Screw It, Let's Do This

Finding your passion takes time, let alone building a business around it. Shelby and Therese welcome food content creator Bria Lemirande, who discusses her passion for cooking and channeling that passion into a popular social media presence. Tune in to hear her full story! https://www.tiktok.com/@brialem?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/brialem/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/c/brialemirande https...

In this episode, Shelby and Therese sit down with Ben Camp, co-founder of Recovery.com, a site that connects people to addiction and mental health treatment resources. Ben discusses his marketing career, personal life and how both inform his work. Tune in for the full story! Ben Camp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincamp Join the Squad! - https://www.screwitletsdothispodcast.com/email-signup I...

When she first started her styling business, Risa Kostis didn't expect her work to become so personal. The Rescue Kit Company was born when Risa made last-minute adjustments to a wedding dress and saved the day. In that moment she realized her calling would be to empower women in their day-to-day lives while solving styling problems. Tune in to hear her full story! https://risakostis.com/ htt...

While earning his MBA, former engineer Andrew Foster met his current business partner and co-founded FreshFin, a poke bowl restaurant promoting a healthier lifestyle through great tasting food. In addition to handling daily responsibilities on location, Andrew also focuses on big-picture strategies like marketing, system improvements, and business growth. Tune in to hear the full story! https://ww...

What began as a hobby focused on coral fish has since exploded into a YouTube and business sensation. George Mavrakis, aka CoralFish12g, boasts over 2 million subscribers on YouTube for his entertaining and educational videos visiting aquariums around the world and offering unique insights into aquatic life. He also co-founded Aquashella, an aquarium festival show that attracts more and more atten...

Steve Schmitt's life has revolved around sports since, well, the very beginning. What began as a love for pickup basketball and baseball in his teens would evolve into a professional passion. As a basketball player for Madison College, he led both the team and the Wisconsin Technical College Conference as a top scorer. Today he owns several Madison area businesses, including Rookies Food &amp...

Fresh out of college and unsure what to do next, Alex Page embarked on a months-long international trip and discovered a passion for travel and discovery. With dozens of countries already checked off his list, he continues to document his visits through video and photo content, and has created travel guides and other resources for anyone seeking adventure. Tune in to hear the full story! https://w...

Believe it or not, Craig Culver wasn't always intent on a career in the restaurant business. After earning a degree in biology, he set off on a journey that led from small family-owned fast food joints to one of the most successful restaurant franchises in Wisconsin and across the country. Tune in for the full story! https://www.culvers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/culvers/?hl=en Join the S...

Fresh out of college, Canyon Pergande and Nick Lawton sought to flip the script on how Gen Z finds work. The result was SideShift, a content-focused mobile marketplace - or "Instagram meets hiring" - that launched in 2024 and has massively expanded in just over a year. Tune in for the full story! https://www.instagram.com/_sideshift/?hl=en https://sideshiftjobs.com/ https://www.linkedin....

Between raising a family and joining the Badger football community just two years ago, Amy Fickell somehow also has the time to own and operate a barre3 studio in Middleton. Tune in to hear her full story! Barre3 Middleton: https://barre3.com/studio-locations/middleton?_mt=%2Fbuy%2F48894&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Join the Squad! - https://www.screwitletsdothispodcast.com/email-signup...

While on a low calorie diet, Amanda Kroener and her husband Adam set out on a mission to create cocktails free of carbohydrates, sugars and excessive calories. The result was Carbliss, now a fast-growing RTD cocktail brand. Tune in to hear the full story! Carbliss https://drinkcarbliss.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/carbliss-ready-to-drink-cocktail-keto Amanda Kroener https://www.linkedin.c...

Megan Tucker's journey is far from what you'd expect. With an educational background in theater and drama, years of experience producing reality TV in Los Angeles and finally a return to Madison where she was inspired to start a hot yoga business, Megan truly embodies the "Screw It, Let's Do This" mentality. Tune in to hear the full story! Dragonfly Hot Yoga: https://www.d...

Leah and Yasaman met in college and bonded over their shared Middle Eastern backgrounds. Both snack enthusiasts, they dreamed of starting a snack company tailored toward Gen Z and pickle trends online. Enter Good Girl Snacks and their first product: Hot Girl Pickles. Tune in to hear the full story! Website: https://goodgirlsnacks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgirlsnacks/?hl=en Link...

When she immigrated to the U.S. from Belarus in 2005, Tanya Zhykharevich initially sought work in the restaurant business with the help of a vibrant immigrant community. Little did she know she would one day run one of Madison's best-known fine dining establishments, RED. Tune in to hear the full story! RED: https://red-madison.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redmadisonwi/?hl=en Tan...

As a college student in Nashville, Jessica Blakley and her best friend jokingly came up with the idea of teaching cocktails and bartending - despite having no experience themselves. Today, BarBees Bartending is a mobile cocktail class offering lessons in cities across the United States. Tune in to hear the full story! Website: https://www.gobarbees.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbees...

Founded in 1993, Door County Candle Co. has been a Wisconsin staple for years. When she took over the business in 2021, Christiana Trapani made it her mission to give back, and began a philanthropic journey with the Ukraine Candle. Today, through her Candles Creating Change initiative, Christiana continues to make a positive impact. Tune in to hear the full story! Website: https://doorcountycandle...

Growing up in La Farge, Wisconsin, Luke Zahm formed a deep connection to food early in life. Surrounded by organic farms and helping his parents in the garden as a kid, Luke understood the importance of food and where it came from. Today, Luke hosts the Emmy award-winning PBS and YouTube series Wisconsin Foodie and is co-owner of the Driftless Cafe in Viroqua, Wisconsin. His motto? "Everyone...

Early in her career, Amanda McCreight worked as an assistant for entrepreneurs Jesse Itzler and Sara Blakely, helping to get All Day Running Co. off the ground. Her contributions had such an impact she was ultimately credited as Co-Founder and Creative Director of the company. Fast forward to 2025 - Amanda runs her own business, Aytuhzee, which elevates people and brands through video production,...

As a college student, Ian Gurfield spent a term abroad in Italy and fell in love with great food. Back home, he pursued this new passion and honed his dough-making skills, all while searching for vibrant cities where he could set up shop. Today, he is the namesake of Ian's Pizza, an iconic by-the-slice joint and Madison staple, as well as the co-founder of Batch Bakehouse, which produces fres...

Hayden and Julia know how to keep themselves busy. In addition to their respective jobs as a liquor salesman and paralegal, the couple pride themselves on sharing the best hikes, restaurants, and other Wisconsin attractions across the state. That Wisconsin Couple is a travel blog, podcast and your go-to resource for adventures in Wisconsin. Tune in to hear Hayden and Julia's full story! Websi...

Drawing on her academic background in education and a family history of fighting oppression, Winnie Karanja founded Represented Collective, a media company that advocates for gender and racial equity in the STEM fields. In this episode of “Screw It, Let’s Do This,” Winnie also discusses one of her best-known creations: Nakira’s World, a collection of educational products and animation tailored to...

Tory Miller’s passion for local food can be traced back to his early years flipping burgers at his grandparents’ diner in Racine, Wisconsin. From there, he worked his way through the French Culinary Institute and several kitchens in New York City, ultimately returning to Madison and working at L’Etoile, one of the city’s most popular restaurants.  Kristine, who originally wanted to be a dancer, fo...

Ben Higgins, known for his time on The Bachelor, discovered a profound sense of purpose throughout his years volunteering in Honduras. Guided by his faith and a desire to bolster communities around the world, Ben co-founded Generous Coffee - a company that donates 100% of its profits to non-profit organizations. Tune in to hear his story! Ben: https://thebenhiggins.com/ Instagram: https://www.inst...

Samantha Daily spent her early years earning straight A’ss and preparing for a successful career. But a semester spent abroad in Spain during college changed everything. Samantha fell in love and found a sense of belonging in a vibrant community. She returned home, and as graduation approached, she realized a desire to return to Spain and decline the various corporate job offers that had come her...

Marissa Holmes worked a comfortable job at a telecommunications company. Then, just three months before the pandemic, she quit with the intention of starting a soul food takeout restaurant. Despite the challenges posed by covid, Marissa and her partner grew Marie’s Soul Food into a successful business that continues to thrive today. Tune in to hear the full story! Website: https://mariessf.com/  ...