Built By Doing

David is expanding David Alan Clothing from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Nashville, Charleston, and beyond. This isn't a "how to scale" episode. They're in the middle of it right now — negotiations, construction delays, hiring people willing to relocate their families, figuring out what happens when your founder isn't in the building every day. In Episode 19 of Built By Doing, David and Stan pull back...

Debt has a bad reputation. But is debt actually the problem... or is it how entrepreneurs use it? In Episode 18 of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan Kleja dive into one of the most misunderstood topics in business: debt. From business loans and lines of credit to credit cards, private equity, personal guarantees, bank financing, and cash flow management, they share the real lessons learned from...

Should you take investors? Borrow money? Bring on partners? Or fund your business yourself? In Episode 17 of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan break down the realities of business funding, private investors, bank loans, equity partnerships, and what every entrepreneur should understand before giving away ownership in their company. From self-funding and reinvesting revenue to navigating private...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, hiring, productivity, and everyday business operations. Whether you're a small business owner, startup founder, executive, or entrepreneur, AI is quickly becoming one of the most valuable tools available. The conversation explores practical ways business owners can leverage AI for marketing strategies, business p...

In this special Q&A episode of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan Kleja answer real questions submitted by listeners from entrepreneurs preparing to launch their first business to experienced business owners facing challenges with marketing, pricing, profitability, cash flow, hiring, and growth. Topics include: • How do you know if your business is actually profitable? • What should you spend on...

As businesses grow, one challenge never goes away: finding the right people to step up, take ownership, and help move the company forward. In this episode, David Alan and Stan discuss leadership, employee development, company culture, hiring challenges, accountability, motivation, and what separates top performers from everyone else. They dive into the realities of building teams, developing futur...

What happens when your business outgrows its original customer? In Episode 13 of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan Kleja dive into one of the hardest realities of entrepreneurship: raising prices, evolving your business model, and understanding that not every customer or client is meant to stay with you forever. From David Alan Clothing’s early days selling custom suits for just a few hundred do...

What does real business growth actually look like? In Episode 12 of Built By Doing, David and Stan break down one of the biggest misconceptions in entrepreneurship: the idea that more revenue automatically means a healthier or more successful business. From profit margins and overhead to scaling too quickly, hiring too soon, opening multiple locations, social media comparison, and defining your ow...

What does it actually take to expand a business successfully? In Episode 11 of Built By Doing, David and Stan break down the real-world process behind expanding a company into new markets, opening additional locations, building systems, hiring teams, and scaling without losing the culture that made the business successful in the first place. With David Alan Clothing actively expanding into Columbu...

Small businesses power nearly half of the American economy—but most people don’t realize just how important they are. In this episode of Built By Doing, David and Stan break down eye-opening small business statistics, entrepreneurship realities, and what it truly takes to build, grow, and sustain a business over time. From startup survival rates and small business employment numbers to the sacrifi...

In Episode 9 of Built By Doing, we break down one of the most misunderstood and most important parts of building a successful business: marketing, branding, advertising, and how to actually attract customers. From startup mistakes and early marketing experiments to digital advertising, brand identity, customer psychology, and long-term growth strategy, this episode gives an honest look at what bus...

In Episode 8 of Built By Doing, we dive into one of the most critical—and often misunderstood—aspects of running a business: cash flow, stress, and what it really takes to stay alive in the early stages of entrepreneurship. This episode pulls back the curtain on the reality of building a business from the ground up. From collection notices, maxed-out credit cards, and utilities being shut off to n...

In Episode 7, we break down one of the most important and often overlooked foundations of any successful business: culture and standards. From hiring and onboarding to daily operations and client experience, your culture isn’t just what you say, it’s what your team lives out every day. And in many cases, your lowest-performing or least-aligned team member becomes your true standard, whether you re...

In Episode 6, we dive into one of the most overlooked keys to growth—mastering your craft and staying focused on what actually moves the needle. Early on, it’s easy to chase every idea, every opportunity, and every direction. We’ve been there. Some worked, some didn’t—but over time, we realized that real progress comes from committing to your lane and getting better at what you do best. This episo...

Let's break down the real-world tension between gut instinct and data-driven decision making in business. Through honest stories and firsthand experiences, from early financial risks and missed opportunities to current expansion plans, David & Stan explore how different decision-making styles can both succeed and fail. David shares how trusting his instincts has helped uncover opportunities ahead...

David Alan and Stan Kleja break down the real role of goal setting in business—and why most people get it wrong. They explore the difference between setting ambitious goals and setting realistic, actionable ones, and how aligning your daily actions with long-term vision is what actually drives progress. From early-stage “gut-driven” decisions to more structured, data-backed strategies, they share...

In this episode of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan Kleja dive into one of the most misunderstood parts of entrepreneurship: the gap between expectations and reality. From early startup optimism to the lessons that only come with experience, they unpack how founders often imagine rapid growth, big investments, and instant traction—while the real journey is filled with pivots, setbacks, and hard...

In this episode of Built By Doing, David Alan and Stan Kleja recap an incredible week on the road visiting MLB Spring Training camps and the NFL Combine. The trip wasn’t just about styling these clients, it was about relationships, networking, and continuing to grow the brand. David shares behind-the-scenes insight into how opportunities like this develop, what it’s like connecting with athletes a...

David Alan and Stan Kleja have spent years working together through the realities of entrepreneurship — growth, setbacks, pivots, and everything in between. In this first episode of Built By Doing, they share how their professional partnership began, why they decided to launch the podcast, and the philosophy behind the show: honest conversations about what it actually takes to build and run a busi...