The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast with Wes Fang - Revealing the TRUE Stories Behind Entrepreneurship
The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast takes you behind the scenes and reveals the “truth” of entrepreneurship. Learn from some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs and CEOs — many whom you’ve likely never heard of before — on how they founded their businesses and turned them into multimillion dollar companies. These are real people, with real stories, making a real difference in the world.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Bryan Clayton, CEO and co-founder of GreenPal — an online marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been referred to as “the Uber of lawn care” and has been featured in Inc., the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and Time magazine. Clayton’s product is only seven years old yet boasts several hundred thousand platform users and is positioned to accrue $20M in revenue this year.
For Bryan, the thrill was never about mowing a lawn; it was about growing a company. And ever since he made his first $20 landscaping payday, he realized that, when it came to entrepreneurship, the grass was actually greener than other alternatives. On the podcast, Bryan explains his hunger and passion for growing businesses — a hunger that led him to sink 15 years into a business, only to sell it and go back to square one less than a year later.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I didn’t love cutting grass, but I loved owning my own business. And I loved watching my company grow."
“Whether it’s starting a business or growing a business or selling a business, it takes time. A long time. And it takes persistence and continuous effort."
“Setting small goals gives you a default bias towards action. You’re acting within your little sphere of influence. ‘Hey, I can hustle together 100 people. I can’t build a business on 100 people, but I can hustle them up. And I’m going to learn something, so that I can then get to 1,000.’"
“When starting a company, you go from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm."
“Owning a business — small, medium, or large — is a relentless feedback machine. It’s humbling when trying to start a company from scratch, but in a good way. It will make you a better person.”
“For me, entrepreneurship and business ownership is the vehicle for social mobility in this country. It’s the American dream… It’s also the vehicle to improve yourself as a person."
“We learned the hard way that, if you want to be in the tech business, you have to be able to build and distribute tech. You can’t outsource this stuff. You can’t even delegate it well unless you know how to do it."
“Get started on something. Get moving. Hustle up people to use what you’re building. Then talk to as many of them as you can. That will save you years of doing the wrong stuff and will increase your chances of success."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:06: Bryan speaks on his earliest exposure to entrepreneurship and how he grew a high school side hustle into a $10M business.
7:03: Bryan discusses the reasons why he decided to take up entrepreneurship, rather than pursue the “safe route” of a corporate position.
11:09: Clayton explains how he successfully scaled his first company to the point of acquisition.
14:42: Bryan describes his motivations behind deciding to sell his first company and shares some advice for anyone looking for a successful exit.
17:01: Clayton discusses his decision to pivot from a landscaping business to a technology company and the struggles of that transition.
21:22: Clayton describes the emotions felt and lessons learned after he essentially burned $150,000 on the first iteration of his company’s landscaping app.
25:49: Bryan walks through the company’s earliest days once his team created a functioning app.
30:02: Clayton speaks on the nature of doubt in entrepreneurship and how pivoting from a failed idea isn’t a bad thing, when necessary.
31:51: Bryan relives the day he knew that GreenPal was going to work.
35:07: Bryan shares some valuable advice that he wishes he’d known in his earliest entrepreneurial days.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Bryan Clayton
GreenPal
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Carl Allen, Co-founder at Dealmaker Wealth Society. Allen’s company, formerly Ninja Acquisitions, was born in 2012 to teach the ins and outs of buying businesses — and doing so with no money down, using some smart financial engineering. There are currently over 5,000 entrepreneurs using his acquisition model. Throughout his three-decades long career, Carl has enabled over 300 deals, exceeding $47 billion in total value. He has expertise acquiring businesses — both big and small — and even acquires some businesses of his own through his private equity firm, PROX Capital Group.
Carl is passionate about educating entrepreneurs on the financial resources available to them, as many aspiring business owners assume acquisition is out of reach. But, as he learned in one notable life experience, sometimes acquisition is as easy as signing your name on the dotted line. On the podcast, Carl shares some key events that drove him into and, ultimately, away from large corporations, and how his passion now involves helping others find — and acquire — their own passions.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“When you’re on Wall Street and you’re doing billion dollar deals, it’s all about financial engineering. When you’re buying a small family business, it’s more about psychology than numbers. Instead of money, most want a trusted, safe pair of hands that will protect their business, safeguard their employees, and take it to the next level."
"Do something that you’re truly passionate about. Once you’ve got that real purpose, it gives you all the fuel you’ll ever need to follow through. That passion pulls you towards that goal."
“Your mindset is like a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it gets."
“For virtually all of my life, every time I’ve gone into anxious situations, I think to myself, ‘Well, I’m never going to feel as scared as I did when [my father passed]. That’s the bar. Nothing’s ever frightened me as badly as that did."
“I believe that problems are gifts that make you grow."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:43: Carl reflects on how his journey into entrepreneurship was paved with birth and death.
6:56: Carl shares the funny story of how he found his way into mergers and acquisitions.
11:05: Allen explains how his father’s unexpected death gave him the drive that led to his lasting success.
13:44: Carl describes the importance of a strong and determined mindset — something that his father’s death gifted him when he was 15.
15:30: Allen further reflects on the birth of his first child and how that event gave him a hunger for something smaller than a large corporate career.
18:01: Allen shares the story of how his first deal as a solo business broker didn’t turn out as he had expected.
25:20: Carl reflects on some of the lessons he learned in his private equity firm’s earliest deals and how he’s now sharing this knowledge with thousands of other entrepreneurs.
29:46: Carl shares the motivations behind establishing his acquisition-training company.
36:19: Allen looks towards the future and casts a grand vision for making the business-buying process unbelievably simple for interested parties.
38:33: Carl encourages listeners to find and fight for their passions because life is too short to do otherwise.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Carl Allen
- Zero-Down Business Buying Secrets on Amazon
Dealmaker Wealth Society
- YouTube
Dealmaker Insiders
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Merrily Orsini, President and CEO at corecubed — a company that offers marketing services to home care and aging care businesses. Corecubed, which was founded in August 1998, has received countless awards for its work, including a mountain of Aster Awards for excellence in healthcare advertising. Orsini herself has also been personally recognized for her accomplishments, culminating in 2017 by a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
The secret to Merrily’s personal and professional success has been her remarkable ability to always think one step ahead. Or two steps. Or, honestly, ten steps. In the early- to mid-90s as Merrily was laying the foundation for her successful career, she was investing time and effort into incorporating technology into her processes — an investment that has paid off dividends in the long-run. On the podcast, Merrily explains her uncanny knack for keeping her eyes firmly planted on the future while she walks through her entire career journey, from past to present.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I’m always 20 years ahead of where I should be."
“I have the capacity to never really see things as they are today. I’m always seeing things positively and in the future."
“The talent is the reason why I started my company virtually, and that has maintained. I still look for talent. When geography is not an issue, you can find the best talent in the world."
“It doesn’t matter what your revenue is; what matters is your profitability."
“Today, we have more junior managers that are being trained, and that’s the key to being able to grow."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:17: Merrily walks through her earliest years and how her mother’s positive influence had a profound impact on her career trajectory.
8:10: Merrily explains how she began her first business and how being an early adopter of technology set her up for long-lasting success.
13:19: Orsini describes a moment in her entrepreneurial journey when she learned an important lesson about financial success.
15:54: Orsini explains the driving factor behind leaving her elder care business to start her next (and current) endeavor, corecubed.
18:53: Merrily discusses the idea behind starting corecubed and how she became a thought leader years before thought leadership was an actual marketing strategy.
28:06: Orsini shares some of the hardest lessons she had to learn in starting corecubed.
29:00: Orsini explains how she found her first customers and how these clients remain with corecubed to this very day.
31:38: Merrily discusses the time she knew that corecubed was beginning to be an autonomous business that could run on its own, apart from her hands-on leadership.
32:37: Orsini describes corecubed today and how the company has received an unforeseen boost due to the global pandemic.
36:14: Merrily shares some important advice for any company leader.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Merrily Orsini
corecubed
- YouTube
Help Choose Home podcast
- YouTube
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Geoff Hager, Owner and CEO at Big Elk Energy Systems. Based out of Tulsa, Big Elk is a premier manufacturing partner for the oil and gas industries. Big Elk has become a powerhouse since its founding in 2014 and has been named to the Inc. 5000 list three times. When the company debuted on the Inc. 5000 list in 2018, it ranked 123rd overall and was named the fastest growing manufacturing company in the United States. Big Elk is forecasting more than $100M in top-line revenue by 2024.
Before Hager’s company was making millions, it was bleeding millions. In fact, few companies rival the challenges that Hager met while getting Big Elk off of the ground. However, a not-so-small handful of seemingly divine interventions eventually got Big Elk off of the ground, kept food on Hager’s table, and allowed him to fulfill what he always felt was his life’s purpose — to successfully grow a business. On the podcast, Geoff spares no detail in retelling the incredible story of Big Elk’s origins and the inexplicable events that eventually built the brand.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“In the deep down depths of my soul, I felt like [entrepreneurship] was what I was supposed to do with my life. And despite all logic and everything that was being spoken to me by circumstance, I could not be convinced I wasn’t on the right path."
“Embrace the suffering. The furnace purifies. There are only lessons that can be learned in the fire. I didn’t only survive the fire — I came out a different man."
“When you work hard to create an environment where other people’s dreams come true, they are going to work hard to make your dreams come true."
“In the hard years, the people [at my company] believed that we were building something special. And that counted for a lot."
“There’s a difference between just taking a risk and being all in. When there is no safety net, it changes you and those around you."
“Since I knew I couldn’t continue to build growth at the company where I was, I began expanding my horizons, looking at alternatives including doing something on my own.”
“In a rural economy, the only business you have is repeat business … Treating your customers right is extremely important."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:18: Geoff retells his earliest exposure to entrepreneurship and what ultimately drove him into industrial engineering.
5:45: Geoff shares about his first job out of college and how he grappled with whether or not to follow in the “family business.”
9:36: Geoff explains his decision to leave his comfortable job and, after a “divine moment,” start something of his own.
13:34: Hager begins retelling the incredible story of the earliest days at Big Elk and how he liquidated his own 401(k) to start a business that may not get off the ground.
26:29: Hager describes a series of truly miraculous events that eventually led to the founding of his company in 2014.
32:00: Geoff shares about one seemingly miraculous event that happened after founding Big Elk that kept food on his family’s table when the business was hemorrhaging money.
36:42: Hager explains his motivation behind sticking with Big Elk, even in its darkest days.
41:18: Hager discusses Big Elk’s plans for massive future expansion and revenue growth.
43:03: Looking in the rear view, Geoff shares some wise advice around embracing difficult times and taking true risk.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Geoff Hager
Big Elk Energy Systems
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey — co-founders at Barefoot Cellars. Michael is also the former President and CEO of the company. Over the course of its 34 year history, Barefoot has grown into one of the fastest growing and award-winning brands in the global wine industry. It’s offerings have expanded from two simple red and white blends to a large variety of wines, champagnes, spritzers, and, most recently, hard seltzers.
If you’ve walked into any corner store, liquor store, or supermarket, you’ve come in contact with Barefoot products, yet the brand had a slow rise to global prominence. Michael and Bonnie were two young, ambitious business consultants who stumbled into an opportunity, sought to fill a market gap, and were too far in to turn back when things got really hard. The Barefoot story is an inspiring tale for anyone — entrepreneur or not — and this week, it is told in full.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Never waste a perfectly good mistake.”
“Integrity and partnership — those are soft-skills, which are really lost skills in this high-tech world we live in. People have forgotten. Yes, you’ve got to borrow $3 million for your application, but that’s because nobody likes you.”
[On the choice of whether or not to give up] “When you swim halfway across the English Channel, do you think about giving up and going back?”
“Don’t go into sales pitches and beat people up with features and benefits and pricing. They don’t buy your products; they buy you.”
“The backbone of entrepreneurial culture is a sales-oriented mindset where you’re constantly providing increased value and customer service for whatever customer you have, so that you get a reputation of being a hot mover and people stand behind your products.”
“Outsource everything that you possibly can, with the exception of sales, quality control, and accounting. Those are three things you must do in-house.”
“When you’re broke, you don’t have any choices except to scratch your head and look for the resources that are around you.”
“Because we were outsiders, we looked at things in a different way. And I think that kind of unharnessed us.”
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:08: Michael and Bonnie share the story of how they stumbled into the wine industry and how their initial ignorance of the industry worked to their advantage.
8:49: The two discuss why they ultimately decided to first start a wine business and share a best practice that greatly benefitted them in the earliest days.
14:26: The two describe their “first big move” in getting their wine sold and how a failed deal taught them valuable lessons and ultimately worked to their advantage.
22:11: Michael and Bonnie explain how they managed to produce a consistently good product, while dedicating the majority of their time to sales.
24:30: Michael and Bonnie explain why it was important for them to reinvest any “extra” money they had into business expansion.
27:25: The two discuss why it took seven full years for them to feel like the business had “legs” and how partnering with Trader Joe’s in the retailer’s earliest days was a positive and a negative.
29:02: Michael and Bonnie explain the unique dynamic they fostered with their production and distribution partners and why this type of relationship is a forgotten art.
36:31: The two discuss the top 3 characteristics that they believe made their brand successful and explain why outsourcing is important for businesses of all sizes.
38:14: Bonnie and Michael share about their latest venture in helping entrepreneurs preserve their founding stories.
40:03: The two distill their incredible story into a few pieces of sage advice.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey
Barefoot Wine
The Barefoot Spirit
- YouTube
- The Barefoot Spirit on Amazon
Business Audio Theatre
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Danessa Knaupp — Founder, CEO and Executive Coach at Avenue 8 Advisors — a boutique executive coaching and advisory practice. Avenue 8 clients include entrepreneur CEOs, non-profit Executive Directors and Fortune 500 senior leaders, and what once started as a one-woman-show has scaled up to a 14-coach operation. Danessa is also the author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Naked at Work, which proposes a new and better way of leading teams.
From her earliest days as a leader, Danessa stood out by bringing her true self to work — in letting down her guard and being open about her shortcomings. However, after finding quick success on the corporate ladder, a failure totally shattered her confidence. Now, once again, she’s using that openness about her successes and failures to find more success — through teaching other leaders to do the same. On the podcast, Danessa gets naked — naked about her wins, naked about her losses, and how she’s using both for the good of others.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I feel like we’re so focused on the doing in our culture that we often forget the being — being in a place we’re not comfortable or being in a way that isn’t what we would choose. Those things are just as important."
“Coaching is a practice. As a coach, I’m never telling you what I think you should do. I’m helping you see a world that’s different than the one that’s in your head."
“My advice to people starting out [in big companies] is to consider, ‘What meaning does this job hold for you? What purpose can you find in it?’ Then put all of your gas behind that and don’t pay attention to anything else."
“Don’t mistake the wax and wane — particularly the waning — of activity or the slowing of something you wanted for lack of progress. When I look backwards in my career, I see a consistent movement forward in my life."
“That’s sort of how I’ve crafted or curated my career — telling myself, ’This is the next thing that sounds interesting or compelling.’"
“If you want to be a coach, get real coaching credentials. The dirty secret of coaching is that there is no real regulation of it."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:44: Danessa discusses her lack of exposure to entrepreneurship as a child and how a corporate job out of college primed her for company building.
7:45: Danessa explains her mentality going into her first full-time role and why she believes her team outperformed expectations.
13:09: Knaupp gives some advice for anyone that is looking to thrive at a big company.
14:59: Danessa discusses the “x factor” that helped her climb the ranks at her first corporate job and what ultimately drove her to leave.
19:03: Knaupp describes the agony of her first real bout with failure and the one conversation that helped her put the pieces back together.
24:18: Danessa explains why she left a comfortable corporate job again to pursue a risky entrepreneurial career.
28:33: Knaupp discusses her first client and how his experience inspired her to keep building her business.
31:06: Knaupp shares some advice for anyone looking to start a career as a coach.
38:38: Danessa speaks on her book — Naked at Work — including how the book came about and what readers can expect from reading it.
40:48: Danessa shares some important advice about the ebbs and flows of company growth.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Danessa Knaupp
Avenue 8 Advisors
Host, Wes Fang and Curtis Sparrer of Bospar PR reconnect to discuss helpful tactics to successfully run a fast-growing, 100% virtual company.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Matt Curtis, the owner of Matt Curtis Real Estate. Though based out in the humble South, Matt’s firm is making waves nationally, having grown 2,000 percent in only 7 years. Matt’s now 65-person team of real estate all-stars sold 1,100 homes last year in its relatively small community, has landed the company on the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years, has been ranked as high as #33 on The Wall Street Journal’s Top 250 Teams in the Nation list, and has garnered countless local chamber of commerce awards.
Matt attributes his career success to the most unlikely trait imaginable — his introverted personality. In fact, according to the stereotype of a traditional salesperson, Matt’s career should’ve never gotten off the ground. But, as do many successful entrepreneurs, Matt took a different perspective and has experienced remarkable success. On the podcast, Matt walks through his entire career journey and digs deep on how he’s found a way to turn a perceived weakness into a profound strength.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“If you’re an introvert, use it to your advantage and really study the profession of selling. Because most people don’t take the time to learn basic selling skills."
“When selling, you first have to reprogram yourself. Oftentimes, the objections that you get are not objections from your clients but objections from your own head."
“I learned from a California university seminar that you can actually double your income every two years by reading an hour a day in your chosen profession. I took that literally. Every day, I was investing in myself. And you can see that in the growth of our company."
“You fire bullets before you fire cannonballs. We’re always testing new things, but we never want to try something that will break the business."
“Failures aren’t really losses. You win some; you learn some."
“The biggest thing with mistakes is — so that your team knows your human — just confessing them and admitting them. That makes you that much more personable as a leader."
“Success all comes down to learning and being a doer of what you learn.”
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:47: Matt discusses his earliest exposure to entrepreneurship and how he ended up in real estate.
7:23: Matt explains why he decided to leave his extremely lucrative sales job to move into a full time real estate career.
10:51: Curtis explains how he quickly became his real estate group’s top salesperson and how he was able to use his introverted personality to his advantage.
14:22: Matt discusses his rationale behind leaving his successful real estate job and starting his own agency.
17:01: Curtis describes the catalyst behind leaving his “solopreneur” lifestyle to build a team of real estate professionals.
20:08: Curtis discusses the opportunity and challenge that he saw in investing in others’ professional development.
21:51: Matt shares some practical tips for anyone exiting college with real estate aspirations.
22:53: Matt describes his most difficult challenges as an entrepreneur and the importance of discipline and restraint when growing a business.
26:24: Curtis explains how failure can be opportunity when taking calculated risks.
30:04: Matt looks back and shares some advice he wishes he would have known at the start of his career.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Matt Curtis
Matt Curtis Real Estate
Double your Real Estate Sales podcast
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Al Zdenek, Executive Vice President of Mercer Advisors and former President and CEO of Traust Sollus Wealth Management, which was purchased by Mercer in 2018 for $420 million. Prior to the exit, Traust Sollus managed more than 150 clients, and with the acquisition, Mercer now manages more than $12 billion in assets, with 29 national offices.
Those $420 million didn’t come easy for Al. In fact, his journey from startup to success is riddled with course-corrections. With pivots. However, because Al kept his eyes out for the opportunities that made sense and avoided every hot and up-and-coming trend, he became one of the top wealth advisors in the world. On the podcast, Al teaches us how to gracefully change directions in business, speaks to the incredible value of mentors, and so much more.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“To any young entrepreneur — surround yourself with really great mentors… You want people around you that are going to get in your face and help you. They’re not going to coddle you — they’re going to question you."
[On finding mentors] “You just have to ask. There are lots of people in business that want to help… All you have to do is realize you’re not the smartest person in the room. What you want in your room is people smarter than you."
“Entrepreneurs need to learn how to pivot. Your market will change. There are other opportunities that will come up. Don’t chase every nut out there like a squirrel. Chase the ones that allow your company to produce what’s leading to profitability and to the way you want to run it."
“I found my passion. I didn’t just want to be wealthy or whatever. I wanted to help people. I wanted the people who were having the same problems I did to either avoid them, or if they were in that, to recover from them."
“If you have a weakness or there’s something you don’t like to do in your business, get someone else that does that compliments you."
“If you’re not willing to be a risk-taker, you’re not going to be a great entrepreneur. I didn’t know I was an entrepreneur [at first]. I just knew that I liked risk, I liked challenge, and I liked people."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:07: Al retells how his young hunger for entrepreneurship turned into a career in wealth management.
6:44: Al discusses why he believes senior leaders in some of his earlier jobs were quick to see potential in him and decided to fast-track him up the corporate ladder.
8:32: Zdenek explains why he decided to leave his cushy jobs in corporate America to start his own company from scratch.
11:18: Zdenek describes the moment when he realized his company had real potential but shares some critical missteps that nearly tanked his business.
14:31: Al describes how he navigated his company through the recession and how this difficult time grew his character as an entrepreneur.
23:44: Zdenek discusses the importance of having smart mentors, especially when trying to grow a business as a young entrepreneur.
26:56: Al shares about some of his own mentors that helped guide his company through its growth.
31:38: Al discusses the events leading up to his company’s exit and the emotional toll that this event had on him.
35:36: Al gives some advice for entrepreneurs who are going through or are considering a company exit.
37:58: Looking back, Zdenek shares some practical advice for young entrepreneurs that he wishes he would have known from day one.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Al Zdenek
- YouTube
Mercer Advisors
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Paula “Pixie” Dezzutti, CEO and Founder of Local Choice Spirits — a business that prides itself on building award-winning liquor brands by helping others create, package, market, and sell their own unique concoctions. Pixie also uses her company as a platform to “pour it forward” and invest in community causes. Local Choice now boasts 50 unique labels, projects $10M in sales in 2020, and has been featured Inc., USA Today, The Huffington Post, and many other news outlets.
Pixie would be the first to tell you — her ultra-successful spirits company is not a passion project; it’s a purpose project. And she has no doubt that she’s doing what she was created to do and, because of that, failure isn’t in the cards. On the podcast, Dezzutti walks through her entire entrepreneurial journey, gives the full history of Local Choice — along with her many other projects — and encourages listeners to push beyond the passion and find purpose.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I talk a lot about the difference between passion and purpose. Passion comes and goes and flares and wanes … I’m very self-disciplined because I know my purpose. And my purpose, at its core, is to provide possibilities for people and to bring them together for celebration of life."
“[My business] is not a passion project; it’s a purpose project. The only reason I stay alive is because I don’t have to muster the passion. It’s my purpose that’s driving me."
“[As a kid, entrepreneurship was] just about bringing exciting things to people and trying to help them — consulting with them. It was relationship building for me."
“I look at time management as the management of your creative emotions during any given segment of space and physical reality on the planet. So I’m not managing the hour; I’m managing my creative energy in the hour."
“Don’t be attached to your future. Be present to what is and be in the moment. Love what you have right now because that’s truly all we have anyway."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:38: Paula discusses the birth of her nickname, Pixie.
5:26: Pixie shares the origins of her entrepreneurial spirit — a spirit which drove her to sell her first company at the young age of 18.
13:40: Dezzutti explains how, not being a drinker herself, she found her way into the alcoholic beverages industry and how this one company has now exploded into an empire.
20:05: Pixie shares some wise words on the difference between passion and purpose and why the latter of the two should be our driving force.
24:50: Pixie discusses why she chose to start an incubator company as a first foray into the alcoholic beverages industry, rather than taking the traditional road.
27:11: Dezzutti explains the inspiration behind her company’s first label.
29:33: Pixie describes why, from the get-go, she has been certain that her beverage company was going to be a success.
33:42: Dezzutti explains how the most difficult season she’s ever experienced in entrepreneurship is actually the present day.
36:29: Dezzutti shares some tips on time management, considering she balances her rigorous work schedule with raising nine children.
37:56: Pixie describes what has her most excited about the future of Local Choice Spirits.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Paula “Pixie” Dezzutti
Local Choice Spirits
Striped Pig Distillery
Skirt Magazine
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Mike Watts, a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and guest professor who is currently the Founder and CEO of LoveHandle and the President of Tree Stake Solutions. In total, Mike has six startup companies under his belt, including three consecutive multi-million dollar companies within the last decade, and has successfully exited three of those six, including one for over $6 million. Mike is also a dear friend and mentee of Shark Tank star Daymond John, is a 2-time winner of the Aggie 100 Award for fastest growing companies, and has been listed on the Fortune 5000.
According to Mike, the biggest risk you could ever take in life is not taking any risks at all because that’s what it takes to pursue your dreams. On the podcast, Mike tells us about his own journey — one filled with risks that paid off, with risks that nearly folded because his ego got in the way, with risks that gave him the fulfillment that a corporate job couldn’t. Along the way, he shares some advice on how we can all take smart risks — how we can identify those ventures that are worth pursuing, even when it means putting it all on the line.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“The biggest risk in life is to not take any. Because that’s the only way you’re going to see your dreams come true — if you push towards things where you don’t know the outcome."
[On starting his own business] “At the end of the day, my wife and I decided that, if we don’t take the risk now, we never will. We’re always going to wonder what would have happened. And, man, I’m so glad we made that decision."
“[When looking for products to invest in,] you’re looking for something that is relevant today and, more importantly, is going to be relevant in 5 years. Because that’s about how long it takes to really ramp a company up."
“Just because a product worked well in a certain way at a certain time doesn’t mean you’re just going to be able to repeat that."
“You sell a business — it’s a lot like selling a child. You’ve spent so much time and effort in nurturing this idea, then it’s accepted by the world, grows up, and creates a life of its own… Then you sell it, and a little part of your identity is gone."
“We’ve never raised any money, and we keep having to put some of our personal money into it. But I love the ability to say, ’This is ours.’ There’s not another investor out there that’s looking over our shoulders."
[On exiting] “It’s funny. You think, ‘Oh, I have all of this money.’ But if you don’t take it and redeploy it in intelligent ways, then what good is it for you?”
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:24: Mike speaks to the origins of his entrepreneurial spirit and why he decided to take a corporate job right out of college.
8:04: Mike describes his first gig as an entrepreneur and how that experience taught him many lessons that would carry over to his other ventures.
9:59: Mike talks about his first big gamble that turned into his first big exit — PivoTrim — and why he is thankful that he pulled the trigger on that risk, as opposed to the “safer” option.
16:11: Watts discusses the circumstances that led him to ultimately sell PivoTrim and how he used the money from the exit to reinvest in his future.
19:11: Mike explains how, post-exit, he dealt with feelings of despair and boredom and how selling a business is, in many ways, similar to selling one of your very own children.
21:09: Watts describes his two current companies — Tree Stake Solutions and the LoveHandle — and what to look for when making a decision to invest in a product.
26:45: Watts discusses how his employees stay motivated when their closest competitor is a powerhouse — ranked #2 on the Fortune 5000 with $50M in sales.
28:21: Mike explains how shoddy production and a wrong assumption about marketing the LoveHandle nearly tanked his business from the get-go.
32:21: Mike speaks to his partnership and friendship with Shark Tank star Daymond John.
34:43: Watts forecasts the future for his business and shares a piece of advice that he wishes he would have known from the start.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Mike Watts
The Love Handle
Tree Stake Solutions
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Kathleen Quinn Votaw — CEO and Founder at TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm that is redefining the staffing industry. Votaw’s long-term, robust approach to staffing has led to explosive growth for her company; from 2010 to 2015, her company grew from $200k in revenue to a whopping $2.4M. And, since 2015, her company has sustained multi-million dollar revenue and has been featured multiple times on the Inc. 5000 list, among many other places.
Life hasn’t been easy for Kathleen who, within the span of 60 days, had her firstborn child and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. And on top of all of this was added stress from a contentious job situation. However, through it all, Kathleen surrounded herself with positive influences who reminded her to believe in herself and, ultimately, helped her push through and establish her, now, multi-million dollar staffing firm. On the podcast, Kathleen walks through her inspiring journey and weaves in practical takeaways for entrepreneurs of all industries and walks of life.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“My motivation has always been to build a great life. It’s not about wealth; it’s about having the freedom to do what you want to do."
“There’s good debt, and there’s bad debt ... Debt has helped me grow, so it can be investment as well."
“If you put your people first — those people who help you grow and achieve your dreams — everything else will fall into place."
“If you just stop and listen, you’re going to learn ... You can learn so much, just by listening."
“There are so many people out there building a life by their definition, versus going to work as an employee. And there’s nothing wrong with going to work as an employee… But it didn’t fit me and my persona."
“It’s our choice to be happy. The only thing you can do is choose to be happy. And I choose happiness."
“Don’t be afraid of your light; let it shine bright … The risk in being afraid is not achieving your dreams."
“Sometimes people can see your strengths better than you can."
“The dinner table is a great place to build faith, to build love, to build a foundation of success for yourself and your family. And to teach each other what’s important in life."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:02: Kathleen describes how, as a young child, her family taught her to love well and be courageous and how she first found herself in the staffing industry.
5:24: Kathleen explains why the staffing industry held such an appeal for her.
8:38: Votaw shares her ultimate motivation behind building her own business inside of the staffing industry.
10:44: Votaw retells the difficult events that pushed her towards starting her own venture and discusses the importance of choosing happiness in difficult times.
14:31: Kathleen reflects on the days leading up to when she finally launched her own company and how her company experienced success in its earliest days.
19:07: Kathleen relives 2009 — one of her company’s most difficult years — and remembers one event that gave her hope in a hopeless time.
23:27: Votaw shares some lessons that she learned during 2009 that have allowed her to succeed and grow since that difficult year.
28:19: Kathleen explains how, in an extremely competitive industry, her company sets itself apart and has grown to the point of multi-million dollar revenue.
34:12: Votaw discusses her company’s future, including a recent, hot-off-the-press shift in her company’s direction.
36:47: Kathleen shares some valuable advice that she wishes she would have known when she started her professional journey in 1984.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Kathleen Quinn Votaw
- Solve the People Puzzle on Amazon
TalenTrust
- YouTube
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Katie Bouton, Founder & CEO of Koya Leadership Partners. Katie’s company is an executive search and strategic advising firm that matches top talent to mission-driven organizations, such as nonprofits. Bouton compares the growth of her company over the past 6 years to a rocketship, and the comparison is not a bad one. Koya is projected to rake in $20M in revenue this year, has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list, and has recently been identified as one of the 50 fastest-growing women-owned companies in the US.
For Bouton, the choice to experience rapid growth required a newfound trust in herself. For too long, Katie waited for others to make decisions for her, until finally she realized no one really knows what the “right choice” is — that, most times, you just have to pick a path and go for it. On the podcast, Katie relives her company’s incredible journey from $50,000 to $20M in revenue and shares some inspiring advice for entrepreneurs about the importance of confident decision making.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Stop looking for the right answer. Just pick one. Try it. If it doesn’t work, do something else."
“When I decided to really go for it, I just woke up one day and realized, ’Nobody has any idea what they’re doing. We’re all guessing. And we’re all failing fast and getting comfortable with risk.’ When I made that switch in my mind, everything really took off from there."
“I realized within the first few years that I could take a bunch of projects that would make payroll, but they actually took up a lot of time and were distracting from the thing I wanted to get really good at."
“I had no seed funding. I just had an idea."
“There came a moment where the business got big enough where I could no longer do the work myself or be very close to the actual product. That is a moment where every entrepreneur has to decide, ‘Am I running a consulting business, or am I running a business?’"
“If you’re an entrepreneur, one of the things you realize pretty quickly is that you will make a lot of mistakes. In the early years, I made the mistake of trying to do everything myself."
“The pressure of payroll and wanting to grow — it’s sort of a vicious cycle where you need money to grow and you need resources to grow. It can be a trap to keep taking the work that you know you shouldn’t take."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:08: Katie explains how she grew up around entrepreneurship, even though she wasn’t aware of it at the time.
4:16: Katie discusses how her focus shifted from PR and journalism to organizational development and the turning point when she decided to start her own business.
6:43: Katie retells the earliest days of the business, including her first goals, and describes how she landed her first client.
11:49: Bouton shares how her business gradually transitioned from end-to-end human resources to executive search and speaks on the importance of narrowing your business focus.
14:12: Bouton mentions some mistakes made as an early entrepreneur, including living under the pressure that she had to do everything herself.
15:36: Katie describes the external factors that drove her to hire her first employees.
17:07: Bouton explains how her company went from steady growth to explosive growth and the types of challenges and adjustments that had to be made in response to that growth.
18:55: Katie discusses the mental change that took place when she decided that Koya was going to be a fast-growing company.
20:14: Katie describes Koya in its current state and opportunities for future growth.
21:22: Katie shares some advice around making decisions fast and being willing to take risks.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Katie Bouton
Koya Leadership Partners
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Colin McIntosh, Founder and CEO at Sheets & Giggles, a bedding company that uses unique branding to drive sales for a unique product — sheets made from eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus sheets are not only incredibly comfortable but are also sustainable, requiring 96 percent less water to produce than regular cotton sheets. Colin’s unique brand and products have made his company one of the fastest growing businesses in America, and the train isn’t stopping any time soon. In fact, Sheets & Giggles just raised a seed round of $1.3M, which will be solely focused on expanding its team.
There’s much to Colin’s success, including his ability to grow a memorable brand and put in the long hours in his business’s earliest days. But for Colin, his success in business — and, frankly, his joy in life — can be traced back to his willingness to jump at any opportunity that presents itself, regardless of location. Thus far in his young life, Colin could probably be considered a nomad, having called 5 or 6 major metros his home. On the podcast, Colin recounts his journey as an entrepreneur and shares some secrets to his success, but ultimately, he encourages listeners to “take the swing” and walk through every door that opens, even if it means moving across the country.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“If you are able, I think you should be totally location-agnostic and chase the greatest opportunity possible… For me, it’s always been, ’This is the greatest opportunity. Let me take a big swing doing this.’"
“Customer service is the single most important thing that we do… Marketing and brand gets you the initial customer. And product and customer service is what brings them back."
“To differentiate yourself whenever you’re launching a crowdfund, you really need three distinct core value props… For us, it was this perfect storm of our brand, plus premium products, plus sustainability, plus an affordable price."
“The brand voice for any new company necessarily has to be the founder’s voice."
“Don’t try to please everyone all at once. We tried to expand our products too quickly."
“That’s what made [creating a bed sheets company] so hilarious to me as an opportunity — that we could do whatever the hell we want to. Literally anything would have been something that no one else has ever tried before."
“I think you’ve got to work yourself to the bone when you’re starting a new company. That’s how you win."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:56: Colin discusses how growing up in a family of entrepreneurs gave him a bend towards that career path, though he didn’t realize it at the time.
5:02: Colin explains how he ended up in Denver’s Techstars startup accelerator program and offers some perspective on taking advantage of every opportunity.
11:05: Colin describes his startup that was featured in the Techstars program and how his run with this company came to an abrupt end.
14:25: McIntosh reflects on the days just after being laid off and how the idea for Sheets & Giggles came to be.
16:35: Colin explains how the idea for his startup came about differently than many and how he proved his concept’s worth in its earliest days.
24:22: McIntosh shares his company’s unique selling point and the key to maintaining momentum coming out of a crowdfunding campaign.
26:41: Colin discusses the process of finding a manufacturer for his sheets.
32:39: Colin shares what he believes have been the keys to maintaining and growing his customer base.
37:47: McIntosh describes his company’s trajectory and how it has and will continue to experience remarkable growth.
40:24: Colin shares some advice on how to make the best moves for your business in its earliest days.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Colin McIntosh
Sheets & Giggles
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Ryan Wines, CEO at Marmoset — a creative services company that helps businesses and agencies discover and license music. Ryan’s team are experts at finding existing music or even creating original music to fit clients’ needs. Over each of its first 8 years of business, Marmoset had an average year-over-year growth rate of 30 percent and experienced almost zero internal turnover, which is a testament to the rich culture Ryan helped build. As one of the fastest growing companies in America, Marmoset was also featured as a 2018 Inc. 5000 finalist.
There is no denying Marmoset’s success since its founding in 2010, but Ryan would be the first to admit that he fell into a trap of prosperity. Because of its growth and increased revenue, Ryan grew content with the status quo, assuming that everything was fine within his walls, and it wasn’t until last year that everything came to a head. On the podcast, Ryan shares some advice around avoiding the success trap and the importance of always looking for ways to improve.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Continued year-over-year growth and profitability can definitely give one too much confidence… The reality is, no matter how successful your business may be or how much growth your experiencing, there’s never a day when everything is working. There are always opportunities for improvement."
“The blessing of failure is that it forces you to see what’s not working."
“There was just something about our timing and the cultural capital of the moment that opened some doors. And when the doors were opened, we just went to work."
“A really strong organization with strong values is like a magnet. You’re going to attract the people who align with your values really strongly. If people don’t align with your values, you’re going to repel them."
“There’s nothing stronger in B2B dynamics than real human-to-human communication."
“Always be learning. Listen, learn, and grow."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:06: Ryan reflects how his two grandfathers inspired him to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
5:36: Ryan discusses the events that eventually pushed him into the music industry.
8:29: Wines explains how his full-time ad agency job turned part-time and how being in this position alongside his other gig in the music industry primed him to start his current business.
11:14: Wines reflects on the founding of his current company, Marmoset.
14:56: Ryan looks back on how they landed their first big client and discusses the importance of relationship-building in the B2B services industry.
18:48: Wines discusses where he focused most in the earliest days of his business — building his client list or building his list of musical talent.
21:54: Ryan shares how his company was funded and how the future may look from a financial perspective.
23:03: Ryan describes one of the hardest lessons he’s learned in entrepreneurship, which involves never growing too comfortable with the status quo.
28:01: Wines discusses how his company is looking to better steward their resources by furthering good in their surrounding community.
30:08: Ryan ends the discussion by speaking on the importance of ongoing learning and approaching education with an open mind.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Ryan Wines
Marmoset
- Vimeo
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of Ajax Union, speaker, entrepreneurship coach, and LinkedIn expert. Ajax Union is a B2B digital marketing agency based in Brooklyn that specializes in SEM, SEO, social media, email marketing, marketing automation, and much more. Within 18 months of its founding, Ajax was one of the fastest growing companies in America, being ranked 178 on the Inc. 500 list, and, years later, continues to help brands grow. With Ajax’s sustained success, Joe has also started a company — Social Sellin’ — solely dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed.
While Apfelbaum always had relative success in his business endeavors, he never experienced uncapped success until he began investing in himself. As Joe puts it, the key to growing a business is growing yourself. Once he shifted from trying to run a series of “one-man-shows” to investing in himself and his team, he began experiencing success at scale. On the podcast, Joe walks through his entire journey, including his incredible personal transformation, and shares some of that great wisdom that he’s become known for.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“You can only grow your business as much as you grow yourself… So many people are winging it. It’s not a good strategy."
“The opposite of luck is strategy. The right strategy will save you a decade."
“If you identify your values and strengths, you’re going to have passion and purpose and you’re going to be unstoppable."
“For me, it was about making sure that I had a business, rather than making sure that I had a job. I went from being employed to being self-employed to being a business owner to being an investor, basically."
“The best place that I got the best clients over the past two years is LinkedIn."
“Don’t try to fix the problem. Find a solution."
“I was the entrepreneur that was running on adrenaline, and that adrenaline eventually ran out."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:10: Joe discusses his motivation for entrepreneurship — how, growing up, he saw his mom struggling to make ends meet and desired financial independence.
9:14: Joe describes his countless side hustles in his early career, including (but not limited to) an IT business, a graphic design business, a construction company, and a web design company.
15:34: Apfelbaum recounts the events leading up to the decision to close the doors of his side hustles to focus purely on his up-and-coming agency.
17:23: Joe explains how, in retrospect, although he was shifting his focus to one business, that choice was a low-risk decision.
19:03: Joe reflects on the turning point at his digital agency when the decided to shift their focus from many offerings to one offering — SEO optimization.
23:18: Apfelbaum discusses why his now SEO-focused company was able to grow to 1,100 clients in 6 years.
25:40: Apfelbaum shares why he burned out at his fast-growing agency and reflects on a turning point that changed his life personally and professionally.
27:20: Joe deep dives on the value of networking and how learning to network radically changed his business.
35:55: Apfelbaum describes how his focus has shifted from solely focusing on his company to helping other entrepreneurs succeed personally and professionally.
38:54: Joe gives some advice around investing in yourself.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Joe Apfelbaum
Ajax Union
- YouTube
Social Sellin’
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Abhi Lokesh, CEO and Co-Founder of Fracture, an innovative company that takes your photos and prints them onto glass. Fracture was founded in 2009 but found minimal success until a strategic marketing hire helped catapult the company into profitability. This year, Fracture is on track to generate $20M in revenue by year-end — incredible, considering the company first broke even just 5 years ago. Fracture’s growth has landed the company on the Inc. 5000 list and boasts a 3-year growth rate of 282 percent.
Abhi Lokesh understands that sometimes the best ideas are rooted in the most simple concepts, and there are few things more simple than the human desire to capture life’s moments. With the birth of smartphones, taking pictures has become even more a part of everyday life; however, printing those pictures has taken the backseat. On the podcast, Abhi discusses the story of how he sought to build a business, reinventing the concept of picture printing with his own unique spin, and shares some thoughts around playing the long game, living up to family expectations, the value of good marketing, and much more.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“One of the things that we really appreciated about Apple and were so inspired by is how they took control of every element of their experience… We wanted to do the same thing. We weren’t satisfied with just marketing the product. We wanted to build the product on our own."
“[Prior to our most successful years], we had hired people that looked like us — were young, were rookies at this. We felt like these were people we could enjoy being around. But that’s not what it takes to running a company. You need people who have experience. Who have the professional know-how in their various domains."
“We always just felt like success was around the corner. We were very good at convincing ourselves that we just needed to do one more thing [to experience lots of success]. It was sort of a positive self-delusion."
“I was seduced by what the conventional metrics of success were for the first startup, and they did not include profitability or free cash flow… After a while, the Kool Aid ran out for me. I realized that we couldn’t hold ourselves to the same metrics because we were a fundamentally different company than a Facebook or a Twitter.”
“Understand the value of patience. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Don’t ever believe it when someone says, ‘One day I had nothing, and the next day I had everything.’ There’s far more to it than that… Build your own timeline, and don’t rely on the timelines of others."
“The first couple of years were really tough. It was primarily because I honestly had no idea what I was doing… It was such a trial-by-fire experience. I felt like I was constantly being told what I was doing wrong by all of my mistakes."
“[Going to Swaziland] was such a surreal, seminole experience for me, to really get detached from everything I’d known and just think and talk out loud and ponder the question of, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’"
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:53: Abhi discusses his family dynamics, including the pressure he felt to succeed and the unique perspective he gained from having grown up all over the world.
6:23: Lokesh reflects on how he slowly convinced his parents that entrepreneurship held a future for him and tells the story of how Fracture was formed.
14:40: Abhi explains how his company eventually got funding — no small feat in the heart of the Great Recession.
18:27: Abhi reveals how long it took his company to break even, which flew in the face of his early dreams of fast success.
22:02: Lokesh describes additional funding his company secured and how those dollars were spent to grow his business.
24:13: Lokesh discusses how keeping a positive outlook on his business — that success was around every corner — helped push through the difficult years.
26:24: Abhi explains the turning point in 2014, where his company moved from break-even to rapid growth.
27:55: Lokesh reveals the surprising medium that’s most led to his company finding massive amounts of new customers.
34:23: Abhi discusses what’s next for Fracture, which involves remaining true to its original mission.
35:38: Abhi shares some final advice around playing the long game and not getting trapped in the lie of instant success.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Abhi Lokesh
Fracture
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Justin Howe, a serial entrepreneur and investor whose latest venture, HTeaO, is experiencing explosive growth, mere months after launch. HTeaO is a social, experiential iced tea franchise, featuring 24 different flavors of tea and a wide variety of healthy snack options. Since its launch a year ago, HTeaO has opened 6 stores, with 16 under construction and an additional 5 on the verge of breaking ground. Additionally, since it ventured into franchising late last year, there are 99 stores in various stages of development, between 48 different franchisees.
Justin understands the value of market research, and his decision to venture into an already saturated social beverage industry was a calculated one. But, at the end of the day, he also understands that, sometimes, you have to go with your gut, take a gamble, and see if the dice roll pays off. On the podcast, Justin walks through his personal story and focuses in on HTeaO, which is seemingly on the verge of greatness — all because of a little risk and a little research.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Go after an idea. Don’t be dumb. Listen to what the consumer tells you. But, also, go all in and make decisions that are based on what you believe will be successful. And get ready to fail a bunch."
“[Because of market testing], we didn’t take something to market that we thought would work. We took something to market that we had a hunch would work."
“We needed to blitz the market to become a real force. The only real option was franchising. And we love all of the people that this thing has attracted."
“I think the biggest problem entrepreneurs make is they don’t commit fully."
“A profitable business model is awesome, but in the growth stages, profit is very much secondary. We’re looking to build our teams and infrastructure and the ability to research products and the ability to understand marketing. The plan is to spend all of the money. And at some point, you’re going to have something."
“If you want to build something bigger than yourself, you have to build teams. And you’ve got to be willing to let your teams fail as they grow."
“If you’re not happy in chaos, you should probably stick to the one or two store, self-employed business model."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:07: Justin discusses how his immersion into a family of entrepreneurs shaped the person who he is today.
5:53: Justin shares about his first real business as a young adult — a snow cone stand owned by his stepdad that he ran from end-to-end at the age of 17.
8:15: Howe explains what drove him to pursue a degree in aviation and how he used that degree to build one of his first businesses.
10:06: Howe describes his current (and rapidly expanding) business, HTeaO, which is in many ways the Starbucks of iced tea.
11:10: Justin explains the odd jump from aviation to iced tea and how his iced tea company evolved from start to present.
17:11: Justin discusses why he decided to build an iced tea brand, when the social beverage market is already fairly saturated.
22:12: Justin shares the point at which his company decided to take the huge step in developing stores beyond Amarillo.
26:42: Howe gives some advice for entrepreneurs who are considering investing money and energy in a specific direction.
30:58: Howe discusses the biggest obstacle he’s had to overcome as the owner of a rapidly growing business.
36:19: Justin encourages entrepreneurs to be patient, especially in the early days of their businesses.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Justin Howe
HTeaO
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes chats with Danielle Roberts, Co-Founder of Boomer Benefits — a family-owned insurance agency, specializing in Medicare-related products. Danielle and her team are also educators, coming alongside those in need of Medicare products to help translate convoluted healthcare law into plain English. Boomer Benefits boasts hundreds of longstanding policy-holders, just hired its 50th employee, and is set to generate close to $10M in revenue in 2019.
Within the insurance industry, the sky’s the limit in terms of cash flow, but multi-million dollar success doesn’t come overnight. Instant gratification is a myth and, as Danielle discovered in the early days of her business, comparing yourself to those around you results in hopelessness and discouragement. On the podcast, Roberts shares her story of putting in the long hours to finally achieve 8-digit revenue and gives some solid advice around running your own race, achieving your own success, and not letting others sabotage your journey.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Run your own race… Put your blinders on and don’t compare yourself to other people… Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end."
“I always loved the pursuit of building something from nothing, and then being able to turn a profit on it."
“I bootstrapped everything in my business. I spent very little money getting my business off the ground. I did everything old school — the hard way. It’s the hardest, but it’s also the cheapest. Because you’re your own cheapest source of labor."
“A great way to get your business off the ground if you don’t have a big cash investment up front is to join an association with other people. Get to know the people in your industry that are already successful and see what you can learn from them."
“I always think to myself, ‘What’s the one thing that you can do to move the needle just a little bit tomorrow? What can I do today that’s going to put me in a better position next week?’"
“You can’t be afraid to fail because you’re certainly going to fail at stuff."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:01: Danielle highlights her earliest entrepreneurial efforts, including building a business at age four, selling earthworms to fishermen.
5:35: Danielle reflects on her disillusion with corporate America and the moment when she decided to pursue selling insurance as a career.
11:39: Roberts explains how she negotiated with her corporate job to scale down to part-time hours, in order to have steady income when getting her business off the ground.
16:12: Danielle discusses the easy and difficult aspects to moving into the insurance industry and gives some practical advice around getting plugged into a new industry quickly.
22:32: Roberts describes the importance of having a healthy self-talk and a solid mentor, especially in the early days of entrepreneurship.
26:39: Danielle shares how a failed partnership early in her career pushed her into the Medicare space, which is the focus of her current company.
30:50: Danielle discusses the importance of content marketing for her company and how they utilized these strategies before content marketing was even on the scene.
33:40: Roberts reflects on a strategic hire early in her business that helped her ease off the acceleration a little bit.
38:10: Danielle shares about her company’s office expansion, which is happening in the new year.
41:44: Danielle gives some sage advice around “running your own race” and not getting distracted by comparison.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Danielle Roberts
Boomer Benefits
- YouTube
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Pamela Giusto-Sorrells, President at Pamela’s Products. Pamela’s Products was founded out of a desire to offer tasty gluten-free cookies, in a time where these treats were nonexistent. Since its founding in 1988, Pamela’s Products has delivered on its promise and now features a wide variety of gluten-free comfort foods, including cookies, baking mixes, pancake mixes, bread mixes, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, and even Ramen noodles — a line which is currently rolling out.
Over her time as an entrepreneur, Pamela has made a habit of proving people wrong, most notably her father, who told her that a woman couldn’t possibly run their family’s baking business. She also surprised retailers, distributors and consumers, who all thought that delectable gluten-free treats were a pipe dream. But, on the podcast, Pamela explains how her passion for her product allowed her to push beyond the critics and beyond her own fears and trailblaze in an industry that simply needed some fresh baked ideas.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I’ve always thought that if my product tastes great, people will want to eat it. And it won’t matter if you’re gluten intolerant or if you just want a really great-tasting cookie."
“I like that I can put food on the market that people respond to because, again, that to me is the game. Will people like it? Because if they like it, then they’re going to buy it."
“When you’re struggling to pay your bills, you’re looking for the cheapest person that you can afford. If I had to do it all over again, I would be more interested in what [my hires] brought to the table, rather than how much they were by the hour."
“That was my biggest fear the whole time I was starting the business. It took me about 15 years, I think, to stop being worried that I wasn’t going to sell any cookies tomorrow."
“It doesn’t matter whether or not you have a problem with gluten; you can still eat [my cookies] and enjoy them… I kind of liked being able to ‘win the war,’ so to speak.”
“The thing that people don’t realize when they start a food company is that the recipe is the smallest part of it. You have to be a packaging engineer. You have to be a graphic designer. You have to understand printing, trucking, supply and demand, scheduling — and that’s just to produce product, not the selling aspect."
“Stuff happens in life. And if you’re going to be a manufacturer, you’ve got to be able to troubleshoot. You have to be able to play the chess game of, ‘I can move here or I can move there. Where can I best move the piece to get the job done?’"
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:24: Pamela discusses how organic food entrepreneurship is in her family line and recaps the events leading up to the founding of her brand.
11:06: Pamela explains how her idea for the business was brushed off by her father and how she found success when she took her recipes to a neighboring bakery.
13:17: Pamela discusses how the relationship with her father wasn’t strained because gluten-free cookies were only a small part of his business.
14:12: Giusto-Sorrells describes her earliest marketing attempts — mailing letters to distributors — and how he eventually landed her first big deal.
19:05: Giusto-Sorrells explains the driving factors behind why her business was attractive to the first retailer to take interest in Pamela’s Products.
23:26: Pamela describes how she was able to manage increasing demand for her products, which boils down to relationships and grit.
27:10: Pamela shares how her business was financed in the early days and how fears of failure dominated her thoughts.
29:22: Giusto-Sorrells explains how her love for her business and her product helped her press through fears in her early days.
34:37: Pamela highlights her company’s ever-expanding product line, which will even feature ramen noodles later this year.
37:49: Pamela shares some excellent advice around making smart hires — especially in the earliest days.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Pamela Giusto-Sorrells
Pamela’s Products
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Lonnie Schwimmer, Founder at Nootie pet products and “Big Dog” at KOHA Super Premium Pet Food. For years, Schwimmer’s brands have been lauded by pet enthusiasts for their superior products. Just this past year, KOHA was named one of the top fifty most healthy canned dog foods on the market. And its sister brand Nootie — which is best known for its pet shampoo — has been the recipient of Editor’s Choice awards by online animal enthusiasts and has found its way onto the 2018 Inc. 5000 list, having generated over $7M in revenue in 2017.
Lonnie is a firm believer in the quality of the products that he delivers, yet his “secret sauce” lies not in a shampoo bottle or a dog food can but in the relationships he's built over time. Lonnie would be the first to tell you that — yes — the old adage that “it’s all about who you know” is true. And that, frankly, younger generations are generally bad at leveraging those relationships. On the podcast, Lonnie stressed the importance of networking through recapping his own journey and, among other things, proves that success can be found by mastering the art of the relationship.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I think the problem today with texting and emailing that people don’t understand is that they should really be picking up the phone. Meeting people for a cup of coffee. Many younger people that I know of — they don’t pick up the phone. And it’s really bad."
“You don’t want to measure yourself against what someone else is doing. You can’t say, ‘I’m inadequate,’ or even, ‘I’m doing great.’ How do you live your life? And are you happy? That’s what’s really important."
“Part of being an entrepreneur is leveraging your relationships."
“I never thought I should throw in the towel, but there were times I thought it wasn’t working like it should. Quitting was never an option to me… If you believe in something, there’s a reason it makes sense."
“I made a critical mistake when I first started my business — I overthought everything."
“[When it comes to modifying an ailing product], it’s almost like you have to know how to take a loss. And some people don’t."
“I’m never again going to sell anything that I don’t understand."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:32: Lonnie describes how the career paths of his extended family teed him up for a lifetime of entrepreneurship.
5:11: Lonnie reflects on his career path leading up to owning his own business and the job that first showed him that he has a future as a salesman.
10:05: Lonnie discusses the importance of not comparing yourself against others.
14:46: As someone who has relied heavily on his network to build his business, Schwimmer shares some lessons that he has learned about when and how to leverage relationships.
17:15: Schwimmer describes how he ventured into the pet products space and how and why he gave up a successful business to venture into a completely foreign industry.
19:43: Lonnie reflects on the first days of his business and mentions one critical mistake that he made initially and, thankfully, course corrected.
23:32: Lonnie discusses whether or not he ever believed his company could fail and describes a key part of entrepreneurial survival.
27:10: Schwimmer highlights the three events whereby he knew that his company was destined to scale.
31:53: Lonnie describes what he may have done differently when first starting his business, which mainly revolves around pricing structure.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Lonnie Schwimmer
KOHA Super Premium Pet Food
Nootie Pet Shampoo
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Sassa Akervall, Owner and CEO of Akervall Technologies — a company known for producing ultra-thin, ultra-strong and remarkably comfortable sport mouthguards and night guards. Akervall’s sport mouthguard is highly respected, having become the official mouthguard of the US Mens’ and Women’s Lacrosse Teams, official partners with CCM Hockey Equipment, and more. At CES 2019, Akervall even debuted a smart mouthguard that measures head impacts. Akervall Technologies’ innovations have earned the company a trio of Inc. 5000 awards and a variety of other awards, including the 2019 Best Small Business of the Year by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.
However, despite its success, Sassa herself describes the company as a “fluke.” In fact, the signature mouthguard wasn’t even discovered until Sassa’s husband — an esteemed ear, nose, and throat surgeon — decided to repurpose a homemade mouthguard used in his operating room for their daughter’s use in her field hockey activities. On the podcast, Akervall recaps the entire story of how she and her husband stumbled across a great idea and were ultimately compelled to put their money where their mouthguard was.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“Don’t you think that’s an entrepreneur — when you do it your way to get where you want to go? You have to be a creative thinker."
“I’m incredibly proud of the fact that I’ve contributed to Michigan’s economy — and the U.S. economy, really. Coming from being an immigrant and just taking part in what this great country has to offer and then being able to give back in such a manner — it’s an honor."
“That’s how [my company] all started — by understanding that we had something on our hands that might help people and might be a cool journey. Which it still is."
“Surround yourself with people smarter than you."
“The people that you love and work with at one point in your career or in the business development may not be the right fit later on."
“We outsource everything, but our present manufacturer is literally across the street. It’s good to keep it in the neighborhood, right?"
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:01: Sassa describes her upbringing in Sweden and how she didn’t see entrepreneurship as a career path until later in life.
6:33:: Sassa discusses the inception of her company — Akervall Technologies — and how its birth was nearly a fluke.
8:28: Akervall explains how her company’s mouthguard is differentiated from competition and why people took to the product so well.
9:53: Akervall describes how her company’s sales picked up momentum and the events leading up to selecting its first main target audience who remains loyal to this day — roller derby.
11:41: Sassa reflects on her company’s earliest days — outsourcing manufacturing but handling packaging from her kitchen floor.
16:21: Sassa discusses the events that forced her company to start scaling up.
19:00: Sassa explains how her company’s mouthguards went from being sold at roller derby events to eventually being carried at retail stores.
24:31: Akervall shares the pride she feels in seeing how far her company has come and highlights the biggest “win” for her company that she most enjoys celebrating.
25:30: Akervall gives a trio of good tips that she’s learned on her personal entrepreneurship journey.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Sassa Akervall
Akervall Technologies
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Shanda Sumpter, Founder, CEO, Business Coach, and Speaker at HeartCore Business — an entrepreneurial training company offering a step-by-step system to build a profitable company and achieve a free and flexible lifestyle. HeartCore’s core concepts are built upon principles that Sumpter picked up from her explosive 9-figure real estate career — that successful businesses are started by putting the audience first — and HeartCore’s proven methodology has gained the company notoriety and has landed it on the Inc. 5000 list.
HeartCore is a business built around Shanda’s unique journey from struggle to success — from drug addiction and near-poverty to a free lifestyle with a thriving multi-million dollar business. But, fascinatingly, Shanda’s career took off when she decided to venture down a path that didn’t appeal to her at all. On the podcast, Sumpter lays out her fascinating story of finding satisfaction and success on an unforeseen road and provides a heavy dose of the entrepreneurial tips and tricks that she has since become known for.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I was all about what I didn’t want to do — which is what a lot of people face when they’re moving in the right direction. The steps you have to take through those moments of resistance are the doors.”
“Don’t worry. It’s all going to come together anyway. As long as you’re not a quitter, it comes together."
“If you’re not playing a game that you’re afraid of, you are wasting time in your life. Because that edge is what wakes us up. That edge is what shows us what we’re made of."
“If you’ve got lots of volume and lots of traffic, info-products — as far as advisors, coaches, consultants — are amazing… But if you want to make a lot of money, you have to really start with a high-ticket something."
“Our goals are just bait. It’s God’s way of baiting you into your biggest legacy. If you read into what’s beyond that goal, that’s the place that everyone is trying to reach."
“[In the coaching industry], you really need to control your buyers, control your traffic, control your audience. When you control that flow, then you just create products that they want."
“Meaning is hard to find because most of us are a lot more self-centered than we think."
“I have a goal right now to fail 19 times for 2019."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:50: Shanda explains what drove her towards entrepreneurship and describes how her definition of “entrepreneurial freedom” changed as her career matured.
5:40: Shanda describes her “breaking point,” where she decided for certain that a corporate job was not the path for her.
8:54: Sumpter reflects on an important spiritual moment in her life that pushed her onto a career path that she initially didn’t want to take.
13:20: Shanda looks back on how she acquired her first clients and provides some advice on how to build an audience in the coaching industry.
16:06: Sumpter discusses why she relies heavily on email marketing, rather than social media marketing.
18:25: Shanda describes the inception of her company’s name — HeartCore Business.
21:23: Shanda discusses her company’s service to entrepreneurs and offers some perspective on goal setting and how our goals often come up short of what they should be.
27:05: Shanda gives some perspective on failure and how, specifically, the risk of failure gives entrepreneurs the “edge” they need to thrive and succeed.
31:44: Sumpter shares the biggest learning lesson she’s picked up throughout the lifespan of her company.
34:18: Sumpter shares one last piece of advice that she wishes she would have known at the beginning of her career.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Shanda Sumpter
HeartCore Business
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Chad Brodsky, Founder and Owner of City Brew Tours — a beer tourism company that offers daily all-inclusive behind-the-scenes brewery tours complete with round-trip transportation. City Brew Tours is currently featured in 9 metropolitan areas, showcasing over 85 breweries nationwide, and is in the process of deploying a franchise model. Last year, Brodsky’s company entertained and educated over 20,000 beer connoisseurs, which landed his company on the Inc. 5000 list.
Being willing to put up with the grind of entrepreneurship starts with a passion for your product. And no one is more passionate about beer than Chad Brodsky. On the podcast, Chad explains where that love of quality craft beer started and how this love intersected with his existing passion for entrepreneurship. Chad also speaks to what’s necessary for a company to scale, the importance of finding a partner that counterbalances your weaknesses, and much more — all for the love of beer.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I can’t tell another entrepreneur enough times — even if they think they don’t have the money, I’m sure they have the work to delegate. This will allow you to, then, get your head out of the business and think about working on the business."
“Finding those people that balance out what you’re not good at or that you struggle with… Finding those partners that will compliment you. This really will grow your business significantly."
“When you see a person that’s putting in more effort than they need to be, and they’re sharp. And they’re looking for ways to grow your business. Those are the people you want to keep around. Those are those A-players that are going to make differences in your business."
“I learned that you’re in a relationship when you have partners and teams. If that’s not a healthy relationship, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. You’re not going to succeed."
“I was able to teach others how to give a great tour experience. And that allowed me to start focusing on building the business and not be in the business, which I think is one of the most important things to be aware of as an entrepreneur. You’ve got to get out of the business in order to grow the business."
“I’m not content. I’m always trying to figure out the next opportunity or the next way to grow the business."
“The thrill of entrepreneurship is that I can choose my own destination. I can dictate what I want to do. If there’s an obstacle, same situation — I’m going to find the way to overcome it. So if there’s an opportunity, I’m going to find a way to benefit from that opportunity."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:48: Chad describes how his entrepreneurial hustle started from a young age and explains why he finds entrepreneurship thrilling.
5:45: Chad explains how studying abroad led to the inception of City Brew Tours.
9:47: Brodsky reflects on his first brew tour ever and how he honestly never intended the business to grow and scale like it has.
13:00: Brodsky looks back at the decision to eventually start working on the business full-time, after four years of City Brew Tours being a side hustle.
14:45: Chad shares about his first year, which included lots of guerilla marketing tactics.
17:33: Chad reflects on his expansion from Burlington, VA to Boston and shares about the importance of building out a team to delegate responsibility and more easily scale.
23:25: Brodsky speaks to the importance of his beer guides and lays out what he looks for when hiring one of those.
25:46: Chad explains how a key hire freed him up to scale the business much more quickly.
29:24: Chad speaks to his differentiation from other beer tourism companies.
31:37: Chad highlights the importance of having a solid business partner to counter your weaknesses and explains what is currently keeping him up at night.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Chad Brodsky
City Brew Tours
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Ilana Zivkovich, Co-Founder and CEO of WERQ — a leadership-advisory firm working to “to fuel the development of top-caliber teams who deliver real results.” WERQ clients come from a wide array of industries, including real estate, private equity, CPG, healthcare, higher ed, and more. Zivkovich is also an experienced executive, certified executive coach, and licensed mental-health professional and is known for her exceptional public speaking and coaching abilities.
Ilana’s journey to owning her own company is fairly unconventional, even by entrepreneurial standards. While she grew a taste for entrepreneurship from a young age, Ilana studied social work, out of a desire to help people. But through executive coaching and leadership development, Ilana discovered that these two loves could become one. On the podcast, Ilana walks through her whole journey, from gaining a hunger for entrepreneurship to her rapid rise to executive-level success to the culmination of her life’s work — WERQ.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“What is the big picture?… And what am I going to do today that’s going to be the most important thing in getting me there?"
“[You have to ask yourself], what is most energizing? And what is most draining? Chances are, if it’s draining, it’s not going to be the thing that takes me to the next level anyways.”
“All of my failures happened exactly as they needed to, so that we can learn and continue to grow.”
“My success is from surrounding myself with people who are better than me, all the time."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:52: Ilana discusses early influences in her life that drove her towards entrepreneurship, including seeing the freedom her father gained from self-employment.
4:19: Zivkovich retells a single, formative event that took place after college graduation that ended up pushing her in the direction of executive coaching.
6:59: Ilana shares the emotions of sitting around a table, as a young 22-year-old, with other older members of senior leadership.
8:40: Ilana discusses how her company — WERQ — came to be and speaks about her company’s energizing first engagement.
11:46: Zivkovich explains how the generosity of an angel investor helped shift the direction of the company to working full-time with C-suite executives.
14:36: Zivkovich shares how she prioritizes one opportunity over another, though admitting that this activity does not come easy for her.
16:16: Ilana walks through the struggles of finding her first client and mentions the point when she realized her company was beginning to scale.
18:52: Ilana describes how her company was confident of its success from the beginning, though unsure of what form that success would take.
20:48: Ilana spends some time reflecting on past mistakes but now views these mistakes as opportunities to grow.
23:08: Ilana discusses dreams of radical expansion for her company and leaves the listeners with one final piece of advice.
Bulleted List of Resources —
Ilana Zivkovich
WERQ
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Yasmin Kaderali, CEO of Mommy’s Bliss — a consumer products company whose mission is to help moms bond with their babies by creating effective products with wise ingredients. While Mommy’s Bliss has been the Kaderali family business for 20 years, Yasmin’s run as CEO has lasted only a third of that time. Yet, since taking the helm in 2012, Mommy’s Bliss has experienced monumental growth, reaching the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2013 and achieving 6-Time Inc. 5000 Honoree status. Mommy’s Bliss now sells a stable of products, featured in some of the world’s top retailers, and supports The Mommy’s Bliss Foundation, which partners with global organizations to support infant and maternal health.
But taking Mommy’s Bliss from good to great was a painful journey for Kaderali who, when stepping in as CEO, had to make a series of tough decisions, including the decisions to cut much of its product line and to even remove her own father from leadership. However, on the podcast, Yasmin discusses how, paradoxically, businesses often have to shrink in order to grow and shares wisdom regarding leadership, feelings of insufficiency, strategic innovation, and much more.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I think that, as you get bigger, the expectation is that not every product you launch is going to win. And that’s okay."
“Don’t be afraid to do things your own way as a leader… Don’t be afraid of being your own person and letting go of any stereotypes that people have. And be vulnerable with your team."
“I think my one biggest mistake was having a really good product idea and thinking that that was enough to make it a bestselling product."
“My main focus was — how do I build an innovation strategy with not a lot of cash and not a big team. And [I realized] that I need a strong team. That’s where the gold is. Smart people that are fun to be around. We work well together. If you have the smartest, most friendly people in a room, you can do a lot."
“Looking back and thinking, 'Oh my gosh. I’m a CEO. I’m supposed to know all the answers and lead this team.’ It felt very scary and lonely. But if someone had just said, 'You’re cool. Just do it your way. Trust your intuition. And be yourself.’ That’s how you engage with people. That’s how people trust you, and you build relationships in a business setting that are valuable."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:00: Yasmin gives a brief history of how her family came to found Mommy’s Bliss and describes the product that was the company’s anchor product for some time — “Gripe Water.”
5:54: Yasmin discusses how entrepreneurship has always been in her DNA and provides examples from her life which prove this to be true.
6:47: Kaderali shares her background prior to joining Mommy’s Bliss and how it was never her plan to join the family business.
8:17: Kaderali describes the state of the business when she joined the company and tells why she decided to step in as CEO.
10:25: Yasmin discusses the pains of business expansion, which included cutting off some of the product portfolio and firing her own father.
15:22: Yasmin speaks on how her family’s business became profitable, even without receiving outside funding.
18:25: Yasmin describes one of the biggest mistakes she ever made and the lessons learned from that failure.
21:12: Kaderali gives a current “state of the company” and looks towards the future, including some new product lines in 2020.
22:12: Kaderali discusses how she wasn’t a mother when she first became CEO but now, as a mother, she has a new perspective on the pain points and needs of moms.
23:52: Yasmin shares some helpful advice on how to lead well, even when you feel in over your head.
Bullet List of Resources –
Yasmin Kaderali
Mommy’s Bliss
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with David Simnick, CEO & Co-Founder at Soapbox and Managing Partner at Impact Driven Brands, which is the parent company for both Soapbox and Bushwick Kitchen. Soapbox features a variety of nourishing hand soaps, body washes, and shampoos. For every product sold, a bar of soap is donated to someone in need and is often paired with proper hygiene education. To date, over 3 million lives have been impacted by Soapbox purchases. Bushwick Kitchen features a collection of hot sauces, all locally sourced near its headquarters in Brooklyn, NY.
Simnick’s story is remarkable. Soapbox products, which started from a college student’s kitchen only 9 years ago, will be used by over 500 million people in 2020, through hotels, fitness centers, WeWork offices, and other establishments. And this number doesn’t include actual sales — Soapbox products are available for purchase in over 100,000 different points of distribution across the US. Yet, David would be the first to tell you that the sales are secondary — his passion is saving lives, which is literally what his company is doing every day. On the podcast, David retells his company’s incredible 9-year run — and lessons learned along the way — and discusses why and how he’s using business for good.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“You want to know what gets me out of bed in the morning? I do not know their names or their faces, but I know that — without a doubt — between the efforts that our team puts together here and, most importantly, the consumers that love our products and continue to purchase our products, we have saved lives."
“There is no shortage of capital in the world. There is a shortage of great places to invest that capital. It is your job to bear through all the no’s in order to find the right type of values-aligned smart money that is going to help you build this mission."
[In entrepreneurship], it is on you. Both the failure and the success. How hard do you want to work? How long do you want to stay up? How fast do you want to push yourself and others? That is on you… And you have to be super comfortable with failure."
“How we do what we do really genuinely matters. And I think what’s really fascinating is that we don’t tell that story well enough. But our consumers are making a difference, and that is truly special."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:56: David retells his earliest memories of entrepreneurship and how his mother taught him from a young age how to do business for good.
5:45: David discusses how he wrongly equated entrepreneurship with government and how, after a couple of internships, he realized that public service wasn’t for him.
9:20: Simnick highlights some mistakes and failures he experienced en route to establishing his current portfolio of brands.
14:17: David lays out the events that led to the founding of his first brand — Soapbox.
18:00: Simnick discusses how he found his first product buyer and how, after 8 long years, his products are now in 100,000 points of distribution across the US.
25:55: David reflects on four different occasions where he thought failure was imminent.
32:21: David highlights the exciting future for his brands and spends time discussing why, specifically, he takes great pride in his products.
36:06: David shares some advice for current and aspiring entrepreneurs, including the importance of resiliency.
Bullet List of Resources –
David Simnick
Soapbox
Bushwick Kitchen
- Company Website
- Amazon
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This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Jenelle Coy, Founder and Managing Partner at SPERO — an agency that provides solutions for both government agencies and private enterprises through both workforce personnel and digital strategy. Clients include RCA Records, Proctor & Gamble, the State Department, and many more. Last year, SPERO accrued $17MM in revenue and was recently recognized by the Capital One and Women Presidents’ Organization as one of the top five Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies. Additionally, Jenelle has also been featured on the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Marketing and Advertising and was a recipient of the Minority Business Leaders Award from the Washington Business Journal.
For Jenelle, curiosity is king. Curiosity and innovation are the foundation upon which her firm has been built — a “cross-industry, cross-sector” agency that can take lessons learned from one industry and apply them in a completely different setting. On the podcast, Jenelle walks through her journey as an entrepreneur, how her drive and willingness to ask for work opened many doors, and lessons learned as a 26-year-old entrepreneur, now running one of the fastest growing companies in America.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I think my call to action is to, in whatever way you can, continue to fuel your imagination and your curiosity. And don’t stop asking questions. Don’t stop thinking outside the box. Because that’s truly what takes businesses and other things to the next level."
“We’re not trying to be the biggest company in the world in the next 10 seconds. What we’re trying to do is make an impact and do something that really matters."
“I beat [imposter syndrome] by being prepared at all times. There are going to be people who just flat out don’t like you… They just don’t like the fact that you’re young and that you’re here... Those aren’t things you can control. What you can control is your response to their questions."
“[Imagination and creativity] is the number one quality we look for when we’re hiring. It’s folks that can think outside of the box."
“Leadership is not about having all the right answers. It’s about asking the right questions."
“Our competitive advantage is that, as a firm, we’re hired because we have our hands in so many different industries, and we’re able to cross-pollinate ideas between mutually exclusive industries. [For example], we’re able to take things that we learned in state department contracts and apply them to an album release."
“Age isn’t a prerequisite when we’re hiring. What’s a prerequisite is creativity and curiosity."
“Staying fresh and staying on top of what’s new is how we’re able to not only attract clients but attract really great talent."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
3:19: Jenelle reflects on how she inherited her entrepreneurial drive from her parents and explains why she ultimately decided to study communications in college.
6:57: Jenelle discusses her first gigs as her college career ended and how specific lessons and tools acquired from these opportunities are still in practice today.
10:48: Coy explains how her enthusiasm and determination landed her one of her first roles — a role which, in many ways, set the trajectory of her career.
13:43: Jenelle explains how, after returning from a contract job in New Orleans, she organically developed into a micro-sized firm.
16:18: Jenelle describes how one of her first huge contracts came about and reflects on some important lessons that she learned from this high-profile government assignment.
18:38: Coy explains her company’s recent, explosive success.
20:19: Coy describes the events that led her to acquire another company and how this acquisition offers competitive advantage for her firm.
24:45: Jenelle offers some great advice for hiring new employees and highlights one test of creativity that she implements in every interview with prospective talent.
27:57: Jenelle discusses how, as a young 26-year-old running a fast-growing company, she overcomes “imposter syndrome.”
29:40: Jenelle describes her company’s current state and where it’s looking to go next.
32:00: Jenelle closes the conversation with some practical advice for entrepreneurs around defining your terms and “sticking to your guns” on the things that matter.
Bullet List of Resources –
Jenelle Coy
SPERO
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Ryan D’Aprile, Founder of d’aprile properties and Midwest Lending Corporation. Since its founding in 2010, d’aprile properties, a real estate brokerage which operates in various markets throughout the Midwest, has experienced monumental growth and now employs over 50 full-time employees and nearly 500 real estate agents. D’Aprile is an entrepreneurial maven; between his real estate brokerage and his mortgage business, he accrued nearly $20MM of revenue in 2018.
Ryan’s industry is one where, if you are good, you can be bought. In money markets, real estate agents are snatched up left and right by the companies with the deepest pockets. But Ryan chose a different strategy. On the podcast, Ryan discusses his life, his journey and his passion for real estate but also speaks on his love of taking young talent and making them great. Through Ryan’s coaching, he’s not recruiting producers; he’s making them. And through those producers, he is building an empire.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“There’s a lot of comparing out there. As entrepreneurs, we canvas the area and see what’s going on with people. But you’ve really got to dig deep and find out what’s the real story. Everybody — every company — has an interesting story and a different value proposition. Ours is that we don’t recruit top producers. We make them."
“You have to be committed to the grit and the grind. That’s really what it comes down to. How badly do you want it? And can you just keep grinding it out? Because a lot of people can’t."
“Be patient. Play the long game. Don’t play the short game. And whatever you do, be careful on how much you compare yourself to others. Because everyone has their story."
“I’ve made a decision to build something — and build something great — over a long time, but I’ve had those moments of doubts… There’s a lot of sacrifice that goes into building something like this."
“Failure was not an option. It never is an option. Business is such an adventure — a game. Yes, I fail. I fall on my face all the time. But, to me, that’s living. And I wouldn’t want to have it otherwise."
“We overestimate what we can achieve in a year. We underestimate what we can achieve in a decade."
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
2:39: Ryan shares about his journey into entrepreneurship and real estate, which he started at a young age learning from his parents’ grit and drive.
3:53: Ryan elaborates on how he initially learned about purchasing properties and how this lucrative side-hustle eventually turned into his full-time gig.
11:07: Ryan discusses his perspective on failure and whether or not he would have considered dipping out of real estate, were it to ever get too difficult.
12:55: D’Aprile, surprisingly, reflects on the late 2000s housing crisis in a positive light, which is when his business really began to expand and take off.
17:05: Ryan explains the difficulty of making the shift from real estate agent to real estate broker owner and discusses how making the decision to build something great is never quick or easy.
19:19: D’Aprile discusses how he never thought failure was a possibility for his business.
22:34: Ryan reveals the key for his company’s success and explains why comparison is the thief of joy — especially when building a business in the real estate industry.
24:55: Ryan discusses his company’s co-CEO model and how the two CEO dynamic practically works out in the day-to-day.
27:00: Ryan discusses the future of his business, which involves even more real estate coaching and even more expansion.
29:56: Ryan fits a wealth of good entrepreneurial advice into a couple of minutes, including some practical and motivational wisdom around what it takes to build a business.
Bullet List of Resources –
Ryan D’Aprile
d’aprile properties
Midwest Lending Corporation
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Bill Clark, CEO and Founder at MicroVentures. Founded in 2009, MicroVentures is a full-service online platform that enables the public to take part in venture capital investments. With as little as $100, users can invest in a wide range of startup opportunities. To date, Clark’s company has raised over $200M on the platform from 110,000 investors, for over 250 different companies. MicroVentures has also been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.
Clark’s own story is a lot like investing — a tale of luck and risk. On the podcast, Clark shares how he believes his company’s success is largely because he entered the market at the ideal time, in the ideal economy. Yet, on the opposite side of that coin, Bill is brutally honest about the fears involved with starting a business, including his hesitancy to involve any friends and family because of the risks involved. But, as it goes sometimes when investing, Bill’s willingness to take a risk paid off, and he’s here to share any smarts he’s picked up along the way.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes chats with Daniel Marcos, Co-Founder and CEO of Growth Institute — the premier online training company for mid-market businesses across the globe. Growth Institute’s educators include thought-leaders such as Verne Harnish, Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Brad Smart, and many others. Since 2011, Daniel’s company has trained 40,000 global executives, representing 10,000 companies headquartered across 64 countries. Prior to Growth Institute, Marcos was a CEO coach and serial entrepreneur.
However, leading up to his current success, Marcos has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. On the podcast, Marcos details his incredible run as a CEO in his mid-20s, scaling a business from four friends in a coffee shop to 1,200 employees within three years. Yet, only six years later in the midst of a recession, Marcos lost everything. Now, Daniel has found joy and success in using his story to keep others from making his same mistakes and is truly using his own pain for others’ gain.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Ben Herman, CEO and Co-Founder at Mad Fish Digital. The Portland-based Mad Fish Digital is a digital agency that takes pride in quickly adapting to new technologies in order to best partner with some of the nation’s most forward-thinking brands. Mad Fish has been featured on several prominent lists, including the Inc. 5000 (multiple times), “The Fastest Growing Private Companies in Oregon,” and many more. In 2017, Mad Fish raked in $2.4M in revenue and has clocked in a 3-year growth rate of 176 percent.
Ben’s decision to pursue entrepreneurship was a simple one, having had this desire from a young age. However, on the podcast, he reveals that the biggest inflection point in his life came when he and his wife decided to scale Mad Fish beyond a simple lifestyle business. Having stumbled into digital marketing as a hobby and been in practice for several years, Herman discusses the difficult shift from practitioner to CEO and, even after a full decade since his company’s founding, describes the transition as “a constant work in progress.” Yet the risky decision to scale has paid dividends, as the company’s growth has been nothing but positive since day one. The full story — and the secrets to success — this week on the podcast.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes dialogues with Jay B. Sauceda, Founder (and self-proclaimed “Chief Texan”) at Texas Humor — an “all-things-Texas” content creation platform that has gained an excess of 2.2 million combined followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In fact, the incredible success of Texas Humor led to the creation of Sauceda Industries, which is the umbrella company for Jay’s Texas Humor social channels, advertising platform, creative services agency, and retail store and for his e-commerce logistics and fulfillment company. Jay is also a recognized professional photographer, with his most recent project — Texas From Above — being featured as a cover story in Texas Monthly, published as a book by the UT Press, and displayed in the Bullock Texas State History Museum until mid-2019.
In the podcast, Jay lays out the incredible journey of Texas Humor from its start until now but goes back even further to explain what caused his early leanings towards entrepreneurship. He discusses the sudden rise of Texas Humor, whose content was generating $40k in revenue by the third month of operations and explains how these social channels led to the eventual founding of his retail store and logistics company. Jay has a unique perspective, having operated in several starkly different industries, and all of his experiences have taught him an important truth — at a fundamental level, running a business is hilariously simple.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes chats with Rusty Shelton, Founder and CEO of Zilker Media — a premier agency for authors, thought leaders and brands based out of Austin, TX. Rusty is an expert on all things marketing and entrepreneurship, having co-authored two books and spoken at top conferences including EO Alchemy, SXSW Interactive, and more. Rusty is also a serial entrepreneur, having built and sold two businesses before the age of 35. His first business — Shelton Interactive — handled the launches of more than 30 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers and was named one of the nation’s top 10 social marketing agencies in 2014 and 2015 by the research agency Clutch.
On the podcast, Shelton discusses a broad array of topics, including the fear associated with entrepreneurship and the regret of letting that initial stress derail progress. He also speaks on the difficulty of acquisition — both in deciding whether to move forward with selling a company and with finally letting go of that company once the decision has been made. Rusty also discusses his most recent foray into entrepreneurship and the joy of using lessons learned from old companies to make new business endeavors more successful.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Jake Dreyfuss, CEO of real estate firm Philly Living. Jake’s company has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list for three consecutive years and is considered one of the top 20 fastest-growing companies in the Philly area by multiple publications. In 2017, his company conducted $5.2M in revenue and sustained a 3-year growth rate of 174 percent. Jake’s remarkable career includes growing a successful restaurant franchise, building and selling an app company, working at one of the world’s most successful technology companies and, now, sitting at the helm of one of the fastest growing real estate companies in America — all while under 40. He is also the Founder of the 5AMERS — a support group dedicated to waking up earlier for the betterment of their lives.
Jake’s wisdom extends well beyond his age, and on the podcast, he shares his smart for all listeners. He details all of his amazing career moves but kicks off his story by discussing his father’s impact on his work ethic. He describes the emotions involved with being acquired, how he decided to move forward post-acquisition, and the most difficult lesson he’s learned along the way. Jake’s story is a testimony to always trying to better oneself and is an inspiring story for all to hear.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes chats with Hal Denbar, President and Founder of Patriot Pool & Spa. Denbar’s company has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list and the Aggie 100 list, featuring the most successful businesses run by Texas A&M alumni. Last year, Patriot was a winner in Austin’s Fast 50 contest, which celebrates the fastest growing companies in the Austin area. Patriot has also been named the #1 Customer Service Company in Texas by Pool and Spa News. In 2018, Patriot accrued $3.5 million in revenue — a figure which Denbar aims to quadruple within 10 years through rapid growth and expansion. In fact, Austin Business Journal has described Patriot’s growth as “white hot.”
However, on the podcast, Denbar is open about the pains of entrepreneurship — particularly the loneliness and feelings of rejections often associated with taking “the road less traveled” — yet explains how these feelings are just fuel to continue building his business. Denbar dives deep on many topics, including the importance of customer service, how to care for customers well, and how building trust with customers can be a differentiator in an industry where everyone largely does the same types of services.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Chelle Neff, Owner and CEO of Urban Betty Salon in Austin, Texas. Urban Betty, whose 50 employees work across two locations in the Austin area, has recently been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing privately-held companies in America. With a branded product line on the horizon and other locations being considered, this salon is truly on the ground floor of its sky-high potential and is set for take-off.
On the podcast, Chelle speaks candidly about the difficulties of being an entrepreneur — especially an entrepreneur coming out of a difficult home life. Chelle shares some fresh advice on how to keep your passions intact when those same passions become your job, along with other great tidbits and takeaways for entrepreneurs of all types. The story of Urban Betty is a remarkable one, and Chelle’s determination to succeed in the face of struggle is truly a thing of beauty.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes dialogues with technology law entrepreneur Brian Hall. Hall is a seasoned law expert, specializing in issues pertaining to Intellectual Property, Internet Law, and more. He is a regular author and speaker on legal topics relevant to tech companies and has been chosen by his peers as a Rising Star in Intellectual Property for the years 2010 through 2016. Hall has also maintained a perfect 10 out of 10 on the Avvo Rating scale, which rates attorneys based on expertise and skill level.
On the podcast, Hall discusses his law firm — Traverse Legal — which, over its 15 years of existence, has expanded from one small office in northern Michigan to four offices across the United States and services clients based in 25 different countries. Traverse Legal’s expert attorneys have been featured in prominent publications such as The Washington Post and the American Bar Association Journal. In the conversation, Hall highlights his firm’s unique business model, the anxieties and challenges that come along with business expansion and debunks common entrepreneurial stereotypes.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with real estate mogul Chris Watters, CEO and Founder of Watters International Realty. Watters International, which began as an Austin-centric operation, has now expanded into a franchise model and is operating in markets across the United States and Canada. Chris is also at the helm of two other related ventures — a real estate technology company (#RealDeal) and a real estate investment entity that buys and sells properties (WHD Investments).
In the podcast, Chris lays out the timeline that brought him into the real estate game, packed with rich stories of early entrepreneurship, what drove him into the franchise model, and what the future holds for his endeavors. Watters shares lessons learned as a young entrepreneur, including one vital lesson that came alongside a hefty helping of humble pie — never think you have it all figured out. Because, as Watters knows, success comes to the coachable.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Kurt Rathmann, CEO and Founder of ScaleFactor, Inc. When Rathmann started ScaleFactor five years ago, he simply wanted to enable small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to automate time-consuming accounting tasks. Since that day in 2014 around his living room table, ScaleFactor has grown into a thriving software business whose sole purposes is to free SMBs of mundane back office work to focus on their passions.
In the podcast, Kurt describes his entrepreneurial journey which started in elementary school. Looking back from 2019, Rathmann’s experience is diverse, having owned successful businesses since he was a high school senior. As Rathmann rehashes his past, he shares lessons learned from each of his unique business experiences, including what it takes to delight customers, the value of being at the bottom of the proverbial “totem pole,” what it takes to scale a company quickly, and much more.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes chats with restaurateur Matt Fish, who is the Founder and CEO of Melt Bar and Grilled. Melt, which started as a single location in suburban Cleveland, has since exploded and now features 10 restaurants across the state of Ohio and generates over $20M in revenue. Melt Bar and Grilled has received numerous accolades over the years and has been featured on popular shows such as Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
As the second-ever restaurateur on the podcast, Matt shares his story and how, even from a young age, he knew he was destined to run a business of his own. Fish dives deep on the whole story around Melt Bar and Grilled — the idea that started the restaurant, the craziness of the first few years of business, the events that led to expansion, and the moment where he realized that he had to start delegating responsibility. Matt’s story is the classic entrepreneurial adventure, with takeaways for listeners from all types of businesses.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Stephen Shang — CEO and Founder of Falcon Structures, which specializes in taking large shipping containers and converting them into usable assets, such as living rooms, office spaces, storage facilities, and military training structures. Shang’s innovative company does more than $8M in revenue and has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list for 5 years.
On the podcast, Shang recounts his remarkable journey from college graduate to CEO of Falcon Structures, which includes a grand total of 7 failed startup attempts. Shang walks through the nuances and learnings from each failed entrepreneurial endeavor and offers a fresh perspective on how we should define “success.” Stephen has experienced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows and has takeaways for listeners of all walks of life.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Susan Scott, acclaimed author and CEO and Founder of Fierce, Inc. — a multi-million dollar leadership and training company that teaches organizations of all shapes and sizes how to have meaningful conversations within themselves. On the podcast, Scott shares her inspiring story of overcoming hardship and discrimination and dives deep on what makes for “fierce conversations,” including both personal and professional takeaways.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes dialogues with Clint Greenleaf. Clint is a serial entrepreneur and Founder of Greenleaf Book Group — a publishing house that, under his leadership, grew to over $10M in revenue and landed on the Inc. 500 list for 7 years in a row. In 2014, Greenleaf Book Group underwent an acquisition, and since then, Clint has established several other ventures, including a family of brands which includes the fastest-growing peanut butter brand in the nation.
On the podcast, Greenleaf walks through all of the factors that attributed to the success of both his publishing company and his business ventures since the acquisition. Clint also briefly highlights his childhood, which involves his first business acquisition when he was only 8 years of age. In the conversation, Clint dives deep on what has attributed most to his success — investing in relationships and playing the long game instead of going for the quick buck.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Julie Allinson — CEO and Founder of eyebobs, the first-ever affordable designer eyewear brand. Since its founding in 2001, eyebobs has grown into a mighty 8-figure business and was recently acquired by a private equity firm. The sky is the limit for eyebobs, and the brand’s sights are set on greater expansion.
On the podcast, Allinson dives deep into what drove her into establishing eyebobs, even while she had no prior experience in eyewear manufacturing. Julie’s journey with eyebobs is the quintessential entrepreneurship story — she saw a huge gap in the market and made it her life mission to fill that gap. Along the way, Allinson shares advice on entrepreneurial doubt, the role of risk in entrepreneurship, the importance of market research, and why she decided to ultimately pursue outside capital after building her business on cash alone.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Tim Hamilton — CEO and Founder of Praxent, a start-to-finish custom software firm based out of Austin, Texas. Praxent has been named one of the best places to work in Austin, has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list and works with both large and small business, including established companies such as Cisco and Keller Williams.
On the podcast, Tim lays out his company’s core philosophy — solving problems. From his first entrepreneurial venture in middle school, Tim has been building businesses by solving others’ issues with technology (and more). Since its inception, Praxent has evolved from a technology tutorial company to a website building company to a custom software business, and as you’ll hear in the podcast, this continued learning and growth is Hamilton’s motivation to wake up every single day.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Mark Deutschmann — CEO and Founder of both Village Real Estate and Core Development. Village Real Estate employs over 300 agents and staff and operates out of its headquarters in downtown Nashville. Core Development — an offshoot of Village Real Estate — is an award-winning real estate development team focused on environmental stewardship and community revitalization.
In the podcast, Deutschmann describes how he grew both of these companies to be 8-figure revenue generators, even with a background completely unrelated to real estate and development. Mark retells the fascinating story of how a circumstance that left him (literally) shipwrecked paved the way into selling properties. Along the way, Mark shares the founding principle which makes his companies unique and gives some rich advice to entrepreneurs across all industries.
Do you find yourself in the daily grind, discouraged by seeing so many successful-looking, young entrepreneurs on social media? Don’t believe the façade. Entrepreneurship is tough, and every difficult moment of every difficult day is preparing you for your future success.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Parham Parastaran — an entrepreneur and author who is living proof that fast success can be unhealthy. At a young age, Parastaran moved to the US from Iran and ended up building a $10M+ automotive business; however, at the peak of his success, he was nursing a $2,000 cocaine habit. Parham has since been delivered from his addiction by addressing the faulty foundation upon which his success was built.
On the podcast, Parham recounts his full story, which is — hands down — the most amazing story shared on the podcast to date. Parham’s motivational story has rich takeaways for all listeners about entrepreneurship and about the nature — and danger — of success.
Where did the art of negotiation go? A century ago, any store owner would barter with customers to find the best possible price for either the store owner or the customer (or sometimes both). But here, in 2018, we’ve all but lost the art of the deal in everyday life, living in a world dominated by fixed pricing. Well… Except for one furniture store, whose business model depends on it.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes David Singer — President and Owner of Warehouse of Fixtures. Warehouse of Fixtures is a store that sells used office furniture, while offering a new (and better) customer experience. David birthed Warehouse of Fixtures by reviving his grandfather’s old store and has built it into a $10M company and 5-time Inc. 5000 award recipient.
On the podcast, Singer highlights the art of negotiation and the role it plays (and has played) in his business thus far. David also gives sage advice on dealing with difficult customers and offers wisdom on changing the perception of “success” and “failure” in business.
Every entrepreneur hungers for the “exit” — the acquisition, the IPO, the lucrative deal that exchanges the long hours and high risk associated with owning your own company for hard-earned cash. But what a lot of people don’t understand is that, during the coveted “exit,” many entrepreneurs experience intense heartache and even depression as they lose a very real part of their own identities.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Theresa Fette — Founder and President of the highly-successful and newly-acquired and Provident Trust Group. In the podcast, Fette gives an extremely vulnerable look at the oft-ignored reality of the entrepreneur’s “exit,” as she opens up about having to rediscover her own identity, apart from her company. Hear the raw truth of what it’s like to step out without knowing what’s coming next and gain some business wisdom along the way.
What would you do if, at age 23, you had $300,000 of well-earned cash stolen from you by a business deal gone bad? Would you harbor resentment? Would you seek revenge? Would you call it quits on entrepreneurship, once and for all?
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Robert Cornish — a Founder and CEO that had $300,000 stolen from him yet was motivated to launch an advertising agency that is now helping some of the world’s biggest and best brands craft sales journeys and tell brand stories. Cornish’s agency — Richter 10.2 — has been featured on the Inc. 5000 for half a decade and works over 100 companies on the Fortune 1000 list.
On the podcast, Robert lays out his remarkable journey which includes a variety of high peaks and low valleys and gives invaluable insight into how to push through trying times to accomplish goals and dreams. Robert also gives some great practical advice, such as how to scale a company successfully.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Mathieu (Mat) Senard — Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alter Eco, a consumer packaged goods company whose products range from truffles to quinoa to dark chocolate bars. Since launching in France and expanding to the US (and beyond), Alter Eco has amassed $20M in revenue and is featured at well-known grocers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Publix, and many others.
Alter Eco has gained notoriety not simply for its delicious sweets and other packaged goods but for its dedication to environmental sustainability and economic fairness. In the podcast, Senard walks us through the Alter Eco story from beginning to now and describes his work at a Cambodian refugee camp that led him to drive a company with such a clear and resounding mission — a company which sacrifices maximum profits for the greater good of our planet and our societies.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Evan Erdberg, CEO and Founder of Proximity Learning — an education tech company that exists to ensure that every student has access to quality teachers, no matter geography or social status. In a few years, Erdberg has grown the business from a 500-student operation to 60,000-student operation, and the sky is the limit for growth.
In the podcast, Erdberg lays out the incredible events that pushed him to entrepreneurship. From a young age, Evan exuded entrepreneurial traits and was fast-tracked into upper management when, at 23, he walked straight into his CEO’s office, pitched a business plan, and was handed the reigns of a multimillion-dollar business. Years later, Evan is using his life experience and business acumen to lead a company that is elevating education and is doing well by doing good.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes sits down with Curtis Sparrer, Principal at Bospar PR — one of the top-rated boutique agencies of 2018, whose workforce is completely virtual. With this unique business model, Bospar has already attained national reach and has amassed nearly $5 million in revenue — all in three short years.
In the podcast, Curtis lays out the entire story of what drove him to build Bospar PR, starting with some interesting entrepreneurial endeavors as a young child. Curtis rehashes what initially drove him to San Francisco and into the cutthroat world of public relations. Perhaps most importantly, Curtis shares some sage advice about the nature of starting (and maintaining) your own business and the importance of not burning bridges with departing companies or coworkers.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Cole Harmonson, CEO of Far West Capital — a small business investment firm that was started in July 2007. Since its founding, Harmonson’s business has financed over $6 billion worth of receivables for over 750 clients across 33 different states and recently announced a merger with Advantage Business Capital — a investment wing of Houston’s longstanding Central Bank.
In the podcast, Cole divulges some secrets to his business’s success — many of which revolve around clearly defining your business’s mission and values and sticking to those at all costs. Cole also reflects on the importance of “knowing thyself” — examining your own person for personal strengths and weaknesses and leaning into (and away from) those in a professional setting.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes hosts Aleksandra Efimova, CEO and Founder of Russian Pointe — a dance apparel brand that has grown from a college dorm room operation to a multi-million dollar global enterprise. Efimova’s entrepreneurial prowess has gotten her far and is noticed by many, including Ernst and Young who nominated Efimova as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017.
On the podcast, Efimova recounts her incredible journey which ultimately started in the Soviet Union, where entrepreneurs were literally nonexistent. In fact, Efimova admits to not even knowing the word “entrepreneurship” for the first 15 years of her life. Yet, as with all podcast guests, Efimova found a way to grind against the odds, seize opportunities, succeed, and learn lessons along the way, which are valuable for all listeners.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes hosts Shauna Martin, CEO and Founder of Daily Greens — a green juice brand that has been an absolute hit, ever since it first landed at farmers’ markets less than five years ago. The success of Daily Greens is astounding; without major funding or brokers, this brand went from small Texas farmers’ markets to Whole Foods stores nationwide in the first two years of business and continues to grow in the midst of rising competition.
But, behind the success of Daily Greens is the story of a woman whose life was literally saved by the very thing that she has found success in selling — green juice. In the podcast, Shauna shares the personal story of her battle with breast cancer was positively impacted by this miracle beverage, how her love of green juice pushed her from practicing law to chasing her passion, and gives advice on how to remain “scrappy” in an industry filled with big players with deep pockets.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes hosts Shawn Burcham, Founder and CEO of PFSbrands — a wholesale food and equipment company. If you’ve ever shopped in a grocery store with a hot food section, you’ve likely had run-ins with PFSbrands, whose family of brands includes the likes of Champs Chicken and Cooper’s Express. Burcham has built a powerhouse — his company is featured in 1,300 stores nationwide, has generated $60 million in revenue, and has been featured on the Inc. 5000 for 9 consecutive years.
In the podcast, Shawn recounts the story of his company, from the nerve-wracking first days as a young entrepreneur to his company’s current success. Notably, Shawn spends a great deal of time exploring the ins and outs of scaling a young, successful company in order to deliver more services and, ultimately, generate more capital.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Chuck Thorp — CEO and majority owner of DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks — shares the story of how this company of humble beginnings has grabbed a slice of the pie in the ultra-competitive pizza industry. On the podcast, Chuck recounts this amazing journey, which, for him personally, started in a pizza delivery car.
From pizza delivery to pizza boss, Thorpe has been delivering the goods, which is attributed to his passion for his product and his customers. The story of DoubleDave’s and Chuck Thorp has inspiring takeaways for entrepreneurs of all industries, including hiring tips, what drove Chuck to the franchise model, and one single invaluable piece of advice that you won’t want to miss.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with April Bernal-Cleek, President and CEO of EHR (Electronic Health Records) Concepts, a self-sustaining healthcare information technology company that has done over $10M in revenue, whose number one priority is the customer. Later this year, Cleek is also embarking on a new endeavor — Illuminative — a storybrand company that helps women develop healthy beliefs about themselves through clothing.
April’s journey from grind to greatness has been sprinkled with highs and lows, but she attributes her success to a mindset filled with gratitude. Even when she found herself in jobs that she did not enjoy, she attributes her hard work and perseverance to thanksgiving and the desire to help others. Join Wes and April as they recount this remarkable journey, filled with takeaways for entrepreneurs of all walks.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews Alan Solon, Chairman and CEO of Ecovest Capital, Inc., a real estate investment firm that evaluates opportunities by economic viability and environmental impact. Solon has also held executive positions at financial planning companies, real estate development firms, and a full-service marketing agency (which he founded).
Solon has found success in a variety of industries, and in the podcast, he outlines the driving forces that led him to each step of his journey. Solon caps off his conversation with Wes by sharing a story about how, recently, his firm had the opportunity to “singlehandedly save charitable giving in the United States” through reforms on the recent federal tax laws. No doubt, all listeners will find value in Solon’s sage advice spanning many varying industries.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes interviews EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Phyllis Newhouse, CEO and Co-founder of Xtreme Solutions, a nationally-recognized IT provider and cybersecurity firm that did $149MM in revenue in 2017. Newhouse has also taken her place alongside NFL Hall-of-Famer Ray Lewis as Managing Partner and CEO of the Legend 52 Ventures Opportunity Fund, which helps create ownership opportunities for minorities and women within the professional sports, technology, and media and entertainment industries.
In the podcast, Phyllis gives a brief look at how her life experiences groomed her for entrepreneurship, expresses the importance of a having a clear and tangible vision, gives some advice on “pacing yourself” as a hungry entrepreneur, provides some perspective on carrying over and applying life’s learnings from chapter to chapter, and much more.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, we speak with Chris Mann, CEO of Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is a beverage native to South America that — as described by Chris — stimulates like coffee, heals like green tea, and gives a chocolate-like euphoria.
Guayaki’s global footprint has stretched well beyond distributing a consistent, high quality product to retailers across the United States and Canada. In the podcast, Chris describes his company’s dedication to its core mission of restoring South American rainforests, explains how his product fuels that mission, and challenges entrepreneurs to think more broadly about solving both business and societal issues.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, we welcome Wes Moss, acclaimed author and radio personality and Chief Investment Strategist at Capital Investment Advisors in Atlanta, Georgia. In a seemingly uncreative industry, Wes’s passion for content creation has grown his small investment firm into a powerhouse, with well over $2B in assets under management.
Wes shares his unique journey —including a stint on season 2 of The Apprentice — which has taught him that compelling stories, hustle, and perseverance can breed entrepreneurial success in any industry. Wes also gives us insight into what, in his opinion, is the secret to prolonged success, in a world that’s moving towards automation.
On this episode of The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes speaks with Dr. Rob Douk, whose resume is extensive and whose story is truly remarkable. Dr. Douk, a former Cambodian death camp survivor, is the founder and chairman of Behavioral Health Works (BHW), co-founder of the global non-profit organization Hope Out Loud, founder of healthcare software company ClinicSoft, and founder of Douk & Co., a growth investment firm focusing on social entrepreneurship. Douk is also an acclaimed author.
In the podcast, Rob shares his incredible journey from being a refugee to entrepreneur to author to investor. Rob shares the anxieties that he felt as he decided to change life directions and start his own business — a business that has now appeared on the Inc. 5000 list for four consecutive years and currently has 1,500 employees — and, ultimately, describes how he conquered his fears through faith.
This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes talks with Jillian Bridgette Cohen, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtual Health Partners (VHP). VHP is an online wellness mobile platform that partners with wellness specialists to offer patients a one-stop-shop for appointment scheduling, live classes, nutritional advice, wellness plans, and much more.
Jillian discusses her personal life experiences that have fueled her entrepreneurial drive, as well as the opportunities and challenges that have grown and shaped VHP since its launch in 2015. Jillian also dives deep on the unique challenge (and differentiator) that VHP has decided to embrace — maintaining a B2B business model in the often B2C world of mobile apps.
On this week's EnTRUEpreneurship podcast, we welcome Wade Barnes, CEO and co-founder of Farmers Edge, a leading precision agronomy firm that offers integrated data solutions to farmers to increase their yields. From a humble family farm in rural Manitoba, Canada, Barnes and co-founder, Curtis MacKinnon have grown Farmers Edge to become one of the world's leading ag-tech firms, with an estimated revenue of $75MM in 2018. Farmers Edge’s processes are used on nearly 25 million acres of crops – more land mass than the entire country of South Korea.
Wade shares how Farmers Edge uses a data-driven approach to help farmers make better decisions and how he's managed to scale his company to operate in 5 countries and compete directly with corporations like Monsanto and Dupont.
This week, on the EnTRUEpreneurship podcast, Wes welcomes Debra Wetherby, CEO and founder of Wetherby Asset Management, one of the leading independent investment advisory firms in the United States, with over $4 billion in assets under management. Since starting her company in 1990 Deb has been recognized as a Top 100 Women Advisors by Barron's and has been named a “Woman to Watch” by InvestmentNews.
Deb is joined by Justina Lai, Wetherby's Director of Impact Investing. Listen in as she and Deb discuss the values that differentiate their company from others in the business of providing objective financial advice, how that philosophy guides the day-to-day operations of their business, and how being different is a ultimately a good thing.
Follow Debra on Linkedin! https://www.linkedin.com/in/deb-wetherby
On this week's EnTRUEpreneurship podcast, we welcome Brendon Schrader, Founder and CEO of marketing and consulting firm Antenna. After stints in the corporate world (including 3M and the NBA) Schrader grew his company from a one-man operation to an Inc. 5,000-listed firm with over $10 million in revenue and a pool of talented experts at-the-ready to handle clients' marketing and leadership needs.
Brendon, a former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, shares what it's like to scale a company while starting a family, what it takes to leave a comfortable corporate career and the future of the gig economy.
Follow Brendon on Twitter: @BrendonSchrader (http://www/twitter.com/BrendonSchrader)
This week, the EnTRUEpreneurship podcast welcomes Matt Reynolds and Scott Leonard, co-founders of fair trade and organic fashion company, Indigenous. Founded in 1993, Indigenous was one of the very first B Corporations, certified to meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Today, Indigenous partners with over 1500 artisans in Peru and pays them a living wage for their work producing handmade garments for both men and women.
Matt and Scott explore what it means to use fashion as a force for good. They reflect on the unique challenges they've faced in their more than 20 years they've been in business together, the notion of “fair trade,” and how they can provide economic opportunity to marginalized communities while respecting native culture and also turning a profit.
Follow Indigenous on Twitter: @indigenous (http://www/twitter.com/indigenous)
In this week's EnTRUEpreneurship podcast we welcome Megan Driscoll, founder and CEO of EvolveMKD. Since launching her public relations and social media agency in 2014 Megan has surpassed $5 million in revenue and won a Gold Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year
Megan shares her experience of taking the plunge to launch her own agency despite some early doubts and up-and-down moments. She reminds us to do what makes us truly happy, face our fears head on, and not to tolerate rudeness. We also learn what EvolveMKD does to differentiate itself from other agencies, both in terms of client relations and social impact.
Follow Meg on Twitter: @MKDRISCO (https://twitter.com/mkdrisco)
Welcome to the EnTRUEpreneurship podcast. Join host, Wes Fang, as he interviews the business leaders making an impact and changing the status quo. Go beyond the headlines and made-for-TV sound bites to hear from true entrepreneurs who have worked tirelessly to start and scale their own businesses. Listen to what inspired them to make the leap from the 9-5 world and learn about difficulties they've faced along the way. Insightful, thought-provoking, and just a little bit funny, this is EnTRUEpreneurship.
