Podcasts about Bootstrapping

Join the only networking community for women business owners 40+ now through September 3rd with the code SUMMER and save $200 Rachel Berliner built Amy's Kitchen for nearly 40 years without taking on a single outside investor. No outside investors, just a loan against her car, $2,000 from her mother, and a $10,000 bank loan. That is bootstrapping in its truest form, and it turned into a company whose products are sold in 57,000 stores today.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Rachel Berliner, co-founder of Amy's Kitchen, about what real founder stories look like once the funding rounds are stripped away. Rachel explains the decision-making behind her very first product and why she chose the best ingredients over the cheapest ones, even when it meant slower profit for the company.Rachel also walks through scaling responsibly, from the moment Publix came on board to the years spent building new plants and working with farmers to expand organic production enough to keep up with Amy's growth. She shares how the company approached sustainable business growth without ever taking on outside investors, and why her advice speaks directly to women business owners building at any stage of their journey.Press play to hear how a bootstrapping mindset turned a kitchen experiment into a private company still owned by her family, and the advice Rachel has for any founder who refuses to give up.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Community update and today's guest introduction03:58 Pregnant, bedridden, and craving real food12:30 First trade show and instant customer demand13:07 Losing their production partner and taking production in-house14:18 Bootstrapping the pot pie machine themselves17:55 The Publix meeting that changed everything22:20 Building new plants and scaling with farmers28:03 Letting go and building a leadership team34:10 57,000 stores and Walmart entry37:11 Advice for women founders just starting outConnect with Rachel Berliner:Follow Amy's Kitchen on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to start and grow a small business without investors. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/r361-tyler-king-without-investors/ Bootstrapping a software business without venture capital or angel investors lets you grow on your own terms, and Tyler King, co-founder of Less Annoying CRM, shares how he built a profitable, sustainable SaaS company by staying disciplined, customer-focused, and true to what he actually wanted from the business. Tyler King, co-founder and CEO of Less Annoying CRM, joins the show to share how he bootstrapped a profitable software company. No venture capital, no angel investors, no exit plan, and no rush. He shares what small business owners can learn from building a company on their own terms. For anyone who assumes a software startup requires millions in funding and a race toward an IPO, Tyler's story is a useful counterpoint. He grew a sustainable, profitable SaaS (Software as a Service) business slowly and deliberately, proving that discipline and patience can be advantages rather than limitations. Tyler didn't grow up dreaming of running a business. He was a programmer at a venture-backed startup when the 2008 downturn hit and nearly everyone was laid off. Everyone except the five cheapest employees, which happened to include him. With the bosses gone, he spent a year unofficially playing co-founder, and discovered he loved entrepreneurship. In 2009 he and his brother Bracken started what became Less Annoying CRM. The idea came from real frustration. Tasked with setting up Salesforce at that old job, Tyler (a computer science graduate) spent a month and couldn't make it work. At the time, roughly half of the CRMs companies paid for went unused. So rather than build something with more features, he set out to build something people could actually use. From there, Henry and Tyler dig into the practical realities of bootstrapping: funding the business from savings and side-job cash flow, why banks won't lend to software companies, and how limited money forces healthy discipline. "How much money did we make this month? That's how much money we can spend," Tyler explains. He shares hard-won lessons on shipping a minimum viable product (MVP) fast (his first version was "minimum, debatable whether it was viable"), using intuition over thin data, and building a company that can survive any one person (what he and his team call the "hit by a bus" test) which is the same discipline as building to sell. They also cover his unusual culture choices: separating raises from performance, giving everyone "20% time," and recruiting almost entirely from a pool of interns. Perhaps most striking is how Less Annoying CRM's biggest differentiator - customer service - happened by accident. Tyler put his own phone number on the contact page, and when it rang, the caller was stunned anyone picked up at all. This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

 In this episode of Strap On Your Boots, I reflect on how startup fundraising has changed since I first entered the tech world and why I've become far more focused on revenue than raising capital. From growing Instamour to roughly half a million users without solving monetization early enough, to building companies today around paying customers and enterprise contracts, I explore why proving people will actually pay may be the most important validation a founder can get. Fundraising can accelerate a business, but raising money shouldn't be confused with actually making money. 

In this episode of the Fuel Your Drive Podcast, Josh York sits down with Jordan Karcher, founder and CEO of Shop with Eileen, to uncover what it truly takes to build a successful business from the ground up. Jordan shares how he started his first company with limited money, no entrepreneurial background, and no proven playbook. After bootstrapping Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., growing it for 10 years, and eventually selling the company, he used those hard-earned lessons to build Shop with Eileen—a technology platform helping emerging consumer brands compete and scale in physical retail. Josh and Jordan discuss how to start a business without perfect resources, why entrepreneurs should focus on solving real problems, how financial constraints can create better decisions, and what it takes to handle the constant pressure of entrepreneurship. They also explore founder-led culture, building a team that can scale, staying disciplined during difficult seasons, and why execution will always matter more than having a great idea. If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, startup founder, or aspiring CEO looking for practical business advice and an honest conversation about building a company, this episode is for you. In this episode: * How to start a business with limited money and resources * Why execution matters more than the original idea * Bootstrapping and growing a consumer brand * Handling pressure as an entrepreneur and CEO * Building company culture while scaling * Using constraints as a strategic advantage * Creating systems that allow a business to grow * Knowing when to take the first step * The mindset required for long-term business success Jordan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanzkarcher Jordan's Business: www.shopwitheileen.com Subscribe to the Fuel Your Drive Podcast for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, business growth, discipline, and building a life driven by purpose. SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkhidOsUdPNS9gODy9qU Connect with Josh York: Website : https://joshyorkgg.com/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/joshyorkgg/ ********* WHO IS JOSH YORK? Josh York is an American entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of GYMGUYZ, a fast growing, fitness franchise. GYMGUYZ is #1 in Home Personal Training, providing convenient, customized and creative workouts at a setting that works best for each client. Headquartered in Plainview, New York, GYMGUYZ operates over 250 franchised locations in 30 states and 3 countries. In 2008, York started GYMGUYZ in the dining room of his parent's home with a laptop, and a vision. The demand for in Home Personal Training was growing, and so was GYMGUYZ. In 2014, York received approval to franchise the GYMGUYZ brand , with the first franchise opening that year in Westchester County, NY and the first international location opened in Canada in 2017. York has said his vision is his guarantee and often can be heard saying “In 15 years we will be the largest fitness brand in the world. The chance of that not happening, you will have a better probability of seeing elephants fly”! York lives on Long Island with his wife Stacy and two young sons and enjoys spending his free time with his family, playing ice hockey or working out. York is the author of the bestselling book, FUEL, WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, selling 8000 copies in 2 months. York is a true entrepreneur driven by passion, no stranger to risk, and a leader who knows the value of building a strong culture with a commitment to being the best. **************

Join the Millionaire University AI Mastermind at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/AI #1052 Former corporate lawyer turned creative entrepreneur, Shinah Chang shares the real (and refreshingly honest) journey of building a business that actually feels aligned. In this episode hosted by Kirsten Tyrrel, Shinah breaks down how she went from a risk-averse, straight-line “traditional success” path to bootstrapping a calligraphy brand — first through custom client work (weddings, luxury events, brand activations), then by shifting into teaching and scalable online courses. Shinah talks about the mindset shift from hobbyist to business owner, how to market a premium creative service, why you don't need to be “years ahead” to teach, and what it looked like to scale to nearly $1M in revenue during the pandemic — only to step back, reset, and rebuild a leaner business with more freedom. If you've ever wondered whether entrepreneurship will really make you happier — or just bring your old patterns with you — this conversation is for you! (Original Air Date - 12/24/25) What we discuss with Shinah: + Corporate lawyer burnout + Leaving with no plan + Discovering calligraphy as an outlet + Bootstrapping creative income + Crooked Calligraphy niche + Landing premium clients + Networking over viral marketing + Teaching before feeling “ready” + Scaling with online courses + Redefining success and alignment Thank you, Shinah! Check out Crooked Calligraphy at ⁠CrookedCalligraphy.com⁠. Get the free ⁠Calligraphy Workshop⁠. Follow Shinah on ⁠Instagram⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us Fan MailWe trace how Hebrew goes from a “museum language” to a living vernacular by treating language as a coordination good with huge network effects and real transaction costs. We follow Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's strategy for lowering those costs, then watch the Technion language fight prove Hebrew can carry science, not just prayer. • Hebrew's revival as a rare case of full language reboot at scale • Jewish linguistic diversity and why German, French, Russian, Polish, and Yiddish create coordination barriers • Spoken language as a network effect and why “no one wants to go first” • Inframarginality and Ben-Yehuda providing a public good as a private mission • Hebrew as a neutral focal point that no faction fully “owns” • Building missing vocabulary through roots, grammar, and standardization bodies • Bootstrapping with a native-speaking child as proof of concept • Newspapers as distribution channels that reduce divergence in word choice • Backlash from religious authorities and the real enforcement costs of change • The 1913 Technikum decision and the Technion language war over German vs Hebrew • A listener extension connecting Rawls, insurance, and the veil of ignorance • Book recommendation on American founding ideals and proclaiming libertyIf you have questions or comments, or want to suggest a future topic, email the show at taitc.email@gmail.com !You can follow Mike Munger on Twitter at @mungowitz 

NEOM founder Nicola Elliott built a global wellness brand organized entirely around four core wellbeing needs: Sleep, De-stress, Energy and Mood Boost. Starting with a single candle and a £15,000 bet, the company used essential oils to create a global business. Nicola shares how centering customer emotions shaped NEOM's product line, retail strategy, and expansion into the US. For more on NEOM, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

RSVP and Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Virtual Open House and Networking event on August 20th! Bootstrapping a beauty brand to eight figures before bringing on outside investors sounds impossible until you hear the two financial tools that made it work.Elina Wang, co-founder and CEO of ESW Beauty, joins Lindsay Pinchuk on Dear FoundHer to break down exactly how she built a skincare brand now sold in more than 19,000 retail locations across North America, including Target, Walgreens, Whole Foods, and CVS. Factoring and PO financing kept her cash moving while retailers paid on their own terms, and those two tools became the real financial turning points behind the brand.Elina shares the bad hires that slowed her down, the late shipments from overseas suppliers that forced her to rethink timelines, and the moment she overbought inventory out of fear and what that did to her cash flow.Elina shares her decision-making behind scaling a business while bootstrapping the business, including why she waited years before spending on D2C marketing and what made Whole Foods her first true anchor retailer. Managing rapid growth meant learning these lessons in real time, not reading about them first.Press play to hear Elina's three actionable tips for any founder trying to grow without a safety net.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Elina Wang's K-Beauty Family Business Roots03:47 Launching ESW Beauty From Scratch05:13 Landing Kohl's and Her First Retail Win06:58 Building Community Before Chasing Sales09:53 Finding the White Space in Skincare14:19 Target, Whole Foods, and Anchor Retailers16:14 Bootstrapping With Factoring and PO Financing19:36 Bad Hires, Late Shipments, and Cash Flow20:39 Turning Personal Brand Into Business Growth29:34 Three Tips for Founders Starting OutConnect with Elina Wang:Follow Elina on InstagramFollow ESW Beauty on InstagramSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join the Millionaire University AI Mastermind at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/AI⁠ #1036 Want a business that turns fresh asphalt into a “blank canvas” — and pays well for satisfying, repeatable work? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel talks with Cinco Winston, founder of Trueline Striping in Central Texas, about how he left a stable construction career, skipped the franchise route, and bootstrapped his own parking lot striping company to cash flow within two months. He shares how he trained with an out-of-state pro, bought only the essentials to get started, and strategically targeted customers who actually value curb appeal and recurring maintenance. Cinco breaks down startup costs, pricing, profit margins, seasonality, and why he's still running lean while planning for future growth. If you've ever wondered how “unsexy” service businesses quietly generate great income and freedom, this conversation will open your eyes! (Original Air Date - 12/8/25) What we discuss with Cinco: + Leaving construction to start striping + Choosing independent over franchise + Training with an out-of-state striping company + Bootstrapping equipment and startup costs + Hitting cash flow within two months + Discounting early jobs to gain clients + Targeting customers who value curb appeal + Door knocking and in-person sales + Managing seasonality and recurring clients + Profit margins, salary, and plans to scale Thank you, Cinco! Check out Trueline Striping at ⁠TruelineStripingTX.com⁠. Follow Cinco on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ethan Glenn never set out to launch a clothing label. Every Other Thursday began as an Instagram archive of vintage aesthetics until a single self-made hat sparked massive demand. By skipping wholesale margins and keeping operations lean, Glenn scaled the company drop by drop into a thriving apparel business with a New York retail footprint. For more on Every Other Thursday, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Will is joined this week by personal finance expert, speaker, business leader Jesse Mecham, founder of You Need A Budget (or YNAB if you are very busy and important). In this episode, to celebrate the release of his new book ‘Never Worry About Money Again', Jesse dives into how YNAB came to be, from spreadsheet to the interface it is today, the trials and tribulations the business went through over the years, before going into depth about why people are so scared of money. — Mentioned in the episode: Jesse's brand new book, 'Never Worry About Money Again' out now! Visit the YNAB website Jason Fried's ‘Getting Real' Richard A. Lanham's ‘Revising Prose' Eugene Schwartz's ‘Breakthrough Advertising' Donald A. Norman's ‘The Design of Everyday Things' Clayton Christiansen's ‘Jobs to be Done' Framework Our guest for this episode has been Jesse Mecham. If you'd like to get in touch with Jesse, or to keep up to date with his work, you can visit his website. Your host for this episode has been Will Larry, you can find and connect with Will over on LinkedIn. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@giantrobots.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - LinkedIn - Mastodon - YouTube - Bluesky © 2026 Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast

Benedikt improves their HTML email post processing pipeline. Benedicte is prepping for her wedding and goes on another handywoman side quest.Mentioned on the show:Benedicte's woodworking projects

Missy Tannen spent five years teaching third grade and a decade as a stay-at-home mom before she ever thought about starting a company. But when she couldn't find bedding that was high-quality, ethically sourced, and traceable, she and her husband Scott started Boll & Branch out of pure frustration. On this episode of She Pivots, Missy talks about betting the family's life savings on an idea, borrowing against their own house even while sales were taking off, and what it took to scale from a garage operation to a 200-person company without losing what made it different in the first place. She's brutally honest about the mess behind the milestones (a full batch of ivory sheets that came out green!) and about running a family business—that’s now worth over $250 million—with her husband while raising their kids. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 01:32 From Teacher to Entrepreneur: Missy Tannen 09:23 Stay-at-home-mom 13:04 The Birth of Boll & Branch 26:15 The Wall Street Journal Breakthrough 33:54 Growing the Business and Family Involvement 39:24 Building a Sustainable Supply Chain 41:25 The Power of Community 42:32 The Tariff Challenge 45:54 Reflecting on Missy's Journey 47:09 Production Credits Check out Boll & Branch at www.bollandbranch.com Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration. She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success. Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sat down with Chris Beck, the founder of Innovative 3D Manufacturing in Franklin, Indiana, and the line that stuck with me was simple. Everything he owns is leveraged into this company. That is what skin in the game actually looks like, and it is the reason his team shows up at 2 a.m. on a Sunday when a job is on the line. Innovative is one of the few shops built around metal additive, laser powder bed fusion, with a full CNC machine shop bolted right alongside it. Chris started in 2017 with two engineers and a plan for ten printers and ten people. Today he is running 25 metal printers, 8 CNC machines, a handful of wire EDMs, and 32 employees out of a brand new 30,000 square foot facility, and last month they shipped more than 20,000 metal parts. What I loved about this story is how unglamorous the middle was. Chris bootstrapped the whole thing with no private equity, and he spent years running equipment himself and chasing what he calls 4,000 rabbit holes trying to find work that would pay for million dollar printers. He watched private equity backed competitors dump 30 to 50 million into the same idea and end up with their machines at auction two years later. The difference, he will tell you, is that his people care because they have something to protect. We get into the parts of additive that actually make money. The three boxes a part has to check, why qualification is the real bottleneck for the whole industry, and how his machining and foundry backgrounds let him design parts that come off the printer 80 percent finished. If you have ever wondered whether metal additive is a real business or a science project, Chris makes the case as clearly as anyone I have talked to. We also get into his team. Why he mostly will not hire book smart engineers, how he keeps his culture free of bad seeds, and the small perks that matter more to his guys than a raise. This one is a masterclass in grit. What's Covered in this Episode (1:19) Introducing Chris Beck and Innovative 3D Manufacturing (3:42) A snapshot of the shop: 25 metal printers, 8 CNC machines, wire EDMs, and 32 employees (6:04) DN Solutions and Kennametal SVM 4100 giveaway and the IMTS scavenger hunt (6:45) From Purdue and the big automakers to a small Okuma machine tool distributor (8:15) The lowest paying offer that taught him the most, and why wearing every hat mattered (10:55) Quoting turnkey lines and cycle times, then moving into sales (11:55) A wire EDM dream, a twelve year detour through financial services, and his own brokerage (14:40) Getting pulled back into manufacturing and starting 3D printing and rapid prototyping (17:34) Flipping from prototyping to production and shipping more than 20,000 parts a month (19:21) The Job Shops Workshop and networking reception at IMTS (20:21) Has industry caught up to additive? (Acceptance versus qualification) (20:58) Where additive already wins: implants, space and rocket, and GE's fuel nozzles (23:14) The defense qualification maze and the firearms market printing a million suppressors (25:25) Running 100+ prototype jobs a month, 400+ NDAs, and the fast make program (30:28) Design freedom and the three boxes a part has to check to be a good additive candidate (32:48) Why qualification is the real bottleneck, AMS 7032, and America Makes (34:55) Kennametal's Next Level Shop and the bike giveaway at IMTS 2026 (35:58) What finally cracked sales: one foot in the door and relentless past performance (38:51) Building a team of farm kid problem solvers over book smart engineers (41:21) Old school hours, tryout Saturdays, and keeping the culture free of bad seeds (50:16) What turned the tide: surviving, staying flexible, and bootstrapping without private equity (53:22) Skin in the game, profit sharing, and the small perks his guys value more than a raise (58:17) The machining edge and vertical integration that let him ship parts 80 percent as printed Resources Mentioned MakingChips Giveaway IMTS Kennametal America Makes Renishaw DN Solutions Connect with Chris Beck Innovative 3D Manufacturing Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Email Chris directly at chris.beck@innovative3dm.com

A meaningful life is not built by choosing perfectly. It is built by learning how to choose, revise, and continue. In this AMA, Sam examines the hidden forces that shape our decisions: fear of failure, the need to appear competent, resistance to unfamiliar ideas, and the pressure to follow paths that already look successful. The episode then asks a larger question: what is worth doing with the limited attention and time we have? The answer is not simply the most profitable idea or the most impressive opportunity. It may be the project that expands your skills, fits the life you want, and gives you a reason to keep showing up. From podcast differentiation and creative businesses to community-building and entrepreneurial uncertainty, this is a conversation about turning vague ambition into deliberate action. Separate genuine opportunity from ego-driven novelty. Start with a reversible commitment whenever possible. Build the network your future work will need.Listen for the idea that changes how you think about your next commitment. SPONSORS

Rafael Weiss is the co-founder of Sytes, a marketplace platform that connects commercial real estate landlords, developers, and brokers with tenants actively looking for space in real time. Rafael came to the problem as a developer who lost a deal because tenant demand was invisible until it was too late, and built Sytes to fix the information asymmetry at the core of retail leasing. The platform serves nearly 350 tenants and over 35,000 active site listings across all 50 states, with clients including Kimco, InvenTrust, Church's Chicken, and Dutch Bros. Rafael is based in Boca Raton, Florida.(01:04) Retail's Demand Visibility Problem (02:44) Why Sytes (04:04) A Filtration System for Tenant Demand (06:24) Getting First Customers to Pay Upfront (07:24) Why Tenant Demand Data Was Opaque (08:34) Anonymous Tenant Expansion (10:14) How a Deal Happens on Sytes (11:24) Church's Chicken Case Study (14:54) Kimco & MyEyeDoctor Portfolio Review (16:34) REITs & Strip Centers (18:04) The Subscription Model (19:24) Retail Is Back (22:44) AI Leasing Agents & the Broker's Future (24:04) Tenant Demand Index for Developers (27:24) Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital Backing (28:24) Collaboration Superpower: Travis Kalanick

In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Bain, Founder and CEO of Bedhead Marketing, to discuss how strategic marketing and industry expertise are reshaping the bedding business. With more than two decades of experience in the mattress industry, Brandon shares how he drives the strategic vision of Bedhead Marketing, helping brands simplify their messaging and create meaningful connections with consumers. Founded by a team of mattress executives, record-breaking sales professionals, and marketing and design experts, Bedhead Marketing is on a mission to untangle the complexities of brand communication while elevating the bedding category as a whole. Brandon also shares insights from working alongside an executive leadership team with decades of experience serving some of the industry's largest and most successful brands, offering practical advice on branding, consumer engagement, and sustainable business growth.  

Meet Greg, the adviser who built a career on saying what 1,000+ founders didn't want to hear. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/founded. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. The opener to this episode tells you two things about Greg McCallum: he's funnier than most business advisers, and he's more honest about the cost of the founder life than almost anyone we've had on the show. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Ask strangers, not friends. The most common founder mistake is failing to ask prospective customers whether the idea is good. Do it early and you're not just validating, you're building a pipeline, learning the language that sells, and writing your first sales playbook for free. 2. Sales is listening, not pitching. Professional sales hires get a three- to six-month ramp before anyone expects a deal, so give yourself the same grace. Never ask for the sale. Understand the need, demonstrate the solution, and let them ask you. 3. Honesty is the strategy. With customers, with investors, and hardest of all with yourself. Audit the skills you actually lack before you buy the domain or design the logo. Self-awareness is cheaper than failure. Greg got kicked out of school at 15. By 16, he was running a restaurant floor. By 18, he'd quietly consulted for almost every bar and restaurant in Oxford. By his mid-twenties, banks were asking him into the boardroom. Then he deliberately took a soul-destroying telemarketing job for a year, because nobody would take his sales advice seriously until he'd done the hard yards himself. That decision led to sales leadership at Booksy (now unicorn status), C-suite roles across startups, and a mentoring practice that has helped over 1,000 founders worldwide, under a name he's turned into a brand: The No Bullshit Adviser. In this episode, Greg gets honest about the mistake almost every founder makes, why working in sales won't teach you founder sales, the AI industry's dirty data secret his new startup Peer is built to solve, and the part nobody talks about: the anxiety, the dark years, and the alliances entrepreneurship never lets you make. Because when it all goes wrong, the question that matters is who you actually call. Please note: this episode contains strong language throughout. Greg is called the No Bullshit Adviser for a reason. WHAT WE COVER - Kicked out of school, child of immigrant entrepreneurs, and managing hospitality floors at 16 - Accidentally becoming Oxford's teenage restaurant consultant - A year of telemarketing to earn the right to give sales advice - Booksy, C-suite roles, and 1,000+ founders mentored - The one bad Trustpilot review that's secretly a five-star review - Why psychometric tests are (mostly) bullshit, and skills audits beat personality labels - Founders Unplugged: the podcast born from client calls that ran three hours over - Peer and the dirty secret of AI: the data ceiling nobody talks about - "Stop preaching work-life balance": Greg's unfiltered take - Anxiety, depression, CBT, and becoming your own therapist - The real sacrifice: friendship, founder loneliness, and why your support network is a survival mechanism - The SaaS bubble, the bootstrapping comeback, and his one piece of advice: two words

Vy Nguyen bought his father's mattress factory in 2010 and spent 15 years doing everything the industry said not to do—building his own supply chain, skipping outside funding, and refusing to cut corners on materials. The result is Avocado Green, the largest organic mattress brand in the US, with 1,000 employees, more than 600 wholesale partners, and a billion-dollar target in its sights. For more on Avocado Green Brands and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!! At 20 years old, Todd Kuhn signed a $100,000-per-year commercial lease with no loans, no outside money, and no formal business experience — just a Pilates-teaching girlfriend, a handful of community hall classes, and a gut feeling that there was a market. What came next was a business built class by class, location by location, all the way to an international product operation now expanding across the United States. In this episode of Undiscovered Entrepreneur: Get Across the Start Line, Todd Kuhn joins Skoob for a grounded, high-energy conversation about calculated risk, market testing before committing, the difference between an operator mindset and a CEO mindset, and why the people least expected to succeed are often the ones who do — because they didn't overcomplicate it. What You'll Learn: How Todd went from a graduate job he hated to 40 Pilates classes a week at age 20 — in six monthsHow testing the market in community halls before signing a lease de-risked a $100,000 commitmentWhy "analysis causes paralysis" is the biggest barrier stopping entrepreneurs from startingWhy naivety and bravery often outperform overthinking and credentialsThe difference between a calculated risk and just jumpingWhy you don't need to quit your 9-to-5 until your side hustle matches or exceeds your salaryThe just-in-time learning model: learn what you need now, not what you might need somedayWhy niching down is more powerful than being a jack of all tradesHow a personal crisis became the catalyst for Todd's shift from operator to CEOThe snowflake-to-snowball-to-snowman model for building business momentumTodd's six-month goal: double income and build a values-aligned team in the USTimestamps: [00:00:00] – Introduction & Welcome[00:01:00] – Todd's Origin Story: Graduate Job, Pilates Classes & Going All In at 20[00:03:00] – The Modern Picture of Success: Why a Degree Doesn't Equal Success Anymore[00:04:30] – YouTube University and Learning Skills Without a Classroom[00:05:00] – Learning is Useless Without Implementation[00:06:00] – Choose Your Own Adventure: Entrepreneurship as a Path, Not a Plan[00:07:00] – Imposter Syndrome and Feedback: Taking Criticism as Data, Not Attack[00:08:00] – Finding Your Tribe — Or Letting It Find You[00:09:00] – Analysis Causes Paralysis: The Mindset That Stops Most Entrepreneurs[00:10:00] – Calculated Risk vs. Blind Jumping: What the Difference Actually Looks Like[00:12:00] – The Trap of a Comfortable Job You Hate[00:13:00] – How Todd Bootstrapped: Testing the Market in Community Halls First[00:14:30] – Just-in-Time Learning: Stop Wasting Brain Calories on What You Don't Need Yet[00:15:00] – Continuous Learning Compounds: You Don't Need to Know It All to Start[00:15:30] – Niche Down or Stay Scattered: Why Focus Wins[00:16:00] – The Pitfall He's Proud Of: From Operator to CEO Mindset[00:18:00] – One Piece of Advice for New Entrepreneurs: Just Get Started[00:19:00] – Don't Quit the 9-to-5 Until the Side Hustle Matches the Salary[00:20:00] – The Snowflake-to-Snowball-to-Snowman Model for Building Momentum[00:21:00] – Todd's Six-Month Goal: Double Income & Build a Values-Aligned US Team[00:23:00] – How to Find Todd & The Core Collab USABook Mentioned:

Anika sat down with Andrew Bolton, CEO and co-founder of Tech Rescue, to explore the massive cultural and corporate shift currently prioritizing artificial intelligence over human connection—and why it's a losing bet. Starting from a moment of intense frustration while trying to help his grandmother with technology, Andrew bootstrapped a 24/7, human-only tech support company that has defied the "chatbot era" of Silicon Valley. Andrew's journey offers a masterclass in recognizing the power of empathy in business, building culture in a service company, and why trusting the basics of customer care is the ultimate growth hack.   In This Episode   The origins of Tech Rescue: Why a simple email forward sparked a fast-growing business How the tech industry has abandoned the 14% of Americans who struggle with modern devices The psychological and physiological benefits of talking to a human over a robot Why implementing a strict "no AI, no chatbots" policy became their greatest competitive advantage Bootstrapping the company with his mother as CFO after getting rejected by traditional VCs The connection between lowering a caller's cortisol levels and boosting corporate retention rates Why the modern education system's failures present a massive threat to the U.S. workforce How Tech Rescue grew from answering calls at 2 AM to a team of 78 employees in three years The danger of monopolies and the slow creep of corporate mediocrity Why real success isn't just about billions—it's about protecting creativity, connection, and culture   Timestamps   00:00 Introduction: Solving a human problem in an AI world 01:34 The origin story: Watching an 80-year-old struggle to forward an email 04:47 How the relentless pace of tech has left 14% of the population behind 09:21 The death of customer service: Why optimization actually means abandonment 11:24 The ultimate value proposition: Choosing humans over chatbots 16:01 Walking away from Wall Street to build a business with his mom 18:51 The fundamental truth: How you treat your customers is how they treat your wallet 22:15 Building a 24/7 call center powered by psychology majors, not IT techs 24:01 The science of empathy: Lowering cortisol to reduce call times and save money 26:27 Smacking the "Palo Alto 5-year plan" and proving empathy is profitable 33:13 Why hiring for emotional intelligence is harder—and more important—than hiring for tech skills 36:31 A warning about the U.S. education system and the future of the workforce 43:25 Why becoming a billionaire in a mediocre world means absolutely nothing 48:44 Conclusion: The core mission of connecting people   Key Insights & Takeaways   Insight 1: "Optimization" Often Just Means Abandonment   For the last decade, companies have used terms like "optimization" or "streamlining" to justify firing their HR, sales, and customer service departments, replacing them with endless phone trees and chatbots. This has created a massive void in the market where customers are desperate to speak with a real human—a void that human-centric businesses can easily and profitably fill.   Insight 2: Empathy is a Quantifiable Metric   Tech Rescue hires psychology and sociology majors rather than IT professionals because teaching tech is easier than teaching empathy. According to medical studies, simply addressing a caller by their name can lower cortisol and adrenaline levels by 13%. In a call center environment, a calmer customer translates directly to a conversation that ends seven minutes sooner, vastly reducing operational costs and boosting retention.   Insight 3: The "No Chatbot" Guarantee is a Growth Strategy   While VCs and marketing agencies constantly pressure companies to adopt AI to save money, Tech Rescue found that their greatest selling point is their strict refusal to use it. In a world where consumers are fatigued by automated voices and generic AI outputs, guaranteeing a human interaction builds a level of brand trust and loyalty that algorithms cannot replicate.   Insight 4: Generational Tech Gaps Require Psychological Safety   Older generations aren't just confused by rapidly changing tech (like Meta rearranging its settings menus multiple times a year); they are often embarrassed to ask for help. Tech Rescue provides a psychologically safe space for users to ask questions—whether it's about online banking or setting up a dating profile on Bumble—without feeling rushed or condescended to.   Insight 5: You Can Make Money by Doing Good in the World   Andrew pushes back against the modern corporate mandate of "alpha at all costs," which he argues leads to monotonous, poor-quality products and a lack of innovation. His core philosophy—often repeated as "Business 101"—is that if you solve a genuine problem and treat people with respect, the financial success will naturally follow. Monopolies prevent competition, but incredible customer service shatters monopolies.   Resources & Links Mentioned Tech Rescue   About Andrew Bolton   Andrew Bolton is the CEO and co-founder of Tech Rescue, a 24/7 human-powered tech support company. A Harvard-trained strategist with Wall Street roots, Andrew walked away from traditional corporate America to build a business centered entirely around empathy, trust, and connection. He co-founded the company alongside his mother after witnessing firsthand how the modern tech industry disregards the elderly and the less tech-savvy. Today, he manages a growing team of 78 employees out of a call center in Colorado, proving that human connection is the ultimate competitive advantage.   Connect with Andrew Bolton Website: https://techrescue.io/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover how AI is transforming enterprise contact centers from massive cost centers into intelligent command centers. Ali Merchant, CEO of Orvera AI, reveals how his bootstrapped voice AI platform is outperforming billion-dollar competitors with unprecedented resolution rates.   With 18 years of experience building a 2000-person contact center firm, Ali shares his insider perspective on why context is the ultimate competitive advantage in generative AI. He breaks down how Orvera AI automates up to 84 percent of complex customer conversations, dramatically improving the lives of contact center leaders and shifting human agents to higher-value roles.   This episode dives deep into the future of conversational AI in healthcare, the strategic decision to bootstrap rather than raise venture capital, and actionable hiring advice for startup founders scaling their sales teams. Whether you are building an AI startup or looking to optimize your enterprise operations, this conversation offers a masterclass in product-market fit and sustainable growth.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ollie Merchant and Orvera AI 01:53 Ollie's Journey in Technology and AI 04:00 The Role of AI in Contact Centers 07:50 Use Cases of AI in Various Industries 12:38 Outperforming Competitors with Contextual Understanding 14:55 The Future of Voice AI and Market Competition 19:05 AI's Impact on Human Roles in Contact Centers 22:02 Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital 24:44 Hiring Strategies for Growing Companies 36:11 Mainstream Adoption of AI Voice Technology 38:29 Future Roadmap for Orvera AI   Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders' journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

When Lauren Levy struggled through a freezing diaper change with 30 snaps to close, she spotted a gap no one had filled in a century of baby clothing. She and co-founder Lawrence Scheer spent two years perfecting a patented magnetic closure before selling a single item. Today, Magnetic Me has 50 employees and has been profitable since 2012. For more on Magnetic Me and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Benedicte shares her takeaways from the plumbing course. Benedikt goes on a few AWS adventures.Benedicte had so much fun and learned a lot from her plumbing course, even sharing a mindblowing tip of using a balloon to help clear out water from the tap mechanisms during winter. On the work front, their system at Whee! is now live syncing prospects and customers to their email list. Benedicte's also figuring out how to fix the data inconsistency between the bike availability on their website versus the actual availability of bikes at the workshop.The Userlist team reworked their entire data model for themes to support the new stuff. Benedikt also set up a proper CDN for user uploaded assets so there's client side caching. He also took some time to set up Userlist on AWS but is quite unsure if they should move over for good because of the complexity and the unknowns.

Melissa Palmer inherited a wholesale beauty brand from her mother and rebuilt it into a nine-figure omnichannel business—with direct to consumer, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and more than 1,500 Ulta locations each playing a role in how OSEA Malibu finds and keeps customers. For more on OSEA Malibu and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Side hustles have gone mainstream. More employees than ever are starting businesses of their own—sometimes to earn extra income, sometimes as insurance against layoffs, and sometimes because they dream of becoming entrepreneurs themselves. But what does that mean for the businesses they already work for? If you invest months in training an employee, isn't it fair to expect that person to devote their best energy to helping your company grow? That's not an immediate concern for Lena McGuire, who's still a solopreneur. But as she prepares to hire and train her first employees, she worries about investing in people who ultimately may see her business as a stepping stone. Sarah Segal isn't as concerned, but she does want her employees to view their jobs as careers, not placeholders. And then there's Channon Kennedy. While working full time at Silicon Valley Bank, Channon invented a woodworking tool, got it manufactured, landed national distribution, and traveled the country to trade shows—all, she says, without letting her day job suffer. And that's what she expects from her employees with side hustles.Meanwhile, both Lena and Sarah are wrestling with another challenge: finding the right home for their growing businesses. Lena needs a showroom but doesn't want to sink money into leased space—and she can't find a building to buy. "I'm missing out on growth," she says. "I feel like I'm stalled." Sarah has opened a second office in Silicon Valley, but she's wondering whether it's time to leave her quirky “starter” office in San Francisco for something that better reflects where her business is headed. Buying would be ideal, but that's easier said than done in San Francisco these days.Plus: Sarah recently did something she hadn't done in almost a decade as a business owner—she turned on an out-of-office message and actually unplugged for a vacation. Spoiler alert: there was only one real crisis.

Just this morning, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was in Washington DC for Lindsay Graham's funeral, met with President Trump. The meeting was not recorded, but President Zelensky posted to X that the result was positive and they were able to make a deal in which the US would supply Ukraine with anti-ballistic defense technology.  On today's show, guest host Yuri Rashkin is in conversation with James, an American in the Ukrainian National Guard who has been serving on the frontlines for nearly two years. He is head of the fiber optic and fixed-wing drone laboratory for his unit. He has family in Wisconsin and Minnesota and runs the YouTube channel Y Ukraine. James moved to Ukraine before the war and joined the military as a civilian. He says “the war came for me.”  He now works on drones using his background as an engineer and says that a significant portion of his lab, and military funding in general, is financed by donations. He discusses what it's like to source materials for his lab and how the situation changes week by week and sometimes day by day.  There's constant activity in the war with Russia, though some reports have described the situation as a “stalemate.” Lately Ukraine has focused on destroying Russia's oil reserves and energy infrastructure. James says there is no single weapon that will end the war, and that there will be peace when Russia is held accountable for its war crimes.  Featured image of a Ukrainian vampire drone via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Ukraine Is Bootstrapping Its War Victories appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Anika sat down with Tim Lindsay to explore what it really takes to build a publishing company from the ground up—starting with negative net worth and zero safety net. The conversation revealed the realities of bootstrapping Tellwell Publishing to over 6,000 books, the critical differences between traditional and self-publishing, and how a 128-day NICU crisis tested his leadership. Tim's journey offers a masterclass in resilience, scaling teams, and understanding the true strategic value of writing a book.In This EpisodeQuitting a day job with massive credit card debt and mastering the art of bootstrappingThe evolution of self-publishing and why traditional publishing gatekeepers are losing their gripThe three core motivations for writing a book: Give, Build, and JourneyScaling a team from 1 to 12 (the honeymoon phase) versus the painful jump to 30 employeesNavigating a 128-day NICU crisis while keeping a growing business from collapsingWhy the "Guide" function is the missing link in the modern publishing landscapeWriting The Call to Authorship in just 30 minutes a day before the second cup of coffeeThe importance of team cohesion and why traditional HR rules often miss the markTimestamps00:00 Introduction: Bootstrapping a publishing company from nothing01:34 The leap into self-employment with $50,000 in credit card debt07:04 How Amazon and Print-on-Demand revolutionized the publishing industry10:40 Understanding the real reasons people write books (Give, Build, Journey)12:25 The incredible story of The 10-Year-Old Man and publishing for impact21:44 The honeymoon startup phase and the chaos of scaling past 12 employees29:29 The parallels between starting a business, writing a book, and starting a family32:53 Tim's personal writing routine for The Call to Authorship36:58 Surviving a 128-day NICU crisis without burning out the business43:56 Why the "Guide" function became Tellwell Publishing's secret sauce48:34 Redefining book success: visibility and strategy over royalties51:14 Why team cohesion matters more than traditional management55:08 Atomic Habits and a powerful William Blake quote on taking actionKey Insights & TakeawaysInsight 1: The Three Core Motivations for Authorship (Give, Build, Journey) People don't just write books to make a profit. The drive to publish typically stems from three areas: "Give" (serving the reader or society), "Build" (using the book as a strategic tool to grow a business or speaking career), and the "Journey" (personal healing, expression, and meaning). Understanding your primary motivation changes how you write and market the book.Insight 2: The "Guide" Function is the Missing Link in Publishing While self-publishing offers higher royalties and creative control, it can be an isolating and overwhelming process. Tellwell succeeded by institutionalizing the "Guide" role—a mix of advice, project management, quality control, and emotional encouragement that empowers authors without removing their creative autonomy.Insight 3: The Danger Zone of Scaling is Between 12 and 30 Employees Growing a team to 12 people feels like a honeymoon phase where everyone communicates like a volleyball team in a huddle. But scaling past 20 requires building a functional management team. This transition drains cash flow, demands rigorous hiring, and risks creating a negative flywheel if bad hires lead to customer issues and low morale.Insight 4: A Book is a Strategic Tool, Not a Lottery Ticket Competing against millions of books and streaming platforms makes getting rich off royalties incredibly difficult. The modern author wins by using their book to gain visibility, establish credibility, and generate leads for speaking engagements or consulting services, rather than waiting to become the next Oprah book club pick.Insight 5: Consistency Trumps Free Time Tim wrote The Call to Authorship while running a scaling business and managing a family. His secret wasn't taking a sabbatical; it was dedicating 30 minutes a day to write 500 words before his second cup of coffee. Small, daily habits build momentum that eventually results in a completed 50,000-word manuscript.Insight 6: The Soft Stuff is the Hard Stuff in Business Reflecting on his journey, Tim realized he underestimated the importance of team cohesion. It isn't built at an annual retreat; it's forged in daily interactions, dropping guards, and building trust. Without that personal connection, communication breaks down and business decisions suffer.Resources & Links MentionedTellwellPublishing.comThe Call to Authorship (Tim's book)Free Guide to Self-Publishing Atomic Habits by James ClearAbout Tim LindsayTim Lindsay is the founder and CEO of Tellwell Publishing. He bootstrapped the company over 11 years ago after quitting his day job to get himself out of $50,000 in credit card debt. Since then, Tellwell has published over 6,000 books across multiple genres. Tim is also the author of The Call to Authorship, a guide for aspiring writers. He operates his company out of Victoria, British Columbia, balancing entrepreneurship with family life, having navigated the turbulent waters of scaling a startup alongside a 128-day NICU journey with his newborn.Connect with Tim LindsayTellwellPublishing.comCalltoAuthorship.comTellwell Publishing on Social Media:https://www.facebook.com/TellwellPublishing/https://www.linkedin.com/company/tellwellpublishing/https://www.instagram.com/tellwellpublishing/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Healthcare Beans, James speaks with Ryan Polselli, MD, founder and CEO of MammoLink, about why breast cancer screening remains underused despite decades of awareness, established clinical guidance, and broad insurance coverage. Ryan argues that the core problem is not simply awareness. Screening often conflicts with work, family responsibilities, appointment availability, financial uncertainty, and the natural tendency to postpone preventive care when no symptoms are present. He explains how MammoLink brings mammography and ultrasound directly to workplaces, schools, government sites, and rural communities through patient-centered mobile imaging units. The conversation also explores price transparency, payer quality incentives, direct-pay demand, rural health infrastructure, employer-sponsored screening, nationwide expansion, and the role of data and emerging technologies in the future of breast cancer detection. Episode Timeline 00:00 — Introduction to Ryan Polselli and MammoLinkRyan introduces his background as a board-certified radiologist and breast-imaging specialist and describes his focus on improving access to breast cancer screening. 01:02 — The breast cancer screening paradoxDespite widespread awareness and strong evidence supporting screening, many women still do not receive regular mammograms. Ryan explains why awareness alone has not produced sufficient action. 03:35 — Where the screening process breaks downThe discussion examines the balance between personal responsibility and system responsibility, including the burdens created by work, family obligations, and limited appointment availability. 04:56 — Designing preventive care around human behaviorRyan contrasts urgent medical care with preventive screening. When patients feel healthy, completing screening requires a proactive decision without the emotional urgency that drives emergency care. 06:06 — Making screening compatible with everyday lifeRyan argues that screening must be redesigned around how women actually live rather than requiring patients to navigate numerous scheduling and logistical barriers. 07:12 — Financial barriers and uncertaintyInsurance may cover a routine mammogram, but patients can still face uncertainty involving supplemental imaging, dense breast tissue, diagnostic follow-up, and unexpected bills. 09:23 — Delayed results and lost momentumLong waits for results can increase anxiety and weaken engagement. Ryan explains why faster feedback can restore patient control and encourage better screening habits. 10:39 — From patient experience to systems changeMammoLink began as an effort to improve the individual screening experience but evolved into a broader model connecting patient behavior, economics, employer interests, and payer incentives. 13:04 — How the mobile imaging model worksRyan describes mobile units containing mammography, ultrasound, changing areas, procedure rooms, and other features typically found in an outpatient imaging center. 13:55 — Bringing screening into workplaces and communitiesRecurring visits to schools, employers, municipalities, and government sites allow patients to receive screening where they already spend their time. 14:20 — Social reinforcement and screening adherenceCoworkers can encourage one another to participate, while returning to the same location each year can make regular screening easier to remember and complete. 16:09 — The economics of mobile mammographyMobile screening carries higher capital and operating costs than traditional outpatient imaging, but Ryan describes it as a high-cost, high-yield model capable of reaching populations that might otherwise remain unscreened. 17:00 — Legislative and payer tailwindsCoverage changes involving supplemental breast imaging, along with growing payer interest, may improve the economic viability of comprehensive mobile screening. 18:27 — Access is also about timeRyan emphasizes that patients can be disadvantaged by limited time and flexibility even when they are not financially disadvantaged. 19:54 — Incentives within traditional imaging pathwaysThe conversation considers how fee-for-service payment can encourage separate visits, while a mobile model has stronger operational reasons to complete as much of the episode as possible in one encounter. 21:02 — HEDIS measures and payer motivationRyan explains how quality measures and Medicare Advantage star ratings can create significant incentives for health plans to improve breast cancer screening rates. 22:27 — MammoLink's no-surprise-billing approachRyan describes the company's decision not to send patients an unexpected bill after the visit, even when that means accepting some lost revenue. 25:05 — Technology supporting payment verificationMammoLink is using automated insurance-verification technology to improve up-front accuracy while preserving its principle of no back-end patient billing. 25:30 — Can transparency increase competition?The discussion turns to whether better consumer awareness of price differences between hospitals, outpatient centers, and alternative providers can eventually place downward pressure on costs. 26:46 — Direct pay, privacy, and convenienceRyan discusses the growing number of patients who choose cash payment because they value privacy, simplicity, or freedom from insurance-related friction. 27:51 — Supporting patients after an abnormal findingMammoLink manages diagnostic evaluation up to the point of biopsy and is developing stronger relationships with breast surgeons and health systems to improve downstream handoffs. 29:55 — The rural breast-imaging access gapRyan describes rural communities where mammography may not be available locally and where patients can postpone evaluating a concerning symptom for long periods. 30:40 — Public-sector and community partnershipsMammoLink works with the Florida Department of Health, migrant health organizations, and other partners to bring screening into underserved areas. 31:52 — Rural transformation funding as infrastructure capitalRyan and James discuss whether public funding could cover the initial cost of mobile units while allowing the operating model to become sustainable without permanent subsidy. 33:13 — Expanding beyond FloridaRyan outlines a potential national growth strategy involving grants, outside investment, and targeted entry into cities or states with favorable conditions. 33:55 — Bootstrapping five mobile unitsRyan discusses building the company without outside venture funding and reflects on the effort required to create its existing mobile fleet. 34:22 — The future of patient-centered mobile screeningRyan distinguishes genuinely patient-centered mobile care from simply relocating a traditional service and argues that future expansion will depend on proving outcomes and financial value. 35:30 — Demonstrating employer return on investmentThe conversation explores using clinical, operational, employee, and geospatial data to help employers measure cancers detected, time saved, employee satisfaction, and potential avoided costs. 37:05 — Employers as a preventive-care access channelRyan predicts that employers could play a larger role in providing screening as they seek to strengthen benefits, workforce health, retention, and trust. 37:38 — AI and emerging breast-cancer detection toolsRyan discusses research involving AI, biological markers, RNA-based technologies, and other emerging tools that may complement mammography and genetic screening. 38:39 — No mission without marginThe episode closes with a reflection on why healthcare innovation must be economically sustainable to achieve lasting scale and impact. Godspeed.. James Note: Some statistics and estimates discussed in this episode were provided conversationally by the host or guest and may be approximate. They have not all been independently verified by Healthcare Beans. Listeners should consult current primary sources before relying on specific figures for medical, policy, or business decisions.

The ex-model who turned an exploding kitchen of cauliflower into the pasta brand. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/founded. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. "My husband was just like, 'What's happening?' The kitchen was just an explosion of cauliflower." That's how Sunny & Luna started, and this episode opens with it. Giulia Berretti spent her teens modelling in New York on as little as 800 calories a day, inside an industry that treated food as the enemy. The daughter of a winemaker and a restaurateur, taught to make pasta by her nonna, she walked away. When COVID hit, she rebuilt her relationship with food into a business: vegetable-packed fresh pasta, born in her own kitchen. She sold her first batches to neighbours on Nextdoor, pitched at the Bread & Jam festival with four gnocchi in a plastic bag, and Whole Foods and Planet Organic loved it. She then spent six months knocking on the doors of Italian manufacturers who kept asking "who are you?" until one said yes. When we recorded this conversation, Giulia was days from her first national listing and closing a £500K angel round. Today, Sunny & Luna is on the shelves of Sainsbury's, Ocado, Whole Foods and Planet Organic. Proof that everything she talks about in this episode worked. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Never compromise on your non-negotiables. When the Ukraine war sent costs spiralling, Giulia held her quality line and raised prices instead of cutting corners, and customers rewarded her for it. Know what you won't trade, and price accordingly. 2. Passion plus authenticity beats playbooks. She built a standout brand in a category nobody had disrupted (fresh pasta) by staying close to what she genuinely knows and loves. Innovation came from her story, not from copying someone else's. 3. Persistence needs patience. "When the train is coming, you don't have to jump straight away." Ups and downs are the job. The founders who make it are the ones who keep going without rushing decisions that compromise the long-term vision. WHAT WE COVER - Modelling in New York at 18: the money, the pressure, and restricting to 800 calories a day - Nonna's kitchen: the pasta-making childhood that became the business - Testing demand on Nextdoor, and pitching retailers with a plastic bag of gnocchi - Six months driving around Italy to find a manufacturer, and selling them the dream - Why she'd never compromise on quality, even when costs exploded - Two days of maternity leave, pitching Ocado ten days after giving birth, and the lesson in slowing down - "A company fails when the founder is tired": mental health, therapy, and switching off - Funding: bootstrapped on modelling savings, then a £500K round from angels who back her - The future of food: real ingredients over fake meat, and Sunny & Luna as a lifestyle brand - Why the business is named after her cats

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Tom Kubanik, founder and CEO of SecureIt Tactical. Tom shares the remarkable story of building a company that transformed firearm storage—from military armories to consumer gun safes—without venture capital.Before becoming an entrepreneur, Tom chased a career as a professional heavy metal guitarist until an injury forced him to reinvent himself. That setback ultimately led him into sales, entrepreneurship, and eventually creating one of the most innovative companies in the firearm storage industry.Tom discusses how he built multiple businesses from scratch, why momentum is more important than perfection, and the leadership lessons that helped him break through the $5 million revenue ceiling. He also explains why entrepreneurs must stop managing every detail, learn to delegate, and create space for strategic thinking.Whether you're launching your first business or trying to scale an established company, this episode is packed with practical advice on leadership, creativity, resilience, and building something that lasts.Key TakeawaysYou don't need every answer before starting—just enough to keep moving forward.Sell your product before spending months perfecting your business.Momentum beats perfection every time.Becoming a leader requires learning to delegate nearly everything.Entrepreneurs often become the bottleneck in their own companies.Creativity should be scheduled just like meetings.Failure is one of the fastest teachers in business.Bootstrapping forces efficient decision-making and financial discipline.Claim expertise by earning it through relentless learning and execution.Long-term success comes from continuously learning and adapting.Notable TopicsFrom Heavy Metal Guitarist to EntrepreneurTom shares how an injury ended his dream of becoming a professional musician and forced him to reinvent himself through sales and eventually entrepreneurship.Starting a Business Without Knowing EverythingRather than waiting until every detail was perfect, Tom focused on making sales first and solving problems as they appeared.Becoming the Leading AuthorityTom explains how he positioned himself as an expert in military firearm storage, won a critical military contract, and used that opportunity to truly become the industry's leading authority.Why Most Businesses Stall Around $5 MillionAfter building three different companies that each plateaued around the same revenue level, Tom realized the common bottleneck was himself—not the market.Manager vs. LeaderOne of the biggest mindset shifts for growth is moving from managing every task to leading through delegation and strategic thinking.Bootstrapping vs. Venture CapitalTom discusses why being forced to self-fund his businesses ultimately made them stronger and more disciplined.Learning Through FailureFrom product mistakes to difficult financial seasons, Tom explains why expensive failures often create the greatest long-term advantages.Creating Space for CreativityOne of Tom's most valuable habits is intentionally blocking time to think, write ideas down, and allow creativity to solve business problems.Resources & LinksLearn more about SecureIt TacticalExplore The Friday Habit resources at thefridayhabit.comDownload the free Friday Habit System guideMemorable Quotes"You don't need all the answers. You just need to keep moving.""Sell one first. Then build the business.""The bottleneck wasn't my company—it was me.""Managers build systems. Leaders build people.""The entrepreneur sleeps like a baby because they believe they'll figure it out.""Everybody can work hard. Not everybody trains themselves to be creative."Monday Morning Action ItemSchedule 15 minutes every day this week for uninterrupted thinking.Turn off distractions, grab a notebook, and simply think about your business. Write down every idea—even the bad ones. Creating intentional space for creativity can unlock solutions that never surface during a busy workday.Small, consistent thinking sessions often lead to the biggest breakthroughs.

Jeannette sits down with Eddy Hackett, co-founder and executive producer of the Lost Estate, who shares his fascinating journey from training as a classical percussionist to scaling a thriving, multi-million-pound immersive theatre business.  He dives deep into the realities of bootstrapping, the strategic value of looking for capital before you absolutely need it, and how an organisation can build a uniquely resonant brand by leading with its core, human centric identity. You'll Learn Why: A non-linear career shift can introduce creative squiggles that open unexpected and highly lucrative doors. Bootstrapping forces an organisation to adopt a lean, resource-aware mindset that naturally drives creativity. The optimal time to raise capital is when your business is at its strongest, rather than when cash is running low. Elevating your core brand promise is essential for building consumer trust in a highly volatile market. Whether you're a founder, CEO, small business owner, entrepreneur, startup leader or executive, these lessons will help you make smarter hiring decisions and build a stronger, more successful business.

Michelle and Colleen reunite for a wide-ranging season closer: Claude/Fable maxing anxiety, Colleen's very opinionated meal planning app, using Claude in the actual kitchen, Geocodio updates (Laracon US, ice cream truck, two open positions), and Colleen's big news. Plus: Matthias's coding agent Yak, the Yakkity Yak connection, secret RevOps plans, and an honest conversation about deliberate growth vs. quality of life.

We talk with Damiano Raveenthiran  about why entrepreneurs accidentally build founder dependent jobs and how to redesign an agency into a real asset. We get specific about delegation, positioning, accountability, hard lessons from fraud, and how AI is reshaping what clients should pay for. • Bootstrapping an agency from scratch and scaling fast • Spotting founder dependence and the hidden cost of burnout • Delegating with the 70% rule and tightening the playbook with systems • Shifting from selling services to selling outcomes and strategy • Building trust and referrals through real client follow through • Thinking like an architect using OKRs and proactive planning • Using a sports team model with KPIs, reviews, and performance standards • Recognizing when the business cannot run without you • Learning “trust but verify” after a costly embezzlement story • Using AI to automate repetitive tasks and move up the value chain NEW EPISODES AND GREAT GUESTS EVERY THURSDAY AT 7PM!  LISTEN OR WATCH ANYWHERE YOU FIND YOUR FAVORITE PODCASTS!! ---Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real people, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman!

How do you become a top RTD spritz brand without raising outside capital?That's the story behind Saint Spritz, the wine-based canned spritz brand inspired by Italian aperitivo culture. In this episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Ben Patton, CEO and co-founder of Saint Spritz, about how the brand reached 55,000 nine-liter cases in 2025, grew triple digits, expanded into 43 states, and became the number-one RTD spritz — while remaining fully bootstrapped.For Ben, that constraint became a discipline.Without VC money or growth-fund capital, Saint Spritz had to measure every dollar, test small, kill what didn't work, and scale what did. The team couldn't afford to “buy” growth. They had to prove velocity.That mindset shaped everything: The early DTC launch through co-founder (The Bachelorette) JoJo Fletcher's audience, the move into national retail with Target, the buildout of a 100-person brand ambassador team, and the focus on turning shelf placement into repeat purchase.One of the biggest lessons? Getting on shelf is not the same as getting found.Because Saint Spritz is made with wine, retailers often place it in the wine aisle. But consumers shop it like an RTD canned cocktail — near High Noon, Surfside, White Claw, cold boxes, and grab-and-go occasions. Ben calls that problem “wine jail,” and says better placement can drive a 3x to 5x lift in velocity.In this episode, Ben breaks down:— How Saint Spritz used DTC demand as an early signal for retail— Why Target became the brand's first major national growth driver— What retailers need to see before expanding a brand nationally— How a bootstrapped team decides which marketing bets deserve money— Why Saint Spritz built its own ambassador team instead of relying only on third-party tasting companies— How in-store tastings can move five to six cases when the team is trained and incentivized properly— Why “accessible premium” works when the liquid, packaging, and occasion all line up— How the brand's non-alcoholic line quietly launched on Amazon and quickly became a major growth signal— Why cold-box placement may be the next big unlock as Saint Spritz expands through beer-distributor networksThis is a tactical episode for any drinks founder trying to scale without unlimited capital. Saint Spritz shows what happens when a brand combines a clear consumer occasion with disciplined spending, strong retail execution, and a relentless focus on velocity.For the latest updates, follow us:Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!)Business of Drinks YouTubeBusiness of Drinks LinkedInInstagram @bizofdrinksErica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry's most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.Erica Duecy LinkedInInstagram @ericaduecyScott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.Scott Rosenbaum LinkedInCaroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.Caroline Lamb LinkedInInstagram @borkalineSubscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

Carmen Dianne and Kara Still launched Prosperity Market during the pandemic to bring fresh food and economic power to Black communities in Los Angeles—with no background in farming, no trailer, and no blueprint. Scrappy pop-ups in church parking lots grew into an 80-vendor operation, a Good Morning America segment, and an unexpected partnership with Dr. Dre. For more on Prosperity Market and show notes click here  Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

For simple actionable tips to grow your business, subscribe to The FoundHer Files Liz Lange proves that the best marketing rarely needs a big budget, just the right people.On Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Liz Lange, founder of Liz Lange Maternity, about what it takes to build a business when the money and the confidence are not there yet. Partnership marketing sits at the center of it all, but not in the polished, strategic sense people mean today. For Liz, it looked like trust. It looked like showing up for people and letting the relationship do the work.Liz talks openly about starting as a bootstrap founder with almost nothing to lose and everything to prove. She is candid about the fear behind every major decision, and how often the loudest advice turned out to be wrong. Her instincts, not her budget, were what carried the business forward.The real thread running through this episode is trust. Trust in yourself, trust in slow relationships over quick wins, and trust that partnership marketing can outperform any ad spend when it comes from something real. For Liz, this wasn't a tactic. Networking with women came naturally to her.This is one of those real founder stories that reminds you that good PR for small businesses often starts with a single relationship, not a plan. It's proof that female founders do not need permission to trust what they already know.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to Dear FoundHer and the Growing Founder Community02:47 Meet Liz Lange, Maternity Fashion Pioneer03:47 Starting Liz Lange Maternity With a Fax Machine and No Budget09:13 Dressing Celebrities and Building Word of Mouth Marketing15:36 Learning the Fashion Business From the Ground Up19:07 Opening the First Liz Lange Maternity Store in New York23:27 Landing the Nike Partnership Marketing Deal27:05 How the Target Deal Changed the Business Forever33:29 Ignoring the Naysayers and Trusting Her Instincts39:03 Bootstrapping the Business Without Raising Outside Money41:37 Balancing Motherhood With a Fast Growing Business44:06 Life After Liz Lange Maternity and Home Shopping Network45:15 Buying the Figue Brand and Building a New Chapter46:17 Finding Community and Connection on Social Media49:13 Three Actionable Steps for Women Starting a BusinessConnect with Liz Lange:Follow Liz on InstagramJoin the Dear FoundHer... Forum https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forumFollow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#991 How do you build a beloved, nationally-recognized ice cream brand from scratch — and then turn around and create a completely different company redefining dietary fiber in America? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with Jeni Britton — founder of the iconic Jeni's Ice Creams and now founder of Floura — to talk about creativity, curiosity, and the emotional side of entrepreneurship. Jeni shares how she started with nothing but vision, passion, and a gelato machine from a local Italian market, how she bootstrapped her way from a farmer's market stand to 90 stores and 10,000 grocery doors, and why she believes emotion, intuition, and integrity are the true drivers of a lasting brand. From building a fellowship-style team to navigating growth, trust, and leadership, this conversation is packed with wisdom for founders who want to build something meaningful — and do it their own way! (Original Air Date - 11/11/25) What we discuss with Jeni: + Starting Jeni's in a farmer's market + Vision born from scent and storytelling + Bootstrapping with no capital + Turning produce waste into fiber products + Launching Floura and “bridging the fiber gap” + Importance of emotion in business + Building a fellowship-style team + Trust and communication in leadership + Learning to step back as founder + Success driven by passion and curiosity Thank you, Jeni! Check out Jeni's Ice Creams at ⁠Jenis.com⁠. Check out Floura at ⁠Floura.com⁠. Follow Jeni on Instagram, ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel Freezer Epiphany That Sparked a Zero-Waste Bakery. Today I speak with Sarah Patka, the visionary chef and founder behind Mumbai's premium niche bakery, Love & Flour.  Driven by a passion for baking science and a strict zero-waste philosophy, Sarah shares her journey from working the grueling shifts at the Taj Mahal Palace to bootstrapping her own boutique dessert brand.  We dive deep into the operational strategies of running a made-to-order, storefront-free bakery, the art of fusion desserts, and why prioritizing consistent quality over mass-market scaling is the secret recipe for building a legacy brand. Whether you are an aspiring baker or a seasoned entrepreneur, Sarah's advice to "start before you feel ready" will leave you inspired. In This Episode, We Cover: The Origin Story: Leaving the traditional hotel hospitality world for the creative freedom of baking. The "Aha" Moment: Finding clarity and passion during a hectic shift in a freezing hotel walk-in. Tackling Food Waste: How witnessing the staggering 70-80 million tons of annual food waste in India inspired Love & Flour's strict zero-waste, pre-order business model. Overcoming Failure: Sarah Patka shares a personal story about a failed baking venture during her student years where a recipe was ruined by excess baking soda! Content Creation: Recognizing the adage that customers eat with their eyes, Sarah Patka taught themself photography and videography to produce marketing content, choosing to invest in a camera rather than hiring expensive photographers. Bootstrapping a Bakery: Wearing multiple hats, from accountant to self-taught food photographer, to build a brand from scratch. Menu Innovation: Introducing global concepts like cookie pizzas and interactive Diwali fusion desserts to the Mumbai market. The Authenticity of Sugar: Sarah's philosophy on maintaining the integrity, texture, and flavor of traditional desserts rather than compromising with sugar-free or gluten-free substitutes. Future Vision: Why Love & Flour is aiming to be a legacy boutique brand rather than a mass-market commercial enterprise. Beginner Baking Advice: For those interested in starting to bake, Sarah Patka recommends beginning with brownies or cookies rather than cakes, Essential Baking Tools: Sarah Patka identified four key tools for bakers: a spatula for cleaning batter, a whisk for mixing, a scraper for finishing cakes, and a hand blender. Advice for Founders: Why you shouldn't fear failure, the importance of showing up every day, and why you must start before you feel fully ready. Connect with Sarah Patka & Love & Flour: Instagram: @LoveandFlour LinkedIn: Sarah Patka Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2 Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Share this episode with your friends. Listen and Subscribe to More Episodeshttps://www.indianstartupshow.com/ Music by Punch Deck.https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV

The pirate family are on their third week at the cabin. The Userlist team works on their theme settings.Benedicte's past two weeks could be summarized in three words: vacation, work, and plumbing. With her new plumbing skills and help from Captain Ola, Queen Raae fixed the sewage issue at the cabin. On the work front, she fixed an issue with Whee!'s SMS, redesigned the last step in the order flow, sent the first email broadcast, and more. The Userlist team is busy working on their theme settings: Leo's been working on new styling components while Benedikt gets the server side working. He shares that the biggest challenge with this feature is transitioning to a new production process without breaking anything. Benedikt also went on a side quest with Fable 5 and scanned their platform for security issues.

Part 1 of 2. Most people date Shiprocket to 2017; in truth it was born in 2011, and the road there runs through two companies called KartRocket and Craftly. Saahil Goel walks Rohin through the build: Rs 15 lakh of their own money, nearly not being hired by their own first engineers, the hard lesson that in India you sell outcomes not software, an investor ultimatum to take $4 million or nothing, and by the end, just how much capital it's taken to get from that first office to the edge of a public listing. Part 2 gets into how he actually thinks.Chapters0:00  The company that started in 2011, not 20174:01  KartRocket: building an agency to learn the market6:09  Bootstrapped on Rs 15 lakh9:02  Why Indian SMBs wouldn't pay for software17:58  “Take $4 million or nothing”22:38  How Shiprocket was born27:06  What Shiprocket actually is — and how it makes money37:58  The IPO, and the state of the business44:19  Quick commerce without owning a truck48:42  From Delhi to a US career — and back55:59  Lessons from failed fundraises1:04:23  How much they've raisedThis episode was produced by Rohin Dharmakumar and mixed and mastered by Rajiv CN.Write to us at fp@the-ken.com with your feedback, suggestions, and guests you would want to see on First Principles.If you enjoyed this episode, please help us spread the word by sharing and gifting it to your friends and family.

Discover entrepreneurship, innovation, business growth, scaling, and intellectual property strategies from successful founders and industry leaders. Richard Gearhart and Elizabeth Gearhart, co-hosts of the Passage to Profit Show interview Ryan Stana from RWS Global, Joey Stiver from Amble Health and Ronald Platt from National Association for Single and Divorced Families (NASDF). What does it take to build one of the world's largest live entertainment companies from scratch? Ryan Stana, Founder & Executive Chairman of RWS Global, shares how he transformed a theater degree and a vision into a global entertainment powerhouse producing experiences for cruise lines, theme parks, sports events, and the Paris Olympics. Ryan reveals how he bootstrapped his business without outside investors, scaled to hiring more than 8,000 performers annually across 50 countries, and explains why storytelling, disciplined growth, leadership, and human connection remain the keys to entrepreneurial success. Whether you're building a startup, managing a creative business, or looking to scale without giving up ownership, this episode is packed with practical insights and inspiring lessons. Read more at: https://www.rwsglobal.com/ What does it really take to build a billion-dollar company from scratch? Joey Stiver, Founder of Amble Health, shares the remarkable story of turning an $8,000 credit card into a healthcare and telehealth empire through relentless perseverance, bootstrapping, and innovation. Joey discusses surviving the difficult early years without outside funding, overcoming skepticism in a highly regulated industry, and disrupting healthcare by making telemedicine more affordable, transparent, and accessible. If you're an entrepreneur, startup founder, or business leader looking to scale a company, navigate regulation, and build lasting success, this episode delivers practical insights and inspiration you won't want to miss. Read more at: https://joinamble.com/ Ronald Platt, Founder of the National Association for Single and Divorced Families (NASDF), shares how an idea inspired by his father evolved into the nation's first divorce insurance product designed to protect child support and alimony when life unexpectedly disrupts a family's finances. In this inspiring conversation, Ron explains how he identified a massive underserved market, built a first-to-market organization with virtually no competition, and created a growing network of resources that includes mental health support, divorce coaching, career services, mediation, financial discounts, and concierge guidance. Entrepreneurs will discover valuable lessons about identifying overlooked opportunities, solving real-world problems, and building a mission-driven business that changes lives. Read more at: https://www.nasdf.org/ Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, startup founder, inventor, or small business owner, the Passage to Profit Show is a leading podcast for insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, intellectual property and business strategy. Hosted by Richard Gearhart and Elizabeth Gearhart, the show features industry leaders, investors, and founders who share real-world lessons on scaling companies, protecting ideas, building generational wealth, and navigating today's evolving business landscape. Visit https://passagetoprofitshow.com/ for the latest episodes, expert interviews, and resources designed to help you grow, protect, and profit from your ideas. Chapters (00:00:00) - Passive to Profit(00:00:26) - Canoe Fever: The New York(00:02:05) - How To Prevent Sunburned Pets(00:02:50) - SpaceX's IPO(00:03:39) - AI IPOs vs. OpenAI's(00:04:57) - In the Elevator With Ryan Stana and Joey Stiver(00:05:57) - The Decision That Most Changed the Direction of RWS Global(00:07:26) - Starting a Business as a Convicted Criminal Started a Business(00:08:07) - Decisions that Changed the Direction of Your Business(00:10:44) - In the Elevator With Ryan Stana(00:11:58) - What Makes for Great Live Entertainment?(00:12:49) - How To Start a Business on Broadway(00:15:15) - How World Wide Wills Global Hires Performs(00:18:15) - Employee Q&A(00:21:16) - Better Health Insurance for You and Your Family(00:22:16) - What Does a Day Look Like For You?(00:29:08) - Business Owners Roundtable: Using AI(00:31:10) - Are You Using AI in Your Business?(00:32:37) - Real AI Use Cases(00:34:54) - Debt Relief Hotline(00:37:20) - Bacardi Loses Again in Trademark Dispute With Cuba(00:40:37) - Bootstrapping a Billion-Dollar Healthcare Business(00:42:16) - What's Your Biggest Challenge? Starting a Business With No Capital(00:43:45) - Are You a Telehealth Company?(00:46:35) - Telehealth: How it works for patients(00:49:03) - Anti-Aging and Wellness: Glutathione In(00:50:34) - MonetMD CEO on the telehealth revolution(00:54:53) - Ron Platt on Starting a Divorce Association(01:01:24) - The Divorce Coaching Insurance(01:02:20) - How to Get Out Of a Divorce(01:03:25) - How to Get Child Support Back in the Money after Divorce(01:08:14) - Car Shield(01:09:35) - Noah Fleishman on His Best Memories(01:10:54) - Secret of the Entrepreneurial Mind(01:13:43) - Passage to Profit

Today I'm talking to Matt Gallant, co-founder of BioOptimizers, a supplement company generating $10M a month with a larger mission to help people live healthier for longer. Matt started with a simple realization: if he could get great at marketing, he could build a business in almost any category. That belief eventually led him into health, supplements, and BioOptimizers—but not without some hard-earned lessons along the way. We talk about the moment the business nearly fell apart, how Matt thinks about creating maximum customer value, timeless marketing principles, and the question he believes every entrepreneur needs to ask as markets get more crowded and customers become harder to win.   Watch on YouTube:     Let's Connect: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook

As if Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code weren't enough, today we talk about Claude Design which is a completely different thing.

Most engineering teams are still optimizing for the wrong thing. They chase the speed of code when the real bottleneck is the speed of context. Matt Watson and Eban Bisong, founder and CEO of Senvi, get into what actually changes when AI moves from a coding tool to a teammate.Eban has spent his career as a founding engineer, and his approach is hands-on: don't tell skeptical engineers AI works, show them, every standup, until the pushback turns into excitement. At Park DNA he built "RTD2," an OpenClaw-powered droid wired read-only into their data sources, Slack, and Jira. It answered support questions before an engineer could, created its own bug tickets, and joined meetings through Fireflies so nothing got lost. The lesson underneath all of it: record everything, because the team that captures the most context ships the right thing fastest.Matt also shares his own three-week rabbit hole with Claude Cowork, $8K in tokens, a fully rebuilt Full Scale website, a thousand dead blog posts deleted, and 200 more rewritten. They go a few rounds on why it's a bad time to be a coder but a great time to be a builder, why "good enough" is a real standard and not a cop-out, and why ownership beats asking permission every time.If you build software or lead an engineering team, listen now. And if you want to try Eban's voice-first AI journal, visit senvi.ai.⏱️ Episode Breakdown00:42 From Founding Engineer to Solo Founder01:52 Using AI as an Engineering Leader03:24 Building RTD2: An AI Teammate for Support05:27 The Speed of Context, Not Code06:11 Why You Should Record Everything08:59 Winning Over AI-Skeptical Engineers11:50 The AI Spectrum Across 80 Clients13:35 A Bad Time to Be a Coder, a Great Time to Build14:03 Why "Good Enough" Is Good Enough14:52 Human-in-the-Loop and Reviewing AI's Work16:28 Going All-In on Senvi19:01 Validating the Product With a Beta Group21:01 Bootstrapping a Truly AI-Native CompanyLinks & ResourcesConnect with Eban Bisong on LinkedInSenvi.ai - senvi.aiWhat Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025Subscribe to the Global Talent SprintFull Scale – Build your dev team quickly and affordablyIf you're trying to get your team out of the basement and into real product ownership, this episode is your playbook. Stop being a ticket factory. Build teams that think, create, and lead.Follow the show, rate it, and send this to someone who's still trying to do “real Scrum.” They need it more than you do.

Some projects stop making sense on paper long before the story is over. Mark O'Brien talks through bankruptcy, real estate risk, New York red tape, private equity, treehouses, 45 White Oak, and why the experience can still be worth chasing. Mark's website: https://buildmeabrownstone.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community:

Download your free personalized $100M scaling roadmap in under 30 seconds: https://www.acquisition.com/roadmap?el=yt-alex-486r&htrafficsource=youtube Many people stay broke chasing shortcuts. The wealthy play a different game. In this episode, Alex breaks down the four paths that create massive wealth and explains why nearly every billionaire follows at least one of them. From bootstrapping businesses to raising capital, the lesson is simple: wealth is about choosing the right game and playing it long enough.In this episode00:00 Four wealth paths explained01:44 Path #1: Bootstrapping a business with your own money06:25 Path #2: Raising capital and using other people's money11:31 Path #3: Investing in other people's businesses16:48 Path #4: Fund management and maximum leverage21:02 How to attract capital by finding exceptional dealsMore Value:Join The Live Scaling Workshop In Las Vegas: https://www.acquisition.com/o-vegas Download your free personalized $100M scaling roadmap in under 30 seconds: https://www.acquisition.com/roadmap?el=yt-alex-486r&htrafficsource=youtube Get the $100M Book Bundle: https://shop.acquisition.com/pages/100m-book-bundle Discover The Easiest Business I Can Help You Start (Free Trial): https://www.skool.com/hormozi Free Books and Video Courses: https://www.acquisition.com/training Follow Alex Hormozi's Socials:⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠YouTube ⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Acquisition ⁠DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026.