Business Owners Tell All

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , Jaya Iyer shares her journey from growing up in India to building a purpose-driven fashion brand in the United States. With a Ph. D. in Fashion Merchandising and experience in both academia and the apparel industry, Jaya combined her knowledge, personal experiences, and motherhood to create Svaha USA—a brand designed to challenge gender...

In this episode, Santosh Kaveti, Founder & CEO of ProArch, shares his journey of building a global technology company and the evolving mindset required to lead in times of rapid disruption. From embracing uncertainty as a first-time entrepreneur to navigating today’s unprecedented AI-driven transformation, Santosh highlights that success in business isn’t just about strategy—it’s about learnin...

This episode dives into how Jesse Jackson built a fast-growing automotive repair business from zero to eight figures in just four years — without prior industry experience. Her journey highlights a core truth: business growth is a direct reflection of personal growth. Jesse shares how she leveraged: Continuous learning Strategic mentorship Acquisition-driven scaling Letting go of control …to evolv...

In this milestone episode of Business Owners Tell All , Jamie Seeker officially transitions out of the host seat and hands it over to Tom Irvin—marking a powerful moment of leadership in action. The conversation begins with Tom sharing his vision for helping business owners move from growth to scale by getting out of their own way and focusing on what truly drives results. He emphasizes the import...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , Jamie Seeker interviews Mike Farrell , Founder and CEO of Landscape Management Group in Columbus, Ohio. Mike shares how he started in 2008 by knocking on doors with a push mower, wheelbarrow, and handmade business cards to pay for college, then gradually turned that hustle into a multi-city landscaping business. The conversation centers...

Amber Sheikh joins Jamie Seeker for a powerful conversation on what it truly takes to lead — not just a business, but a mission. As the founder and CEO of SHEIKH / Impact, Amber supports nonprofit organizations across California by strengthening their fundraising, leadership, and strategic planning. But her journey to ownership was anything but linear. In this episode, Amber shares how her early w...

Michael shares his journey from a 14-year-old working at a produce stand to a CIA-trained chef who hit burnout and reinvented his career. That pivot led to the creation of Food, Fire, and Knives — a private chef platform that now serves clients across the country, bringing restaurant-quality dining into homes. What began as side gigs turned into a full-scale business that empowers chefs to regain...

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Seva Ustinov, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Elly Analytics — a performance marketing company reimagined with an internal AI Operating System at its core. Seva shares his 20-year journey from founding a marketing agency in Russia to scaling a tech company in the U.S., and how the chaos of managing large teams led him to create a unified AI-powered “c...

In this dynamic and honest conversation, Jamie Seeker sits down with visionary entrepreneur Chaz Wolfe and serial integrator Jake Isaacs , co-founders of Gathering The Kings , to unpack what it really takes to build and lead a high-performing team. Set in the context of HR and people strategy, the episode dives deep into how business owners transition from doing everything themselves to leading ot...

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Eli Igra Serfaty to unpack how startup founders can transform LinkedIn from a passive platform into an active hiring and branding engine . Drawing from his background in venture capital and his journey building MAIA Digital — Israel’s top LinkedIn marketing agency — Eli shares frameworks, case studies, and tactical tips to optimize founder presence, build empl...

Hank shares his unconventional path into IT leadership — beginning with time on Capitol Hill, renewable energy work at the Department of Energy, military service as an infantry officer, oil & gas, and private equity acquisition through a search fund. He eventually returned to Kentucky and found the role at NetGain through LinkedIn. The conversation focuses heavily on hiring in a highly competi...

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Laura Woodard , known as the Medical Marketing Maven , to talk about something all business owners face: how to build a team that really works . Laura shares how her personal journey caring for family members at the end of life inspired her to launch GrassRoots Medical Marketing — a Tampa-based agency helping private medical practices grow through ethical, eff...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , Jamie sits down with Kasandra Murray , founder of Unlucky Umbrella , a marketing and operations consultancy based in Columbus, Ohio . Kasandra offers a refreshing people‑first perspective on how businesses can grow sustainably by aligning marketing, operations, and HR. Kasandra shares how most organizational issues stem from broken proce...

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, host Jamie Seeker welcomes Laura Moore, a powerhouse entrepreneur and founder of Moore Injury Funding, a boutique legal funding firm based near Atlanta, Georgia. Laura opens up about her personal journey from injury and financial stress to building a purpose-driven company that helps others bridge the financial gap between injury and justice. The episode c...

In this episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Greg Gillespie, the Co-Founder of Collectiv — a fast-growing data and AI consulting firm that’s made the Inc. 5000 list three times . Greg shares his journey from being laid off in 2016 to building a 30-person firm helping mid-sized and enterprise businesses operationalize AI, Power BI, and data strategies across their organizations. But this isn’t a te...

In this inspiring conversation, Jamie Seeker sits down with Derek Taussig — Army veteran, ultra-marathoner, and CEO of Taussig Landscape — to unpack what it really means to build a business with heart. Derek shares how mowing lawns as a teen evolved into running a full-service landscaping company with a powerful mission: enriching lives through the outdoors. From battlefield lessons in leadership...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , host Jamie Seeker sits down with Óscar Rubio , Founder and CEO of Lodgerin , a Madrid- and Miami-based proptech company redefining international mobility. What started as Óscar’s personal struggle to find housing in the UK evolved into a global digital ecosystem that now manages over 90,000 rental units worldwide — connecting universitie...

🎙️ Episode Summary In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , host Jamie Seeker sits down with Dina Shanowitz , mother of five and founder/CEO of Zomee , a maternity and baby care brand based in Florida. Dina shares how her difficult first breastfeeding journey — exclusively pumping for a NICU baby with an outdated, inconvenient pump — inspired her to design a better solution. Zo...

In this episode, Tom Nassr dives into how business owners can think differently about process management, workflow design, and automation — not just for efficiency, but to unlock their team’s creativity and focus. Tom shares his evolution from philosophy major to design agency founder to automation strategist. With practical stories and frameworks, he offers a refreshing, human-first take on how t...

In this episode of Business Owner Tell All: What It Takes host Jamie Seeker sits down with Dr. Connor Glass, Founder & CEO of Phantom Neuro , based in Austin, Texas . Connor shares his journey from aspiring military officer to medical researcher to startup founder, ultimately creating a neurotechnology company that’s revolutionizing how prosthetics connect with the human body. With Phantom Neu...

In this episode, Jamie Seeker talks with Dr. Damodar “Damo” Sahu , a global tech leader and philanthropist who’s turning AI into a force for good. Based in Northville, Michigan , Data Safeguard Inc. is an AI-powered data privacy and synthetic fraud prevention company helping enterprises protect digital identities before cybercriminals can exploit them. Dr. Sahu shares his journey — from growing up...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes , Jamie Seeker speaks with Seth Kamens , founder of Kamens & Associates , a full-service accounting and consulting firm based in Livingston, NJ, just 30 minutes outside New York City. Seth’s career path wasn’t straightforward—after stints in Washington, D.C., recovering from a serious illness, and working at powerhouse firms like Morga...

In this powerful episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Jim Parrish, founder of Parrish Law Firm, PLLC, based in Northern Virginia. Jim shares how he built a multi-million-dollar personal injury practice rooted in values and client trust—all on a contingency-fee model where the firm only gets paid if clients win. Drawing from his early days inside the insurance industry, Jim now uses that knowledge...

Tammy Lisi, affectionately known as The Unicorn Chemist , joins Jamie Seeker to share her unconventional journey from chemistry intern to neurophysiology researcher to co-founding Formulate Robotics , a tech-powered contract manufacturing company operating out of rural Iowa. In this deeply authentic episode, Tammy opens up about breaking into male-dominated STEM fields, the emotional weight of fun...

Pete Bernard’s journey spans from launching firmware startups in high school to leading major innovations at Microsoft and now reshaping the global conversation around Edge AI. In this conversation, Pete breaks down the mindset behind product innovation, why timing and customer clarity matter more than features, and how conviction, collaboration, and education play critical roles in staying ahead...