Anything But Typical

Anything But Typical stories define the path for successful founders. Brian Abernathy shares the raw reality of his journey. In this conversation, we sit down with Brian Abernathy to discuss the unique challenges that come with building a business. Whether you are navigating early-stage hurdles or managing the pressures of growth, these entrepreneur stories offer a practical look at the decisions...

What does it take to turn a struggling organization into a high-performing team? For retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Towne, the answer begins with trust. From a difficult childhood and an unexpected journey into military service to a 34-year Army career, Mark's experiences shaped his understanding of what meaningful leadership requires. When he inherited a battalion struggling with poor p...

Garth Moulton went from getting laughed out of investor meetings to co-founding Jigsaw, a groundbreaking sales intelligence company eventually acquired by Salesforce. In this episode of Anything But Typical, Garth joins Gary Frey and Ben McDonald to share the realities of building Jigsaw, raising capital, navigating investor pressure, and creating a community that became the foundation of the comp...

Michael Schindler had a successful career, a beautiful home, and the outward signs of financial stability. Then, after leaving a high-paying job, he found himself with just $14 in his pocket. A $17 lunch bill, an unexpected act of generosity, and a meeting with a future business partner became part of a turning point in how he viewed himself and his relationships with others. But Michael's search...

In this engaging interview, Matt Zinman shares his journey from entrepreneurship to developing the innovative MindRev app, designed to combat overthinking and burnout. Discover insights on leadership, resilience, and the power of self-kindness, along with practical strategies for mental well-being and scaling impact. Key Topics •The story behind MindRev and its mission to tame overthinking •The im...

Kim Coleman: Using Laughter to Shift Your Mindset What if laughter wasn’t just a reaction to something funny, but an intentional tool for changing your mindset, strengthening culture, and navigating difficult moments? In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with Kim Coleman, a laughter strategist, laughter yoga instructor, TEDx speaker, keynote speaker, and performer. Kim sh...

Christian Klender’s career has taken him from software engineering and professional motorsports to building Watches of Charlotte. In this episode of Anything But Typical, Christian shares how he broke into racing, helped build McLaren’s presence in Charlotte, and eventually made the jump into entrepreneurship. We also talk about turning a passion for watches into a business, building trust with cu...

William McKee didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. His path moved through engineering, technology, philosophy, travel, teaching, and eventually into building Knowmad Digital Marketing. In this episode of Anything But Typical, William McKee joins Gary Frey and Ben to share how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep evolving helped shape both his life and his business. The conversat...

**Episode Summary:** Erin Vogel, semi-retired sports car racing driver and founder of AE Victory Racing, shares her journey from growing up in a family of racing pioneers to becoming a team owner on a mission to create opportunities for women in motorsports. She discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating a male-dominated sport, the messy transition from driver to team owner, and the leader...

David Wurtzbacher — Building a People-First Business What does it really look like to put people first while building and scaling a business? In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with David Wurtzbacher, Founder and CEO of Ascend, to talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, culture, and building organizations where people have the opportunity to flourish. David shares less...

From Corporate Banking to Physical Copper: Allen Cates on Trust, Failure & Reinvention Allen Cates’ entrepreneurial journey has taken him across countries, industries, and some incredibly difficult business lessons. Growing up in Canada, Australia, England, and the United States taught him how to adapt quickly, appreciate different perspectives, and become comfortable entering unfamiliar envir...

Brief Summary Kari Warberg Block joins Gary Frey and Ben McDonald to share her anything-but-typical journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to founding EarthKind, a nationally recognized plant-based pest-prevention company. Kari discusses the near-death experience that changed the direction of her life, the challenges of creating a new product category, and why she temporarily removed...

Alex Harris — explorer, mountaineer, speaker, entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and creator of The Munga, a 700-mile nonstop bike race across South Africa. Brief Summary In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary Frey and Ben sit down with Alex Harris, a South African explorer whose life has been shaped by curiosity, risk, faith, and the pursuit of what most people would call impossible. Alex sh...

When venture capital takes over your family business, you can do everything right — and still lose. Randy Golenberg lived it. He spent 14 years in his family's caulk manufacturing business before private equity involvement triggered its collapse into bankruptcy. That bankruptcy became the catalyst for his next chapter: building Spark Your Brand from scratch, running it for 25 years, and ultimately...

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary Frey and Ben McDonald sit down with Ben Kinney, publisher of Business North Carolina, SouthPark Magazine, and North Carolina Tribune. Ben shares how growing up as the son of a journalist, moving from city to city, and constantly being the new kid shaped his ability to communicate, adapt, and connect with people. What started as a life of transition eve...

Discover the story of Mark McLean’s impressive journey from early influences to leading a multi-billion-dollar company. Learn how culture, relationships, humility, and strategic growth propel organizations through transitions and challenges.   Main topics: Building a career in insurance and financial services, rooted in mentorship and family lessons Navigating growth: from founding to billion-doll...

In this episode, Stacey Brown Randall shares her inspiring journey from business failures to becoming a trusted referral expert, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and intentional branding. Discover her tactics for building meaningful relationships, protecting your IP in the age of AI, and shifting the traditional mindset around referrals.   Key topics: Stacey’s entrepreneurial journey: fr...

In this episode, hosts sit down with Stephen Phelan, Chief Spiritual Integration Officer at Faith-Driven Entrepreneur, to unpack a powerful idea: what if business wasn’t just about profit—but about people? Stephen shares the story behind Movement Mortgage and how a bold vision during the 2008 financial crisis led to a company built on love, purpose, and impact. From redefining leadership to transf...

Brief summary of show: Jamie Ledford, President of Golf Pride, shares his journey from growing up in Walla Walla, Washington, to leading a global brand. Through stories of farm life, mentorship, international experiences, and career pivots, Jamie reflects on leadership, humility, and the importance of people in shaping both personal and professional success. This episode explores how life’s unexpe...

Brief summary of show: What can Navy SEAL training teach you about leadership, business, and life? In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Tim Cruickshank, founder of Bone Frog Coffee Company, to break down the mindset, discipline, and team-first philosophy that shaped his journey. Tim shares how elite military training—including B...

Episode live date: March 10 Name of show: Anything But Typical Podcasts Episode number and title: Episode 164: The Power of Relationships in Business and Life with Ashley Tison Brief summary of show: What if the most important business question has nothing to do with business? In this episode, Ashley Tison shares the powerful question he returns to over and over again: “If I were given six months...

“It’s not about us.” – Joe Cherry IV Long before Cherry & Associates was a three-man team, it was a father at 39, staring down the risk of starting over. New city. Commission-only real estate sales. Kids who could sense that the math at the kitchen table didn’t quite add up. Joe Cherry III’s sons didn’t understand spreadsheets or market cycles. But they knew this: there were opportunities that...

“I’ve been poor before. That doesn’t bother me.” – Cathy Maday Cathy didn’t grow up around startup jargon or leadership books. She grew up on the Bad River Indian Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Work wasn’t a phase. It was how you made things possible. You did chores, took odd jobs, & learned early that no one was coming to rescue you. There was freedom in that. By 12, Cathy was holding her...

“I closed the biggest deal of my life playing Candy Crush on my phone over Zoom… I could do this in my sleep at this point.” — Lauren Goodell One moment, Lauren Goodell was operating at the highest level — thriving in corporate tech, leading the room, closing deals most people never touch. And then, something became clear. The work wasn’t hard anymore. The risk was gone. The challenge had faded. W...

“I’d like people to say this guy lived life with no regrets.” – George El-Hage There are moments in life when something small reveals something big. For George, it was a note on his desk praising his performance… along with a $5 Tim Hortons gift card. It wasn’t the amount that bothered him. It was the message underneath. Years of effort reduced to something transactional. Something polite. Somethi...