The First Customer

In this episode, I was very lucky enough to interview The Ronnen Harary!! He is the co-founder of Spin Master and the mind behind some of the toys and entertainment franchises that have shaped childhoods around the world, including PAW Patrol, Air Hogs, Bakugan, and Earth Buddies.  Ronnen takes us back to his early days as a young business owner, from selling advertising on college posters with hi...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Luca Iovine, owner of Gianni’s Pizza.   Growing up in Langhorne and spending summers in Italy, Luca developed a strong connection to his Italian heritage while being surrounded by the food business through his parents. He shares how his father’s career in the pizza industry eventually led him back into the family business, and how taking over a stru...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dusty Gulleson, CEO and founder of Tectonic.  Dusty shares how growing up in Indonesia as the son of missionary parents shaped his resourcefulness, entrepreneurial instincts, and perspective on business. He delves through Tectonic’s evolution from a one-person web infrastructure company into a vertically integrated technology business spanning manag...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Michael Gadsby, founder and co-founder of O3 World and Chief Innovation Officer of O3XO. Michael talks about his unconventional path into business, from discovering web design at the dawn of the internet to freelancing, building an agency, and eventually partnering with Keith Scandone to grow O3 World. Michael shares how relationships helped them la...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Connor Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Storyy. Connor shares how growing up around entrepreneurs shaped his outlook on business and why learning marketing—not chasing entrepreneurship—ultimately led him to build a company focused on personal branding at scale. Connor walks through his journey from experimenting with Facebook ads in college to helping...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brad Gardner, Founder and CTO of Seven Hills Technology.  Growing up in the Cincinnati area, Brad developed an early appreciation for practicality, hard work, and solving problems with the resources available to him—an outlook that helped shape his entrepreneurial mindset later in life. Brad shares how a practical decision to turn two former clients...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Drew Sechrist, CEO and co-founder of Connect The Dots. Drew shares how a small-town upbringing in Pennsylvania, lessons from his entrepreneur father, and an early seat at the table as employee #36 at shaped his approach to business and relationships. Drew reflects on the culture of Silicon Valley, the power of aligned incentives, and how seeing firs...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Rusnak, CTO and co-founder of Airspace.  Ryan shares how, as a psychology graduate with a passion for technology, he found his way into solving one of the most critical logistics challenges in the world. Ryan reflects on his journey from building websites and software applications to studying human-computer interaction where he learned that gre...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview John Weidenhammer, founder and CEO of Weidenhammer, a company he started nearly five decades ago and grew into a global digital services organization.  John shares how an unexpected opportunity with Baldwin Hardware and entrepreneur Severin Fayerman became the catalyst for launching his business with just $100 in the bank. He reflects on the early E...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the Proofpoint Capital founders Dan Goldsmith, Matt Wallach, and Jonathan Brassington.  From Jonathan’s upbringing among traders in Guyana to Matt’s competitive lessons on the soccer field and Dan’s drive to tackle challenges others avoided, the trio shares how their unique backgrounds influenced their approach to building successful companies. They...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Christine Churchwell, Co-founder of SlimeZilla.   Christine shares how a childhood fascination with slime turned into an unexpected family business built alongside her son and daughter. Growing up in Philadelphia, Christine developed a strong desire to create opportunities and lasting stability for her family. Drawing on her experience as an educato...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Nick Halverson, CTO and Co-founder of Hirebus. Growing up near Salt Lake City, Nick reflects on the freedom his parents gave him to think independently, the challenges that led him down a destructive path of addiction, and the life-changing journey that helped him rebuild his future. From selling painted pine cones and experimenting with dropshippin...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Hillman, co-founder of Indy Hall. Alex reflects on growing up in small-town Pennsylvania, the entrepreneurial influence of his father, and how his mother introduced him to the power of organizing and advocacy through simple but meaningful lessons at a young age. From navigating isolation as a freelance web developer to discovering the importanc...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Martin Lukac, co-founder and CTO of Nexleaf Analytics.  Martin shares how his early work in wireless sensor networks during his PhD at University of California Los Angeles laid the foundation for building systems that collect and translate data into actionable insights. From deploying seismic monitoring networks across Latin America to tackling glob...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Johnson, the CTO and VP of Engineering at Seek. Growing up on a farm in Central California, Ryan learned early lessons about hard work, authenticity, and service—values that later guided him through the fast-moving world of startups and engineering leadership. From working on the early product team at Livescribe to launching a web development a...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bo Motlagh and Frank Shultz, co-founders of United Effects Ventures. Bo shares how his upbringing in a family of business owners instilled an early work ethic, while Frank reflects on lessons learned from growing up with an entrepreneurial father and bootstrapping his own companies. Together, they discuss the origins of United Effects Ventures, the...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the leadership team behind Appalachia Technologies—partners Mike Romano and Brian Stone, along with president Mike Williams. Mike Romano talked about how the company first came together more than two decades ago, starting with his entrepreneurial push to build something of his own after years of experience in the military and the cybersecurity world...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Rosett, Co-CEO and founder of Credibly. Ryan shares how growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Detroit influenced his understanding of the ebbs and flows of small businesses and taught him the value of surrounding himself with specialists rather than doing everything himself. From running coffee shops to real estate development and bridge l...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Eric Gremminger, CEO and Co-founder of ERP Health. Eric reflects on his early life in Pennsylvania, the creative influence of his upbringing, and his first entrepreneurial venture blending fitness and psychology. What began as a passion project—helping people recondition their mindset through physical training—laid the groundwork for a deeper missio...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Carl Gould, co-founder and CTO of Inductive Automation. Growing up in California’s Bay Area during the rise of the modern internet, Carl developed an early fascination with computers that eventually led him to study computer science at UC Davis. What began as a summer project connecting industrial machine data to SQL databases soon evolved into a fu...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Matt Cullerton, founder of Mavric Tech and creator of Apso.  Matt reflects on growing up in Reston, Virginia, early lessons from working in restaurants, and his first venture — an independent music label launched while working at Northrop Grumman. From navigating the volatility of the music industry — including brushes with artists like Diplo — Matt...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview with Dan Goldsmith, co-founder and chairman of Tendo and co-founder of Proofpoint Capital.  Dan shares stories from his Philadelphia roots, the early formation of his grit, and the mindset that has guided his career — from running a mobile DJ business in high school to building and scaling multiple technology companies. He offers a thoughtful perspe...

In this episode,  I was lucky enough to interview Joel Reed, CEO and founder of Open Arc. Joel starts to unpack the long, nonlinear journey of building a software consulting company that’s lasted more than 20 years. Joel shares how a career plateau, the 2008 financial crisis, and a humbling professional low point ultimately pushed him to start Open Arc. From working four 10-hour days to fund the b...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Calvin Hendryx-Parker, CTO and co-founder of Six Feet Up. Calvin shares the origin story behind Six Feet Up’s unforgettable name—drawn from his family’s mortuary business—and how servant leadership, community involvement, and trust became foundational principles for building a durable software consultancy. From hosting websites on a literal coffee-t...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bill Near, Founder and CEO of Helios, a performance wearable helping hockey players and teams improve faster through motion-based data and video integration. Bill breaks down Helios’ first-principles approach to avoiding “tech fatigue” by delivering recurring, practical value—most notably through time-saving video workflows and emerging AI-driven co...