TrepTalks with Sushant

Braxton Fleming, founder of Stealth Bros & Co. shares the personal story of transitioning and how not being able to find suitable Dopp Kits for hormone replacement therapy medications became the inspiration behind the products and the brand. Braxton talks about transgender experiences, starting a business with no experience, building a community, expanding to CVS, Shark Tank experience and muc...

Jessica Stellwagen of Bodify, a Med-Spa specializing in CoolSculpting shares how she partnered with her sister, fundraised half-a million dollars, and utilized her business acumen to quickly become one of the top CoolScultping clinics in the United States. Jessica shares her lessons in business building, building a high-performing team culture, and marketing strategies that helped her to grow quic...

Steven Sashen, founder of Xero Shoes shares the story of building an innovative footwear company where the products (shoes) allow natural barefoot fit and comfort and let feet do what is natural - bending, flexing, moving, and feeling. Steven talks about building the company initially through organic growth, shark-tank experience, and being profitable from the start. 

Dylan Lam of Omirank shares his journey of becoming an Amazon entrepreneur and launching multiple successful products and brands on Amazon. Dylan has now launched an Agency that is helping aspiring Amazon entrepreneurs succeed through Product Validation, PPC advertising, and helping to set up successful Product Launches. 

Olivier Momma, Founder of Ekster, shares how he came to the US as a Fulbright scholar and decided to create a trackable wallet brand after meeting his co-founder in business school. Olivier shares his experiences launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, challenges with marketing and customer acquisition, and goal of building a global smart travel gear brand.

Bill Spohn, Co-Owner of TruTechTools shares the story of building the largest niche tools business for HVAC technicians by focusing on providing a great customer service experience and educational resources for the customers.

Kayla Hutchinson of Lucky Dog Design Company shares the story of building a stationary retail brand offering hand designed and in-house printed greeting cards, stickers, planners and other stationary items. Kayla shares her passion for paper printed products which she designs and prints herself. Kayla has received a strong traction on Etsy (and why Amazon did not work for her) and also talks about...

Johnathan Price of Down4SoundShop.com shares how he built an organic social media following around car audio products and built an e-commerce brand first selling other brand products and then creating his own product line. Johnathan has been wildly successful with this business and attributes success to his work ethic but also to building an authentic connection with his audience.

Michael Benarde, Co-founder of NightCap, a simple Scrunchie that covers a drink glass and prevents spiking, shares the story of how his sister dreamt of the product and then the brother/sister team worked together to bring it to market. Michael shares great insights on how they have made NightCap popular among college students, outsourcing operations, and building B2B partnerships. 

David Smith, founder of Mattress Depot USA, shares how he got started in the mattress business selling discount liquidation mattresses and eventually built a successful chain store mattress retail brand in the US. David shares the details of mattress industry, business models, and what it takes to become successful in this highly competitive industry.

David Dennis of Ventana Surfboards and Supplies shares the story of creating a high-end, beautifully designed, and eco-friendly wooden surfboards that sell for thousands of dollars and can be used as art-pieces. 

Anthony Rosemond of Pastreez shares his journey of moving to the US from Paris, France to bring the authentic taste of Macarons to the people of United States. Anthony talks about the process of moving from Paris and starting a business in the US, growing organically, and the challenges of shipping Pastries across the US.

Jamie Taylor, the founder of Confete Party Box, shares the story of building a Party Gift Boxes and Balloon Installations Business and then pivoting to Virtual Party Boxes during COVID. Jamie shares her lessons in growth, B2B sales, and future plans.

Diana Hall, the founder of ActivArmor, shares the story of disrupting the traditional medical casts and splints with custom 3-D printed plastic alternatives that offer better fit, waterproof protection, and better lifestyle fit for individual patients. Diana shares the unique value proposition of the product, business model and large market size, overcoming challenges in driving adoption, and chan...

Oleg Kulyk , the founder of ScrapingAnt , discusses his journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges of running a business in Ukraine during the war with Russia, including constant shelling and supply shortages. Despite the difficulties, Oleg managed to keep his business running and supporting his customers. He also talks about the features of his web scraping API platform, including AI-enabled d...

 Isabel Aaagard, co-founder of Last Object, shares the story of building a company that designs and creates reusable alternatives to single-use items. She talks about the iterative design process, massive success in launching a reusable swab, and challenges in building consumer awareness of reusable products and getting mass distribution. 

Elliot Bishton of Engravers Guild of London shares how he has been able to differentiate and grow a Gift products online ecommerce business by offering custom personalization and beautiful packaging to its customers. Elliot also shares the challenges that small businesses are facing in a highly competitive market where marketing for customer acquisition is getting increasingly expensive.  Elliot a...

Gillian Crawford, founder of Lily Blanche, a demi-fine jewelry brand based out of Scotland, shares the story of building a jewelry brand that focuses on offering a truly sentimental and emotional experience for her customers. Gillian also shares her lessons in brand building and navigating the complexities of building an e-commerce business in a crowded market. 

In this episode, Logan Christopher, the co-founder and CEO of Lost Empire Herbs, takes us through his entrepreneurial journey in the natural products industry. From his early days in fitness to his venture into herbalism, Logan shares how he combines scientific research with ancient wisdom to offer high-quality herbal products.

Chris Devonshire Ellis , Founder of Dezan Shira Associates shares a lifetime of business and life lessons building an Asia Growth focused professional services firm. Starting a consulting practice in China 32 years ago, Chris has grown his business to 40 offices across Asia and $40 Million+ in revenues. Chris shares his outlook in China, Asia, as well as building a company culture of love rather t...

In this episode, Debendra Prasad, an Indian entrepreneur, discusses his entrepreneurial journey and the changing landscape of entrepreneurship in India. Debendra started his web development and digital marketing company, Creatisoul, in 2014 to have the freedom to accept challenges and solve problems on his own terms. Subsequently, Debendra also founded AssureShift, an online platform that connects...

Amit Singha , Founder of Anuprerna , shares the story and lessons learned behind starting a textile business, which focuses on supporting and empowering rural artisans, promoting traditional crafts, and using natural and sustainable fabrics. 

Andrei Cucit, the founder of Vending Zone, shares how he is creating passive income with a vending machine business. Andrei shares insider secrets about the costs involved, finding locations, and the limitations of outsourcing work.

Maximilian Perez, Founder of XSuit, shares how he is reinventing Men's suit for the 21st century by using innovative fabrics and updated designs to make the Suit more fashionable and comfortable for the modern man. Max also shares his experiences living and doing business in China as well as lessons learned launching and growing XSuit.

Umberto Luchini, Founder of Wolf Spirit Distillery and a veteran marketer and brand builder in sports and alcohol categories, shares the story and motivation behind creating an independent premium spirits brand - a way to do what he loves the most, i.e. build new brands. Umberto shares valuable lessons in brand building as well as insider details on spirits production and alcohol distribution in t...