The Founderz Lounge

The Founderz Lounge Episode #69 with Codie Aljets. In this episode, Don Varady and Steve Bon sit down with Codie Aljets of Sage Country Customs to unpack a story shaped by adversity, creativity, and grit. After a battle with stage 4 colorectal cancer, Codie was forced to slow down, reassess his priorities, and ultimately rebuild his life around purpose and craftsmanship. Codie shares how his journ...

Don and Steve are back with another round of Business & Bullsh*t, where real entrepreneurs break down wins, screwups, and what actually moves the needle, without the corporate fluff. It starts with a simple question. What is the most you would ever pay for a cup of coffee? That question gets real when a café in Dubai offers a $980 cup made from rare Nido 7 Geisha beans, with only 400 cups avai...

The Founderz Lounge Episode #67 with Evonne Varady. In this episode, hosts Don Varady and Steve Bon sit down with Evonne Varady, co-founder and partner at Clean Eatz, for a real look at how the brand was actually built. Evonne shares her journey from small-town farm life to helping create a purpose-driven company powered by grit, instinct, and relentless problem-solving. Don and Evonne reflect on...

The Founderz Lounge Episode #66 with Don Varady and Steve Bon. Don and Steve are back with another round of “Business & Bullsh*t,” where real entrepreneurs talk wins, screwups, and what actually moves the needle in business without the corporate fluff. They kick things off with camping like “homeless men” and wild childhood clubhouse stories, then pivot into why U.S. franchise chains are growi...

The Founderz Lounge Episode #65 with Don Varady and Steve Bon. This week, Don and Steve tackle a big question with real bite. Is the middle class dead, or just being redefined? They break down what that shift means for marketers, brands, and everyday buying behavior. Then they go fully Business & Bullsh*t with the fun stuff. A Golden Corral escape room idea that somehow makes too much sense, p...

The Founderz Lounge Episode #64 with Don Varady and Steve Bon. Don and Steve are back with another edition of “Business & Bullsh*t.” These are no-fluff, straight-shooting conversations where real entrepreneurs break down the wins, the losses, the headlines, and the hard truths behind building something from nothing. In this episode, they dive into everything from innovative marketing trends in...

Business & Bullshit Episodes are your no-fluff, straight-shooting podcast where real entrepreneurs talk real business—with a side of BS. Hosted by Don Varady and Steve, these episodes dive into the wins, losses, headlines, and hot takes that matter to founders, franchisees, and anyone bold enough to build something from scratch.https://instagram.com/donvarady https://instagram.com/stevebon8htt...

Ruben Arriaga, originally from Houston, Texas, is the owner of Clean Eatz College Station in College Station, Texas. After graduating high school in 1996, Ruben enlisted in the U.S. Army and began his career in the infantry. He later attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection, earning his Green Beret after two years of rigorous training. Ruben spent 20 years with the 5th Special Forces Group...

Business & Bullshit Episodes are your no-fluff, straight-shooting podcast where real entrepreneurs talk real business—with a side of BS. Hosted by Don Varady and Steve, these episodes dive into the wins, losses, headlines, and hot takes that matter to founders, franchisees, and anyone bold enough to build something from scratch.

We did a remote location show at the Clean Eatz National Convention in Wrightsville Beach NC. We talked to four Franchise Partners in the brand that shared their experiences in the beginning and gave a few nuggets of wisdom to other Clean Eatz Partners but they also translated to anyone in any business. The event was the 10yr Anniversary of Clean Eatz being a Franchise brand and was an amazing eve...

Description: We did a remote location show at the Clean Eatz National Convention in Wrightsville Beach NC. We talked to four Franchise Partners in the brand that shared their experiences in the beginning and gave a few nuggets of wisdom to other Clean Eatz Partners but they also translated to anyone in any business. The event was the 10yr Anniversary of Clean Eatz being a Franchise brand and was a...

Description: In this episode of The Founderz Lounge, Don Varady sits down with Chase Whitehead — multi-unit franchisee of both Clean Eatz and Orangetheory Fitness — to talk about what it really takes to build multiple successful brands in the health and wellness space. Chase opens up about the lessons he’s learned balancing two powerhouse franchises, his leadership philosophy, and how he develops...

In this episode we brought in a fellow knuckle dragging Operations guy, Clean Eatz Head of Operations, Quinn Newhall. Quinn came to Clean Eatz back in June. He brings a wealth of knowledge in the food business and has been on both sides of the isle in Franchising as a Franchisee and working on Executive Teams in multiple food brands his entire career. He is a great leader and we are lucky to have...

Ep 56: Business & Bullshit Business & Bullshit Episodes are your no-fluff, straight-shooting podcast where real entrepreneurs talk real business—with a side of BS. Hosted by Don Varady and Steve, these episodes dive into the wins, losses, headlines, and hot takes that matter to founders, franchisees, and anyone bold enough to build something from scratch. Clean Eatz - www.cleaneatz.comBons...

In this episode of  Founderz Lounge , we sit down with Yohance Boulden — a visionary creative, cultural strategist, entrepreneur  and great friend! We did a deep-dive into the intersections of legacy, leadership, and community impact. Yohance shares his journey from military service to purpose-driven ventures, and how he’s using storytelling, branding, and strategic thinking to empower creatives a...

On this episode of The Founderz Lounge, Don sits down with Duncan Butler, founder of The Butler Group, to talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, and building a business that lasts. Duncan shares his journey of starting and growing The Butler Group, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how he’s carved out a reputation for excellence. He also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his work wi...

In this episode of The Founderz Lounge, Don Varady sits down with two-time Ms. Fitness Olympia and entrepreneur Jen Hendershott. Jenn shares her journey from dominating the fitness stage to building a business that inspires others to chase excellence in both life and work. From discipline and resilience to reinventing yourself after success, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to perfo...

Business & Bullshit Episodes are your no-fluff, straight-shooting podcast where real entrepreneurs talk real business—with a side of BS. Hosted by Don Varady and Steve, these episodes dive into the wins, losses, headlines, and hot takes that matter to founders, franchisees, and anyone bold enough to build something from scratch.

Don sits down with IFBB Pro Shaun Vaquez who is the Founder of Pride Foods. Shaun talks about his life in the world of bodybuilding and his transition to entrepreneurship. Shuan’s story of how he started his business and grew it to what it is today is nothing short of a classic American story of someone having a dream and having the tenacity to see it through.  www.pridefoods.org   https://www.ins...

In this week's episode we sat down with one of the Founders of Sisu Saunas, Pete Nelson. Pete talked about the trials and tribulations of getting Sisu to what it is today. As well as dropping nuggets on the benefits of sauna and cold plunge. His story is incredible and one you will definitely want to hear.www.sisulifestyle.comhttps://www.instagram.com/peternelsoniihttps://instagram.com/donvara...

In today's episode we sat down with Clean Eatz Franchise Partner Casey Schroeder. Casey talked about his transition from MLB to being neck deep in the restaurant business. We discussed what it is like from his vantage point being a franchisee in a Founder lead brand and some of his own struggles he went through in building the 5 locations he currently owns.  www.cleaneatz.com   https://www.ins...

“Business & Bullshit” Episodes are your no-fluff, straight-shooting podcast where real entrepreneurs talk real business—with a side of BS. Hosted by Don Varady and Steve Bon, these episodes dive into the wins, losses, headlines, and hot takes that matter to founders, franchisees, and anyone bold enough to build something from scratch. Clean Eatz - www.cleaneatz.com Bonseye Marketing - www.bons...

Viva La Revolution, bitches!  Yeah, the guys are talking about the Artificial Intelligence takeover, its break-neck speed of change, and lasting power in business. In case you’re Amish, there’s some crazy machine learning shit dropping in just about every industry. Hear our take on who wins with advanced AI, who’s erased, and why both are important to our survival. And no, this was not written by...

In this week's episode, we sat down with Shuck N Shack CEO Jonathan Weathington. We discussed the struggles of hiring Executive Employees. Many brands of all sizes struggle with finding the right fit without over paying or dealing with turn around. There’s a huge lack of trust there. We dove into Don & Jonathan’s experience with this and how they have dealt with it. Clean Eatz - www.cleane...

What do cross-country vespa races, edgy stand-up comedy, business leadership in a thriving Pharma industry, a children’s book series about a cat, purchasing property to reinvent small town America, and an international travel vlog series have to do with us? Well, it’s how our guest – Zaidoon A. Al-Zubaidy (aka Z) – spent his last 10 years. But it wasn’t always a shits and giggles adventure for thi...