From the Ground Up

Joan Dao started Ilesovi after watching her mother lose more than a handbag in a violent robbery and struggle for months to feel comfortable going out alone. She joins John Boitnott to explain how that experience became a patented anti-theft handbag, why security products fail when they ignore fashion and usability, and what years of prototyping taught her about manufacturing, patents, investors,...

Small trucking companies face many of the same safety and compliance demands as major fleets, but without the staff, software budgets, or margin for error. ClaimShield Co-CEO Gavin Robley joins John Boitnott to explain how poor compliance can drive up insurance costs, threaten access to freight, and expose carriers to fines or lawsuits that can jeopardize the entire business. He also shares how Cl...

Author and longtime entrepreneur Cliff Branch joins John Boitnott on From the Ground Up to discuss the unconventional career that took him from selling stereo equipment to college students to building nationwide businesses—and eventually to writing about American politics and culture. Branch shares the story behind his new book, American Made 2016 to 2026: A Nation in Turmoil, and explains why he...

Noor Shikari spent nearly 15 years in the restaurant business before reinventing her career in financial services. On this episode of From the Ground Up, she joins John Boitnott to discuss what entrepreneurship taught her about cash flow, resilience, risk, and preparing for the unexpected. She explains why career changes don't erase your previous experience, how families can have healthier con...

Real Motors co-founder Trent Dingman explains why building unconventional vehicles requires rethinking more than the vehicle itself. From Project : ARES to localized production and rapid prototyping, he shares how Real Motors is using engineering experimentation to reduce the capital, labor, and scale traditionally associated with automotive manufacturing.

Leadership coach, consultant, author, and professor Dr. Leigh Byers explains why leadership development begins before someone manages a team or earns an executive title. Drawing on her research, coaching work, and Positive Intelligence training, she explores how self-awareness, mental fitness, and a willingness to learn from other perspectives shape stronger leaders.

PetroVybe CEO Peter Snell explains why the rapid expansion of AI and data centers is creating a deeper conversation about the physical infrastructure behind computing. He discusses PetroVybe’s focus on natural gas production, the growing intersection between technology and energy, and why scaling an energy company requires patience, discipline, and a willingness to learn from failure.

Orchestrated Connecting founder David Homan explains why meaningful professional networks are built through curiosity, generosity, and trust rather than collecting contacts. Drawing on his experience connecting thousands of people around the world, he shares how entrepreneurs can build relationships long before they need an introduction, investor, client, or opportunity.

LawSHIFT CEO and founder Nick Kringas explains why businesses adapting to AI should focus less on the technology itself and more on the customer problems it can remove. Drawing on his experience in restaurants, SEO, and legal technology, he shows how LawSHIFT identified the overlooked “pre-intake” period as a critical source of friction in personal injury law.

SciEdScrumming founder Heather Cowap explains how Agile Scrum can help students develop planning, time management, collaboration, and self-tracking skills inside ordinary classroom work. She argues that schools often expect students to manage complex workloads without explicitly teaching the executive function skills required to do it. hcowap@sciedscrumming.com https://sciedscrumming.com LinkedIn:...

Career Navy SEAL, Naval Postgraduate School lecturer, author, and caregiver Paul Shemella shares what he learned after his wife, Lena, developed Alzheimer’s disease. He explains why caregiving required him to abandon correction and confrontation, accept help, and learn how to meet his wife inside the reality she could still experience.

Precision Medicine CEO Christian Stella explains how a fourth-generation pharmacy business evolved into a nationwide compounding and fulfillment platform for telehealth brands. He also shares why the company chose to step back from compounded GLP-1 medications after shortages eased, even when those products had become a major source of revenue.

Vital Ventures chairman Sydney Thackray is building civic technology designed to make government spending, legislation, and public decision-making easier for ordinary people to understand. She explains why transparency is the first layer of her broader venture-building philosophy and why she believes better tools can help citizens and public officials make more informed decisions.

Formaggio Cheese CEO Anthony Mongiello grew up around the Italian cheese business before starting his own company at 26. He explains how an early lesson in competing on price pushed him toward product innovation, why food safety became a defining operational priority, and how he built a 400-person company by finding products and formats that did not already exist on supermarket shelves.

Identity coach Jasmine Jones helps women recognize the point where responsibility, ambition, and people pleasing begin to separate them from their own needs. Her work centers on self-awareness, journaling, emotional healing, and learning to make room for an identity that extends beyond work, motherhood, and other people's expectations.

Recovery advocate and educator Bill Houston draws on his own experience with alcoholism, liver failure, transplantation, and long-term recovery to explain why addiction treatment cannot rely on a single model. He argues that education, evidence-based care, and individualized support can help people understand what is driving their substance use and build a more durable path forward.

Nicki Walters, founder and CEO of Pooper Trooper, built a dog waste management company that has survived personal loss, labor shortages, economic downturns, and constant competition on price. She explains why a durable service business depends on disciplined pricing, community trust, strong employees, and a willingness to solve problems most people would rather ignore.

Ishan Jain founded YRI after discovering how difficult it was for ambitious students to access meaningful research mentorship. He discusses building a global platform that connects students with PhD mentors, supports peer-reviewed publication, and helps young researchers turn curiosity into measurable academic impact.

Candie Zar turned a lifelong love of movement and a background in education into SWEATWITHCANDIE, a women-only fitness community in Great Neck. She shares how persistence, positive reinforcement, and a commitment to belonging helped her grow from three participants to packed classes, a second studio space, and plans for online expansion.

Intrinsic Power CEO Broc TenHouten explains how intelligent energy storage, sensing, and power controls can help data centers expand without waiting years for grid upgrades.

No Tip founder and chairman Steve Burns explains how his team is combining electric vehicles, robotics, artificial intelligence, and last-mile logistics to make food delivery more affordable. He discusses the company’s first rollout in Mason, Ohio, the engineering challenges behind doorstep delivery, and why purpose-built autonomous systems could eventually serve groceries, pharmacies, and other l...

Pennington Law Firm founder Whitney Lundy Pennington shares how she built a thriving family law practice by combining meticulous trial preparation with a client-first philosophy. She explains why empathy, communication, and boundaries are just as important as courtroom skill.

Beta Virtual Assistance VP of Finance Jessica Freeman shares how an unexpected pivot during the pandemic led her into crypto tax consulting. She explains why organization, education, and accurate recordkeeping matter far more than most investors realize.

JM Search partners Ryan Gilligan and Jamey Cummings explain why companies should define the business problem before hiring an AI executive. They also share what separates effective AI leaders from technically impressive candidates who may struggle to create adoption and measurable value.

PureWay CEO and co-founder Jeffery Miglicco shares how a career in sales led him to build one of the fastest-growing healthcare waste management companies. He explains why sustainable growth comes from deep customer understanding, operational focus, and solving overlooked problems.