Happy Half Hour with an Entrepreneur

In this final episode of our podcast, Brian takes the show on the road in front of a live audience at McGlynns Pub in Greenville, DE. Brian shares his final Happy Half Hour with an Entrepreneur beer with Bob Ashby, Marc Ashby, and Jeremy Hughes, the owners of Ashby Hospitality Group which started out with one restaurant over 35 years ago and has grown to 6 restaurants, a food truck and over 300 em...

In this episode of Happy Half Hour with an Entrepreneur, Brian has a drink with John Gooden, President and COO of MDavis, Inc. - an industrial construction, fabrication, and maintenance contractor based out of Kennett Square, PA. MDavis is a family-owned business that was started in 1870 and is currently in their fifth generation. Brian and John have an interesting conversation about having a fema...

In this episode Brian enjoys a Rise IPA by Whalers Brewing Company while chatting with Alex Sonkin, founder of Due Diligence Project - a revolutionary platform of vetted resources that supports over 700 tax focused CPA firms and family offices around the country. The two discuss how sophisticated and meticulous tax planning really is, and how understanding the tax code is nearly impossible. Listen...

Episode 68 - Joe Zahn | Wired Up Entertainment In this episode, Brian enjoys a Freshies Pale Ale by Tonewood Brewing while chatting with Joe Zahn, aka “Mr. Wired Up.”  You may have heard of Joe, the owner of Wired Up Entertainment, from one of his viral mashups. You’ll hear the story of how Wired Up went from doing 200 weddings, to being hit with the pandemic, to going viral. Joe shares his incred...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with Jon Ohilger, the founder and CEO of VEEPIO, a content optimization tool for athletes. Listen in while Brian and Jon discuss Jon’s journey to this point in his business career. You’ll enjoy hearing Jon’s insightful stories. Jon talks about building his company and why the technology experience needed to be frictionless and seamless. You’ll be impressed when yo...

In this episode Brian has a beer with Anthony Raibick, the owner of Your Mosquito Pros in Parsippany, NJ. Listen along while Anthony shares his entrepreneurial journey. You’ll appreciate hearing the touching story of how Anthony came up with the idea for Your Mosquito Pros. It’s clear that family plays an important role in Anthony’s life, and his business. Learn why building a business the right w...

In this episode, Brian gets to hear behind-the-screen stories from Emmy Award-winning Camera Operator Howie Zales. Howie shares his entrepreneurial journey and how it all started with one opportunity - an opportunity that changed the trajectory of his career. Learn how Howie started two companies - HJZ Productions, a nationwide provider of top broadcasting talent and Viridity Entertainment Service...

In this episode Brian chats with Dr. Christopher Paolino, a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon who owns practices in Glen Mills, PA and Wilmington, DE. Listen in while Dr. Paolino shares his interest in oral surgery. He explains the extensive training he went through to become a board-certified specialist. Chris talks about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur during the pandemic...

In this episode of Happy Half Hour with an Entrepreneur, Brian enjoys a seltzer with Eric Starrett, the co-founder of Starrett Design Build—a design-build contracting firm specializing in major renovations and new builds for residential homes. Eric shares the journey of how he and his wife, Rachel, started and grew the business all while raising two children, and how sobriety created a positive ch...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with Elorm Ahiamadjie, the CEO and co-founder of Delaware Limo, the highest rated limousine company in Delaware that provides luxury transportation for weddings, events, birthdays, proms, rides to the airport, and corporate transportation. Brian unpacks Elorm’s journey—from starting with one vehicle, to providing transportation for Biden’s inauguration and somehow...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with tenured Professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture Design - Michael Ermann. Michael is also the founder of Amber Book - a review course to help anyone pass the architecture licensing course. The company has had over 16,000 enrollees and has licensed their materials to over 500 architecture firms. Michael shares his incredible journey - from bootstrap...

In this episode Brian has a beer with Jeannie Stith, founder and CEO of Color Guru. Color Guru is an online service that analyzes people's hair, skin and eye color to provide them with an ideal color palette for their personal wardrobe. Jeannie shares how a life changing experience led her to creating a process that has simplified the lives of people in 26 countries around the world. Listen in on...

In this episode, Brian has shares a transatlantic beer with Stefan Debois, CEO and founder of Pointerpro, based out of Belgium. Pointerpro is an assessment software platform that helps professional service companies automate their advisory process. Stefan shares how it actually started from creating a quiz app for his daughter’s birthday, back when the iPad was first introduced. Listen in to hear...

Interested in learning how to fly, buy or work on a plane? In this episode, Brian has a beer with Regis de Ramel, the President and CEO of FlyAdvanced, an aircraft management, maintenance, charter and flight training company. With five locations and over 50 million dollars in revenue, Regis shares his lowest moments, which change the trajectory of his career. The two compare the traditional four y...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with Matt Reiner, co-founder and CEO of Benjamin, a financial services technology firm. Matt takes Brian through his journey of building his business - a very niche technology just for the wealth management industry. Matt describes it as “the connective tissue between your processes, and your workflows, and your technologies to execute on menial mundane tasks.“ “I...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with the franchisees of Delaware's School of Rock, Mike Pesce and Aaron Wygonik. The School of Rock Method™ has taught hundreds of thousands of students around the world to play music since 1998. Mike and Aaron walk us through their initial struggles, opening up just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, how they eventually were able to secure financial government assista...

In this episode, Brian has a beer with Mark Edelson, co-founder and owner of Iron Hill Brewery. Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey, and how it all started with his friend, and eventual partner, home brewing beer in 1989 as a hobby. From working for “the man” to becoming The Man, Mark walks us through the highs and lows of being a restaurant owner during the pandemic, with over 1600 employees...

In this episode Brian has beer with Thom Harvey, Chairman & CEO of Harvey, Hanna and Associates, Inc - a real estate development and management company based out of Delaware. Brian and Thom talk about the history of how his father started a trash business as a kid during the great depression with a wagon, and how Thom then grew his company from 2.4 million to 4.5 million to 6.5 million in a 30 day...

In this episode, Brian has an insightful conversation with David Gates, President & Managing Director of Gates & Company. Started in 1999 as a management consulting firm, David shares how his company has evolved into a business-sale preparation & execution firm, working strictly with technology-driven businesses. David explains why business owners need to start thinking about the sale of their bus...

In this episode, Brian shares a drink with Ginger Moxam, founder of Curated by Ginger. Based out of Naples, Florida, Ginger offers branding, marketing, web design, and social media management. Ginger enjoyed working from a very young age, and having access to technology as many millennials did, she went on to start her own business offering a marketing team for small businesses who can’t afford to...

Growing up poor in the Chicago suburbs, David Marvin paid his way through college and graduate school by playing and teaching the organ (all while in the army reserves). By the time he was 33, David was running the largest mutual fund in the country, and then came Black Monday - the stock crash of 1987. So how did David transition into the world of investments — one which led him to starting a suc...

With a mission of clean air for people and the planet - Jo Norris and Nick Martin share their journey on how they co-founded a “clean tech/health tech” hybrid company called Carbon Reform. They break down the process of decarbonizing a built environment by directly capturing and sequestering co2 from indoor air - basically - cleaning air and making it better. Carbon Reform also conducts full indoo...

In this episode Brian has a great conversation with Phil Koontz, a former navy seal and Pastor who is now a motivational speaker, author, and proud owner of Karambit Tactical Knives. Phil explains how he went from working in a cubicle for Corporate America to signing up for the BUD/S program, and then becoming a Pastor after he was honorably discharged. Today, Phil uses the lessons he learned in t...

In this episode Brian shares a beer with Brian Pannuzzo, a certified Nutrition Coach, who specializes in working with men whose professional success has cost them their health, marriage, and relationships. Pannuzzo explains how he helps his clients by breaking down his Waze Navigation analogy - identifying where you are today and where you want to be in the future. We all know what we need to do,...

In this episode Brian has a heartfelt and inspiring conversation with his first 501(c)(3) nonprofit CEO - the founder of Bringing Hope Home, Paul Isenberg. Bringing Hope Home has helped over 7600 families by providing emotional and financial support to local families with cancer. Brian and Paul talk about Paul’s journey of his wife Nicole being diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she w...