In The Thick of It

Get ready to dive into the remarkable journey of entrepreneur, coach, Max Life Podcast host, and Co-Founder of 16 Days , Ben Laws . Join us as Ben takes us from his upbringing between Minnesota and rural Wisconsin, where character was built stacking hay bales, splitting wood, and mowing a steep hillside cemetery, to his emergence as a wealth coach, founder, and leader helping others pursue a life...

Let's dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Chris Lesner , founder and CEO of Project World Impact . Join us as Chris takes us from a childhood spent moving across the globe from Michigan to Japan, Australia, Germany, and back to the Chicago suburbs, to his emergence as a purpose-driven entrepreneur building businesses designed to honor God and impact people. During our conversation, Chris open...

Get ready to dive into the remarkable journey of Platform Transition's president, Hugh Stewart . Join us as Hugh takes us from his childhood in Jamaica, where a Blue Angels air show sparked a lifelong obsession with aviation, to his emergence as a leading data migration expert in the Sage Intacct ecosystem. During our conversation, Hugh opens up about the winding path that shaped him, earning his...

Get ready to dive into the inspiring journey of Rise Wealth Strategies ' founder, Shane . Join us as Shane takes us from his roots in the small farming town of Eaton, Colorado, to his emergence as a purpose-driven wealth advisor redefining what financial planning looks like. During our conversation, Shane opens up about growing up with two father figures, a 9-to-5 union worker and a farmer, and ho...

Get ready to dive into the entrepreneurial path of ENO8 's founder, Jeff Francis . Join us as Jeff takes us from his roots in small-town Farmersville, Texas, to his emergence as a visionary tech entrepreneur. During our conversation, Jeff opens up about the transformative experiences that molded his technology career and the hurdles he's conquered. He delves into how he's built success by ensuring...

In this episode, we welcome Matt Wensing, founder and CEO of Summit, an innovative low-code/no-code automation platform. Matt shares his journey into the world of B2B tech services. From a young age, Matt has always been curious about his future career path. Initially pursuing political science in college, he soon discovered his true passion was in computer science. His first post-college job prov...

Starting a business is a collaborative effort, as Seth Frey, founder and president of Big Frey, discovered while navigating partnerships and industry changes in promotional products. Seth's entrepreneurial journey began with family inspiration. Post-college, he and his brother established Granny's Goodies, offering exam survival kits to students. Building on this experience, Seth later founded Big...

In this episode, we feature our first-ever husband and wife duo—Reagan and Elle Pugh—each with their own thriving entrepreneurial ventures. Together, they share the personal and professional experiences that not only brought them together but also fuel their mutual support in business. We explore key topics like the value of mentorship, navigating financial highs and lows, and the power of open co...

Navigating employee benefits can be a major hurdle for business owners. Selecting insurance plans—from health to dental to vision—can be daunting, with decisions affecting team members and their families. In this episode, we welcome Chris Hamilton of Hotchkiss Insurance. He shares valuable insights on choosing practical, cost-effective benefit plans for your workforce. Scott here: As a founder mys...

In this episode, we welcome Steffie Tomson, the innovative mind behind Getaway Sticks. Hailing from Houston, Texas, Steffie's journey from a cognitive neuroscience researcher to footwear entrepreneur is as unique as her product line. Steffie shares her mission to revolutionize women's shoes by marrying style with comfort. She recounts the hurdles she faced, from designing her initial high heel pro...

Gut feelings in hiring decisions are a common but flawed approach. Rick Girard's experience in recruitment revealed that many companies often lean on personal biases when selecting or rejecting candidates. This insight led him to create Intertru, a platform leveraging generative AI to promote more objective hiring practices. Rick's story demonstrates that while technological expertise isn't a prer...

Recently we celebrated 1 year of In The Thick of It podcast with a live-streamed episode featuring past guests, including: 👤 Justin Smith , Founder of Ebenezer Consulting 👤 Roy Keely , Founder of FirmStudio 👤 Taylor Brooks , Founder of Simple We hope you enjoy our banter and discussion around business, leadership, and professional development. It was a great time sharing the space with fellow f...

As we near one year since starting In The Thick of It , we're working on a celebratory episode. In the meantime, we'd love for you to catch up on some founder stories you may have missed. In this episode, we learn from Jonathan Lusk, an entrepreneur who grew up in a small town in Texas before going on to attend Texas A&M and build a career in wealth management. Jonathan started out at AT&T...

As we near one year since starting In The Thick of It , we're working on a celebratory episode. In the meantime, we'd love for you to catch up on some founder stories you may have missed. In this episode of In the Thick of It, host Scott interviews Taylor Brooks, founder and CEO of Simple Donation. Taylor shares his journey from growing up in Atlanta to attending Auburn University and working vari...

As we near one year since starting In The Thick of It , we're working on a celebratory episode. In the meantime, we'd love for you to catch up on some founder stories you may have missed. Clayton Flurry is the Founder of Flurry’s Market + Provisions, a beloved local butcher shop and grocery store in Flower Mound, Texas. After spending nearly two decades in the oil and gas industry, Clayton decided...

As we near one year since starting In The Thick of It , we're working on a celebratory episode. In the meantime, we'd love for you to catch up on some founder stories you may have missed. Last year, we kicked off the podcast with our first guest: Chelsea Curtis, Founder & Managing Partner of Seaport Consulting, a successful Salesforce consulting firm in Boston, MA. Chelsea shares her path to e...

Entrepreneurial journeys often take unexpected turns, sometimes leading to extraordinary success. In this episode, we explore Robert (Bob) Bowden's transition from landman to thriving business owner. Bob shares his experience founding two distinct companies: Verity Advisors, which assists in unclaimed property recovery, and VerityPay, offering text-based payment solutions for B2C businesses. He di...

This episode features Joni Girardi, founder and CEO of DataSelf, a business helping mid-sized organizations use data and analytics to gain a competitive edge. Joni's fascination with technology began in his youth, sparked by learning about the unidirectional flow of electrons in diodes. Initially pursuing electrical engineering, he later switched to programming, joining a web development firm in t...

Estate planning may not be the first thing on your mind when launching a business, but it's a crucial step that shouldn't be overlooked.  In this episode, we dive into the world of asset protection with estate planning attorney, Candace Sandifer. She outlines key measures entrepreneurs should implement to safeguard their business interests. Candace stresses the importance of enlisting the help of...

In this episode of "In The Thick of It," Kasey Sisson discusses her journey from recent graduate to successful entrepreneur. After completing her Masters in Organizational Communication in 2019, Kasey leveraged her creative abilities and passion for teaching to establish her own marketing agency, Kasey S Consulting. Kasey shares both the highs and lows of running her business. She recounts the exc...

In this In The Thick of It Toolbox episode, Yobany Mayen, Senior Vice President at Encore Bank, talks about the importance of entrepreneurs and businesses having a solid banking relationship. Scott and Yobany discuss the impact of interest rates, the role of personal guarantees, cash management, fraud prevention, and lending processes for small to medium-sized businesses.  Yobany provides practica...

Unlock the power of strategic marketing for your startup or small business. In this insightful episode, Laura Neathery, founder of LJ Consulting & Marketing, shares her expertise on the invaluable role of partnering with a marketing agency. Discover the ideal timing to engage an agency and the key qualities to prioritize for a successful collaboration. In today's fast-paced digital landscape,...

On this episode of In The Thick of It, Scott sits down with Sam Bluntzer, owner of Blue Ribbon Rain Gutter in Fort Worth, Texas. Sam shares his unique path to entrepreneurship, from growing up in the small town of New Braunfels, Texas to becoming a Marine Corps fighter pilot and eventually taking over a gutter business just two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Sam discusses the challenges...

This week, we're taking a pause to celebrate Memorial Day and honor those who have served. Many people often think of Memorial Day as the start of summer, but I encourage everyone to take a moment to remember those who've sacrificed themselves for our freedom in the United States.  While Veterans Day honors both living and deceased veterans, Memorial Day is also an appropriate time to thank everyo...

In this episode of “In The Thick of It,” Scott welcomes Randy Steinle, CEO and co-founder of Cybertrust Alliance based in Austin, Texas. Randy shares his journey from growing up in New Jersey to studying business and economics at Wheaton College in Chicago, and how his early career experiences in sales and leadership roles at various technology companies prepared him for entrepreneurship. Randy di...