We Live to Build

What is actually happening in your brain during a psychedelic experience? This interview is a deep dive into How Psychedelics Rewire Your Brain's "Default Mode Network". Tyler Strause, VP of Product Development at a psychedelic research company, explains the science. Learn how the Default Mode Network—the part of your brain responsible for your sense of self—is quieted by psychedelics, allowing fo...

How can an ancient martial art make you a better entrepreneur? For Ray Blakney, it’s all about The Kendo Philosophy of a 7-Figure Bootstrapper. In this deep dive, the successful founder explains how the discipline and long-term mindset of Kendo (Japanese fencing) are the secret to his success. Learn why there are no shortcuts to the top of the mountain and how this unique philosophy can transform...

Could the worst period of your life make you better at your job? For founder Paige Arnof-Fenn, navigating the loss of seven family members in six years forced a complete shift in her business strategy—and made her a better CEO. In this raw and powerful interview, Paige shares how personal tragedy taught her the "less is more" lesson that led to a more profitable and sustainable business. Learn how...

Recently, I was thinking of ways to make my team more engaged, and since I’ve been using VR for awhile, I thought it would be great to bring them together in a VR setting. This episode talks about our experience.  00:00 – Intro  01:19 – My Interest  04:21 – The Event  05:56 – Pros and Cons  08:20 – Final Thoughts  ✅ Subscribe if you liked this interview: https://yout...

Ever wonder why you self-sabotage, even when you know what you should be doing? In this raw and vulnerable conversation, hypnotherapist Sara Raymond explains the fundamental reason: emotion always beats logic. Learn how emotional beliefs formed in childhood override our adult rational minds, leading to everything from founder burnout to the feeling of "never being enough". This is a deep dive into...

2021 has been a really tough year with my divorce, the pandemic, and not launching my product yet. In this episode, I talk about what I’ve been through, where I am, and where I’m heading in 2022.  00:00 – Intro  00:56 – Beginning  03:15 – Goal Review  05:12 – How I lost the weight  09:48 – 2022 Goals  12:00 – Additional Goals  14:10 – Final Thoughts  ✅ Subs...

How to Hire Your First Virtual Assistant (A CEO's Complete Playbook). Feeling overwhelmed as a founder? This is your complete guide to hiring your first virtual assistant and buying back your time. Pavel Stepanov, CEO of a company with over 600 full-time VAs, shares his expert playbook. Learn the biggest mistake founders make when delegating, the exact interview questions to ask to find a great vi...

How to Get a VC Partner (Without Giving Up Equity). What if you could get the strategic benefits of a top-tier VC partner—access to their network, help with expansion, and introductions to future investors—all without giving up equity in your startup? That's the power of venture debt. In this deep dive, Paul Ong of Innoven Capital explains how this funding model works, who it's for, and how his fi...

My 10-Year-Old Son is My Customer Success Associate | A Family Business Story. After leaving his role running a $14B business at Cisco, Rajat Mishra decided to build a startup differently. This is the story of his incredible journey building a true family business, where the company is considered the "third child." Learn his brilliant strategy for de-risking a startup and hear how he integrates hi...

Why Your Business Needs a Podcast in 2025. If you're a founder or marketer, this is your sign to finally launch that company show. In this masterclass, award-winning CEO and former NPR producer Anthony Frasier breaks down exactly why your business needs a podcast in 2025. Learn why a business podcast is one of the most effective ways to build trust, establish your brand as an expert, and increase...

I Couldn't Empathize With Anyone. Then I Tried Microdosing. For CEO Mark Beneke, a lifelong struggle to empathize with others was holding him back as a leader and a person . In this raw, honest interview, he shares the full story of his year-long microdosing experiment with LSD. Discover how microdosing unlocked a state of 100x focus, but more importantly, how it taught him the empathy he needed t...

Why Drive-Thrus Failed in China (And Other Insane Localization Stories). Ever wonder why drive-thrus failed in China, a country where most people don't own cars? Or how a major airline accidentally translated its "Fly in Leather" campaign to "Fly Naked"? This interview with GoLocalise CEO David Garcia-Gonzalez is packed with insane localization stories that serve as critical lessons for any founde...

Our Revenue Went to Zero Overnight. This is How We Survived. This founder story is a masterclass in business survival. In this interview, Coding Nomads Co-Founder Kim Desmond shares how they survived after their in-person travel business revenue went to zero overnight due to the pandemic. Learn about the dramatic decision to evacuate their students from Bali and the strategic business pivot to an...

How do you make sure you're building a product people actually want? You need The Founder's UX Playbook to Prevent Product Failure. In this interview, PlaybookUX CEO and former product manager Lindsay Allard shares her complete playbook for user research. Learn how to ask unbiased questions, the secret to getting brutally honest feedback (even when it's scary), and how to turn messy qualitative da...

Barry Levine is the founder and CEO of Sperry West, a 30-year-old manufacturer of body temperature warning cameras, covert cameras to assist in recording criminal activity and related systems.  00:00 - Guest Introduction 01:41 - Get to know Barry 05:06 - Selling to the government 06:56 - How he partnered with the government 09:32 - Downside of working with bigger entities 12:08 - Keeping an h...

Corinna Bellizzi is the Founder, Host and Producer and Care More, Be Better, a podcast about social impact and sustainability. She also pioneered the techniques to take a natural product company from $1M to $100M in sales in just a few short years.  00:00 - Guest Introduction 01:43 - Get to know Corinna 03:08 - Using anthropology to generate sales 04:16 - Using programs and systems for c...

Loretta Markevics is the Founder/Chief Strategist at Sēd Communications, which focuses on helping startups quickly achieve hypergrowth through sharp public relations communications methods.  00:00 - Guest Introduction 01:51 - Get to know Loretta 06:02 - Good vs Bad PR methods 08:51 - Who should take charge of your PR strategies 11:42 - When should you develop a PR strategy 14:43 - Get a uniqu...

Brad Cleveland is an author, speaker, & consultant focused on customer strategy/management. He has worked across 45 states & in 60 countries for clients as diverse as AMEX, Apple, USAA, University of California, & the US/Canadan/Australian governments.   Brad is author of "Leading the Customer Experience: How to Chart a Course and Deliver Outstanding Results" and "Contact Cen...

Katerina Sukhenko is the Chief Business Development Officer for Postoplan, an AI-powered web service offering highly efficient social media management and content creation.  00:00 - Guest Introduction 01:49 - Get to know Kate 06:10 - Reaching different generations 08:00 - Gen Z compared to other generations 12:09 - Building a personal brand and trust 15:38 - Using video formats for customer a...

Vladimir Gendelman is the Founder and CEO of Company Folders, which focuses on high quality printing of marketing materials for Fortune 500 companies as well as SMBs.  00:00 - Guest Introduction 02:51 - Get to know Vladimir 04:05 - Having a sick loved while being a company owner 09:05 - Helping other patients with the same problems 14:27 - How Vladimir worked during this time 16:36 - Joining...

The secret to massive growth isn't a crazy new idea. The real advice is to Stop Chasing Shiny Objects. Just Nail The Basics. In this interview, Freddie Laker, whose firm does over $2 million a month helping VC and PE-backed companies grow, reveals his core playbook. Learn why flawless execution of the fundamentals—like good CRM, marketing automation, and clear internal processes—is far more valuab...

Many companies promise you'll get paid for your data in the future. Here's The Real Reason You'll Never Get Paid For Your Data. In this interview, data expert and former investor Brad Schneider explains the fundamental flaw in personal data marketplaces: the bias problem. Learn why any system that pays for data attracts a non-representative audience, making the data itself not valuable to marketer...

Are you thinking of outsourcing your MVP to a dev shop? You need to watch this first. Here's Why Using a Dev Shop is a Red Flag for Investors. According to UpStack founder Yossi Mlynsky, "there's no bigger red flag for an investor" than a startup that has outsourced its core product. In this interview, he explains why you lose control, accumulate technical debt, and can make your company un-invest...

Is Your Startup a Painkiller or a Vitamin? According to Alchemist Accelerator, this is the most important question a B2B founder can ask. In this interview, Autify CEO Ryo Chikazawa shares the #1 lesson he learned in his accelerator: B2B customers don't buy "vitamins" (nice-to-haves), they only buy "painkillers" that solve a burning need. Learn the process they used to pivot from a vitamin to a pa...

This is How We Bootstrapped a Marketplace to $20M/Year. It's a rare feat, especially for a two-sided marketplace, but it can be done. In this interview, GreenPal CEO Bryan Clayton shares his complete playbook. Learn why he bootstrapped the business, how he solved the "chicken and egg" problem by "faking the chicken," and why he focused on just one neighborhood in one city for years before expandin...