Hello Chaos

Intimate involvement in helping three companies grow and exit has made Jules Okafor an unabashed startup addict. A huge personal failure made her brave enough to do something about it. Finally, Jules founded Revolution Cyber, a cybersecurity awareness and engagement company. Yet even with “addiction and lore of taking what you’ve learned and applying it” to a new endeavor, this time she’s more foc...

If time and money are stressing you out, listen up. Jason Blumer of Blumer Associates talked with J.J. and Jenno about managing the different kinds of fear that come up as you lead and grow a company. As a founder and advisor to other agency founders, he offers some practical steps you can take — setting limits and boundaries that bring freedom in the long run. We should probably call this one, “G...

Danielle Hodge. All you high-energy founders who can’t let a good idea pass you by, meet Danielle Hodge of Alma Ocean, an inflatable pool and swim accessories company. Even working mostly as a solopreneur, she founded her second company to fill a gap in the leisure market and has begun expanding her mission to address related health and social issues. And… Danielle is also learning the value of sl...

Wanna do business by doing good? David Goldsmith has founded four companies in the past 20 years. But his latest venture, youB, is a big departure from the rest. YouB is all about helping people and organizations learn about and commit to social and environmental sustainability. This episode dives into the journey of creating a social impact business. Listen in and take notes if you’re focused on...

Annette Njau shares a motivating story of balancing passion, mission and profit with House of Takura. Another one of those “accidental entrepreneurs,” she’s working on scaling a side hustle with a huge mission. House of Takura is a luxury accessories and apparel brand created to empower women on the African Continent while keeping her customers looking fly. Listen in if you’re working on a busines...

"Do you want ownership or control?” Just one of the thought-provoking points Herbert Drayton III while discussing HI Mark Capital, a venture capital firm focused on minority- and women-owned businesses. This is a good one for you if your business pushes against the status-quo, but you’re doing the damn thing anyway. As an experienced entrepreneur, he has plenty of tips for what's important to focu...

Need a dose of optimism? Then sit in on our conversation with Cam Flowers, co-founder of Floreo Labs. Floreo helps cities, businesses, and other organizations harness the power of technology to make big impacts. Cam is a proudly curious person who loves connecting dots, and will help you get genuinely excited about envisioning an innovation ecosystem where everyone plays their unique role. And for...

Danielle Kaminsky, founder of Made by Danielle and owner/operator of Reinvintage Warehouse, talks with Jenno and J.J. about growing from maker to retailer and entrepreneur educator (who still runs her craft business). Danielle about embracing a series of growth opportunities, and running creative businesses in digital and brick-and-mortar spaces. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episod...

In this episode, Jenno tries not to fangirl all over orthopedic rock star and podcast host, Dr. Scott Sigman, as he talks about helping create a generation of "orthopreneurs" through OrthoLazer. We get Scott's take on successful franchising, finding the right partners, and changing up a traditional healthcare model. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podc...

Lelia King, CEO of Build Carolina, delivers a healthy reminder that the "figuring it out" part of the business is actually a critical piece of moving forward that deserves its own time –even in the fast-moving tech world. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join o...

Nika White was making her way in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space for several years before striking it out on her own. She talked Jenno about launching her consultancy with a first big anchor client (hint: they already knew her well) and the current state of building a management team poised for growth. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast...

If your professional life crashes, it doesn’t have to burn as well. You’re totally allowed to make up a new one anytime you want. That’s what Richard Bliss did, and he talks with J.J. and Jenno about how he reinvented himself out of necessity (more than once). Richard also explains how he's used podcasting and social media to build audiences and community, and how giving knowledge away has been ke...

Here’s a good one for the family business leaders. Will Patterson wasn’t the founder of his family's construction company, but the time came when he had to bring a founder's mindset to the table in order for the company to succeed. Now, fully in the driver seat, he talks with J.J. and Jenno about the nuances of making the transition, and making it his own. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed t...

Ever have trouble harnessing your big ideas? David Dewane, co-founder of niche book publisher, Mouse Book Club, explains why “it’s a cool company!” even as he wrestles with outcomes and possible next steps. He gets honest about how hard it can be to sift through endless possibilities before we launch into an impromptu brainstorming session, cuz why not? P.S. We had some video challenges in the stu...

Kenzie Biggins, founder of Worxbee, talks about life in the midst of a (another) pivot, and staying hands-off while watching employees make the mistakes needed to grow to their next level. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect wit...

This week, Patrick Bryant of CODE/+/TRUST backs up his claim that entrepreneurship is the biggest change agent in the world. He gives specifics on how to make sure your ideas matter, and how to evaluate the various advice you’re bound to receive. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. W...

It turned out this conversation with interactive experience creators Mister & Mischief (a.k.a. Jeff and Andy Crocker) was a masterclass in understanding and engaging an audience of any sort. We talked about how to read people, how to delight them, and what kinds of data can help you constantly improve the customer (or audience) experience. They also shared great insights about handling the tension...

This week, Robyn Farrell drops some gems about how she stopped wasting time in rooms where people aren’t ready to hear what she has to say, and the upside of co-founding Resiliency Technologies with her husband, Tim. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our co...

Blockchain, Web3, metaverse –yeah, all that. Gordon Jones, founder of Validide, breaks down emerging technologies and the entrepreneurial opportunities they’re creating. And guess what? He barely mentions NFTs or crypto. #notcomplaining Gordon has had an interesting career and is now doing some interesting things with blockchain and cryptocurrency in his tenure with the University of South Carol...

If you’re thinking about trademarks, copyright and intellectual property, this fast-paced and fun episode is for you. If you’re not, you probably should be. We got tons of advice on what you need to do - and why - from Doug Lineberry and Intellectual Property Attorney in Greenville, South Carolina. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favori...

If you're looking for a step-by-step on moving a business from your side hustle to your main muscle, check out Dionne Sandiford's story. Our founder reconnects with Dionne after they both met in a business accelerator and continued to collaborate. Dionne's is a unique journey of people showing up with great advice, huge unexpected gifts, and always relying on higher power. As she grows Corporate S...

Strap in for a very meta episode by a media company focused on entreprneurs talking with the co-founder of a media company focused on entrepreneurs. But the real story from Joe Panettieri of CyberRisk Alliance is of building and selling one company, staying with the second after it's acquired, and details about how partnerships made it all possible. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this epi...

Feel like you've got 100 things on your mind? Erin Mehagan, founder of Livi Lu Lain , feels your pain. Her business story is full of breakthroughs, blunders, and boobs. As she grows an intimate wear business created to help women feel better about the way they look, Erin has come up with ways to cope with it all. Ask for help? Yes. Google like crazy? Yup . Make expensive mistakes? Yeah...sigh . Ta...

If you're an entrepreneur, you're a leader. Zach Eikenberry and Adam Anderson of Hook Security sat down with us to take a serious* look at how to lead and grow a company through rapid growth in a fast-changing landscape. *The subject is serious. The guests, not so much. Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share...

Cynthia Jenkins and Tina Zwolinksi were doing to just fine as partners at the marketing and branding company Tina had co-founded 25 years earlier. But when they encountered a client problem that marketing couldn't solve - connecting with and preparing the Gen Z workforce - they took a huge leap build a company that could.  Check out skillsgapp . Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode...