The Entrepreneur Next Door 🏡

This quote sums up Vikram Ekambaram's fascinating journey: "I hated computer science, so when I graduated, I got an MBA in Marketing and thought I wanted to be in marketing and sales. I hated sales, too, and a friend approached me and asked if I wanted to come to the US and be a programmer. I figured now was the time to use my computer science degree."  Vikram Ekambaram, the founder...

Businesses, especially small businesses, rely on online lead generation and transactions. They also recognize (sometimes too late) the impact and opportunity cost of fraudulent leads on their business. Entrepreneurs: are they born or made? In Rich Kahn's case, he seemed destined for it. From a young age, he was drawn to programming, and with perseverance, risk, and courage, he bootstrapped an...

This is an inspiring story of a woman who rose from poverty in her village to being dubbed the "Shakira of Asia" and voted Diva by Asia Life Magazine. Dona is known for her talents as a singer, songwriter, and DJ; she has even started her record label. Additionally, she has ventured into acting and has become a successful entrepreneur after meeting her husband, co-founding one of Asia&ap...

Life was great; Rebecca married the love of her life, her business was growing, and then cancer showed up unannounced. "You have terminal ovarian cancer and seven to ten months to live."  Rebecca Lynn Torres, a personal trainer and functional medicine health coach, shares her journey of finding her passion and building a successful career in the fitness industry and how life prepared her...

Terri Alessi-Miceli, President and CEO of HIA-LI, shares insights on the Long Island small business community, which has 100,000 businesses, of which 90% employ fifty or fewer people. Terri emphasizes the importance of seeking mentors, prioritizing customer service, and building strong customer relationships. She has spent years with Dale Carnegie and discusses the sales role in generating revenue...

Can a sixty-five-year-old woman beat a 30-year-old man in #Pickleball?  Meet Seymour Rifkind, one of the original Pickleball entrepreneurs. He shares the real, firsthand story behind the game's origin and why it's called Pickleball. Seymour's tireless efforts introduced the game to over fifty countries, and his early vision of what the game was lacking was a key factor in transformi...

Tom Sicola takes us on a captivating journey from his days as a submarine naval officer, where he learned the invaluable lessons of teamwork and purpose, to the corporate world, where he witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of the infamous Peter Principle. Tom embarks on an entrepreneurial adventure with a burning desire to help corporate leaders and business owners unlock their true potential. Tom hi...

Nichole Daher, founder of Success on the Spectrum, shares her personal connection to Autism and her journey of starting the first ABA therapy franchise in the US.  Nicole emphasizes the need for emotional connection with customers, good ABA professionals, and building trust with parents. Nicole shares how she differentiates her clinics from schools or other forms of Autism therapy and emphasizes t...

David Sauers co-founded Royal Restrooms, a luxury portable restroom trailer company. David focused on marketing to the event industry and offering a cleaner and more pleasant restroom experience. He emphasizes the importance of providing a unique customer experience and targeting higher-end events. David's business grew organically through word-of-mouth, but he faced challenges in convincing...

Join Sam and Hal Zeitlin in captivating stories as they share their inspiring entrepreneurial journeys. Coming from different backgrounds but sharing a Jewish heritage, they discuss how collaboration and learning together have helped them scale their businesses. Whether baking delicious bagels or creating websites using Webflow, the principles of building a successful business are similar, in this...

This podcast is for you if you're an entrepreneur or a small business owner, especially a SaaS founder. This is a raw and honest discussion about marketing. Justyna Ciecierska-Göçeryan (Justi) and I rant about common mistakes by Saas founders and small business owners and the proven ways to get more out of marketing. When you start a business, you may experience growth at first, but eventuall...

If you loved Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" talk, this is the street-smart version from a young Israeli entrepreneur. Itay Forer dove into entrepreneurship as an Israeli student living in New York City. He openly shares his down-to-earth and transparent reasons for becoming an entrepreneur and his invaluable reality check.  If you want to succeed in business, Itay's raw and str...

You may not have heard of Moldova, a small country of only 2.5 million that borders Romania and Ukraine. It is unlikely that you have encountered a young man as ambitious and inspiring as Cristian Frunze, who is a high school student and already a successful entrepreneur. Despite the country's lack of access to many resources that Americans enjoy, Cristian has managed to tackle the daily chal...

Have you ever worked for a company that had an active program to improve the well-being of its employees? I'm not talking about just a standard medical plan but ongoing resources that help you deal with stress, anxiety, and other obstacles that can hinder personal and professional fulfillment. If you did, you're lucky and one of a select few who never felt alone at work. Meet Steve Ware,...

On January 18th, 2015, a devastating motorcycle accident changed Jesi Stracham 's life. She was twenty-two years old.  "The last thing I remember is everything going black. And then, at some point, I saw my Grandmother, and she said, "Jesi Mae, it's not your time..." Through grueling back surgeries and rehabilitation, Jesi is determined not to let her condition shape her l...

Your search is over. If you're a business owner or a startup founder who has yet to find the formula for successfully growing your business while maintaining a happy work-life balance. Cutis Matsko, the CEO of a growing $120+ business, proudly declares, "I've had a great life, and I am nearly always happy!" Curtis shares his early struggle with alcoholism and the event that ins...

In this episode of the Entrepreneur Next Door, you'll meet Chad Brown, who became an entrepreneur at fifteen and found his calling after multiple pivots in his career.  "Fathering teenage girls is one of the greatest leadership lessons." If my relationship with my wife is terrible, I can’t be effective as a coach leader.  His first sales job was as a sales rep for his father’s drywa...

Every business dreams of growth and scaling up. Successfully growing your business only happens by expanding your team. Listen to my guest and get valuable insights on how to manage change and people to ensure a smoother transition later on. I prefer to introduce Pia Wendelbo as something other than an 'expert' in change management since the (overused) term often exaggerates one's a...

Irit Levi, "The Secret Tapes." Well, not really. I invited Irit to do a follow-up interview for last year's podcast. A lot has changed with Irit's business, and I wanted her on video so she could be part of my new YouTube podcast line-up. Irit Levi is a source of inspiration for women who strive to balance their roles as a mother, wife, and successful business owner while keepi...

Loren Greiff (who purposely plays with how her name is displayed) is a super successful executive career coach. I invited her to the podcast because the key to success in building and growing a business is hiring the right talent.  Loren is a  self-declared "Idiot Savant" with a talent to visualize, "I treat life like a pallet."  And she gives kudos to Grandma, who Loren calls...

This podcast is about a career journey that showcases the value of pursuing personal interests and leveraging individual strengths. As a teenager, Ernie aspired to be a Disney artist but started his career as an illustrator for an ad agency. Frustrated with corporate bureaucracy and low pay, he jumps ship and becomes an independent artist. From there, he developed a passion and expertise in brandi...

I've worked in marketing for years, and I rarely say this: this young man is one of the most talented marketers I've come across in a long time. Shlomo Genchin possesses similar intuitive brilliance that drew me to Seth Godin many years ago. Listen to my intimate conversation and the evolution of a talented marketer. Get to know him; you won't regret it. Copywriters are entrepreneur...

Join me for a candid conversation with a courageous Ugandan woman who overcame challenges, balanced her professional and personal life, and contributed to a noble cause. How does a twenty-year-old get a job as an HR manager with zero experience? (Hint: the title of the podcast.) The surprising way Tess trained herself for a job she was not qualified for. Why did Tess choose HR as a career path wit...

Join me for an inspiring podcast episode featuring Paul Katz, a highly successful entrepreneur who has achieved remarkable success in the competitive music industry. Paul's fascinating journey encompasses working with renowned organizations like the African Wildlife Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside collaborating with influential figures such as Kevin Bacon, Zi...

I vividly recall my exhilaration when Rich Litvin graciously accepted my invitation to appear as a guest on the podcast.  I deeply admire Rich, and the wisdom and insights you'll gain are invaluable.   Rich is a masterful transformational coach who works exclusively with high-performing leaders and coaches. His extraordinary ability to forge profound connections with anyone he engages in a co...