Built for This

In this insightful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Filip Keuppens, CEO of The Pickle Juice Company, to explore what it takes to transform a company from the inside out while building a brand that defines an entirely new category. Filip shares how stepping into the business, and later navigating a private equity acquisition, became a pivotal moment that forced a complete rethi...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Draven McConville, a technology entrepreneur who built and exited a global SaaS company after overcoming homelessness at just 18 years old. Draven shares the full arc of his journey, from survival and uncertainty to founding Clipboard, a field service management platform designed to digitize and streamline operations for trade...

In this impactful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Krissy Webb, co-founder and executive director of Student ACES, a nonprofit dedicated to developing young leaders through character, accountability, and real-world life skills. Krissy shares how a simple but powerful question about the future of leadership sparked the creation of Student ACES and grew into a multi-million-doll...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Glenn Poulos, a seasoned entrepreneur who has built, scaled, and exited multiple companies across industries, only to lose it all and start again. Glenn shares the story of what looked like a life-changing exit, until the acquiring company went bankrupt and wiped out the value of his shares. Faced with starting over in his mid-...

In this practical and insight-packed episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sean Griffith, founder of Truffle, an AI-powered hiring platform built to solve one of the biggest bottlenecks in modern business: screening candidates at scale. Sean shares his journey from joining SimpleTexting as the seventh employee to helping scale the company to $40M ARR, and later leading hundreds of...

In this raw and practical episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Chris McManus, founder of GC Landscaping Inc., who scaled his business from mowing lawns to a multi-million-dollar full-service landscaping and pool construction company in just six years. Chris shares his unconventional journey from semi-professional motocross into entrepreneurship, where he redirected his competitive...

In this honest and practical episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Dave Gulas, co-founder of EZDC 3PL and host of the Beyond Fulfillment podcast, to explore what it really takes to build and scale a business in a demanding, fast-moving industry. Dave shares how he transitioned from a 20-year career in pharmaceutical sales into launching a third-party logistics company, stepping int...

In this forward-looking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with John Petrocelli, livestream pioneer and CEO of Bulldog Digital Media, to explore how live content has evolved into one of the most powerful forces in modern business. John shares his journey from the early days of digital media, working with artists like Prince and helping shape direct-to-consumer distribution, to produc...

In this thought-provoking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sam Berman, founder and CEO of LARC (Logistics Advanced Research Center), to explore how challenging deeply embedded industry assumptions can unlock real innovation. Sam shares how LARC began as a simple idea sketched on a napkin and evolved into a global solution for transporting high-value, mission-critical equipment...

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Richard Blank, entrepreneur and CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, to explore the unconventional path that led him from Philadelphia to building a thriving business abroad. Richard shares how stepping away from family expectations and societal pressure allowed him to pursue a life aligned with his own values. At twenty-seven, he...

In this insightful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Alfredo Dominguez, CEO of Velocity Artificial Lift Solutions, an engineering company dedicated to helping oil and energy producers operate more efficiently through practical, field-driven technologies. Alfredo shares how his background in engineering shaped his leadership philosophy, one rooted in problem-solving, precision,...

In this insightful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Joy Lynskey, founder and CEO of Jewel Toned Interiors, an award-winning interior design studio known for creating people-centered environments that combine creativity, psychology, and purpose. Joy shares how her early fascination with psychology shaped the way she approaches design today. Rather than focusing only on aestheti...

In this candid episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Connor Treacy, a Los Angeles–based entrepreneur working at the crossroads of nightlife, music, culture, and business. Connor offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it truly takes to stay relevant in the entertainment industry, where momentum is fleeting and yesterday’s success quickly fades. Connor shares how he co-founded...

In this powerhouse episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with media pioneer Larry Namer, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television and chairman of multiple global media ventures, to unpack how a scrappy startup became a worldwide entertainment brand. Larry shares how E! launched with just $2.5 million, 11 employees, and 31 interns, eventually expanding into 142 countries. But this conve...

What if explosive growth is not about taking bigger risks, but about refusing to make predictable mistakes? In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Matthew Neill Davis, attorney, entrepreneur, and founder of Davis Business Law, a firm that achieved more than 1000% growth in eight years and became one of the rare law firms to earn a place on the Inc. 5000 list. Matthew reveals...

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with multi-passionate entrepreneur and architect Lance Cayko to unpack what it truly means to build something that endures. Lance shares how being laid off early in his career became the spark that led him to found multiple seven-figure companies grounded in culture, customer service, and steady growth. Instead of chasing scale for status, h...

In this forward-thinking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Jason Wong, award-winning packaging innovator and CEO of PackinDuck, to explore how technology, media, and manufacturing can combine to transform a traditional industry. After building and scaling multiple consumer brands, Jason experienced the friction of unreliable overseas manufacturing firsthand. Rather than accepti...

In this soulful and expansive episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sal Salcedo, renowned hair artist, educator, and founder of Nova Arts Salon. What begins as a conversation about hair quickly unfolds into something far deeper: identity, magnetism, creativity, sustainability, and business as a vehicle for cultural impact. Sal shares how growing up in Mexico, immigrating to the Uni...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Scott Neil, co-founder of Horse Soldier Bourbon and American Freedom Distillery, to explore what it truly takes to build a legacy brand designed to outlast its founders. Scott shares his journey from serving in U.S. Army Special Forces, including being among the first teams inserted into Afghanistan after 9/11, to co-founding a...

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Michael Black, founder and CEO of Success Tutoring, one of the fastest-growing education franchises in Australia with a rapidly expanding global footprint. Michael shares how he started a small tutoring business in his parents’ spare bedroom at just seventeen years old and grew it into a purpose-driven franchise operating acro...

In this candid and eye-opening episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Chantelle-Shakila Tiagi, founder of TIAGI, a global creative production agency with offices in London, Los Angeles, and Mumbai. Chantelle pulls back the curtain on what production in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle really looks like. Beyond the glamour, she explains the reality of coordinating dozens of moving part...

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Matt Dorman, co-founder and president of Endeavor, a digital solutions agency that helps manufacturers and enterprise organizations modernize outdated websites, CMS platforms, and digital infrastructure. With more than 30 years of experience building enterprise platforms for companies like Time Inc. and Fox News, Matt brings a grounded...

In this thoughtful and deeply grounded episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Armen Alajian, co-owner of ARTO Brick & Tile, a California-based, family-founded company known for its handcrafted architectural surfaces and timeless design. Armen shares how growing up surrounded by raw materials, craftsmanship, and hands-on creation shaped not only the products ARTO makes, but the p...

In this meaningful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Brian and Sally Krichbaum, the owners and stewards of Gilbert Chocolates, a historic chocolate company founded in 1893 and deeply rooted in the community of Jackson, Michigan. Brian and Sally share the honest story of acquiring a once-thriving business that had dwindled to just five employees, and the intentional, disciplined...

In this thoughtful and grounding episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Angelo D’Amico, President and CEO of a global manufacturing company based in Ontario, Canada, generating more than $25 million in annual sales. Angelo brings a rare blend of economics, management consulting, and philosophy into the conversation, offering a deeply human perspective on what leadership actually loo...