Read Receipt

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Parker Emerson, CEO and co-founder of BOROUX , the family-run water filter company in Pueblo, Colorado, making gravity-fed filtration systems from stainless steel. Parker started in his family's customer service department in 2012. For 25 years his parents ran one of the biggest Berkey dealers in the country, until an EPA inspection in 2022 shut...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Brynn MacLennan, founder and CEO of Slate Flosser , the 3-in-1 electric flosser and flossing system invented by a dentist and approved by hygienists. Her pitch is simple: everyone knows they need to floss, and Slate just made it easy. Brynn has run companies since she was a kid, became a mom of five, and took over Slate the same month as its 202...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Daniel Goetz, founder and CEO of GoodPop , the Austin frozen pop brand making cleaned-up versions of the classics: creamsicles, bomb pops and strawberry shortcakes, built on real fruit and simple ingredients. Daniel started GoodPop as a senior at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, after a trip to Mexico and a fresh fruit paleta from a st...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Melanie Kaplan, founder of oPPal , the platform that matches a mom who is pregnant or freshly postpartum (a Little oPPal) with a trained mom a couple of steps ahead of her (a Big oPPal). Their slogan says it plainly: "A mom who gets it because she's been there too." Melanie spent her career in entertainment, lifestyle and impact PR and never wan...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Jeff Lee, co-founder and CEO of DIBS Beauty , the makeup brand that promises it will never be the brand that says "beautiful before, beautiful after," and builds for women in all 50 states, not just the coasts. Jeff traces his path from Stanford, Yale Law and corporate law to running A-Rod Corp as COO, where he says he learned how to be a CEO fr...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Angela Vranich, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Little Spoon , the brand that launched the first fresh baby food in 2017 and now feeds kids from infant formula through big kid snacks. Angela traces the build from two years of hacking together custom packaging and making baby food by hand in a tamale factory outside LA, to a Whole Foods l...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR , the brain and body nutrition brand behind plant protein bars, IQMIX hydration, and instant coffee. Will traces the build from buckets of fiber syrup in his kitchen to a Kickstarter he treated as proof of concept, riding the keto wave on Amazon, the CVS launch that went sideways, and running a lean 15-person...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Rachel Hochhauser, co-founder of Piecework Puzzles , the art-forward puzzle brand whose puzzles look more like coffee table books than anything you'd find in a toy aisle. Rachel started Piecework in 2019 with her co-founder Jena Wolfe as a creative side project while she was running her agency, Major Studio. It started with a rained-in cabin ful...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean reconnects with Joe Hollier, co-founder of The Light Phone , the intentionally simple phone built to do less on purpose. It handles calls, texts, maps, and music, with no social media, email, or browser to check or recheck. More than two years after their first conversation, Joe catches Sean up on what has changed. The Light Phone III is now the flagship, and...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Michelle Arnau, co-founder and co-CEO of Mimikai , the first plant-based insect repellent proven to match DEET and Picaridin without the toxic chemistry. Michelle traces an unlikely path to founder: Wells Fargo commercial real estate workouts, a Kellogg MBA, twelve years at Method scaling it from unprofitable startup to an SC Johnson acquisition...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with John Scheer, co-founder and chief creative officer of Herman-Scheer, a strategic branding agency focused on healthcare, self-care, and wellbeing since 2010. John traces the 15-year arc from knocking on doors with a duct-taped WordPress site to a 21-person agency that doubled in a year. He gets into the breakthroughs that turned a scrappy shop in...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean checks back in with Katina Mountanos, founder and ceo of Kosterina , the greek olive oil and wellness brand betting the mediterranean diet belongs in every american pantry. two and a half years after her first appearance, she walks through how Kosterina grew from olive oil and vinegar into olive-oil shots, jarred olives, and a retail footprint across whole foo...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Cayla O'Connell Davis, co-founder and CEO of Subset , the organic cotton underwear brand rethinking what goes into your most-worn layer. Cayla bootstrapped Subset in one of the toughest categories to fund, buying inventory five to six months ahead and launching with just four styles. One of them, the high-rise brief, got written up by Vogue and...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Stephanie Farsht, CEO and co-founder of Small Wonder , the luxury waterless hair care brand built on a powder-to-lather format that activates fresh in the shower. Stephanie's path to founder wasn't conventional. She spent 16 years at Target in innovation and strategy, then eight years teaching entrepreneurship at Northwestern's Kellogg School of...

In this episode of Read Receipt, Sean sits down with Nico Varano, CEO of SweatHouz , the contrast therapy franchise redefining recovery through private sauna, cold plunge, and vitamin C shower experiences. Nico's path to CEO wasn't conventional. After starting his career in finance and private equity, he discovered SweatHouz while training for a charity boxing match and became the brand's first fr...

matt wan and joshua desabris—co-founders of set and previously momentous—join sean to unpack how set is reimagining nicotine pouches as tools for focus and performance. they explore how creatine shifted from a “gym bro” staple to a mainstream supplement, and how set is aiming to do the same for nicotine. along the way, they break down what went wrong at momentous, what they’re doing differently th...

this week, read receipt features casey, founder of hakea, a swimwear brand designed for those who crave style and functionality. casey discusses her journey from working as a graphic designer to building a brand that aligns with her vision for life: dynamic, adventurous, and connected to the ocean. she shares the importance of taking risks, why balancing creativity and practicality is critical, an...

on this episode of read receipt, i chat with joe, founder of cured nutrition, a company redefining health and wellness through natural supplements. joe’s journey began in aerospace engineering but took a sharp turn after a life-changing moment with a therapist. now, seven years into his entrepreneurial career, he’s built a multimillion-dollar brand while navigating the highs and lows of entreprene...

this week on read receipt, i sit down with dami zeke, the founder of innerwork, a wellness brand born out of her personal health struggles and a mission to make supplements healthier and more accessible. dami’s journey—from overcoming intense challenges to building a second business with unwavering faith and resilience—offers inspiration for anyone navigating setbacks. her story proves that with d...

lauren scott dovey is the founder and creative force behind heat healer, a wellness brand that’s turning heads with products like the sauna blanket and lymphatic drainage wearables. in this episode, lauren talks about growing her business from sydney, australia, to a global stage, her intentional approach to product development, and the balance of intuition and data in decision-making. whether you...

julianna’s journey is one of reinvention. from starting her nail polish brand fresh out of college to pivoting into the booming world of nail art stickers, she’s built a business that blends creativity with connection. in this episode, julianna dives into what it’s like to bootstrap a dtc brand, her decision to ditch wholesale, and the joy of creating art-driven products that resonate with her aud...

john thorp and buzz turned an ordinary water bottle into an extraordinary innovation with aeroflow, the first portable sparkling water system. in this episode, they discuss their unique approach to product development, overcoming regulatory challenges, and creating a sustainable product that’s both practical and planet-friendly. from scrappy beginnings to building their own manufacturing facility,...

quilt is bringing innovation to one of the most overlooked aspects of modern living: heating and cooling. lizz shares how her team is leveraging cutting-edge technology, government incentives, and thoughtful branding to make heat pumps the go-to choice for sustainable, efficient home comfort. with a focus on customer experience, quilt is reshaping the hvac industry, turning climate action into a p...

haley weidenbaum, founder of everhem, walks us through her journey from an overwhelmed interior designer to the innovative entrepreneur behind a custom window treatment company. learn how she and her husband bootstrapped the business, developed a customer-focused model, and balanced scaling operations while maintaining craftsmanship. discover the surprising challenges of running a hybrid e-commerc...

jennie yoon, founder of kinn, shares her remarkable journey from corporate safety to entrepreneurial success. from learning the ropes at a startup to launching her own brand, she delves into the power of storytelling, staying close to customers, and what it takes to scale with intention. listen in for her strategies on community building, balancing growth with purpose, and lessons learned from lau...