The Necessary Entrepreneur

In this episode of  The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with artist, entrepreneur, and author Tim Packer to explore what it really takes to turn creativity into a profitable business. After leaving a career in law enforcement, Tim built a globally recognized art brand and has helped thousands of artists learn how to market, price, and sell their work. Tim shares the mindset sh...

What actually drives high performance in business and leadership? On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Curtis Sprouse , Founder & CEO of EurekaConnect, LLC , to explore the science behind how humans perform, make decisions, and lead effectively. Drawing from behavioral science, neuroscience, and decades of leadership experience, Curtis explains why self-...

What if entrepreneurship is simply about getting on the right train, and staying on long enough to reach the next opportunity? On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Skye Blanks, COO of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) , for a global conversation about small business, leadership, and what he calls the "Opportunity Train." Operating in mo...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Justin Giuffrida , founder and CEO of Citizens All Day , to explore what it really takes to scale a hospitality brand while staying true to culture, community, and purpose. Justin shares his journey from Australia to the United States and how he built Citizens from a single New York City café into a multi-state, fast-...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with international bestselling author and long-term investing expert Robert Rolih to unpack the hidden realities of wealth creation that most entrepreneurs never learn. After building significant success as an entrepreneur, Robert lost much of his wealth by trusting traditional financial advisors and so-called experts. Tha...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Russell Breuer , CEO and founder of Spot & Tango , to discuss what it really takes to build and scale a direct-to-consumer brand in a competitive market. Russell shares the entrepreneurial mindset behind launching a premium pet food company and the realities of navigating the complex world of DTC growth, customer acqu...

In this powerful episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Karen Ann Canham , founder of Karen Ann Wellness , to explore a topic most entrepreneurs ignore until it becomes unavoidable: mental and emotional capacity. Karen shares how nervous system regulation, trauma awareness, and body-based healing directly impact leadership, decision-making, and business growth. Th...

What does it really take to build a business that lasts, especially in a highly competitive, high-stakes industry? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Michael McCready , Founder and Principal of McCready Law , to unpack the mindset, discipline, and leadership required to grow a successful firm while staying grounded in purpose and client care. Michael s...

What if the business you worked so hard to build is the very thing stealing your time, energy, and joy? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Michael Walsh , President of the Walsh Business Growth Institute and author of the 2025 book Freedom By Design: The Established Business Owner's Guide to Grow, Make an Impact, and Find Joy Again . Michael has spent...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Walter Green , founder of the Say It Now Movement and author of the new book The Gratitude Express , for a deep and reflective conversation on human connection, leadership, and the power of asking better questions. Rather than focusing on tactics or traditional business frameworks, this episode explores what actually...

Dinakara Nagalla , technologist, Human-Centered AI Architect , and author of Becoming Human: Embracing Imperfection and Finding Purpose , joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur for a thoughtful conversation about technology, humanity, and what gets lost when progress moves faster than understanding. Dinakara breaks down what human-centered AI really means, and why intelligence without co...

Udo Erasmus , founder of Udo's Choice and a longtime thinker on health and human nature, joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur for a reflective conversation about pain, purpose, and understanding how we're wired as human beings. Udo explains why pain often forces change, but why pursuing a clear vision is far more powerful and sustainable. Drawing from decades of observation and experie...

Rebecca Matchett , co-founder of the Synchrony App , joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur for a real-world conversation about building a startup before you fully know what you're getting into, and why that can actually work in your favor. Rebecca shares what she learned launching her first company, the mistakes founders only recognize in hindsight, and the hard-earned lessons that now...

*Quick Note: Audio quality varies in parts of this episode. We chose to share it anyway because the conversation was too valuable to hold back. Thanks for listening.  Mike and Kass Lazerow return to The Necessary Entrepreneur for their second appearance with host Mark Perkins, delivering another candid, no-BS conversation about the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership, and long-term success....

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , Mark Perkins sits down with Patrick Rogers , Partner at Elkridge Advisors , for an in-depth conversation on wealth management for entrepreneurs , financial decision-making, and building long-term financial clarity as a business owner. Patrick advises founders, executives, and high-earning entrepreneurs on financial planning, investing, and capital st...

What does it really take to build a scalable company in an unglamorous, operationally intense industry? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Tyler Dunagin , Founder and CEO of Turnserv , to unpack what it actually looks like to build a high-growth business in the vacation rental and hospitality space, where execution, reliability, and trust matter more t...

What does it really take to bring order to chaos inside a growing business? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Val Coin , Founder and CEO of VIA Technology , to unpack how systems, process, and operational clarity become the hidden advantage for scaling companies, especially in manufacturing and complex organizations. Born in Italy and now based in Aus...

How do you build a people-first business that actually scales, without bloated bureaucracy, misaligned incentives, or empty culture talk? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with William Spengler , founder and principal of Frederick Fox , a high-growth, equity-driven recruiting firm redefining how staffing agencies operate. William shares the real-world less...

Why do some leaders consistently build high-performing teams while others struggle despite strong strategy and experience? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Thais Saenz , founder and CEO of Saenz Global , a leadership and organizational development firm that helps companies scale through stronger culture, clarity, and execution. Thais brings a global...

Why do smart, capable people still feel stuck, despite working hard and doing "all the right things"? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with John Mitchell , founder of TheMissingSecret.org , to explore the unseen forces that shape success, fulfillment, and decision-making for entrepreneurs and business leaders. John challenges the idea that success is simp...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Ben Lytle , serial entrepreneur, futurist, former CEO of Anthem , and author of The Potentialist , to explore how business leaders can thrive in the fastest period of change in human history. Ben explains why fear-based leadership leads to bad decisions , why resilience alone is no longer enough, and why the future be...

On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with James Orsini, President of Startup Operations at VaynerX, longtime partner to Gary Vaynerchuk, former public company CEO, and one of the most respected operators in modern marketing, leadership, and business growth. With over 40 years in corporate America and more than a decade inside the high-speed entrepreneurial en...

What separates companies that plateau from those that scale with clarity and momentum? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , Mark Perkins sits down with Amy Gregory Weber , founder of VETTA Sales Consulting , former sales leader at Microsoft , Twilio , and Cisco , and a seasoned advisor who helps entrepreneurs create high-performing, people-aligned sales organizations. After three decade...

Unlocking Financial Clarity: How Natalia Zacharin Built a Multimillion-Dollar Firm by Mastering Numbers, Strategy & Courage In this high-impact episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , Mark Perkins sits down with Natalia Zacharin , CEO of Zacharin Consulting and one of the most respected financial strategists advising today's business owners. Despite beginning with zero accounting experience, Natal...

What if getting dressed could be effortless, stylish, and sustainable? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur , host Mark Perkins sits down with Anya Cheng , founder and CEO of Taelor , a Silicon Valley startup transforming men's fashion through AI-powered styling, subscription rentals, and expert human guidance. Anya shares her journey from leading product and marketing teams at Meta, eBay...