Modern Founders

Most business advice online makes entrepreneurship look easier than it really is. Jerry Brazie has built more than a dozen companies and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. In this episode, he shares the realities of building a business, making sales, hiring employees, balancing family, and pushing through discomfort. We discuss why founders need to stay involved in their busines...

5 Questions Every Early-Stage Entrepreneur Must Answer What do you do when shit hits the fan and your podcast guests fall through? You pivot, you hit record, and you make something out of nothing. That is Business 101. In this rare solo episode, I'm getting completely out of my comfort zone to tackle 5 questions that early-stage entrepreneurs face the exact same hurdles I’m navigating in real-time...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/ YouTube:  @Modern. Founders  My Website: https://meloadmedia.com/ In this solo episode of the Modern Founders Podcast, Barrett talks through what the first 8 months of building a business have actually looked like. No fluff. No fake highlight reel. Just the honest reality of starting from scratch, getting your first clients, working more tha...

Connect with Chad Owen: Chad's Website: https://www.stimulus.io/ Connect With Me: MeloAd Media: https://meloadmedia.com/ Barrett Williams: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/ Episode Summary: In this episode of Modern Founders, Barrett sits down with AI consultant Chad Owen to discuss how early-stage entrepreneurs can use AI employees to scale without growing a team. Chad shares his tran...

The Reality of 25 Years in Tech & Business with Mike LaVista 🚀 In this episode of Modern Founders, I sit down with Mike LaVista, the founder of CAXI. Over the last 25 years, Mike has navigated the rapidly changing world of technology, shifting his company from hand-coding in Notepad to building advanced AI-driven solutions. We talk openly about the mistakes, the growth spikes that almost brok...

In this episode of Modern Founders, I sit down with Benas, a freelancer turned agency founder, to talk about what it really takes to turn a skill into a real business. We get into the early struggles of freelancing, finding your first clients, learning sales, escaping the feast-or-famine cycle, and building long-term client relationships. This one is for freelancers, solopreneurs, service provider...

In this episode of Modern Founders, Barrett sits down with Andrew Ackerman, a serial entrepreneur, early-stage investor, innovation expert, professor, and author of The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey . Andrew has invested in over 70 startups and mentored or advised hundreds of founders, giving him a deep understanding of what actually separates ideas from real businesses. We talk about why most first-time...

In this episode of Modern Founders, I sit down with John Sampogna, co-founder and CEO of Wondersauce, to talk about what it really takes to build and grow a business in today’s world. John shares practical lessons from growing Wondersauce from the early days into a 100-person agency, including how to land your first clients, build trust, hire smarter, create repeatable systems, and use AI without...

In this episode of Modern Founders , we sit down with Courtney and Slava , the husband-and-wife duo behind Puptique . They share their journey of moving away from traditional, lean e-commerce models to build a high-touch, retail experience focused on community activation. We dive deep into the strategic reasoning behind their membership-based model, why they believe loyalty programs are a myth, an...

In this episode of Modern Founders, Barrett sits down with Amit Zandberg, the 22-year-old founder and CEO of Allpros. After spending over $10,000 on online courses, Amit saw a major problem: people often don’t know if a course is actually worth it until after they buy it. So he built Allpros, a platform that helps people review and evaluate online courses, mentors, and creators before spending the...

In this episode of Modern Founders, I sit down with George Little, entrepreneur, designer, and founder of Brandzap, to talk about what it really takes to build a business in today’s market. George shares his journey from designer to founder, how he built his consultancy, and why early-stage entrepreneurs need to get specific about who they serve, what problem they solve, and how they position thei...

In this episode, I sit down with Thalia Vila, the founder of Resilient Meals, a high-quality meal prep company based in Central Florida. Thalia shares her inspiring journey from a failed restaurant attempt during the COVID-19 lockdowns to building a successful, health-focused business that prioritizes transparency and real food. Key Highlights The "Anti-Factor" Approach: How Thalia competes with H...

The conversation covers the journey of Zach Brown from education to the financial industry, the challenges faced, and the importance of financial education. It also delves into the role of a financial advisor and the need for financial education in schools and colleges. The discussion highlights the impact of market fluctuations and the value of professional expertise and emotional support provide...

The conversation covers Lucas's journey from Hong Kong to New Zealand, his experience in the insurance industry, and the challenges and strategies of running a business in New Zealand. It also delves into the dynamics of lead generation, client relationships, and risk management in the business. The conversation covers topics such as calculated risk in business decisions, disruption in the industr...