Going Deep with Aaron Watson

Zak Slayback returns to the podcast after a 317 episode hiatus. He’s here because he’s ready to help even more people with his new book, How to Get Ahead .   It builds off of Zak’s talk at the 2018 Going Deep Summit where he laid out his framework for building a great career from scratch.   Zak is a career building expert and a Principal at Peter Thiel-backed 1517 Fund.   He was one of LinkedIn’s...

Barry Young used to be a pharmacist. Now he makes vodka and rum.   In this interview, you’ll hear how Barry transitioned out of corporate life, what makes some vodka better than others, and why he’s so passionate.   Barry’s company, Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries, is based in Glenshaw and has been around for about 10 years. Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy from the Ultim...

Kurt Schnieders has served as CIO of DICK’S Sporting Goods, L Brands and ING Latin America and worked internationally in corporate America for 35 years. As a steward of digital revolution in large organizations, he has overseen the creation and launch of websites taking in over 1 billion dollars in annual sales.      Throughout his career, he has provided executive leadership, business strategy an...

Ever wonder how bills get passed and how policy gets changed? While elected officials and public servants hold a lot of power, lobbying firms like Wellington Strategies influence the government, too.   Joe Kuklis, the founder and president of Wellington Strategies, came on the podcast to talk about how his business works and the challenges of building a lobbying firm.   Joe focuses on helping smal...

Yummyholic is a custom cookie & cupcake bakery with distinct, made-to-order designs.   Jasmine Cho, the founder, came on Going Deep to discuss her business and how baking can be more creative and therapeutic. She’s learned a lot through launching Yummyholic and you can learn from someone who’s been in the trenches.   Jasmine is currently working to pioneer research-based bake therapy by exploring...

For the last few decades, “Human Resources” was responsible for getting the most out of workers. This meant optimizing for health plans, salaries, and interpersonal conflict.   Claude Silver believes there’s another way.   She leads with her heart and emotional optimism. She owns the onboarding, recruitment, retention, and graduation of all the people that come through VaynerMedia. She calls upon...

IAM Robotics named a new CEO in August 2018 and closed a $20M Series A that November. How have they managed so much upheaval? I decided to find out directly from Joel Reed   Joel is the CEO of IAM Robotics and calls upon 20 years of experience in strategic planning and business development to lead the company’s commercialization of its innovative products.   We discuss the fundraising process, how...

You can get your tickets to Going Deep Summit 3.0 here; https://www.eventbrite.com/e/going-deep-summit-30-tickets-60834779463    

Joe Vennare was the 2nd keynote at the 2019 Going Deep Summit. He shared his story of transitioning from history teacher to serial entrepreneur.    It's advice anyone can use. I'm so glad he shared his message at the Summit.   We could not have put it on without two of our sponsors.   Covalent https://www.wearecovalent.com/   TreeCup https://www.buyateaplantatree.com/

Allen Gannett, the author of The Creative Curve, spoke at the 2019 Going Deep Summit about how to make moments of "creative genius" less random and more intentional. Most people want to know how to be more creative. Allen explains that thoughtful consumption is a key unlock for aspiring creatives.   Allen is the founder of TrackMaven and a bestselling author.   Here are videos from the Going Deep...

Cooper Munroe, CEO of The Motherhood, was interviewed by Aaron Watson about the origins of influencer marketing, what the early days of blogging looked like, and how to communicate authentically with your stakeholders.   Cooper is an award-winning influencer marketing expert and her firm works with the largest consumer brands, nonprofits, and agencies in the world.   She is a specialist in maximiz...

Being a refugee in a new country can be scary, confusing, and lonely. While there are agencies in the US that help refugees with resettlement during the first 3 months, resource constraints leave them unable to assist past that point.   Sloane Davidson created Hello Neighbor to help connect refugees with friends and mentors in their community who can be a sustainable support system.   The families...

Dr. Christopher Howard is the eighth president of Robert Morris University. A university with more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs , more than 5,000 students, and a 100 year history.   In this conversation, Chris and Aaron discuss the future of college, timeless leadership lessons, and Dr. Howard’s background.   Dr. Howard is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academ...

What does it take to become the top referred real estate agent on Zillow? A lot of reviews and hustle.   Brian Teyssier shared his perspective on the industry during a riveting 30-minute conversation at his home in Mount Washington. Brian has worked with some of the top real estate coaches in the business and has some seriously impressive stats.   He's surpassed $19 million in volume in both 2017...

Piper Creative Director of Operations Tori Meglio joins me on the podcast to discuss how Linkedin has transformed our business in the last year.   Here's our new podcast. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-piper-podcast/id1454137800?mt=2

Restaurants are a brutal business. It’s worth studying those that succeed.   Nick Bogacz is the Founder of Caliente Pizza & Draft House. He opened his first location in fall of 2012 and has grown quickly to open four more locations.   Prior to that, he spent over a decade in the industry, starting as a delivery driver in 1996. He went on to lead sales at multiple corporate pizza chains and learn t...

Teresa Huber is the CEO of Intervala, a full-service manufacturer that produces customized electronic and electromechanical solutions for the industrial, medical, and transportation sectors.   She has led Intervala since it’s inception in January 2016 and is responsible for leading the company’s strategic direction and long-term growth. Teresa was named 2018 CEO of the Year by the Pittsburgh Techn...

Nick Merich has been an entrepreneur for a while. As a kid, he’s ring doorbells and ask to mow lawns for money.   Today, he DMs the world’s biggest music artist to educate them about his service, Songlink.   Songlink empowers musicians to share their music more efficiently with platform-agnostic links.   In this discussion, Aaron and Nick talk about the disintermediation of the music industry, how...

Courtney Ehrlichman is an expert in mobility and specializes in advising economic development organizations, startup founders, venture capitalists, and government agencies. Her job requires fluency in new modalities of mobility, connected/autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and smart city applications.   Her background is extensive.   She designed and implemented Carnegie Mellon Universi...

Aaron Morris is a roboticist and computer vision expert working on his third startup.   After earning a PHD from Carnegie Mellon University, Aaron has spent his career in the world of autonomous robots, mapping, perception, computer vision, planning systems and machine learning. His career has placed him in companies at varying sizes and stages where he has launched products, raised venture invest...

How do you go from selling medical equipment to running a high-end clothing company? Ask David Alan.   David Alan Clothing company produces custom clothing, but it has been a long and arduous process to figure out this industry. In this interview, David graciously shares his experiences finding manufacturers in China, keeping celebrity clients happy, and outworking the competition.   David taught...

There are plenty of people that think they have a good chili recipe. Very few bet their careers on it. That’s what first caught our eye about Jordan Robarge.   After working in the startup world as a Venture for America fellow, Jordan started a food truck business called Revival Chili. He found success quickly and was profitable within three months.   Revival Chili’s business is simple: Sell delic...

It takes guts, vision, and intelligence to see where things are going before everyone else and act upon it. Tracy Certo is the founder and publisher of NEXTpittsburgh, an online magazine about the people advancing Pittsburgh and the cool and innovative things happening in the region.   Tracy previously started the first online publication in Pittsburgh as editor and then publisher 11 years ago and...

Rachel Reid founded her cosmetics company, Subtl Beauty, to better serve women on the go. Her line of makeup products comes in compact, customizable stacks that can be easily thrown into a purse or bag.   Rachel first realized this need when she was consulting during the summer of 2016. Since she wasn’t even spending 2 nights a week in her own home, she needed a beauty solution that traveled well...

You gotta check out part One before listening to this one.   In Part Two, Jason discusses his current companies, how he invested in Glen Meakam's company ( Forever.com ), and how he thinks about giving back to others.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter .   Jason’s Challenge; Give more. Be Kind. Pull someone else up.   Connect with Jason Linkedin Website jason@wo...