The First Customer

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Cody Eddings, the CEO and co-founder of SnapRefund. Cody shares his entrepreneurial journey, rooted in childhood experiences in St. Louis, Missouri, where he initiated small businesses like mowing lawns. Growing up, Cody explores tech background, from playing World of Warcraft to becoming a software engineer and co-founding SnapRefund. It delves int...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Fiona Jamison, President and CEO of Spring International.  Fiona's journey from a British helicopter factory to becoming the accidental CEO of a prominent HR analytics firm is both fascinating and inspiring. Having purchased the company to ensure its continuity, Fiona shares the unconventional story of how her three-year plan turned into a long...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview John Rossman, managing partner of Rossman Partners. John shares his journey from growing up in Portland, Oregon, to becoming an executive at Amazon and eventually starting his own business, Rossman Partners. John emphasizes the importance of simplicity and efficiency, highlighting how these principles, inspired by his time at Amazon, have shaped his...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brittany Jenkins, Founder of WeAreTech, an ed-tech platform providing equitable digital literacy tools to underserved communities. Brittany delves into the genesis of WeAreTech, and the challenges in the tech industry that led her to create a platform for equitable digital literacy. Originally from San Diego, California, Brittany reflects on her lai...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jamon Holmgren, founder and CTO of Infinite Red. Jamon grew up in a small town in coastal Oregon and recounts his early experiences with coding, starting a business, and the influence of his father, who was an entrepreneur. Jamon shares insights into his first business endeavors, from coding projects for a friend's construction company to start...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview The Chaz Wolfe, Owner and Founder of Gathering The Kings. Growing up in a single-mother household in Columbia, Missouri, Chaz emphasizes the impact of his challenging upbringing, instilling in him the values of grit, commitment, and determination. He highlights his father's influence, a veterinarian and cattle rancher, discovering him later in...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Justin Leusner, CEO and founder of TDAY Sports. Justin shares insights into his journey as the founder and president of TDAY Sports, revealing his roots in a small town near Philadelphia and his passion for creating YouTube videos since childhood. He details the evolution of TDAY Sports, highlighting its six different channels covering various sport...

In this episode, I was extremely lucky to interview John Trevisani, currently a Software Engineering Manager at Ask Media Group but also a multi-talented individual with interests ranging from being a pilot, author, entrepreneur, and musician! John grew up as one of five children and shared its impact on fostering his entrepreneurial spirit. John delves into his experience starting a business that...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Justin Furniss, CEO and founder of SecureCoders. Justin grew up in South Jersey, sharing anecdotes about growing up near a rodeo and his initial hesitations about entering the entrepreneurial world. After college, Justin's perspective shifted, and he delved into building software, and creating a product called Groundwork. Justin also discusses...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dave Albin, Founder of Firewalk Productions, LLC. Dave shares his incredible life journey. Born to a single mom in Hollywood, California, Dave's early years were marked by the mysterious departure of his biological father. Facing financial struggles, his mother made the difficult decision to put him up for adoption, leading him to a loving fami...

In this episode, I was very lucky to interview the fantastic Manoj Sinha, Co-founder of BISIL and my flight instructor! Manoj reflects on his entrepreneurial journey that began in 1990. Starting with a background in engineering and an MBA from a top-tier school, Manoj worked in esteemed companies like ITC Limited before founding BISIL. Despite the challenging initial timing of the Gulf War, Manoj...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jim Aloye, CEO/Founder/Owner of Aloye Enterprises LLC. Jim grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, and Strongsville, Ohio, and attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to navigating through challenging situations during his childhood. Jim's entrepreneurial journey began with Aloye Computer Enterprises, an IT firm that adopted a "do or die" app...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Scott Daigger, the founder and owner of Buddy Web Design and Development. Scott grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and shared how his parents' entrepreneurial spirit influenced his journey. Scott discussed his first attempt at starting a business in his early twenties and the evolution that led to the establishment of Buddy Web Design and Dev...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Todd Fisher, Chairman and Founder of Intraprise Solutions Todd shares his entrepreneurial journey from a small town in New York to building a successful business with a focus on health information technology and financial services. From starting as a web-enabled business solution in 1997 to his ventures like Mobile MD and Enterprise Health, Todd dis...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Andrew Kahl, CEO of BackBox. Andrew grew up in the Midwest influencing his work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. He shares that his first business was a data security software company, which he started at the age of 30. The company aimed to encrypt data leaving the enterprise, and its first customer was PepsiCo, marking a successful start. Andrew e...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Pete Taylor, co-founder and CEO of The Awakened Man. Pete shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey. Hailing from just outside London, Pete's early hustle began with selling Pokémon cards, foreshadowing his future endeavors. After a successful stint in the corporate world and establishing an architectural company, Pete embarked on a pers...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bobby Reed, Executive Producer and Founder of Loaded Pixel. Bobby was originally from Kansas, then moved to Denver, and later transferred to Nebraska to pursue film and video production. He gained valuable experience working with Husker Vision, a program focused on sports events and video production. His passion for creating visually appealing conte...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview David Wong, co-founder of JD Leads Online. David shares his journey from freelancing to founding JD Leads Online, highlighting pivotal moments and the decision to transition from contractor to agency owner. David's early ventures, such as the geo-filter business and e-commerce endeavors provide a glimpse into the challenges and lessons learned....

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Zoraida Cordero, founder and CEO of Impactful Solutions.  Zoraida grew up in Queens, New York, and growing up in a diverse and inclusive environment, Zoraida shares how her experiences inspired her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and community-oriented leadership. Zoraida's extensive involvement in various roles, such as being an area direc...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Victor Chukwudolue and Matthew Attalah of Step Labs. Matthew, with a background in design, shares how Step Labs started unexpectedly during his final year at university when he took on a project that eventually led to the establishment of the business. Victor, more focused on tech, shares his journey into web development, starting with FreeCodeCamp...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Adam Adams of Grow Your Show Podcast.  Adam's journey started from growing up in Utah to becoming a successful entrepreneur and real estate investor. Adam attributes much of his early inspiration to his stepdad, a real estate investor and entrepreneur who introduced him to the principles of financial success through the book "Rich Dad Poor...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Marco Torres, the Co-founder of Marketing Boost.com. Marco explains how Marketing Boost started as a solution to obtain video testimonials for their travel business. To incentivize customers, they offered bonus vacations, leading to the creation of a system that eventually evolved into Marketing Boost.com. The company collaborates with hotels worldw...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Lance Cayko, co-founder of F9 Productions Inc. Lance started his remarkable journey from growing up between a sugar beet farm and a cattle ranch in North Dakota to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the world of architecture and construction. Lance shared valuable lessons learned from early experiences, emphasizing the significance of perseveranc...

In this podcast episode, I was lucky enough to interview Christian Hyldahl, President and Founder of Varium Investment Partners. Christian shared his background and journey before founding Varium. After realizing the limitations and politics of larger firms, he started his own traditional RIA in 2005, focusing on building portfolios stock by stock. However, he eventually recognized the need for a...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Melissa Allen, Co-Founder of Active Life Company. Melissa grew up in Davenport, Iowa, and shared that she spent 24 years in the health and fitness industry. She transitioned from owning a corrective exercise center to venturing into the world of sunscreen with Active Life Company. Melissa discussed the inspiration behind starting a sunscreen busines...