Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

From firefighter and paramedic to the CEO of a multi-location lighting company, Chris Rios shares the gritty details of how he turned a simple side hustle into a thriving, multi-service business. His journey with Ultra Shine Holiday Lights is a masterclass in grit, strategic growth, and the power of continuous learning. This episode is packed with value for any entrepreneur feeling stuck, as Chris...

Ever had a no-show for a big call, a proposal go unanswered, or a launch fall flat, leaving you feeling utterly frustrated? In this raw and real Solo Sunday episode, Brian pulls back the curtain after a frustrating no-show experience of his own. Instead of just venting, he reveals how these moments of annoyance are actually powerful trigger points for massive growth. He shares the exact mindset sh...

In this raw and inspiring conversation, Brian sits down with DevRaj Patel, the first-generation Indian American founder behind Jivati, the first Indian-inspired beverage brand in the US. Dev shares the unfiltered story of Jivati's creation, from the initial idea to navigating massive hurdles, including a formulator who disappeared with $10,000, and having his product rejected by federal regul...

Tired of the constant pressure to be "salesy"? This episode flips the script on traditional sales by revealing how a hospitality-first mindset can create sustainable, long-term growth. Sales expert Shelley Mann shares her unique journey from the hotel industry to sales consulting, offering a fresh perspective that prioritizes service, relationship-building, and genuine understanding over...

This episode features a truly unique and inspiring story: the mother-daughter duo behind Corporate Coach & Co. (C3), a business that’s been thriving for over 32 years. Carrie Mayers, the "accidental entrepreneur" founder, shares her journey of building a powerhouse consulting firm purely on referrals, while her daughter, Sam Mayers, explains her intentional leap from the hyper-struct...

Matthew Halfacre, a 25-year trading veteran and multi-time entrepreneur, joins the show to completely demystify the world of Bitcoin and digital assets. He breaks down the complex shift of Bitcoin from a volatile, speculative asset into a Treasury-style reserve asset, much like digital gold. Matthew explains why the boat for crypto investing hasn’t sailed yet—in fact, it’s just leaving the shore....

Tired of thinking of HR as just paperwork and a necessary evil? In this episode, 20-year HR veteran Melanie Parrish flips the script, revealing how to transform your people strategy from a dreaded cost center into a powerful growth driver. She explains that for small businesses, people solutions aren't about bureaucracy; they're about building a customized, intentional foundation that sc...

Tired of hearing that your industry is "dead"? In this episode, David Drucker, a 42-year veteran of the printing world, proves that mastery and innovation can make any craft thrive. He shares his incredible journey of starting a business at 23 with no experience, navigating three major economic crises, and reinventing himself from a local shop to a global influencer. David explains why y...

Ever find yourself saying (or thinking) that a certain strategy just “doesn’t work anymore”? Whether it’s Facebook Ads, SEO, or cold outreach, it’s easy to blame the platform when you don’t see results. In this powerful Solo Sunday episode, Brian calls out this dangerous mindset for what it is: an excuse that lets you off the hook. He argues that no channel, strategy, or tactic works unless WE do....

Are you building a business or just creating a high-stress job for yourself? Christy Cox, founder of VeriScale, joins the show to share how she went from building a misaligned multimillion-dollar company to creating a business that fuels her dream lifestyle of traveling the country in a camper with her family. This episode is a masterclass in how to escape the "founder's trap," wher...

Former NBA shooting instructor Wesley Horne reveals the gritty, unglamorous truth behind elite performance and entrepreneurial success. He shares his incredible journey from coaching pros to becoming a tech pioneer, driven by seeing players lose multi-million dollar contracts over correctable flaws. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and taking the path of most resistance to...

In this episode, Brian sits down with brothers and co-founders Sagar and Vishal Gandhi to explore the next frontier of artificial intelligence: video. Forget just transcribing your content; Sagar and Vishal are building the technology at JoySpace AI to understand the people, objects, actions, and emotions within your videos at scale. They reveal how 75% of all video data sits unused on servers and...

Ever dream of selling your business for a life-changing sum or acquiring another company to fast-track your growth? This episode demystifies the intimidating world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We're joined by Brad Bostic, an M&A expert who went from a corporate career to launching his own firm, Bostic Advisory, after an unexpected layoff. Brad breaks down the complex process of...

Are you a successful business owner who feels stuck, overworked, and trapped in the day-to-day operations? This episode is your guide to breaking free. Fractional CEO Justin Wilhelms joins the show to reveal why many entrepreneurs hit a growth plateau and how to shatter it by stepping into the true CEO function. He explains that being a great practitioner isn't enough; you must build scalable...

Tired of hearing "content is king" but have zero time to create it? This episode is your solution. We sit down with expert ghostwriter and publisher Kristin Clark to demystify the process of turning your expertise into powerful books and articles, even if you hate writing. Kristin reveals how a ghostwriter can authentically capture your unique voice, transform your scattered ideas into a...

Ever feel like you’re waiting for perfect conditions, overthinking every decision, or blaming things outside your control for your lack of progress? This Solo Sunday might just change everything for you. Today, we’re talking about one of the most important traits for entrepreneurial success — high agency — and why it might be the #1 predictor of whether you succeed or stagnate. I’ll share how high...

Tired of the endless hype around AI and ready for a real strategy? This episode cuts through the noise with Brittney Hannah, an AI strategist with a "storytelling soul." She reveals why most AI training programs fail and how true adoption isn't about the flashiest tools, but about building confidence within your team. For wantrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, this episode is a mastercla...

Tired of the corporate grind and bureaucratic creep? Michael Glatts, a self-proclaimed "corporate survivor," joins the show to reveal how he transformed decades of corporate experience and a passion for improv comedy into a thriving business that re-energizes teams. He shares the power of being a "quietly rebellious" leader and how a 90-minute "Quirkshop" can serve as...

In today's episode we sit down with Jake Hartman, an astrophysicist-turned-entrepreneur who transformed his personal struggle with depression into a powerful tech solution. Jake shares his incredible journey from studying neutron stars at MIT and working at Google to building q.buzz, an app designed for longitudinal surveys—or, in simple terms, tracking things over time to see real patterns a...

In a truly unique conversation, we sit down with Arville Persons, a multidisciplinary artist who bridges the worlds of tattooing and death doula work. Arville shares her profound perspective on entrepreneurship as a spiritual journey, revealing how embracing impermanence, questioning her identity, and dissolving her ego led to a complete and powerful business rebrand. This episode is invaluable fo...

Anissa Bouderraoui, a multilingual mom of three and former CFO, shares her journey of transforming a personal passion into LingoCircle, a cutting-edge bilingual education platform. She reveals how she combines live, human-led classes with personalized AI-powered games to create an engaging learning experience for children. This episode is a masterclass for entrepreneurs on how to execute a big ide...

In this episode, we dive deep into the art and science of sustainable business growth with Cody Gillund, the founder of Grounded Growth Studio. Cody breaks down why so many entrepreneurs get stuck in a cycle of random tactics and explains how to build a powerful marketing engine by starting with strategy first. She reveals that things like brand and messaging aren't just "nice-to-haves&q...

Ever feel like you’re spending too much time planning, overcomplicating, or waiting for the “perfect moment” to act? This Solo Sunday is extra special — it’s the 9th birthday of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Podcast! I’m sharing nine unconventional entrepreneurial truths I’ve learned from nine years behind the mic — insights that will challenge the way you think about planning, marketing, exec...

What does it mean to build a business with true care and integrity? Angel Ortiz, founder of Zitro Construction Services, joins us to share his incredible journey from helping rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to leading one of the premier construction companies in the region. This episode is a masterclass in turning a crisis into a mission-driven business, honoring a family legacy, and e...

Ever wonder why some ads get stuck in your head but never make you buy? In this episode, we sit down with Buck Robinson, a serial entrepreneur and audio advertising veteran whose marketing education began with his father, the ad man behind the iconic Ronco brand. Buck cuts through the noise of vanity metrics and shiny new platforms to deliver a masterclass in ROI-driven advertising. He reveals a s...