The Turning Pro Podcast

What actually breaks businesses when markets change? In this episode of the Turning Pro Podcast, Ben Sharf sits down with Roman Khan, founder of Peak21, for one of the most practical and in-depth conversations we’ve had on operating and scaling businesses through volatility. Roman shares the hard-earned lessons that reshaped how he thinks about growth, cash flow, and discipline, including the mist...

Jason Levin is the founder of MemeLord.com , the meme marketing software that’s turning internet jokes into serious business. Jason’s been making memes since middle school, but what started as a way to make friends laugh has evolved into a multi-million-dollar media and software empire. From ghostwriting viral posts for founders to running brand accounts for Fortune 500s, Jason has built a playboo...

JT Barnett is the founder and CEO of Creator X, the content agency helping brands think like creators and act like media companies. JT’s path is anything but traditional. He started out as a professional hockey player, then pivoted into content, building viral platforms like Honey House and helping breakout brands like Poppi win on social by going all in on community and authenticity. In this epis...

London Glorfield is the co-founder and CEO of Kickback, the cult-favorite consumer tech brand designing retro-inspired products that help Gen Z unplug from their phones and reclaim their time. London’s story is wild. He started out in the music industry as a teenager, signed with RCA Records at 17, and built a fanbase touring across Asia. After stepping away from music, he turned his focus to buil...

Katie Hunt is the co-founder and CEO of Oh Norman! , the wellness brand redefining pet care and built from scratch with actress and animal activist Kaley Cuoco. Katie’s story is anything but linear. She went from being an extra on Gossip Girl and answering customer calls at Warby Parker to co-founding Everywhere Ventures and relaunching Hinge from the ground up. But after the pandemic forced her t...

Tom Shea is the founder and CEO of Adgile, the company turning last-mile delivery trucks into mobile billboards and proving real ROI for every brand on the road. Five years ago, Tom was ready to walk away. The company had burned $1.8 million, his Series A deal collapsed at the finish line, and his co-founders left. But instead of giving up, he stayed in the game and quietly turned Adgile into one...

Chad Cohen is the founder of Fortem Media, a creative agency helping brands land at the center of culture, and the co-founder of Unofficial Run Club, one of the fastest-growing running communities in the world. Two years ago, Chad hit a wall. Burnt out and mentally exhausted, he turned to therapy and was given a challenge that would change everything: run the New York City Marathon. Since then, he...

Sydney Karmes-Wainer is the founder of French Squirrel, a cult-favorite snack brand built on hormone health, gut-friendly ingredients, and showing up authentically both online and off. She started by posting recipes on Instagram. Five years later, she’s running a fast-growing CPG company, educating her audience on wellness, and selling out her products at launch. In this episode, Sydney gets candi...

Chris Hladczuk is the co-founder and CEO of Hanover Park, an AI-native fund admin helping top venture firms run smarter and faster. Before starting Hanover, Chris scaled Meow to $1.5 billion in assets as Chief Revenue Officer, built a strong online audience, and learned how to win through founder-led sales. In this episode, he shares his full playbook. He breaks down how to pitch high-trust client...

At just 16, Shirah Benarde had a dream that sparked one of the most innovative drink safety products on the market: NightCap. Fast forward to today, and she's a Shark Tank alum, public speaker, and Gen Z founder making legislative change in California and beyond. In this episode, Shirah joins us to talk through everything: dropping out of college, navigating imposter syndrome, leading a company wh...

Aaron Schwartz has built and sold startups, advised 30+ founders, and helped raise millions. Now he’s back in the trenches as co-founder and president of Orita.ai - a platform helping brands fix email deliverability and segment smarter using AI. In this wide-ranging episode, Aaron opens up about the chaos of early-stage founding, what most people get wrong about go-to-market, and why he’s more foc...

Jon Laster is a stand-up comic, MC at the Comedy Cellar, and now founder and CEO of Blapp, an app that maps and sells Black-owned businesses. In this powerful episode, Jon shares how the murder of George Floyd led him to shift gears from punchlines to product-building. What started as an idea during lockdown is now a growing tech platform with real impact: helping Black-owned businesses get discov...

Bobby Shmurda (real name Ackquille Jean Pollard) is a musician, entrepreneur, and cultural force who joins us to unpack his radical transformation from the streets to the boardroom. Best known for his explosive rise in hip-hop and time behind bars, Bobby is now all-in on building wealth, investing in startups, and giving back through hands-on community work. In this episode, Bobby opens up about h...

Max Crowley, host of The Early Podcast, joins us to unpack his wild career journey - starting as employee #25 at Uber, launching a mobile-first coffee startup that was later acquired by GoPuff, and stepping into the high-stakes world of startup fundraising and operations at scale. In this episode, Max breaks down what it was like building Uber’s early operations from the ground up, why scrappy tal...

Allie Egan, founder and CEO of Veracity, joins us to unpack how her personal health journey led to launching one of the most innovative brands in holistic wellness. After stints in banking, private equity, and high-growth DTC fashion, Allie built Veracity to help people get to the root of their health issues, starting with hormone and biofactor testing. In this episode, Allie shares the story behi...

Ben Buaron, founder and CEO of Windmill Growth, joins us to unpack his incredible leap from Israeli combat officer and aspiring lawyer to running a 7-figure bootstrapped startup in New York City. In this episode, Ben breaks down how his military background shaped his leadership mindset, what it took to scale Windmill from zero to $1M+ ARR in under a year, and why personal growth became the foundat...

Jacob Catalano, founder and entrepreneur, knows what it takes to push boundaries in tech and entrepreneurship. After selling his first startup to Snapchat, where he worked on game-changing projects like "My AI", Jacob co-founded Flock*, a product studio revolutionizing content creation with conversational AI. Their flagship product, dubbed an “AI ghostwriter,” helps users express their ideas effor...

Alex Song, founder and CEO of Proxima, joins us to share his remarkable journey from the high-stakes world of finance to revolutionizing customer acquisition with cutting-edge data intelligence. Drawing from his experience as a DTC brand operator, Alex built Proxima into a transformative platform that helps brands navigate the complexities of the post-iOS privacy landscape. In this episode, Alex o...

Taylor Brandt, newly appointed Partner at Headline, joins us to unpack the nuances of venture capital through the lens of an operator-turned-investor. With a career that spans leading growth at Rockets of Awesome to navigating the challenges of early-stage VC, Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights. In this episode, Taylor discusses the shifting dynamics of the VC landscape, th...

Brian Von Ancken, founder of Wellness Growth Mastermind, joins us to share how he is building a game-changing community for wellness leaders. As the founder of the number-one member network for wellness professionals, Brian focuses on giving businesses an edge through curated connections, expert feedback, and unparalleled access to industry insights. In this episode, he dives into how he balances...

Meet Nico Ferreyra, co-founder and CEO of Default, the "Costco of go-to-market SaaS." Nico is on a mission to simplify inbound tooling for RevOps and marketing teams. Born in Argentina, he worked his way through the startup worlds of San Francisco and New York, bringing a unique perspective to the challenges of building a company. In this episode, Nico shares his approach to transitioning from fou...

Patrick Cleary, President and Co-Founder of Paul Street and a key member of the founding team at Wayflyer, shares his journey of building two transformative businesses. From driving partnerships and growth strategies at Wayflyer to scaling Paul Street into a leading affiliate-focused marketing agency, Patrick has helped redefine how brands grow and scale. In this episode, Patrick unpacks lessons f...

Brett Harrison, co-founder and CEO of Roomie and Eepy, is transforming dorm living for students and universities. His entrepreneurial journey began with Eepy, upgrading dorm beds for comfort, and evolved into Roomie, which offers 3D models to help students plan their spaces effectively. In this episode, Brett discusses scaling a niche SaaS business, Roomie’s equity initiative to improve sleep qual...

Alex Ikonn is the Co-Founder and CEO of Intelligent Change, the company behind globally renowned tools like The Five Minute Journal and the Productivity Planner, designed to inspire intentional and fulfilling lives. Before that, Alex co-founded Luxy Hair, one of Shopify’s early success stories, which he scaled and successfully exited in 2018. From humble immigrant beginnings in Canada to building...

Rohit Bhadange, co-founder and CEO of Zamp, shares his journey from the structured world of Wall Street to the dynamic tech startup scene. In founding Zamp, a tax compliance solution for e-commerce and SaaS businesses, Rohit combines his investment expertise with a passion for problem-solving in the compliance space. In this episode, Rohit delves into the initial challenges and key learnings from...