BIZ/DEV

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Katie Gailes, entrepreneur, business counselor, and founder of Katie Gailes & Company, to talk about entrepreneurship, business growth, and what separates thriving companies from those that struggle to gain traction. Katie shares lessons from decades of working with founders and small business owners, including how to find your competitive edge, avo...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Emily Gerhardstein, CEO and Co-founder of LS Adaptive, to talk about building a mission-driven company at the intersection of healthcare, fashion, and innovation. Emily shares how her experience as a caregiver inspired the creation of LS Adaptive, why inclusive design benefits more people than we realize, and what it takes to build products that solve r...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Jay Graves, founder and CEO of Leadership Canvas, to talk about what it takes to build high-performing organizations. Jay shares lessons from his CLEAR™ methodology, why culture and leadership remain at the center of organizational success, and how leaders can create environments where people and performance thrive together. Along the way, we discuss th...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Jake Harris, founder of buildwallet, to talk about trust, innovation, and what it takes to introduce entirely new ways of thinking to an established industry. Jake shares his journey from construction entrepreneur to blockchain advocate, why trust remains one of the biggest challenges in project delivery, and what he's learned from building a new c...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Bill Rollinson, Founder of Surfitlocker to talk about what it actually takes to build and scale products in fast-moving ecommerce and payments environments. With more than a decade of experience across product management and marketing, Bill shares his perspective on launching products that not only solve problems, but actually drive adoption, revenue, a...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Erica Anderson Rooney, founder of HER Collective and former Chief People Officer, to talk about what actually holds people back in their careers. Erica shares her perspective from years in the C-suite making decisions on who gets promoted and paid, and why so many high-performing women still get overlooked.  We also get into how AI fits into career grow...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Mark Sears, founder of Sprout AI and former CloudFactory leader, to talk about building AI companies from the ground up. Mark shares what it looks like to launch and support startups through a venture studio model, how AI is shaping the next generation of companies, and what founders need to think about beyond just the technology. We also get into how t...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Nick Miller, founder of Pellucid Network and former AWS and In-Q-Tel leader, to talk about what actually slows companies down when adopting new technology. Nick shares why procurement is often overlooked in digital transformation and where companies get stuck between proof-of-concept and real implementation. We also get into how AI is actually being ado...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Elizabeth Ruf of Elizabeth Ruf Consulting LLC for a fun and refreshing conversation on networking, relationships, and what it really means to be an introvert in a world that often rewards being the loudest in the room. Elizabeth shares her perspective on building meaningful connections, showing up authentically, and finding your own rhythm in business w...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Katie Garwood, founder of One Eleven Group, about what it looks like to build marketing that actually fits the business it is meant to support. Katie takes a hands-on approach, working closely with teams, staying in the details, and designing strategies based on real data, not assumptions. We get into why one-size-fits-all marketing falls short, how being c...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Taja Graham, founder of OpsIQ, about what starts to break inside a business as it grows. Taja works with founder-led companies that have traction but are beginning to feel the strain of it. Execution slows, everything runs through the founder, and adding people or tools doesn’t fix the underlying issues. We get into why growth often outpaces operations, how...

In this episode of Biz/Dev , we talk with Brian Ralph , leadership advisor, executive coach, and founder of Brian Ralph Leadership, about what it actually takes to lead organizations through change and complexity. Brian brings a background that spans higher education, corporate leadership, and deep involvement in the Raleigh business and nonprofit community. His work focuses on helping leaders get...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we sit down with Jack Fleming, founder of Phrayz and Socialry, and someone who is deeply embedded in the Wilmington startup community. Jack is one of those builders who is constantly in motion, running an agency, launching new products, and bringing founders together through things like 1 Million Cups. That perspective shows up in how he thinks about business. We get in...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Jeff Seymour, CEO and Co-Founder of Softsellr , about what it actually takes to close and grow enterprise deals. Jeff has spent years working inside complex sales environments, from Quantexa and TIBCO to now building Softsellr, and brings a clear perspective on how revenue really gets built. We get into why most sales strategies break down in practice, how...

In this episode of Biz/Dev , we talk with Chris Geiss, Co-Founder and CEO of Seguno , about building software for the ecommerce ecosystem and what it takes to create products that live inside a larger platform like Shopify. Chris shares his path from engineering roles at IBM and product leadership at Bronto Software to co-founding Seguno, an email marketing platform built specifically for Shopify...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with David Watkins, founder of PlanMyKids, about the realities of building products that actually solve everyday problems. We get into the intersection of product strategy and entrepreneurship from leading enterprise product teams at companies like IBM and AT&T to launching a startup focused on simplifying how parents plan activities for their kids.  David s...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Runbin Dong, founder of Scale Social AI , about what it looks like to take an AI-driven business to market right now, when the SaaS playbook is shifting and “authentic” is either real or it’s noise. We get into building with intent, investing in yourself before anyone else does, taking full ownership when things get hard, and what it really means to start f...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Runbin Dong, founder of Scale Social AI , about what it looks like to take an AI-driven business to market right now, when the SaaS playbook is shifting and “authentic” is either real or it’s noise. We get into building with intent, investing in yourself before anyone else does, taking full ownership when things get hard, and what it really means to start f...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Pam Stocks, founder of On The Books, about the operational side of building a business that most founders only learn through experience. We get into setting up finances the right way early, hiring ahead of the chaos, planning instead of reacting, and the small structures that keep growth from getting messy.  Pam shares the patterns she sees across startups,...

In this episode of Biz/Dev, we talk with Oz Merchant, founder of Futureproof, about the real struggle of building a company from the ground up. We discuss being a founder, navigating funding, generating leads, and what it actually takes to go from zero to one and close that first meaningful sale. LINKS: Accelerator Hub Oz on LinkedIn Future Proof on LinkedIn ___________________________________ Sub...

After eight years helping shape Raleigh’s startup scene at Raleigh Founded , Lauren Romer is stepping into something deeply personal. In this episode of Biz/Dev , Lauren shares what it feels like to walk away from a role that defined a decade of her life and bet on the thing she has quietly been building all along: Romer & Company . We talk about the emotional weight of leaving a community you...

In this week’s episode of the Biz/Dev Podcast, the script gets flipped. David is in the hot seat, talking candidly about Teela and the real journey to a V1 launch. We unpack where Teela started, the messy operational problems that sparked it, and the decisions, missteps, and tradeoffs that shaped the product along the way.  If you are a founder, operator, or builder navigating your own V1 moment,...

In this week’s episode of the Biz/Dev Podcast, we sit down with Chip Royce, founder and managing principal of Flywheel Advisors.  Chip tells us what most startups get wrong in their go-to-market strategy, common mistakes that derail new products before they find traction, and why a founder’s journey is rarely a straight line.  If you want actionable advice on setting up your next launch and want t...

This week’s episode of the Biz/Dev podcast is our holiday episode.  A little reflection, a few predictions, and all the business and dev banter David and Gary can fit into one conversation. Graceful exits not included. LINKS: Big Pixel Website Big Pixel on LinkedIn ___________________________________ Submit Your Questions to: hello@thebigpixel.net OR comment on our YouTube videos! - Big Pixel, LLC...

This week on Biz/Dev, we sit down with Jesse Jones, founder of Fourscore Law, for a conversation every new business owner should hear. Jesse breaks down the legal essentials in a way that actually makes sense — the practical steps founders can take to protect themselves before the stress hits. But he also lets us in on something deeper: the future he’s building and why taking care of his people is...