Freedom to Fail

This week's Year One episode is a continuation of my interview from Episode 070 with Isaac Parkinson of SkinGrip. He has worked hard to build a business around a tight-knit community, and it continues to grow and get stronger every day. With years of experience now, Isaac pulls back the curtain and offers you his playback of everything you should do when you are launching a product to ensure...

This week's Year One episode is a continuation of my interview from Episode 071 with Scott Brown of PaddleSmash. He built and sold one business in the toy & game industry, and has created another successful product with PaddleSmash. If you've ever had an idea for a toy or a game to create, then you especially need to listen to this episode. Some of the key takeaways from this episode...

Have you ever looked at the games on the shelves at the store and asked yourself, "Who in the world came up with that?" You wouldn't be the only one. The toy and game industry is extremely large and lucrative, and today's episode is with a man who has succeeded in it multiple times, without actually inventing a toy or game (that I know of). Scott Brown is an experienced and suc...

Isaac Parkinson has been a really good friend of mine for over 10 years now. AND he was the original (and better, I might add) host of Freedom to Fail with me when I started on this journey a few years ago. Unfortunately for all of us who tune into this podcast, the company he started with a friend called SkinGrip started doing really well, and he needed to focus all of his time there, so he could...

This week's Year One episode is a continuation of my interview from Episode 068 last week, with the founder of Stay, Shane Ball. He has built an apparel brand that has been around for 9 years, which is a crazy long time in such a competitive industry! If you've ever been interested in standing out and building a sustainable business, then you need to listen to this episode. Some of the k...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of mental health disorders and suicidal thoughts. Please use self-awareness in deciding to listen or not. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 988. Most people usually try to dress nicely, including me (although you wouldn't know it at times). Fashion has always been a part of humanity sin...

This week's Year One episode is a continuation of my interview from Episode 066 last week, with the CEO of Kizik, Monte Deere. He comes from a very unique background as a corporate lawyer, and his perspective is very savvy! If you've ever wondered how you can protect your idea or product, this episode is for you. Some of the key takeaways from this episode are: How to protect your IP and...

I just flew home from across the country today. While I was going through security I actually saw an advertisement posted right before the security entrance advertising the company from today's episode. It's Kizik, and they make hands-free shoes! It was brilliant marketing and specific targeting of people who may think about buying their product for the future (taking off your shoes for...

This week I'm bringing you all the Year One episode with Hayden & Jake Wadsworth, the creators of HydroJug. They have grown their business to 8 figures, have close to 500k Instagram followers, and are super amazing. Side note - if you haven't listened to my Freedom to Fail episode with them to learn more about their story, go check it out on episode 056! In this episode they break do...

This week's episode is my Year One episode with Amy Lund! She's seen massive growth and constantly had lines wrapped around the corner for her incredible sweet rolls from The Dough Lady. She knows a thing or two because she's seen a thing or two. And with all that experience, she was kind enough to talk to us about what she did when she launched and everything she would do in the fi...

NOTE: This episode was recorded in May 2022 before the #utahcookiewars began. We stand behind Dirty Dough and Crave and the right to an open and competitive market. Cookies aren't meant to be divisive, they're meant to bring people together. Hopefully, we can get back to that as soon as possible and move away from silencing any newcomers. And now back to the episode summary: This week&ap...

NOTE: This episode was recorded in May 2022 before the #utahcookiewars began. We stand behind Dirty Dough and Crave and the right to an open and competitive market. Cookies aren't meant to be divisive, they're meant to bring people together. Hopefully, we can get back to that as soon as possible and move away from silencing any newcomers. And now back to the episode summary: Anybody that...

What's the best part of Christmas morning? I guess I should clarify and say the best part of Christmas morning after presents. The clear and obvious answer to me is the food! In my family we always have delicious Christmas breakfasts. And one of the Christmas staples for many people are cinnamon rolls. They are delicious. Amy Lund grew up baking with her mom. In her mom's words, "If...

Remember how print media is supposed to be dead? Well, Jeanette Bennett knows that MOST print media is, but not hers. She is the creator of Utah Valley Magazine, Business Q, Utah Valley Bride, and many other successful publications. She does a yearly 40 Under 40 that is extremely popular, and she has been an inspiration for many Utahns who know her. But what caused her to get into journalism? It w...

Tori Geiger has faced challenges that most of us can only imagine in our wildest dreams. Since birth she has lived with congenital heart defects and has thought she wouldn't make it multiple times since then. But that hasn't stopped her from living her best life and chasing her dreams. Most people who live with conditions like that are resigned to live a boring life as long as they'...

Jojo’s Chocolate started in 2013 with one goal: To be able to indulge in a “sweet” treat without all the added sugars. Sterling Jones started this company with his mom, Jojo, who created this chocolate to be able to enjoy a deliciously healthy snack while also facing cancer. It was such a hit at home that they started selling it in other locations and it constantly kept growing. Now they are locat...

Matthew Krul is the host and creator of the Imagineer Podcast, one of my all-time favorite podcasts. Not only is it about the behind-the-scenes of Disney, but it is also one of the podcasts I have tried to learn from and model mine after. Matthew has been doing it for five years, and in that time he has grown to having hundreds of thousands of subscribers on social media and on the podcast. He has...

Founders Hayden & Jake Wadsworth started HydroJug just a few years ago, sensing an opportunity that wasn't being seized despite the large potential market size. Jake was finishing up college, while Hayden was working a full-time job, and they threw their life savings at an overseas manufacturer, not knowing if they would ever see it again. Luckily things worked well for them, and with lot...

As you guys can go back and clearly see, I have had a few times since I launched this podcast where I stopped releasing episodes for a while. Well consistency is kind in podcasting and any kind of content, so I've obviously failed at that in the past. But now it's a new year and I am committed to doing this podcast to provide you all with solid content WEEKLY, not just as a passion proje...

I've been lucky enough to know Mike Rowland for a couple years now, back before he started his company, Droplet. He is a genuine friend and extremely kind, and no matter how much success he finds, which I know will be a lot, he will always be the guy who drove out of his way to come buy cookies from me when I was first getting started. That support that he gave me meant a lot then, and I know...

Shannon Warr is the owner and creator of Clad & Cloth, a women's clothing boutique that has been blowing up since she started it just a few years ago. They have hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and have collaborated with some of the most influential people in the fashion world to create awesome, unique collections. It's grown from a one person show to now needing an entir...

*From now until 11/24/2021 you can receive 15% off any Grandpa Beck's Games purchased on Amazon or grandpabecksgames.com when you use code "FREE2FAIL"* Brent Beck has always loved games. In fact, he proposed to his wife during a game of Scrabble. This love of games and creativity led him and his wife to start a business, Grandpa Beck's Games, and create games such as Cover Your...

Kelley Higney is an inspiration when it comes to business. Her business, Bug Bite Thing, does 8-figures in revenue annually, and was featured on Shark Tank, where she got a deal with Lori Greiner and received her Golden Ticket. Before she went on Shark Tank they did over $500,000 in sales, and in the time since then they have gone international, thanks in large part to the 30,000+ reviews they hav...

This episode with Betsy Mikesell has been a year and a half in the making. We were initially scheduled to have the interview last March, but Covid happened. Then we rescheduled for August, but also had to cancel that because she and some of her family actually were in a plane crash. They all survived, but now face injuries and recoveries that may last a lifetime. During the first few months after...

For these solo episodes I want to share more about my personal entrepreneurial journey and give practical tips to help you in your businesses. My goal is to provide you with personal stories about how I did what I suggest so that you have different stories to draw from for inspiration. Today I want to help you learn how to market your business. Three Takeaways: 1. Constantly evaluate what is worki...