Build Boldly with Pat Rodgers

If your business looks smaller online than it is in real life, your brand may be costing you opportunities. In this episode of Build Boldly , host Pat Rodgers sits down with graphic and digital designer Riley Best to break down the difference between branding and marketing, and why both matter for small businesses, service companies, and growing brands trying to be found, trusted, and chosen. Pat...

In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with entrepreneur and RISE Commercial District founder Jim Sapp to unpack the lessons behind scaling multiple high-growth businesses. Jim shares how he grew Indie Lube to 50 locations across the Midwest, why he learned early that no founder can scale alone, and how that experience helped shape the vision for RISE Commercial District. From hiri...

Marketing should not live in a silo. In this episode of Build Boldly , host Pat Rodgers sits down with Rachael Coverdale , CEO and founder of Coverdale Consulting , to break down how growing businesses can turn marketing into a true revenue engine. Rachael brings more than a decade of experience helping companies build marketing strategies rooted in sales alignment, customer understanding, analyti...

Dan Faber has spent years helping B2B and B2C companies build stronger sales systems, coach sales teams, and create accountability that actually drives revenue growth. In this episode of Build Boldly , host Pat Rodgers sits down with Dan, sales trainer and consultant of Lushin, to break down one of the biggest challenges growing businesses face: turning owner-led sales into a scalable, repeatable...

Today, we’re bringing back one of our most popular Build Boldly conversations from the archive.  Before taking the leap with an Archadeck franchise, Ryan Pape felt his career had stagnated. In this episode, host Pat Rodgers sits down with Ryan to explore his journey from starting a franchise to navigating the challenges of 2020, including disrupted supply chains, shifting demand, and the need for...

As Q1 wraps up, it’s the perfect time to pause and get honest about what your business really needs next. In this recap episode of Build Boldly , we revisit key moments from the first two episodes of our 2026 Business Roadmap series: Strategy & Operations and Finance & Accounting. From defining a clear North Star goal and identifying bottlenecks, to tightening up your bookkeeping, budgetin...

Most businesses don’t fail because of a bad product. They fail because they run out of cash. In this episode of Build Boldly , Pat Rodgers sits down with Logan Burchett, founder and CEO of Forecastr, to break down how founders can use real financial planning and analysis (FP&A) to take control of cash flow, make smarter decisions, and scale with confidence. Logan brings experience from institu...

At some point, every founder hits the same wall: You can’t do everything anymore… but letting go feels just as risky. In this episode of Build Boldly , Pat Rodgers sits down with Adam Weber, two-time founder, former CEO of Emplify, and author of Lead Like a Human , to break down what it really takes to transition from operator to leader. Adam has built and exited companies, coached executives, and...

AI isn’t just another software tool. It’s a transformation in how companies operate. In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with Santi Jaramillo, co-founder and co-CEO of Pragmatico, to discuss how mid-market and growing companies can move from experimenting with AI tools to becoming truly AI-native organizations. Santi, a three-time founder with over $100M in exits, explains why m...

What do you do when you lose $250,000 in inventory, miss Black Friday, and only have weeks of runway left? You build anyway. In this episode of Build Boldly , Pat Rodgers sits down with Bradley Will, founder and CEO of Mumbies, a Milwaukee-based direct-to-consumer dog chew brand supporting rescues and shelters. Bradley shares the unfiltered story of transitioning from running a marketing agency to...

If you want to scale your business, your financial systems have to scale with you—or they’ll quietly become the thing that breaks everything. In this episode of Build Boldly, host Pat Rodgers sits down with Paul Anthony, founder and CEO of Opstart, to break down how entrepreneurs should set up bookkeeping, accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking, payroll, and taxes from day one. Paul shares...

As companies grow, founders often become the biggest bottleneck. In the final episode of the Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers tackles one of the most overlooked drivers of business success: personal growth for business owners . Pat shares practical, experience-driven advice on how to transition from doing everything yourself to working on the business by identifying your weakest points, h...

If your business isn’t growing, it’s usually not a product problem—it’s a sales or marketing problem. In episode 3 of the Build Boldly Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers dives into one of the most important skills every entrepreneur must master: sales and marketing. Pat breaks down how business owners can build a repeatable, measurable sales system using a CRM, clearly define their Ideal Cl...

If you want to grow, scale, and sleep at night, your numbers have to be right. In episode 2 of the Build Boldly Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers tackles one of the most critical, and most overlooked, pillars of entrepreneurship: finance and accounting. Pat breaks down how business owners should approach bookkeeping, budgeting, and cash flow management at every stage—from early spreadsheet...

"Hope is not a strategy." In the first episode of the Build Boldly 2026 Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers breaks down the foundation every successful business needs: strategy and operations. Too many entrepreneurs rely on hustle and hope instead of a clear plan. In this episode, Pat walks through his top five strategy and operations principles to help business owners move from re...

What does it really take to launch, survive, and scale a business in today’s world? In this season-finale episode of Build Boldly, host Pat Rodgers is joined by Allison Barber to reflect on the first year of the podcast. They unpack the most surprising entrepreneurial journeys, hard-earned lessons, and behind-the-scenes realities they uncovered while speaking with founders, operators, and small bu...

What does it take to grow a side hustle into a full-scale business? In this episode of Build Boldly , Pat Rodgers sits down with Jim Hribar, founder of Rebar Labs, to explore the entrepreneurial journey from software engineering to building a thriving 3D printing business. Jim shares how he turned a side hustle selling model train mounts on Etsy into a company now running 15 machines and fulfillin...

In honor of Veterans Day, host Pat Rodgers sits down with Donte Bryson Jr., founder and creative director of BRYLAMAR, a luxury fashion brand For Dreamers Who Do. Donte shares his journey from serving in the U.S. Navy to launching a high-end design label inspired by mid-century architecture, discipline, and purpose. In this inspiring episode, Donte opens up about turning grief into motivation, bal...

Running a business with your best friend sounds like a dream, until it’s not. In this episode of Build Boldly , Allison Barber sits down with Elizabeth Coratola and Lauren Schouweiler, co-owners of COCO the Shop, to talk about the real dynamics of partnership. From communicating through conflict and dividing responsibilities, to protecting your friendship in the process. Together, they share what...

In honor of Women’s Small Business Month, host Allison Barber, Marketing Director at RISE Commercial District, sits down with Liz James, owner of Standard Wax, to talk about what it’s really like to run a business while raising a family. After buying the candle company just six months after becoming a new mom, Liz faced uncertainty, long hours, and plenty of self-doubt. But by trusting her instinc...

In this special episode of Build Boldly, guest host Allison Barber takes the mic in celebration of National Women’s Small Business Month to share a heartfelt and practical guide for women entrepreneurs everywhere. Drawing from her own journey as an entrepreneur and as Marketing Director at Rise Commercial District, Allison introduces five powerful books that have shaped her perspective on business...

In this solo episode of Build Boldly , host Pat Rodgers opens up about the often-unspoken side of entrepreneurship and leadership, the toll it takes on mental health. From crippling anxiety and imposter syndrome to personal trauma and the relentless pressure of meeting payroll, Pat shares his own journey of pushing too hard, bottling up grief, and ultimately learning why high performers can’t succ...

It's true, there are a few essential leasing strategies every business owner should know before signing on the dotted line. In this solo episode of Build Boldly, host Pat Rodgers breaks down each step. From identifying your true space requirements—like delivery access, 24/7 availability, and customer-facing potential—to understanding the real all-in costs of a lease, Pat reveals the common pi...

Thinking about expanding your business? In this solo episode of Build Boldly , host Pat Rodgers breaks down the key factors every business owner should consider before growing into new markets or locations. From analyzing market demand and matching demographics to weighing the pros and cons of leasing versus buying commercial property, Pat shares actionable strategies to reduce risks and maximize...

Signing a commercial lease can make or break your small business, but too many owners rush in without understanding the true costs and risks. In this solo episode of Build Boldly, host Pat Rodgers breaks down the five biggest mistakes business owners make when leasing commercial property and how to avoid them. From hidden costs in triple net, modified gross, and gross leases to overlooked zoning r...