FounderArc: The turning point from grit to glory.

In this episode, host Blaine Bertsch is joined by Matt Howard from Maverick Agency in Calgary, a creative agency known for its innovative work. The conversation explores Matt's entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early fascination with technology and creativity to founding Maverick Agency. Matt shares his experiences navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, from high school ventu...

In this episode of FounderArc host Blaine Bertsch welcomes Rob Danard from Black Owl Systems to discuss his story of entrepreneurship and innovation. The episode kicks off with Blaine reminiscing about meeting Rob in Texas during South by Southwest, highlighting the significance of networking in such events. Rob shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early ventures in social media a...

In this episode of FounderArc, host Blaine Bertsch dives into the innovative world of e-commerce and dropshipping with guest Lior Pozin, CEO and co-founder of AutoDS. Lior shares his story of building AutoDS from its inception as a simple idea to the complexities of managing a global e-commerce platform.  Lior shares his entrepreneurial beginnings, starting with a keen observation in the cell phon...

In the latest episode of FounderArc, host Blaine Bertsch chats with Eric Mayville, the Co-Founder and CEO of Fairgame, where they aim to revolutionize the golf tech landscape, concentrating on building community and enhancing the golf experience through cutting-edge technology.  This episode dives into Eric's journey, tracing his path back to creative agency, Wondersauce, and through to Fairg...

In this episode of FounderArc, Blaine engages in a conversation with entrepreneur Chris Wehbe from Caissa, an advisory firm that serves small businesses and nonprofits.  They discuss Chris’ experiences in managing a business across diverse cultural and regulatory environments. Drawing on his engineering background, Chris shares how it influences his business strategies, particularly underscoring t...

This episode of FounderArc, hosted by Blaine Bertsch, features a deep dive into user experience (UX) design with guest Satyam Kantamneni, Managing Partner & Chief Experience Officer from UX Reactor. The conversation explores the intricacies of UX design, Satyam's entrepreneurial journey, and the significant impact of UX on technology and business growth. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be...

Join us on a compelling episode of FounderArc as we dive into the remarkable story of Mike Snyder, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps reserves, who seamlessly transitioned his military discipline and leadership prowess into the world of business.  Discover how Mike's unique blend of experiences shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, from his military tenure to his ventures in m...

After a storied career building success within creative agencies, Chris Caldwell turned to developing a program called "Focus Management" that helps founders optimize their businesses by aligning teams, improving processes, and fostering a collaborative culture.  He understands the importance of creating value for customers and going beyond simple money transactions by providing effectiv...

On this episode of FounderArc, Obed Maurice shares his journey of starting a virtual accounting firm through to an exit and on to his latest venture, Maxim One. Obed realized that traditional accounting practices were often painful for both accountants and clients.  He developed a prototype for cloud accounting, accounting automation, and CFO services that emphasizes the importance of understandin...

In this podcast, Dena Patton, a successful entrepreneur and business coach, shares her journey of starting a PR and marketing agency in New York City in 1996. She talks about the challenges she faced and how she overcame them, emphasizing the importance of having a CEO self-care plan. Dena reminds us that as entrepreneurs, we often forget about taking care of ourselves, and having margins in life,...

In this podcast episode, we dive into the story of Guy Bauer, an entrepreneur who started his own video agency, Umault, during the 2009 recession. Despite facing challenges in his early days, Guy persevered, and his business grew exponentially. Guy's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, hard work, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, making his story an inspiration for those loo...

In this episode of FounderArc, entrepreneur Nicole McKenzie shares her journey to founding Momentum Accounting. After realizing that the traditional accounting model was not for her, she took the leap and found a whole new world of possibilities.  Nicole believes in empowering entrepreneurs and helping them achieve their goals. Building long-lasting relationships with her clients is essential, and...

In this episode of FounderArc, Drew English, Founder of Charter and Co. shares his experience of building a successful video production company. Drew talks about his turning point client that gave him the confidence to pursue his passion for video production full time.  He explains how he built a team of specialists, but as the company grew, he realized he wanted to pivot the model and build a net...

Co-founder and CEO of Quickly, Kyle Friedman, is no stranger to the challenges of cash flow. A serial entrepreneur, Kyle experienced the effect rapid growth can have on a business.  Tied with the ups and downs over the years as an entrepreneur, Kyle decided to turn his attention to helping businesses stay liquid, with Quickly, a service that gets their customers paid immediately for the invoices t...

Co-founder and Creative Director of Braind, Eduard Kankanyan sat down with Blaine to talk about the journey that led him to build a leading agency in Armenia, through to their expansion to the Canadian market.  Find out how aiming high and thinking big helped Eduard gain significant media attention, putting Braind on the map, as well as the highs and lows of building a thriving business.  Watch on...

Mélanie Villeneuve came from a family of entrepreneurs and credits her parents with the “hustle and desire to serve” that led her to a life as an entrepreneur. Melanie shares a series of happy accidents that took her from Canada, to Singapore and back, with each experience building on another.  Her relentless drive and smarts led her to her current venture, Urtica, where she builds captivating bra...

Idris Fashan’s entrepreneurial journey had many twists and turns, with each experience compounding his skill as a marketer. Jumping from business initiatives to a drummer in a traveling band, a stint as a promoter, through to building a copy-writing business and finally a wealth of experience putting it all together in marketing. Idris is always on the lookout for opportunity and a better way to p...

Startup TNT burst on the scene just three years ago in Edmonton, Alberta with a grassroots, support-local approach to cultivating startup talent in ‘fly over country.’ From a modest start as a Thursday night networking event, to investment summits in multiple cities, TNT is helping investors find top innovators locally. Zack and Tim both cut their teeth in the startup world, preparing them to buil...

Discover how Kevin Horek started his entrepreneurial journey as a designer, how he became a radio and podcast host with millions of listeners every month, and how his journey led him to his current role as C0-Founder & Chief Design Officer at Llearner.  Youtube: https://youtu.be/bV66JISye9U Subscribe to FounderArc for more founder stories and practical lessons from the front lines of entrepren...

Gregg has a storied career, building numerous tech companies from the earliest days of the web. He experienced wins, losses and exits throughout the years. Today he has taken his vast experience to Llearner, where he and his co-founders are building a social sharing site for life-long learning.  Youtube: https://youtu.be/qtxAr-BuEsE Subscribe to FounderArc for more founder stories and practical le...

Adam dove into entrepreneurship right out of college and built his first company to an acquisition. But it wasn’t as smooth as it sounds. It rarely is. Adam shares the challenges and hard-earned experiences that led to his company today, Email Outreach Company, where he helps businesses that struggle to gain customers and grow. Youtube: https://youtu.be/WcLCQq04cNs Subscribe to FounderArc for more...

To say that Jarod has had a rapid accession as an entrepreneur is an understatement. From graduating High Schools at sixteen, through to a brief college career and marketing roles in the corporate world, Jared dove into entrepreneurship at a young age. After experiencing some of the challenges rapidly growing businesses face, Jared retooled, focused and created a Comet Fuel, a highly successful an...

Starting her career in the retail sector led Jyotsna to her first entrepreneurial endeavor, a recruitment agency specializing in the retail industry. Although a highly successful business, Jyotsna decided that it was too big of a sacrifice for her family and dove into self publishing to give her the work-life balance she desired.  This leap led her to start Happy Self Publishing, that helps author...

Monique Allen comes from a family of entrepreneurs. It’s built into her DNA. So when she started working as a landscaper at the age of eighteen, it was no surprise that she had a full-fledged, growing business by the age of twenty-one. Fast forward to today and Monique is an author and owns a thriving business built on the back of her lifelong passion for landscaping.  https://www.thegardencontinu...

Arjun has had a rapid ascension in the business world. From graduating high school at 16, mastering marketing soon after, through to building a successful and rapidly growing business. Discover how Arjun got started, the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial journey, and find out how he’s reached success at such a frantic rate. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YdMJ4g6j_rk Subscribe to FounderArc...