The First Customer

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview David Wong, co-founder of JD Leads Online. David shares his journey from freelancing to founding JD Leads Online, highlighting pivotal moments and the decision to transition from contractor to agency owner. David's early ventures, such as the geo-filter business and e-commerce endeavors provide a glimpse into the challenges and lessons learned....

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Zoraida Cordero, founder and CEO of Impactful Solutions.  Zoraida grew up in Queens, New York, and growing up in a diverse and inclusive environment, Zoraida shares how her experiences inspired her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and community-oriented leadership. Zoraida's extensive involvement in various roles, such as being an area direc...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Victor Chukwudolue and Matthew Attalah of Step Labs. Matthew, with a background in design, shares how Step Labs started unexpectedly during his final year at university when he took on a project that eventually led to the establishment of the business. Victor, more focused on tech, shares his journey into web development, starting with FreeCodeCamp...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Adam Adams of Grow Your Show Podcast.  Adam's journey started from growing up in Utah to becoming a successful entrepreneur and real estate investor. Adam attributes much of his early inspiration to his stepdad, a real estate investor and entrepreneur who introduced him to the principles of financial success through the book "Rich Dad Poor...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Marco Torres, the Co-founder of Marketing Boost.com. Marco explains how Marketing Boost started as a solution to obtain video testimonials for their travel business. To incentivize customers, they offered bonus vacations, leading to the creation of a system that eventually evolved into Marketing Boost.com. The company collaborates with hotels worldw...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Lance Cayko, co-founder of F9 Productions Inc. Lance started his remarkable journey from growing up between a sugar beet farm and a cattle ranch in North Dakota to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the world of architecture and construction. Lance shared valuable lessons learned from early experiences, emphasizing the significance of perseveranc...

In this podcast episode, I was lucky enough to interview Christian Hyldahl, President and Founder of Varium Investment Partners. Christian shared his background and journey before founding Varium. After realizing the limitations and politics of larger firms, he started his own traditional RIA in 2005, focusing on building portfolios stock by stock. However, he eventually recognized the need for a...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Melissa Allen, Co-Founder of Active Life Company. Melissa grew up in Davenport, Iowa, and shared that she spent 24 years in the health and fitness industry. She transitioned from owning a corrective exercise center to venturing into the world of sunscreen with Active Life Company. Melissa discussed the inspiration behind starting a sunscreen busines...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jacob Kleinman Phillips, CEO of Touchpoint Design. Jacob grew up in Delaware County. He reflected on his upbringing in a family of entrepreneurs, where his parents ran businesses ranging from general contracting to a sweet chocolate factory named Sweet Dreams. Growing up in this environment, Jacob absorbed the essence of entrepreneurship, blending p...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Kirsten Bronkovic, co-founder of EmpathED. Kirsten grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and shared how she was kind of enterprising even as a young kid where she even held an art sale. Her entrepreneurial spirit was evident even at a young age. Later, she enrolled in a program at the University of Pittsburgh that took her around the world via ship, lan...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview a good friend, Ben Albert, the CEO and founder of Balbert Marketing. Ben was born and raised in Rochester, New York, and emphasized that he never saw himself as an entrepreneur, initially pursuing a more conventional career path. However, his passion for music and involvement in the local music scene paved the way for his transition into entrepreneu...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Pete Mauro, owner of DT Cubed. Born in the Philadelphia area but raised in South Jersey, Pete found himself at a crossroads between government work and pursuing personal happiness. He embarked on his career as a civil servant for the Navy, eventually becoming a GS 14 at a young age. However, the demands of his role in Washington, D.C., led him to pr...

In this episode, I  was lucky enough to interview Jennifer Crompton, President and founder of Something Creative, LLC. Growing up in South Jersey, Jen shares her upbringing and how her family's entrepreneurial background influenced her path.  This path became evident during her time as a grad assistant at Rowan University when her mentor pushed her to take on a challenging marketing project....

In this special episode, I was lucky enough to interview two of the best co-founders,  Ivan Barajas Vargas and Renan Ugalde of MuukTest. MuukTest is a front-end testing automation platform that offers innovative solutions for software testing. Ivan shares his roots growing up in Mexico, emphasizing how his family's entrepreneurial endeavors, particularly their grocery stores, instilled an ear...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Tanya Isa, founder of KitSF.   Tanya recounts her extraordinary journey from leaving Ukraine to becoming the CEO of a thriving business in San Francisco. She highlights her ambitious nature from an early age, recalling her first small business venture selling newspapers at the age of 12. Tanya's entrepreneurial spirit eventually led her to laun...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Behdad Jamshidi, founder of CJAM Marketing. Behdad walked us through his remarkable journey from a humble immigrant upbringing to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Behdad's parents' immigrant experience instilled in him a sense of determination and entrepreneurship even at a young age. His path wasn't a straight line; he initially p...

In this week's episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brandon Barnum,  CEO of HOA.com. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Brandon shares his inspirational journey from a humble upbringing to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Growing up in a financially challenged environment, he was always drawn to the idea of financial success. Despite early challenges and limited resources, he worked...

In this week's episode, I was lucky enough to interview  Jon Brown, one of the masterminds behind Interlaced.io. Jon shares his journey from growing up in a small town in Southern Maine to his involvement in the IT services industry. His career path took him through various experiences, from working as a graphic designer to teaching English overseas. It was during his time as an IT support sp...

In this week's episode, I was lucky enough to interview Cathy Nesbitt, the CEO and founder of Cathy's Crawly Composters. Cathy went from being a city dweller to an eco-entrepreneur in a small town. She recognized a significant environmental problem when the landfill for the greater Toronto area closed in 2002 so she came up with an innovative solution: indoor composting with worms. Despi...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Keith Scandone, CEO and co-founder of O3 World. Keith grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia in Bucks County to pursue a career in acting in Los Angeles. His journey to entrepreneurship wasn't typical, and he emphasized the value of resilience and thinking outside the box. During his time in Los Angeles, he explored various roles and it was thr...

Boy oh boy, I could not stress enough how special this guest is. In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Federico Toledo, the co-founder, and CEO of Abstracta, AKA the QA Doctor. Federico is from Uruguay and shares how his upbringing in a close-knit community near the capital city played a pivotal role in his growth. He emphasizes the value of Uruguay's free university education, whi...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mark Phinick, President and CEO of Let's Make It Rain. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Mark's path was set in motion when he relocated to Chicago in 1984. With a background in computer science and a unique perspective on technology, Mark found his niche in the world of sales, helping small companies grow into successful ventures. Mark's...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the great Mike Kaeding, CEO of Norhart, a real estate development company that specializes in designing, building, and renting apartments while prioritizing affordability in housing. Mike's childhood was closely tied to the company, with his parents founding it in Minnesota. However, when life took an unexpected turn, Mike was thrust into the C...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Chris Anderson, founder of Elevate Media Group. Chris's story is unique among entrepreneurs; he didn't have the typical childhood lemonade stand or early business ventures. Instead, he grew up in a small Indiana town and developed a desire to live a different life, which eventually evolved into entrepreneurship. When life took unexpected t...

In this episode. I was lucky enough to interview the fantastic Nicole Lipkin, CEO and founder of HeyKiddo. Nicole's early experience not only influenced her work ethic but also instilled resilience and problem-solving skills, as her parents encouraged her to learn from failures when she and her brother were given the opportunity to start a toy-selling business. Fast forward to today, Nicole i...