally take control of your profits.   #ProfitFirst #SimpleNumbers #GregCrabtree #BusinessProfitability #CashFlow #Entrepreneurship #FinancialClarity #FractionalCFO #ProfitAnswerMan #SmallBusinessFinance #GrossMargin #BusinessGrowth #CashManagement #LaborEfficiency #ProfitabilityMatters   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page  Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

Limelight is building the infrastructure layer for B2B creator marketing, processing payments and managing campaigns for companies spending six figures monthly on creator partnerships. With $2.1 million in funding from Signal to Noise Ratio, Ascend Ventures, Savion Ventures, and strategic angels including the head of AI at Amazon and the former Chief Product Officer at Lyft, Limelight powers creator programs for Clay, Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com. In this episode of BUILDERS, we sat down with David Walsh, Founder and CEO of Limelight, to learn how he validated the market by interviewing 100+ creators, why he deliberately chose not to build an agency despite customer demand, and how his platform tracks engagement data at scale to prove ROI for performance-focused buyers. Topics Discussed: The pivot from referral software to B2B creator infrastructure after 100+ creator interviews How creator attitudes shifted from refusing brand partnerships to actively monetizing Clay's playbook: building custom Clay tables for creators before asking them to post Why Limelight chose to power agencies rather than compete with them The data infrastructure required to justify $100K+ monthly creator budgets Tracking organic engagement, converting content to paid ads, and attributing pipeline The split between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers Launching social listening to challenge legacy social media management platforms GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Validate with 100+ user interviews before pivoting: David didn't just chat with a handful of potential users—he conducted and recorded over 100 interviews with B2B creators, asking detailed questions about monetization interest, partnership preferences, and content strategies. He then repeated this process with marketing leaders. This level of research rigor before committing to a pivot is rare but critical when entering emerging categories. The depth of qualitative research gave him conviction to make a contrarian bet when most creators were still refusing brand partnerships. Build where network effects are structural, not hoped for: David specifically chose a creator marketplace after a previous marketplace failure because the unit economics included built-in virality. When Limelight pays a creator $10,000, that creator has tens of thousands of followers who see the transaction result (the sponsored content). Every payment notification becomes inbound interest. He understood that in consumer marketplaces you compete on supply quality, but in creator marketplaces the supply actively markets your platform. Founders should identify whether their marketplace has structural network effects in the transaction itself, not just theoretical ones. Target micro-creators with niche audiences over vanity metrics: The counterintuitive insight: creators with 10,000-25,000 followers often outperform those with 100,000+ in B2B because deal sizes are $25K-$50K, not $100 sunglasses. Smaller creators have higher engagement rates, unsaturated audiences, authentic expertise in specific domains, and haven't been "bought and sold for" yet. When brands face the choice between a 100K-follower creator at $2,000 per post with 200 likes versus a 25K-follower creator at $1,000 per post with 300 likes, they irrationally choose the larger following. Founders should educate buyers that in B2B, targeted influence within specific buyer committees matters more than reach. Build data infrastructure to win performance buyers, not just brand buyers: Limelight tracks every piece of content in real-time (not waiting weeks for creator screenshots), monitors all engagement and segments it by ICP fit, provides self-reported attribution from demo forms, tracks website traffic spikes correlated to posting schedules, and generates qualified lead lists from content engagement. This comprehensive data layer is what allows demand gen leaders to reallocate spend from paid channels. The market is splitting 50/50 between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers—the latter has larger budgets and treats creator spend like paid media that requires attribution. Founders entering new marketing channels should build attribution infrastructure from day one, not as an afterthought. Deliberately choose infrastructure over services even when customers ask for help: Despite customers like Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com spending $100K+ monthly and requesting more hands-on support, David chose to build product and enable agencies rather than hire account managers and become a service business. His reasoning: people have tried to replace agencies in recruiting for decades and failed because buyers want the human in the middle. The bigger opportunity is being the infrastructure that powers all agencies, not competing with them. This fork-in-the-road decision—hire CSMs and influencer marketing managers versus build more product—defines whether you're building a scalable platform or a services business disguised as SaaS. Use your first customer to custom-build product, then scale it: Clay became Limelight's first customer when the platform was early. David essentially custom-built features for Clay's creator program, learning their workflow for building Clay tables for creators, their onboarding process, and their approach to creative freedom. This deep partnership gave Limelight the product foundation to scale from managing 20 creators to 200+ for Clay within nine months, then apply those learnings to other customers. Rather than building in a vacuum, founders should find a sophisticated first customer willing to co-develop the product, even if it means initially building something custom. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here:  https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Sophos represents one of cybersecurity's most vulnerable companies, founded in 1985 as an antivirus provider and now operating at massive scale with $1.5 billion in ARR and 5,700 global employees. Under CEO Joe Levy's leadership, the company has undergone a fundamental transformation from a traditional product-focused vendor to a services-driven platform that addresses core market failures in cybersecurity. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Joe Levy to learn about the company's pivot to managed detection and response (MDR) services, their $860 million SecureWorks acquisition, and their vision for democratizing cybersecurity strategy across millions of organizations worldwide. Topics Discussed:  Sophos's evolution from antivirus origins through multiple business model reinventions over four decades  The strategic pivot to managed detection and response (MDR) services starting in 2018-2019 Building organizational support for major business model changes through experimental frameworks  Managing channel partner relationships during service transformation with 25,000 global partners  The $860 million SecureWorks acquisition and integration strategy to achieve category leadership  Scale as a competitive advantage in cybersecurity platform operations  The future vision of democratizing cybersecurity through "virtual CISO" services at massive scale GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Address systemic market failures through business model innovation: Joe identified that cybersecurity's core problem wasn't technology quality but post-sale execution. "As an industry we have been really good at buying and selling products, but we've never been good. In fact, we've been terrible at their implementation and their lifecycle management." This insight led to Sophos's services transformation. B2B founders should look beyond surface-level customer complaints to identify fundamental market failures that create opportunities for entirely new business models. Structure major strategic pivots as controlled experiments: When proposing the MDR services pivot, Joe framed it as a measurable experiment rather than a leap of faith. "The conversation primarily consisted of, I want to run an experiment. Here are the parameters of the experiment that I would like to run... This is the investment that I think that we need to make in order to bootstrap it." This approach included specific cost models, growth projections, and profitability targets. B2B founders can reduce organizational resistance to major changes by presenting them as structured experiments with clear success metrics and defined risk parameters. Invest heavily in stakeholder alignment during business model transitions: The most challenging aspect wasn't technical but maintaining relationships with 25,000 channel partners who might view new services as competitive threats. Joe spent a full year ensuring partners viewed MDR as "augmentation and greater opportunity and an opportunity for them to offer tiering to the kinds of services that they're doing." B2B founders making significant business model changes must prioritize extensive stakeholder communication and alignment, especially when changes could affect existing revenue streams or partner relationships. Shift sales focus from product features to guaranteed outcomes: Sophos had to retrain their sales organization for services selling. "The fundamental difference between selling a product and selling a service is... what the expectations of the outcome that service is going to provide for them." Instead of selling technology specifications with implementation uncertainty, they began guaranteeing predictable business results. B2B founders transitioning to services models must fundamentally change their sales approach from feature-based selling to outcome-based value propositions. Use strategic M&A to achieve immediate category leadership: Rather than relying solely on organic growth, Sophos accelerated their MDR strategy through the $860 million SecureWorks acquisition. "It technically makes us the largest MDR operator, pure play cybersecurity MDR operator... on the planet today." The acquisition instantly provided market positioning that organic growth might have taken years to achieve. B2B founders should consider strategic acquisitions not just for technology or customers, but for category leadership and competitive positioning that enables further market expansion. Build scale as a defensible competitive advantage: Joe argues that scale is "an often overlooked but a critically important element when it comes to the selection of information technology vendors." In platform businesses handling massive data volumes and real-time operations, the ability to operate at scale becomes a key differentiator. "The customer should be asking them, what are your strategies in order to be able to scale?" B2B founders in platform businesses should explicitly communicate their scaling strategies to customers and position their ability to handle growth as a core competitive advantage, especially when competing against smaller vendors.   //  Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.  Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Jane Technologies built real-time inventory streaming technology that connects cannabis dispensary point-of-sale systems to online ordering platforms—solving a technical problem that hadn't been cracked before in the space. As a West Point graduate and Apache helicopter pilot who found cannabis instrumental in his transition from military service, Socrates co-founded Jane with his brother (a computer scientist) in 2014-2015, deliberately choosing the "pick and shovel" software play over plant-touching operations. Operating in a market where major VCs won't invest, credit card networks won't process payments, NASDAQ won't list your stock, and regulatory missteps can mean federal charges, Jane developed an extreme discipline around capital efficiency and risk management that offers tactical lessons for any founder building in constrained or emerging markets. Topics Discussed: Jane's technical innovation: streaming real-time physical inventory from store shelves to online platforms Regulatory timing: the Cole Memo, state-by-state legalization momentum, and using adjacent players as risk indicators Risk taxonomy: creating frameworks to convert market uncertainty into scored, calculable risk decisions Strategic positioning as infrastructure provider versus licensed operator to manage legal exposure Customer evolution: illicit market operators meeting institutional players in the middle, and what survives Capital structure constraints driving operational discipline: no traditional payment rails, no public markets, limited institutional capital Competitive moat building through regulatory complexity rather than despite it Jane's decision framework on legal gray areas and why "maybe" always means "no" GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Use adjacent players as regulatory canaries, then move decisively: Jane launched after observing the 2013 Cole Memo and early state legalization in Colorado and Oregon, but critically didn't move until seeing Weedmaps and Leafly operate without legal consequences. Socrates explains: "We also didn't want to be the first...No one seemed to be getting thrown in jail at that time. And so we said, okay, let's get some good lawyers. Let's be able to understand our left and right limits, but let's go do this now." This isn't about being first-mover or fast-follower—it's about identifying specific de-risking events that signal the inflection point. Jane watched for: (1) regulatory clarity documents, (2) expansion velocity across state markets, (3) other operators achieving scale without enforcement action. Founders in emerging categories should map these trigger events explicitly rather than relying on intuition about timing. Build compliance infrastructure as a moat, not overhead: Jane deliberately avoided "touching the plant" to stay outside the highest-risk licensing category, positioning as B2B infrastructure rather than a licensed operator. While competitors took shortcuts on compliance to move faster, Jane developed the internal discipline to work within state regulatory frameworks and alongside regulators themselves. The company's philosophy: "go where it's hard." When regulatory complexity is high and shortcuts are tempting, building the compliant solution that becomes the standard creates a defendable position. As markets mature and enforcement tightens, shortcut companies fail while compliant infrastructure survives. The tactical implication: in regulated markets, treat compliance work as product moat-building, not cost center overhead. Structure legal and compliance as core product development. Convert uncertainty into scored risk through systematic information gathering: Socrates articulates the critical distinction: "There's a real difference between risk and uncertainty. Uncertainty is unknown...you try to position yourself to make uncertainty known so that you can decide and score it. Hey, is this a reward or is this a risk?" Jane's framework: (1) identify the unknown factors, (2) gather information to convert unknowns into knowns, (3) score both upside and downside explicitly, (4) decide whether the scored risk justifies action. The company wouldn't cross lines even when competitors did because certain risks (federal charges, business termination) represented non-recoverable outcomes regardless of upside. Implementation: maintain a risk register where each strategic decision explicitly documents what's uncertain versus what's a calculated risk, with clear go/no-go thresholds based on downside scenarios. Capital constraints create competitive advantages through forced discipline: Operating without access to Sequoia checks, IPO paths, or Visa processing meant Jane had to master unit economics and profitability early. Socrates reflects: "This is stuff that traditionally, you go public, you raise billions of dollars, and then you decide how to get profitable. Then you decide what your cost of capital is and free cash flow, man, we had to learn that at a very young age." The result: "really good fundamentals" that scale as the business grows. While competitors in less constrained markets can mask poor unit economics with cheap capital, Jane built sustainable business mechanics from day one. The tactical approach: "ruthlessly prioritize what you do and do not build" and "scrutinize every dollar that comes in and out of the business." For founders with capital access, consider artificially constraining spend to force the same discipline rather than optimizing for growth at any cost. Optimize for survival duration, not growth velocity: Jane's entire strategy centers on outlasting competitors in a market where shortcuts eventually kill companies. Socrates: "This is not a game of speed. This is not a game of size. This is a game of endurance. And you want to just last...if we make a fatal decision and we get arrested or we do a felony or something like that, then the business is probably over." The company explicitly embraced being early, knowing they'd face years before the market fully matured, but positioned to compound advantages while others burned out. Their decision framework: if a strategic choice risks ending the game entirely (legal exposure, existential financial risk, fundamental trust violation), it's off the table regardless of upside. For markets with long regulatory or adoption cycles, model scenarios for 10+ year timelines and ensure your burn rate and strategic decisions support that duration rather than optimizing for 18-month milestones. //  Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM  

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Chick-fil-A had a 3M-follower TikTok goldmine. They told her to stop posting.Merriam Webb was showing staff meals, building massive organic reach. Corporate shut it down. She left and got a Shake Shack deal instead.That's what happens when you don't understand the difference between employee advocacy and forcing your team to sound like corporate robots.Internal comms leader Cassandra Babilya (ex-CIA analyst turned culture expert) and T. Tara Turk-Haynes (VP of talent acquisition and DEI) break down why most employee advocacy programs fail. Your team shares mixed messages because you're asking them to post instead of creating conditions where they want to.They cover how to build real advocacy, empower employees to share authentic experiences, and get your team aligned on your message.For anyone who wants their team to actually promote the business without it feeling forced.-Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.-02:41 Genuine Employee Advocacy vs. Corporate Posts03:44 Creating a Culture of Authenticity and Trust17:19 Recognizing and Incentivizing Employee Contributions35:30 Hiring for Creativity and Brand Ambassadorship39:59 New Trends in Workplace Culture42:08 Internal Comms in Business Success45:59 Managing Risks of Employee Advocacy50:49 Measuring the Impact of Employee Advocacy58:09 Challenges and Strategies for Small Businesses-5 episodes to binge on:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no bullshit strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning to $10M⁠ with Nicole Downer⁠⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠Repositioning Without Losing Customers ⁠with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton⁠⁠⁠-Reach out to guest speaker | T. Tara Turk-Haynes:LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokCassandra Babilya:Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Follow Beatrice Gutknecht:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

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Building A $10 Million Hard Money Loan Portfolio Want to know exactly how to build a $10 million hard money lending portfolio—even if you're starting from scratch? In this episode, Jason Bailin from Hard Money Bankers breaks down the full blueprint his team has used to scale multiple lending offices to $10M+ in active loans across different markets. With 19 years in the industry and a portfolio of $50M+ annually, Jason walks through every step of the process, including lead generation, underwriting, capital structures, team building, and the financials behind running a profitable private lending company. In This Episode, You'll Learn: ✔️ How long it really takes to build a $10M loan portfolio ✔️ The exact lead generation system HMB uses (online + offline) ✔️ Risk management + underwriting essentials (LTV, ARV, borrower cash to close) ✔️ Capital structure options — funds, direct placement, unsecured debt & more ✔️ The hires you actually need to scale (and when to make them) ✔️ Tech stack recommendations for private lenders ✔️ Real financial breakdown: revenue, expenses & net profit on a $10M portfolio ✔️ What your portfolio looks like if you're lending your own capital vs. raising capital Whether you're new to private lending or already operating and looking to scale, this episode gives you a complete roadmap to build a sustainable and profitable hard money lending business. ✅ Please like, subscribe, and share! ✅ Are you a new or experienced private lender or hard money lender? Join Jason Balin and Chris Haddon from Hard Money Bankers as they draw from their extensive experience running a successful hard money lending company since 2007. Tune in weekly with episodes related to all aspects of private lending. From discovering lucrative loan opportunities to securing private capital, effectively managing your loan portfolio, handling defaults, and much more, we've got you covered. ✔️ Tune in now and watch the full video podcast at www.privatelenderspodcast.com ✔️If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-lenders-podcast/id1476153070 ✔️Make sure to check out the #1 Online Community For New and Experienced Private and Hard Money Lenders.. Create your account at www.hardmoneymastermind.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL Get updates or reach out to Get updates on our Social Media Profiles! ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardmoneymastermind/ ✅ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardmoneymastermind  

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I speak with Laurent Proulx, CEO of PROCURE, about the urgent need for proactive prostate cancer awareness, screening, and open conversation. With honesty and clarity, Laurent reinforces that early detection saves lives—and that vulnerability, not silence, is the real strength.Topics We Cover:Why family history (including mother's breast cancer) and ethnicity significantly increase prostate cancer riskHow Laurent's own diagnosis was discovered through an unexpected insurance medical examInside Procure's $10M biobank and its exclusive research advantages in QuebecHow data from 2,000 men is helping researchers understand which cancers become aggressiveThe role of AI in shaping the future of patient education and prostate cancer supportTo Learn More and Connect with Laurent:PROCURE.caPROCURE on InstagramSupport the show

In this episode of AI Supercycle, Lane shares insights on NEAR's evolution from a grants-heavy ecosystem to a product-focused powerhouse, and why privacy infrastructure could be the key differentiator for Web3 adoption.We discussed:- How NEAR's Intents Integration is generating over $10M in fees- The controversial fee switch debate and what it means for protocols- NEAR's unique approach to House of Stake governance- Why the shift from grants to product-first strategy matters- Decentralized AI: verifiable model training and content creator royalties- Privacy as a core value in the cypherpunk movement heading into 2025Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:30 NEAR's defining moment for privacy02:07 How Intents are generating $10M+ in fees04:19 The fee switch question every protocol is asking05:07 Sponsors: Hibachi, Relay, Holiday06:13 What makes NEAR's governance actually work08:39 From grants to products: the strategic shift10:36 AI model training that content creators can verify and earn from11:20 Sponsor: Polymarket11:29 Why privacy means something different now13:27 Final thoughts on NEAR's 2025 roadmapWebsite: https://therollup.co/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd...Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcastFollow us on X: https://www.x.com/therollupcoFollow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollupFollow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandyJoin our TG group: https://t.me/+TsM1CRpWFgk1NGZhThe Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

Public: Fund your account in less than 5 MINUTES at https://public.com/ICED Bevel: Try one month for FREE at https://www.bevel.health and use code ICED! Wayfair: Shop, save, and score today at https://Wayfair.com Shopify: Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://shopify.com/ich Follow Ken McElroy Here:  @KenMcElroy  Add us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlsselby https://www.instagram.com/gpstephan Apply for The Index Membership: https://entertheindex.com/ Official Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeBQ24VfikOriqSdKtomh0w For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: tmatsradio@gmail.com For Podcast Inquiries, please DM @icedcoffeehour on Instagram! Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:15 - Does debt scare you 00:01:59 - Ken's net worth 00:06:19 - Money misconceptions 00:07:39 - New assets this year 00:12:51 - Commercial real estate market 00:13:21 - Maximizing rent prices 00:16:03 - Ken's first property 00:17:11 - Sponsor - Public 00:18:18 - Why Ken succeeded 00:22:15 - Getting into property management 00:24:41 - How did you meet Kiyosaki 00:26:47 - Are home prices sustainable 00:29:21 - Buying vs renting 00:36:46 - Sponsor - Bevel Health 00:37:59 - Will there be a market correction for single family homes? 00:40:59 - How government policy affects housing prices 00:43:02 - Ethics of having a real estate empire 00:54:21 - How to get into real estate with no money 00:58:36 - Jack's HOA nightmare 01:07:26 - Sponsor - Wayfair 01:08:58 - Sponsor - Shopify 01:10:36 - Do 50-year mortgages help people 01:15:57 - Future of the U.S. dollar 01:17:02 - Thoughts on bitcoin 01:17:33 - Money advice to younger self 01:20:06 - Best investment ever 01:24:55 - Living healthy into your 90s 01:28:50 - Worst investment ever 01:30:19 - Properties he sold 01:36:35 - Ideal amount of money 01:41:03 - Net worth needed for a $10M house 01:43:34 - Does money buy happiness 01:45:51 - Dark side of success 01:50:02 - How much he works 01:53:04 - Net worth for private jet 01:54:02 - Best ways to spend money 01:55:41 - Ken's philosophy on raising kids Public Disclosure: All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC. Crypto is highly speculative and involves significant risk, including loss of principal. Cryptocurrencies are not protected by FDIC or SIPC. See disclosures for more details: https://docs.zerohash.com/page/us-licenses-and-disclosures. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Matched funds must remain in the account for at least 5 years to avoid an early removal fee. Match rate and other terms of the Match Program are subject to change at any time. *Some of the links and other products that appear on this video are from companies which Graham Stephan will earn an affiliate commission or referral bonus. Graham Stephan is part of an affiliate network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Interview Date: June 22nd, 2025Episode Summary:Dytto (aka Courtney Kelly) — the fembot icon of the dance community whose viral “Barbie Girl” freestyle on World of Dance launched a global following of ~10M across platforms. A professional mover, personality, and director, she's appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, starred in national campaigns (Android Wear, Target), and most recently served as Assistant Choreographer for Shakira.In this conversation, Dytto traces her path from studio kid and cheerleader to self-driven freestyler, sharing how an alter ego helped her overcome stage fright and claim a unique lane in a male-dominated popping/animation space. She breaks down the business: why brand deals followed when she started talking (not just dancing), how she balances content “pillars,” and the realities of name usage, credits, and trademarking a stage name.We also dive into monetization (and why dancing to copyrighted music pays everyone but the dancer), creating original music (Fembot Files), and her upcoming training app The Next Move—a practical system for turning freestyle fear into confidence. In the live Q&A she offers concrete drills, mindset resets, and career advice on evolving publicly, navigating street vs. commercial worlds, booking without auditions, and staying grounded in who you are—especially when everyone's watching.Podcast Shownotes:(0:00) – Welcome & intro: “Barbie Girl” viral phenom joins the show(2:13) – Early dance journey: from studio kid to freestyler(4:27) – The making of “Barbie Girl” — purpose behind the moment(6:20) – Creating “Dytto”: alter ego that conquered stage fright(11:43) – Managing identity: real name vs. stage name(15:50) – Viral momentum → brand deals, Ellen, and global recognition(19:47) – $100K brand deal & secret to attracting sponsorships(25:16) – New ventures: launching The Next Move freestyle app(26:56) – Owning creativity: why she makes her own music (Fembot Files)(1:18:16) – Final reflections: authenticity, vulnerability, and self-beliefBiography:Dytto, the fembot icon of the dance community, is a professional mover, personality, and director. You may have seen her as a 17 yr old in her first viral freestyle on World of Dance called 'Barbie Girl' which launched her into a fruitful career. Since, she's been in numerous commercials, campaigns, and productions, some even of her own, being self-directed and produced for her infamous Youtube channel. Most recently, we watch her work come to life from her time assistant choreographing for the one and only, Shakira.Connect on Social Media:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iam_dytto/Website - iamdytto.com

I became a multi-millionaire at 28, but if I had to make my first $10M in the next 12 months, here's exactly how I'd do it.This isn't for everyone.If it sounds “too hard,” building real wealth might not be for you.But if you're willing to do the work, this is the blueprint.✅ Get your FREE Sell by Chat Playbook here: https://go.danmartell.com/4oSDyrq

ClearCOGS is creating a new category in restaurant technology by bringing predictive analytics to an industry that operates almost entirely on retrospective data. With $3.8 million raised, the company analyzes 100 million data points daily per restaurant to forecast demand and optimize prep decisions. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Matt Wampler, CEO and Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, to explore how his experience turning around failing Jimmy John's franchises led him to build forecasting software that's fundamentally changing how restaurants operate—and how he's defining a category that doesn't yet exist. Topics Discussed: Matt's transition from 21-year-old Jimmy John's franchisee working 110-hour weeks to identifying systematic inefficiencies in food prep decisions across five locations Why restaurants remain stuck in reactive mode while sports betting and fantasy football have sophisticated predictive analytics ClearCOGS's data infrastructure processing 100 million variables daily—from 15-minute POS intervals and weather patterns to dew point and local events The product discovery process where Matt's co-founder kept asking "why" until every feature request collapsed into one core problem: uncertainty about tomorrow's demand Category creation through the Restaurant AI podcast despite no clear attribution model Building in public on LinkedIn as an enterprise lead generation channel that landed major brands within six weeks The ICP evolution from enterprise fast-casual chains (15-1,000 locations) to a freemium Toast integration targeting independents GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Let outsiders interrogate your domain expertise: Matt wanted to build dashboards restaurant operators requested. His technical co-founder repeatedly asked "why do you want that dashboard?" then "why do you need to see that?" Every answer eventually reached the same root cause: operators didn't know who would walk in tomorrow, making food prep, ordering, and staffing decisions inefficient. This pattern held across dozens of restaurant brands. The yin-yang of insider knowledge plus relentless outside questioning revealed the actual problem worth solving versus building a feature graveyard of requested tools. Reframe category education through familiar high-stakes analogies: "Predictive analytics" meant nothing to restaurant operators. Matt's breakthrough was pointing out the cognitive dissonance in their lives: they studied dozens of variables and probabilistic forecasts for fantasy football lineups but ran six-figure businesses on Excel sheets and gut instinct. This wasn't explaining predictive analytics—it was exposing the absurdity of having better forecasting tools for fantasy sports than for their livelihood, making the gap visceral and the solution obvious. Convert forecast errors into customer intelligence touchpoints: When ClearCOGS's predictions missed, the team initially spent weeks reoptimizing algorithms. The pivot: immediately call the customer, acknowledge the miss, and say "we're on it." Customers didn't expect perfection from a system replacing Excel and guesswork—they valued having someone actually watching their operation. In a software landscape where vendors disappear post-sale, proactive error acknowledgment became relationship acceleration. Every miss became an opportunity to demonstrate attentiveness that competitors couldn't match. Segment messaging by incentive structure, not org chart: ClearCOGS discovered the messaging split wasn't finance versus operations—it was franchisors versus franchisees. Franchisors earning royalties on top-line revenue needed consistency and scalability messaging. Franchisees and on-ground operators living on bottom-line profitability needed waste reduction and margin improvement messaging. The same product solving the same problem required different value propositions based on how buyers were compensated, not what department they sat in. Test public vulnerability as enterprise sales acceleration: Matt had zero social media presence before ClearCOGS. He started posting about struggles and failures on LinkedIn. Within six weeks, a major restaurant brand reached out for partnership discussions. Later, he posted their first website draft asking for brutal feedback—50 people responded with detailed reviews, video walkthroughs, and unsolicited legal advice. When he launched the Restaurant AI podcast with unclear ROI, he treated it as category education infrastructure. In oversaturated B2B markets, authentic struggle documentation cuts through polished competitor noise and creates asymmetric enterprise access that paid channels can't replicate. //  Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.  Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

That plateau you've hit? It's not because your business is broken — it's because you're stuck in your comfort zone.If you're still relying on the same playbook, making every decision, carrying the business on your back, this episode will help you break the habits holding you back. Learn five strategies to help you break past the $1–10M plateau and start thinking like leaders who scale to $100M!What you'll learn:The danger of doing it all yourself (01:45)Strategy #1: be the architect (02:45)Strategy #2: create clarity (03:49)Strategy #3: build a culture of leaders (05:47)Strategy #4: rely on data (07:32)Strategy #5: redefine risk (08:19)Download our FREE Client Centric Leader eBook for a deeper playbook on building loyalty no competitor can steal: https://meplusultra.com/ebooks/ Apply for the Me Plus Ultra Mastermind to connect with elite entrepreneurs who solve real problems together: https://MePlusUltra.comSubscribe so you don't miss any episodes:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3SN2fHnSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74bfJL9J2fjevQEvi17ekUYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MePlusUltraNetwork/Connect with Me Plus Ultra:https://www.instagram.com/me_plus_ultra/https://www.facebook.com/MePlusUltra/https://www.facebook.com/groups/1011061052968028/https://x.com/Me_Plus_Ultra/Connect with Scott Joseph:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ScottJosephhttps://x.com/ScottTJoseph1https://www.instagram.com/scotttjoseph/https://www.facebook.com/ScottTJoseph/This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Defense technology has shifted from a social liability in Silicon Valley to commanding 35-40% of venture capital allocation—up from a historical 10%. This isn't just trend-following; it reflects fundamental market dynamics as SaaS becomes hypercompetitive and AI lowers barriers to entry, pushing capital toward deep tech where moats still exist. Blacklake, a defense holdco based in Austin, helps emerging defense companies navigate government procurement and expand into Europe, Asia-Pacific, and allied markets. In this episode, Jeff Crusey, EVP of Technology & Acquisition at Blacklake, reveals the emerging defense tech playbook, explains why lobbying ROI dwarfs traditional GTM spending, and details what actually matters when hardware meets government procurement. Topics Discussed: Why VC capital is rotating from SaaS to deep tech and defense The defense tech go-to-market playbook versus enterprise SaaS mechanics SBIR grant programs as non-dilutive capital for hardware development Lobbying and appropriations as core revenue drivers, not nice-to-haves Field deployment and operator feedback as the only viable iteration strategy Investor evaluation criteria for hardware-intensive defense businesses Emerging threat vectors in Arctic defense and orbital domain awareness GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Launch lobbying concurrent with SBIR Phase 1 applications: Companies initiating lobbying and appropriations work at the moment they apply for SBIR grants hit revenue milestones materially faster than those treating government affairs as a later-stage function. This means seed-stage companies maintain Capitol Hill presence—a pattern that didn't exist five years ago. The talent profile matters: government affairs hires need proven relationships within specific congressional committees and appropriations staff. Initial engagements typically involve external lobbying advisors with established networks, transitioning in-house at Series A when contract pipeline justifies dedicated headcount. This is consistently the highest-ROI channel in defense GTM. Optimize for deployment speed over system perfection: Modern conflict operates as continuous technological adaptation where capabilities become obsolete within weeks, not years. Companies achieving persistent field presence with operators—not laboratory perfection—win iterative cycles. The tactical approach: deploy minimum viable hardware to operational environments, capture real-world performance data and failure modes, then rapidly incorporate feedback into next iterations. This contradicts traditional defense procurement assumptions about "exquisite systems" and requires founders to resist over-engineering before battlefield validation. Solve the prototype funding problem through non-dilutive capital: Defense investors require working prototypes before capital deployment due to hardware risk profiles—fundamentally different from software's low marginal cost of iteration. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem: prototypes require capital, but capital requires prototypes. The solution path combines bootstrapping to early proof-of-concept, then leveraging SBIR Phase 1 grants (tens of thousands) to reach demonstrable prototype stage. Phase 2 awards (single-digit millions) fund production validation. Strategic founders pursue direct-to-Phase-2 pathways when possible, compressing the timeline from concept to validated demand signal. Strip technical complexity from investor communications: Defense founders with deep domain expertise consistently over-index on technical sophistication during fundraising conversations, losing investor attention before reaching commercial traction narratives. VCs evaluate market timing, defensibility, and path to scale—not engineering elegance. The correction: communicate technology at middle-school comprehension levels. This isn't condescension; it's recognizing that capital allocators optimize for portfolio construction, not technical peer review. Founders often feel they're "dumbing down" their innovations, but clarity on problem-solution fit and market size matters infinitely more than technical specifications during early fundraising stages. Treat SBIR phases as progressive demand validation, not just funding: The phased SBIR structure functions as government-backed demand signaling: Phase 1 validates concept feasibility, Phase 2 confirms development viability, Phase 3 demonstrates production readiness for potential program of record status. Investors decode these phases as risk reduction milestones. Phase 1 awards indicate government interest; Phase 2 awards (especially direct-to-Phase-2 or enhanced Phase 2) signal validated customer pull; Phase 3 contracts position companies for program of record awards worth hundreds of millions annually. Beyond capital, SBIR progression provides founder-market fit evidence and customer commitment that traditional LOIs cannot match in defense contexts. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." — Winston ChurchillWelcome to our annual holiday gift guide!These are the items that have made the biggest impact on my life throughout the year, and I know they'll do the same for you or for someone else if you're giving them as a gift.What made the biggest difference in your life this year? Leave a comment to let us know.Onward,JamesPS —⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We just passed 10M+ views on YouTube! ⁠Join 23K+ other subscribers on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Congress sends Epstein bill to Trump's desk. Nikki Minaj thanks President Trump for taking action in Nigeria as Christian’s are facing genocide. CAIR is supportive of terrorism. Scott Bessent regarding dividend checks. Left lathering over Indiana GOP "rift" Newfields to replace parking lot with $10M flower and vegetable garden. Republican Paula Copenhaver Launches Primary Campaign against Spencer Deery who is opposed to redistricting. Empty Van Winkle Bourbon Bottle $100. January 24th, 2026 SAVE THE DATE Indianapolis Zoo to remove pair of rides to make way for new exhibit space. The ridiculous things some get angry about on social media. Elected Democrats just released a video encouraging members of the military to commit treason and DEFY orders from Trump and Hegseth. The data doesn't support that the economy is all that great. House won't censure Stacey Plaskett who texted Jeffrey Epstein during Trump hearing in 2019. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newfields to replace parking lot with $10M flower and vegetable garden. Republican Paula Copenhaver Launches Primary Campaign against Spencer Deery who is opposed to redistricting. Empty Van Winkle Bourbon Bottle $100. January 24th, 2026 SAVE THE DATESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we welcome our Scale Stories TikTok Shop mentors to share how 30-second vids hit 10M views, the 3-bucket scaling framework, pricing/bundles, and live-selling tactics that turn views into sales fast!

Most service business owners make the same hiring mistake: they either clone themselves or swing too far in the opposite direction. Dave MacDonald, founder of The MacDonald Group, has cracked the code on bringing in leadership that elevates your business without losing what makes it profitable. In this episode, Dave shares his battle-tested approach to hiring leaders who bring proven systems from larger operations—without the disconnect that kills profitability. If you've ever wondered how to scale past $10M, $20M, or beyond without chaos, this conversation is your roadmap. The "Descending Ladder" Hiring Strategy That Changes Everything Dave's counterintuitive approach: hire leaders from companies roughly double your size. Not too small (they won't bring new systems), not too large (they'll lose touch with the hands-on work that drives profit). The sweet spot: If you're running a $20M service business, target leaders from $40M firms. They've seen the systems that work at scale, but they're still close enough to remember the grind. The danger zone: Hiring someone from a $100M operation for your $20M business. They'll design systems for problems you don't have yet—and profitability vanishes while they build their empire. "Throw Them in the Pool" - The Onboarding System That Reveals Everything Forget the standard two-week onboarding playbook. Dave's approach tests what really matters: can they swim when unexpected challenges hit? Phase 1 - The Pool Phase 2 - The Brick Phase 3 - Juggling The Three I's: Building a Culture That Repels the Wrong People Dave's non-negotiable cultural framework filters out mismatches before they become expensive problems: Integrity - Takes a full year to truly assess. You can't shortcut this one. Intensity - Either they match your pace or they don't. Create an environment where low intensity feels awkward. Intentionality - Can be taught, but natural focus is gold. Look for people who think three steps ahead. Systems That Actually Improve (Instead of Just Existing) The Annual Rewrite: Every Standard Operating Procedure gets completely rewritten yearly. Yes, completely. This forces evolution and prevents "we've always done it this way" from killing your growth. The Weekly Rhythm Feedback loops that matter The People-First AI Strategy for Service Businesses Dave's refreshingly practical take on AI: "Old-world values with today's most robust technology." What they're actually using AI for: Writing and presentation creation Back-office automation (invoicing, payroll) Initial candidate screening What they're NOT doing: Chasing bleeding-edge tools that aren't proven Replacing the human connection in recruiting Top-down AI mandates Why This Matters for Your Service Business If you're stuck between $5M and $20M, you're probably missing one thing: leaders who've already solved the problems you're facing. The systems you need exist—you just need someone who's lived them. Dave's approach removes the guesswork. Hire people who've already built what you're trying to build. Test them hard and fast. Build a culture so strong that mediocrity feels uncomfortable. Most importantly: don't let your systems gather dust. Annual rewrites might sound exhausting, but it's the difference between a business that scales and one that plateaus. Want to transform your hiring and onboarding systems? These aren't just recruitment tactics—they're the foundation for scalable growth. The question isn't whether you can afford to implement these systems. It's whether you can afford not to.

Pepper is creating content for clients like Shopify, Adobe and Instacart. We're talking hundreds of thousands of posts & videos. And this is content that leads to sales. In this interview, founder Anirudh Singla tell us how they do it by using AI and humans. Anirudh Singla is the founder and CEO of Pepper, a global content marketing platform that blends AI and human creativity to produce content at scale. What began as his side hustle on Upwork has grown into a company serving Fortune 500s —recently crossing $10M in annual recurring revenue. Pepper now operates across writing, design, video, and localization, helping brands drive measurable growth through AI-powered content systems. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

Elyse Myers, (writer/creator) stopped by to talk to JVN all about her new book That's A Great Question, I'd Love To Tell You, living with ADHD, and navigating parenthood after being diagnosed with Autism as an adult. From masking and people-pleasing to boundaries and self-acceptance, Elyse shares the before/after of getting language following her diagnosis. Plus! We also dig into how she writes and why the Midwest is low-key the best.   Elyse Myers is a writer and comedian who achieved mainstream recognition as a digital content creator. Deemed "The Internet's Best Friend," Myers continues to serve her audience of more than 10M+ with relatable stories, twisted Q&A's over coffee, and acts as an advocate for countless topics such as ADHD, imposter syndrome, body image and more by allowing herself to be seen, unfiltered in a genuine and hilarious way. Full Getting Better Video Episodes now available on YouTube.  Follow Elyse Myers on Instagram @elyse_myers and Tiktok @elysemyers Follow Getting Better on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn  Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jvn Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn  Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support: Chad Hall Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices